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…
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