Yes, I am referring to the United Nations, of course. The gang that brought you the Oil-for-Food scandal now wants to regulate life online. [Well, you can kiss this blog good-bye. ed. Hey, I can fall back on screenwriting.] But don’t panic. Among other reassuring comments in the CNET article:
At issue is who decides key questions like adding new top-level domains, assigning chunks of numeric Internet addresses, and operating the root servers that keep the Net humming. Other suggested responsibilities for this new organization include Internet surveillance, “consumer protection,” and perhaps even the power to tax domain names to pay for “universal access.”
That would bring “taxation without representation” to undreamed of levels. (ht: Wichita Boy]
Make your checks payable directly to Kofi Anan and family.
The Nigerians could bring much needed expertise in this area.
Sounds like an economic opportunity for Israel. Unregulated servers.
Hell, the biggest P2P piracy archive in the world is already located in the Jenin “refugee camp”.
The internet cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of the UN. The UN is Jackie Chirac’s favorite vehicle for trying to punch above his weight and cause other people trouble. And anyone who has ever worked with the French on anything to do with communications technology, especially international standards related to it, knows they share their Dear Leader’s love of trying to punch above his weight and cause trouble for other people.
And notfuhnuttin’, the Chinese may love to death the work Microsoft has been doing for them to help control their little internet problems, and the UN would surely love to piggyback on that work, but the rest of the world doesn’t need it – we’re muddling along just fine, thank you.
I did thoroughly enjoy the line by the Syrian rep that mimiced the NYT’s headline style: SPAM Increasing, Underdeveloped Nations Hardest Hit.