'bid to wrestle control of internet' stalled by asterisk
Good old Getafix and his magic potion.
UN's 'bid to wrestle control of internet' stalled by asterisk
It is day eight of the World Conference on International Telecommunications, the ITU conference that has Google so panicked, and more than 600 delegates are locked in debate over the significance of an asterisk with no compromise in sight and time running out. The ITU conference is debating the International Telecommunication …
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Wednesday 12th December 2012 19:28 GMT GotThumbs
Fiscal cliff is not an actual cliff......
It's just the combining of expiring tax breaks and manditory budget cuts that were supposed to be so bad that the govenment would be compelled to focus on reigning in its out of control spending. Since the US President seems to have mssed the fact that the election is over...He should be more involved in the process rather than on the campain trail. But since He loves avoiding the actual job he applied for and was elected to do....It's not a surprise how little progress is actually happening.
As one of those who will be affected, I think it would be in Americas best interest to take the hit and everyone start paying their true share. Less than 50% of Americans pay taxes currently, so the poor are not contributing at all to the collective, but they are the ones using the social resources most. They even get an "Obama Phone" for free, complements of those who work and pay their own bills. Don't get me wrong, I think there are many people using social services that deserve and need them, but I also know that the system is poorly managed and there are tons of abuses and waste.
The fact that Egypt is getting about 1 Billion in foreign aid funding and 20 F-16 planes from the US staring January, shows how f'd up this country is. We have to borrow money to pay for the spending/sending of money to other nations.
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Wednesday 12th December 2012 23:39 GMT Invidious Aardvark
Re: Fiscal cliff is not an actual cliff......
I'm not American but I was under the impression that actual debating and proposing laws, etc. was the work of Congress. The president has the power of veto over whatever comes out of Congress, but the (hopelessly divided along party lines) Congress is the place where the real action happens.
Blame the senate and reps for the impasse. If they'd start thinking of the country and stop being so bloody partisan some actual progress might be possible.
As for "paying their true share", the fact that > 50% are not paying taxes (assuming that is true) should be ringing alarm bells - the most powerful nation on the planet appears to be failing > 50% of its population by paying them so little for the work that they do that they need state subsidy to survive. Proposing to tax these people, who are earning so little that they actually need state assistance in the first place, is a pointless exercise. Far better would be to improve their standards of pay so that they can survive without state assistance and can actually contribute to the state via taxes themselves. It may mean some businesses earning less profit, but it would increase the number of people with disposable income who will, presumably, go and dispose of this income by buying things.
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Friday 14th December 2012 13:40 GMT Tom 13
Re: who are earning so little that they actually need state assistance
they're not ALL earning so little, most are just too fucking lazy with too much self importance to take a job doing honest work for honest wages. Besides, they voted for The Big 0 so he owes them more free stuff. Greed and avarice are always the downfall of any nation. Problem is, when we have asshats like you redefine greed and avarice as a human necessity, the greediest and most avarice don't get the correction needed to right the nation.
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Wednesday 12th December 2012 14:06 GMT Roger Stenning
Let's see if I've got this right...
...these conspiracy theory nuts are saying the UN is out to run the planet, but this would require the use of force and armies of immense size to accomplish in any real sense; now, as most of these conspiracy theory nuts come from the US, which has a VETO VOTE for pretty much anything the UN throws out when it comes to use of force matters (as do the other permanent members of the UNSC), what the bloody hell are these conspiracy theory nuts so paranoid about? The Easter Bunny dressing in a sky blue romper suit and arming itself with a carrot gun?!
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Wednesday 12th December 2012 15:13 GMT TeeCee
Re: Let's see if I've got this right...
Actually I think that the perceived problem is the exact opposite.
It's precisely because the UN and its committees are tedious talking shops, where the world and his dog get a veto, that makes them eminently unfit to run anything of any importance.
Try getting, say, the IPv6 standard approved by a bunch who can argue the toss for a week over whether a footnote should be a footnote or a text inclusion. A load of 'em studying the text for evidence of western imperialism, another load studying it for evidence of godless communism and another load studying it to work out whether it's possible to insult ${deity} in a hexadecimal address that long so it should be banned as a product of infidels. Meanwhile, the actual technical content goes on the "Who gives a toss?" pile.
Screw that for a game of soldiers......
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Wednesday 12th December 2012 19:15 GMT Captain DaFt
@TeeCee
But that's the point isn't it?
Give'em all a big building to meet in, and let them argue over trivial details and imagined slights with all the posturing and pontificating that they can muster.
It keeps them off the streets and out of real trouble, like starting World Wars every twenty years or so.
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Friday 14th December 2012 17:41 GMT Mike Flex
Re: Let's see if I've got this right...
"Try getting, say, the IPv6 standard approved by a bunch who can argue the toss for a week over whether a footnote should be a footnote or a text inclusion."
There's no need to wait a few 4-year study periods. If you need a replacement for an under-planned IPv4 suite there's a set of ISO network standards on the shelf (perfect condition, never used) all ready to go.
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Wednesday 12th December 2012 15:26 GMT P_0
Re: Let's see if I've got this right...
This isn't about conspiracy theories, it is about who is suitable to run the internet. The internet is freedom of speech's greatest tool, and to hand waive and say it is conspiracy theorizing that other countries mught want to curtail this is plain wrong.
Saudi Arabia, for example wants an international body to censor "offensive material" .
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/9602263/Anti-Islam-film-prompts-Saudi-call-for-net-censorship-body.html
The UN is a laughable organization. Don't let it anywhere near the internet.
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Thursday 13th December 2012 04:14 GMT Terry Cloth
Re: Let's see if I've got this right...
@Roger Stenning: ``most of these conspiracy theory nuts come from the US, which has a VETO VOTE for pretty much anything''
Well, yes, that's exactly why they're worried. You see, the Trilateral Commission is in control of the U.S. government, and therefore can use the U.S.'s power over the UN to put in another order for a few Black Helicopters. When they've accumulated a sufficient supply....
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Wednesday 12th December 2012 18:23 GMT Alan Esworthy
Check your assumptions
How is it that so many people seem to think it is debatable at all that governments, quintessentially coercive organizations, have any legitimate basis for controlling the way individuals choose to communicate with each other? The UN is just a collection of such governments (plus a bunch of arrogant and condescending NGOs) having even less legitimacy for this and many other matters.
As for those poo-poohing those who call this a conspiracy for control, the UN's modus operandi has long been to delegate the control they crave to its member governments. Whether the regulation comes directly from the UN or form member states is irrelevant to the fact that such control is in effect.
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Wednesday 12th December 2012 19:09 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: Check your assumptions
Unfortunately, part of what the ITU (and many other semi-related bodies) do allows me to view this web page and answer you who also viewed this web page.
Do we want networks to be like the railroads are/were that require(d) tracks to be laid side-by-side at the border in order for the cargo to be shifted from one to the other because the gauge of the rails is different in each country?
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Wednesday 12th December 2012 21:20 GMT Alan Esworthy
Re: Check your assumptions
Kindly please read something about J.J.Hill and the Great Northern Railroad, then compare and contrast his private success against the very expensive and highly abusive govt-sponsored and -subsidised efforts of the rest of the (failed) American railroad robber barons. You might reconsider the "advantages" of having govt control this sort of thing.
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Friday 14th December 2012 14:09 GMT Tom 13
Re: Check your assumptions
Sorry, all governments quintessentially have that power. The trick is configuring your government so it is normally intrinsically fighting with itself instead of against its people and at the same time allowing it to configure itself so it can act as a unified whole when there is an existential threat to the people.
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Biting the hand that feeds IT
