RE: The telephone network and the internet (RE: [ga] ALAC comment s on proposed Bylaws modifications)

[Marc Schneiders <marc@fuchsia.bijt.net>]

On Mon, 10 Mar 2003, at 14:31 [=GMT+0100], richard.hill@itu.int wrote:

[I wrote:]
> > Yes, but to read the text you mention, [ITU-T Recommendation E.164.1] so
> that one
> > knows how  to apply, one
> > has to make a small investment. 20 Swiss Franks for 20 pages.
>
> Anybody can download up to three ITU-T Recommendations per year for free
> from our web site.
>
> I agree that this is not the same as IETF or ICANN where everything is
> available for free.

Or WIPO, IIRC. Makes one think about IntProp.

It isn't enough, 3 texts. There are more than 3 documents about e.164. So
anyone interesting in _studying_ e.164, has to come up with cash, or
cannot get the full ITU picture. I must say that I find it outrageous that
we are charged to be able to participate. This does not at all suggest
that there is a open bottom up process. And even apart from participation,
standards should be freely available. It is the best road to get them
implemented, I guess.

I can understand there is a charge for printed material, as long as it is
at cost. For downloading _official_ electronic texts from a UN
organization there should be no charge. Unless there are reasons why it is
good that as little people as possible actually read the texts. Could be.

I do understand that the ITU needs financing. But the path it has chosen,
to do this in part by charging for texts, has the side effect that it will
make participation more difficult, except for companies. Is that what you
want?


--
This message was passed to you via the ga@dnso.org list.
Send mail to majordomo@dnso.org to unsubscribe
("unsubscribe ga" in the body of the message).
Archives at http://www.dnso.org/archives.html