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North American Network Operators Group Date Prev | Date Next | Date Index | Thread Index | Author Index | Historical FW: Behind the scenes...
---------- From: Jim Fleming[SMTP:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, February 15, 1997 11:32 AM To: 'New Newdom' Subject: Behind the scenes... For over 20 years I have been designing serious online information systems. I was fortunate to spend much of that time at AT&T Bell Laboratories as an employee and a consultant. I am proud of the fact that I was able to help launch the Videotex industry and that some of the technology that AT&T patented on my behalf was used in the early Prodigy systems. For the past couple of years, I have become more involved in the behind the scenes activity of the Internet. Like many people, I have used the facilities for many years without much concern for who handled the governance needed to keep the network moving in a positive direction that benefits all people on earth and does not discriminate and degenerate like many societies on earth. I am disappointed to report that the behind the scenes Internet of 1997 looks more like a communist/fascist republic than the democratic system in the U.S. that helped to create the Internet. In my opinion, this is partly because a few individuals have been allowed to rise to positions of visibility and power without the normal checks and balances that are present in a democracy. We now have a situation where the so-called "leaders" of the Internet support people who run around "blacklisting" and denying service to people at the drop of a hat. We see the U.S. Government, via the NSF, funding people who are clearly the Internet equivalent of the mafia. We see prominent Internet societies endorsing people who openly and publicly suggest that people's parents be "killed with fire axes". We see those groups claiming to have the support of the Whitehouse, which I doubt endorses such violence. The list goes on. When I first observed this situation, I will admit that I was naive. I assumed that society would see these problems and quickly correct these situations. I am disappointed to report that not only is this not happening, it is getting worse. It appears that the only solution for rational adults (especially in the U.S.) is to turn and walk away. As this happens, the problem increases, because, what remains are these ego-maniac dictators who now infect the young people launching their careers in the tele- communications industry. Some of these young people then become ISPs, capture the attention of the public, and continue to propogate a system that will clearly lead to large scale social problems around the world. Another solution is to create a new Internet that is "rooted" in democratic governments that have served great countries like the U.S. for many years. It is somewhat ironic that such a new system would have to be created as an alternative to the dictators currently being funded by the U.S. taxpayers via NSF grants and non-profit, tax-avoiding, companies. The system would also have to be created in the face of wide-spread opposition from young people who have already been polluted to think that everything the U.S. does is not in their interest, except for their tuition and salaries paid via government grants. To create a new Internet, new servers and networks are not required. What is required is democractic governance. Because I believe in the U.S. system of democracy and I truely believe that 99.9% of society wants to "do the right thing", I still have hope that democratic societies will take a hard look behind the scenes of the Internet to see the "society" that is pulling the strings. I have faith that the real society and real governments will soon step forward to cut the ties to the dictators and their societies. This will help to ensure that children and adults everywhere have a chance to enjoy the wonderful resources that the Internet can provide in a truely democratic Internet society (small s). Thank you for your time... -- Jim Fleming Unir Corporation e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] (EDNS/IPv8) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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