Craig:
Craig Simon wrote:
> The "Internet" is a feature arising out of the voluntary interconnection
> between a growing number of autonomous (mostly private) networks. It is
> an emergent property, a constituted structure, and not inherently a
> thing in itself,
By George, you've got it. Now, hold that thought.....!
> My point is that the "Internet" is already run by its associated
> members. It could not be said to exist without their association. But
> the vocabulary which presently facilitates that association is rather
> limited. This debate concerns whether it is appropriate to add things
> like codes of conduct to the vocabulary so that more people will have an
> easier time finding out "how to go on" in this new environment.
This is why I resist social constructivism. We aren't talking about
"vocabulary," here, Craig, we're talking about state power, bottleneck
monopolies, and coercion. You constructivists always get confused about
this. You and ICANN can add any words to our vocabulary you like. If people
agree with you, they'll pick up the meme and it will spread. The code of
conduct will become "constituted" as an "emergent property" of the system.
But ICANN is constituting itself as an old-fashioned, progressive-era
regulatory body. This is friggin' 1927, its the Federal Radio Commission
parlaying their control of the frequency spectrum into ownership rules,
content regulations, technical standards, distribution of licenses over the
right number of congressional districts, etc. etc. Ira Magaziner is proving
to be another Herbert Hoover, and as Marx said, when history repeats itself,
the first time it's tragedy, the second time farce.
> Many of the elite ICANN-bashers are philosophically predisposed to favor
> a very loose association based on the rule of the freest possible free
> for all. That predisposition is so deeply embedded, they have become
> allergic to the concept of recognizing that a more clearly stated set of
> rules is likely to benefit a wide population.
AAAAAaaaaaaachoooo! snifff. sniff.
> Craig Simon
--MM
