[ga] my penance

[Sotiris Sotiropoulos <sotiris@hermesnetwork.com>]

For me, the biggest drawback in the ICANN to date is the
lack of definition in its nomenclature (and I don't mean the
acronyms), process, and mission.  Many of you know I have
been continually (albeit periodically) raving about the
definition of  "domain names".  [But I'll return to it
another time]

Take the example of the ALSC buzzphrase "Internet User".
What exactly does this mean?  In the broadest possible sense
it means everyone from the Big Corporations to my friend
Theo- who downloads music and videos (and couldn't care less
who was in charge as long as the whole damned thing
worked).  The Big Corporations, along with Small Business
and business minded *Individuals*, view the Internet as a
source of income, *one which requires an investment*.  On
the other hand, Internet Users like my friend Theo (who is a
carpenter by trade), do very little investing *in* the
Internet  ( not *through* the Internet).  This difference is
crucial in understanding what those (i.e. the Big
Corporations, Small Businesses and business minded
*Individuals*) who have invested *in* the Internet would
like to think are the actual "Internet Users"; as they
consider themselves "Internet Developers".  Of course, there
are distinctions drawn even among (and between) this
business minded bunch of self-proclaimed Internet
Developers.  Most especially when it comes to matters of
"ownership" of Intellectual Property on the Web.
Ultimately, everything comes right back to this issue of
Intellectual Property.  The moment IP concerns were
introduced (and favoured) on the networks of the world, that
was the moment property rights as POLITICAL franchise were
introduced to the Web.  But a franchise for whom?  Is (or
should it be) a franchise for some nebulous indefinite
"community"?  Is it a narrow community as envisioned by Big
Business, or as wide as every individual on the planet?

Politics requires a choice.  You either choose to
participate, or you don't. There are qualifications for
participation in politics, and subscription is voluntary.  A
"stake" in the Internet does not mean that the very simple
fact that one exists entitles him/her in any way with
respect to the Internet.  To confer membership without some
kind of qualification is worse than disaster.  To limit
membership in the extreme is equally undesirable.  Somewhere
between Big Business and my friend Theo are people like
myself.  When enough of us get it together we will be more
than capable members of the "community" we helped to enlarge
and widen.  Individual Domain Name Owners/Registrants are
the Middle Class of the Internet Community as a whole, and
we want part of the franchise.

Sincerely,

Sotiris Sotiropoulos
                Individual







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