Us Holds The Reigns.

[simplegreen]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/internet/11/1...t.ap/index.html

[steronz]

From the article:
"Gallagher said the compromise's ultimate decision is that leadership of the Internet, and its future direction, will remain in the hands of the private sector, although some critics contend that the U.S. government, which oversees ICANN, if only nominally, could still flex its muscle in future decisions."

I've always found this really interesting. ICANN has control of IP address and domains names based on a congressional contract. So ICANN doesn't answer to congress, but they're in charge of the internet because of congress. This naturally makes other countries very angry, but the internet works pretty well so nobody's really done anything about it.

However, there's nothing stopping another country from establishing it's own version of ICANN and start managing its own servers. So when you type in google.com, right now you go through a series of DNS servers and then a series of routers that ultimately connect you to a specific MAC address for google. the DNS servers and routers all agree with each other where to go because of ICANN. If China stands up its own DNS servers and routing tables that disagree with US based ones, then in china google.com will take you somewhere else. You'll get massive worldwide routing conflicts, but eventually if enough countries agree with china, their servers and routers could take precedence everywhere outside of the states.

At that point there could very well be two internets... one controlled by a global body and centered in china, and one controlled by the US and centered in the US. it wouldn't be a huge deal because most of the stuff worth going to is in the US, but eventually businesses that depend on global commerce would abandon the US internet, eventually the rest of the country will slide as well, and then the china internet will have successfully taken over and the world will have gotten its way against our collective will.


i should write a book or something.

[ledzep09]

no, you shouldnt. because thats the dumbest thing ive ever heard. its just like our stock market. NYSE is the biggest and most influential in the world in both the domestic and international market. always has been always will be. atelast for a very long time to come.

[steronz]

it's not like the stock market, because most countries do indeed have their own stock market. so if a company in japan can't get listed on the NYSE, they just go get listed on the japanese stock market. the NASDAQ and NYSE are the biggest stock markets because of economics and survival of the fittest.

on the contrary, ICANN is in charge of the internet namespace not because it's the best company or better than all the alternatives, but because congress says so. US congress. so you have a situation where the US is enforcing policy for the rest of the world. and the rest of the world doesn't get a say in it. there's nothing stopping them from rebelling other than that they have no economic reason to do so at this point. but that could all change.


fuck it, i'm calling michael chricton. i'll see you in the airport.

[ledzep09]

well, you definately and completely missed my point...but whatever. oh yeah, in case you didnt read the article the rest of the world DID get a say in it. and i know other countries have stock markets. djibouti has a stock market. it may be trading animal skins and bamboo and writing in dirt but its still a stock market.

From the article :

"Negotiators from more than 100 countries agreed late Tuesday to leave the United States in charge of the Internet's addressing system, averting a U.S.-EU showdown at this week's U.N. technology summit."

P.S. I dont think Michael Crichton would be proper. try Michael Moore. you two seem to have similar attitudes.

[steronz]

yeah, the world finally gets a small say in the decision 10 years after the congressional act granting ICANN its authority? other countries have been bitching about this back as far as I can remember.

relax man, i'm not really saying that china's gonna take over the internet by force. it's just an interesting thing to think about. at least i think so. that's why i referenced michael crichton... china taking over the internet is about as likely as genetically re-engineered dinosaurs. but it's technically possible and makes for good reading.




oh, and djibouti is my second favorite country. nice reference

[ledzep09]

but it's technically possible and makes for good reading. [/b]

its also technically possibile to travel back in time.


you sound like a newspaper or something. interested in entertainment, not fact. yeah dont worry..i just like to argue when i have a difference of OPINION, it is good exercise for the brain. always godo to think for yourself.


btw, you know the capital of djibouti? i discovered this country when i was in 6th grade and thought it was great fun because of the name haha.

[AkinaDrifter03]

I don't agree with it.

[steronz]

djibouti city. only reason it's my 2nd favorite country.

[Calesta]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(steronz @ Nov 16 2005, 04:34 PM) [snapback]96210[/snapback]</div>

yeah, the world finally gets a small say in the decision 10 years after the congressional act granting ICANN its authority? other countries have been bitching about this back as far as I can remember.
[/b]

Considering that the internet was originally created for the US by the US and not for the rest of the world, I think it's reasonable.