Internet governance by

Desiree Miloshevic Internet Society (ISOC) Board Trustee Emeritus

International Affairs and Policy Adviser, AfiliasThe Guardian Activate

01/07/2010London

Internet governance

How did we get here, and where are we going next?

A cyber-fairy tale for adults

The Tale of

Who governs the Internet?

If “govern” means defining the rules of the game, the current answer is mostly private sector interests... but that could change at any tim e

To understand how and why, one must hearken back to a simpler age...

Industry Self-Governance...

Unfamiliar? Uneasy?Today, if the concept of “industry self-regulation” is already familiar, it may not inspire warm feelings

Not all Pirates are the Same

Sometimes they m ay actually be the good guys.....

However...

The Tragic Love Triangle at the Heart of the IG Story

The Internet:Simple but elegant,

virtuous by design

The betrothed:From humble origins, now a wildly successful innovator/entrepreneur

The Sovereign:Late to the game, but knows a good

thing when he sees it

The Tragic Love Triangle at the Heart of the IG Story

The Internet:Simple but elegant,

virtuous by design

The Sovereign, Overlordtries to put someorder

The scary pirate

very disruptive& makes his

own rules

To win the Prize Each will seek out assistance from a Variety

of Colorful Characters, including...

Cybercrats(Internet-oriented technocrats)

They represent the Sovereign and provide expert policy advice

Scientists and Technologists

They build and maintain the Internet Miraculous inventions... loved by many, feared by some...

?

Cyber-bedouins(a rag-tag mix of globe-trotting scholars, activists, and

advocates)

The “usual suspects” at IG events around the world...Drawn to Internet Governance for many different (often issue-specific) reasons, some are supported by industry stakeholders, others by research institutions, academia, or government, or ngos – Civil Society

The Graybeards

Present at the creation, they remind us what’s important:End-to-End Principle RFC1958Net NeutralityOpen development of Internet standards

The recurring Plot revolves around efforts by one group to secure the Prize against the nefarious machinations of its

rival, which are Considered

Harmful.

For example, in a recent episode...

Shotgun Wedding

Shotgun Wedding…

A Story Without an Ending?

In the novel of the same name that inspired the movie, author William Goldman described the story so "a fairy tale for adults." By this he was referring to the fact that that the original story had no clear and unambiguous ending -- did our heroes escape from the heavily armed cavalry at their heels? Did Wesley survive his previously fatal injuries, and did he and Buttercup actually get away live happily ever after? Goldman left these questions unanswered, because closing that way was more true to life than the antiseptic, invariable happy resolutions that one finds at the ends of children's fairy tales… Today, the conclusion of our story also yet to be determined. Maybe that's the best outcome that we could hope for…

Thank you!

http://tinyurl.com/3ybdhno

twitter: DesDesiree@afilias.info