David Wolfe wrote:
>
> Since any post seems to be a cause for "inappropriate use
> of the list" flames, I hope that these note fall on receptive
> terminals. I realize that some of you have more thorough
> knowledge of the progress of the white paper, I hope
> my modest comments do not offend.
>
> The Second International Harvard Conference on The
> Internet was just adjourned in Boston. MA.
>
> If this posting is well received, I would be happy to
> post a more complete report to the list.
>
> I thought that the following would be of general interest.
>
> Whilst walking with Mr. Magaziner today I had the opportunity
> to ask a few questions...
>
> The upcoming white paper will take the collected contribution from
> the on-line forum in response to the green paper and respond.
>
> The publication has been delayed by the Justice Department lawyers
> in order to make sure the language will hold up in court. The
> administration's take on this is that they are transferring the
> "ownership"
> of the infrastructure away from the US Government and that since, in
> some respects, the creation of that infrastructure was paid for by
> the American people that care must be taken.
>
> To over simplify the structure of this non-profit organization; the
> idea is to limit the scope of any one part of the organization to issue
> specific "sub-groups" (my term) of stakeholders. And that the
> definition of stakeholder is non-UScentric.
>
> For example, the engineering standards setting process would
> remain with the IETF/IAB/IESG. Issues of Copyright would be
> off-loaded to the World Intellectual Property Organization (sic?).
>
> On Wed a representative of the FBI prefaced her remarks
> by raising the specter of terrorism, child pornography and
> organized crime in calling for everything from key escrow to
> on-line "stings". No one would, or could, defend anyone's right
> to these aforementioned evils and I do not intend to do so. However;
> issues of data privacy, security and censorship are trampled
> on under the banner of the protection of society by law enforcement.
>
> Mr. Magaziner's comment was that the FBI
> doesn't really understand the dynamics of the Internet.
>
> Mr. Magaziner asked if I had any suggestions for him. I suggested
> that the speed of the dissemination/discussion that is common
> in on-line forums was not matched by the administration's
> speed of communication.
>
> He acknowledged that there is a general distrust of
> government and that the intention is to create a system
> that avoids a morass of litigation while including all
> stakeholders in the process.
>
> I'm confess that I am swayed more by emotion
> than my logic, a condition anathema to the very
> foundation of engineering in general and The IETF
> specifically. That notwithstanding, I left the conversation
> with a hopeful attitude, rather that one filled with
> uncertainty, doubt and resignation.
>
> -dw
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> David A. Wolfe david.wolfe@woofnet.com
> Technical Instructor www.woofnet.com/~woof/
> SymQuest Group 802.658-9869 (voice)
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
-- Jay Thomas (w)617-576-4832 Network Manager (b)617-546-2444 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Verbing weirds language -- Calvin