Re: Sernovitz attack

[avc@netnamesusa.com (Antony Van Couvering)]

Jay,

You ask questions for rhetorical effect, not because you desire an answer,
or even discussion.

The ISO-3166 codes are the basis for assigning national TLDs.  IANA follows
those scrupulously.  Thus there is a TLD for such nebulous areas as "French
Southern Territories" and "British Indian Ocean Territories" but nothing
for Scotland or Wales or American Indian nations.  On the other hand, there
is a domain for East Timor.

This is decided by the ISO, a (gasp!) international organization
headquartered in (double gasp!) Geneva.

Your obsession with juridical form leads you to ask some dumb questions.
"Who gets to decide" whether Libya belongs on the Internet?  Well, in the
end, it's the Libyans who get to decide, isn't it?  

Who decided that the Americans or Canadians or British should be on the
Internet?  People in those countries just found a way to do it.  Who
decided that Jay Fenello had anything worthwhile to say about domain names?
 I assure you, absolutely, that it was you, and no-one voted for it.

Antony



At 12:08 PM 10/7/97 -0400, Jay@Iperdome.com wrote:
>
>I think we've been talking *around* the point of Andy's
>testimony WRT NetNames.  While there is no question that 
>he implicated NetNames for some inappropriate activities 
>(some that were effectively countered by Antony's posting 
>yesterday), the main point as I understand it is that the
>gTLD-MoU creates a system that can supersede national law
>and policy.
>
>So using Libya as an example, who gets to decide whether
>they belong on the Internet?  Is it the U.S., the U.N.,
>the World Court, the E.U., the E.C., etc.?
>
>Or is it the POC, the PAB, the CORE, the ISOC, the IANA,
>Jon Postel, etc.?  
>
>Cyberspace is our future -- decisions about access are 
>almost as important as decisions to use navies to blockade 
>nations.  This is Global Internet Governance, and it is 
>*very* serious business with far reaching consequences.  
>
>I, for one, am uncomfortable with a group of technical
>wizards making political decisions, especially when they
>are accountable to no one.
>
>We need to work together in the spirit of cooperation
>to answer these questions.  With the potential of the
>Internet to transform our society as we know it, let's
>take the time to do this right!
>
>
>Regards,
>
>Jay Fenello
>President, Iperdome, Inc.  
>404-250-3242  http://www.iperdome.com
>
>
>P.S.  To listen to this part of Andy's testimony, go to:
>http://www.democracy.net/events/09301997/#audio
>and forward to the 50 minute point.
>
>
>At 03:56 PM 10/7/97 +0000, Ivan Pope wrote:
>>Jeff Williams replied:
>>
>>>> Are you saying that Libya doesn't deserve to have an nTLD?
>>>
>>>  As a proven sponser and activist in terrist activities, yes I am.
>>
>>>  And these standards are not complete as I have stated several times in
>>>the
>>>recent past.  NO COUNTRY WHOM IS INVOLVED IN TERROIST ACTIVITIES SHOULD
>>>BE ALLOWED ANY ACCESS IF POSSIBLE TO THE INTERNET UNDER ANY
>>>CIRCUMSTANCES.
>>>NOR SHOULD ANY COUNTRY DO ANY BUISNESS WITH COUNTRIES WHOM BELIEVE IN
>>>THE
>>>USE OF ACTIVE TERROISM AS A POLITICAL TOOL.
>>
>>So Jeff Williams may well be right. But, we then have to remove Israel,
>>Pakistan, New Zealand (remember the Rainbow Warrior), US (Cuba et al) and
>>most other countries from the Internet. And not to business with them.
>>Get off your high horse and get real. I remember the student revolts in
>>China, news of which flew in and out of the country via the electronic
>>networks. I remember the fall of Eastern Europe, where the embryonic
>>Internet was a crucial contributor to the fall of these regimes.
>>Oh no, Jeff Williams would remove these countries from the Internet on the
>>grounds, no doubt, that its governments that use the Internet and removing
>>them would somehow hurt them while the people wouldn't even notice.
>>High class political savvy.
>>Ivan
>>
>>Ivan Pope ivan@netnames.co.uk
>>NETNAMES * The INTERNATIONAL DOMAIN NAME REGISTRY
>>Registering Domain Names in over 200 countries
>>http://www.netnames.com
>>UK Freephone 0800 269049
>>
>>Please note our new address:
>>
>>180-182 Tottenham Court Road
>>London
>>W1P 9LE
>>
>>+44 171 291 3900
>>+44 171 291 3939 Fax
>>
>>Faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.
>>Hunter S. Thompson
>>
>>
>>
>
>