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Hands off the internet, America!

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yorkie

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From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4327928.stm

Net power struggle nears climax
By Alfred Hermida
Technology editor, BBC News website

The US has got an image problem when it comes to the internet.


It is seen as arrogant and determined to remain the sheriff of the world wide web, regardless of whatever the rest of the world may think.

It has even lost the support of the European Union. It stands alone as the divisive battle over who runs the internet heads for a showdown at a key UN summit in Tunisia next month.

The stakes are high, with the European Commissioner responsible for the net, Viviane Reding, warning of a potential web meltdown.

"The US is absolutely isolated and that is dangerous," she said during a briefing with journalists in London.

"Imagine the Brazilians or the Chinese doing their own internet. That would be the end of the story.

"I am very much afraid of a fragmented internet if there is no agreement."

Brokering the peace

The UN has been wrestling over who should run the internet for a number of years. It was one of the issues which divided nations at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva two years ago.

The second phase of the UN conference is due to take place in Tunisia in November.


Currently a California-based group called the Internet Cooperation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) is the nearest thing to a ruling body.

The private company was set up by the US Department of Commerce to oversee the domain name and addressing systems, such as country domain suffixes. It manages how net browsers and e-mail programs direct traffic.

Icann was to gain its independence from the Department of Commerce by September 2006. But in July the US said it would "maintain its historic role in authorising changes or modifications to the authoritative root zone file."

America's determination to remain the ultimate purveyor of the internet has angered other countries which believe it is time to come up with a new way of regulating the digital traffic of the 21st century.

In the face of opposition from countries such as China, Iran and Brazil, and several African nations, the US is now isolated ahead of November's UN summit.

The row threatens to overshadow talks on other issues such bringing more people online and tackling spam e-mail.

Global forum

America's traditional ally, Europe, has been left trying to find a way of brokering the peace.

"There is a problem as many parts of the world don't like the fact that one country is linked to the organism that technically rules the internet," said Commissioner Reding. "Many countries would like a multilateral approach."


On the table are European proposals for some kind of international forum to discuss principles for running the internet.

The EU does not intend to scrap Icann. It would continue in its current technical role.

Instead Europe is suggesting a way of allowing countries to express their position on internet issues, though the details on how this would happen are vague.

"We have no intention to regulate the internet," said Commissioner Reding, reassuring the US that the EU was not proposing setting up a new global body.

Rather she talked of a "model of cooperation", of an international forum to discuss the internet.

Her carefully chosen form of words may help assuage a Bush administration which is vehemently opposed to any kind of international body to govern the internet.

"I am sure we will find a solution in interests of the internet," said Mrs Reding. "We think we could have an agreement on what's on the table."

Get it off their hands, who do they think they are? They have no right to rule the internet!
 
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Dave A

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Especially when they guy who invented it was English! :shock: :x

I think we should run our own Internet. Give it to BT or Alan Sugar :P I've never liked the fact that American is running it, but would it be better with the EU running it!? :? :(
 

Julian G

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get your dirty paws off


oops :oops:
gareth hale is not going to be happy :shock:
 

jd

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America has no right to control the internet.

It should be controlled by a committee of people from the EU, UN, US, that Middle East equivalent of the EU - there should be no one country who control the net.[/b]
 

HSTfan!!!

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Its ours! we invented it! someone get a claim down on owning it now! (like the guy who decided he owned the moon :D )
 

Tom B

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No-one should control the internet. Full stop. You should be able to put whatever you like on there, that's the idea. If you don't want to look at certain content that may be offensive to some - don't view it. NOBODY should censor the internet.
 

Max

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Cockfosters said:
No-one should control the internet. Full stop. You should be able to put whatever you like on there, that's the idea. If you don't want to look at certain content that may be offensive to some - don't view it. NOBODY should censor the internet.

Yeah, I didn't know anybody could control the whole internet anyway :?
It's there for everyone to use, and there shouldn't be some 'supreme ruler' over it all. Especially not America though ;)
 
T

Tom

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Share? SHARE? SHARE?

No, it's all mine, muahahahahahahahahahaha.
 

Tom B

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Child pornography is obviously illegal in most countries and those countries can (and are) clamping down on it. However, they are controlling an individual server - if nescesarry servers can host content in other countries. A worldwide ban on anything would be the start of a very slippery slope.
 

yorkie

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I don't think anyone "deserves to die", if you kill someone you are yourself carrying out an act that would, by that logic, make yourself deserving to die.

In fact, in China, people do die and are detained, without trial due to their internet activities. That's not right at all.
 

AlexS

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A person who is willing to destroy a child's life in that way has no place on this world. Capital punishment is the only way for them. It's not something you can change, it's an integral part of the person.
 

Craig

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AlexS said:
A person who is willing to destroy a child's life in that way has no place on this world.
That isn't your decision to make.

What happens if someone is convicted of being paedophile and executed but later are found to be not guilty? Or if someone just over the age of consent by a few months has a relationship with someone just under the age of consent. Is the older person a paedophile, even though the age gap might be a matter of weeks? Technically the answer is yes, so they "deserve to die" too?
 

Tom B

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Craig said:
What happens if someone is convicted of being paedophile and executed but later are found to be not guilty? Or if someone just over the age of consent by a few months has a relationship with someone just under the age of consent. Is the older person a paedophile, even though the age gap might be a matter of weeks? Technically the answer is yes, so they "deserve to die" too?

If that were to be the case I suspect a large proportion of all Year 11s would be obliterated...
 

AlexS

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You know the types I am referring to. People who post images with children in in *that* way. People who take children off the streets and do *things* to them. Capital punishment is the only answer for these depraved dregs of humanity... no, humanity is too strong a word. These scum. Just about the only crime I would bring back the death penalty for. Preferably something painful.
 

Craig

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AlexS said:
You know the types I am referring to. People who post images with children in in *that* way. People who take children off the streets and do *things* to them. Capital punishment is the only answer for these depraved dregs of humanity... no, humanity is too strong a word. These scum. Just about the only crime I would bring back the death penalty for. Preferably something painful.
You didn't answer either of my questions.

Do you execute everyone who could technically be classed as a paedophile as the law reads?
What happens if someone is executed for being a paedophile but is later found to be innocent?

It's not as straight forward as you seem to think it is.
 
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