[governance] The End of the Internet in 2012?

[Sivasubramanian Muthusamy]

Hello Fouad Bajwa,


It is an interesting article that explains in plain language how the big
bandwidth providers are taking the Internet closer to the cable subscription
model. Todd Lammle draws an analogy of how the free television progressed
(or commercially degenerated) to an expensive subscription model. I recall
an IGF workshop where Virginia talked the commercial compulsions on the user
forcing the user to subscribe to 96 unwanted channels in order to get the
four channels that he or she really wants to watch.

These are narrow business models, we as television viewers were bought into
such models even before we realized what was happening. But on the Internet
this may not really happen because we are all a little more experienced and
educated now.

What sets the Internet apart is the way the user is increasingly becoming a
formal part of the policy making process, The user is not going to be taken
in unawares any longer. There are moves by the telcos and other bandwidth
providers to reshape the Internet into one with unfair business models, but
I don't feel that it is going to be easy for these interests to achieve what
they want.

If such efforts persist and if the user is left with a sitation where there
are no options or with a few unpleasant options, the user would not take it
this time submissively. The unpleasant outcome for business may not manifest
as NEO Internetworks providing pirated access - that may not happen given
the present trends towards technologies and policies for greater security.
What is likely to emerge is a user owned, alternate network(s) on social
enterprise models that is (are) well inter-connected, more open, more
legitimate and even more deeply rooted in the fundamental internet values.

There are business models, well within the present framework for neutral and
affodable access, that could keep the bandwidth providers flourishing.
Instead of focusing on such broader business models, some business interests
lobby and even clandestinely work towards narrower business models, but on
the Internet any progress by such business interests would be suicidal.

Same can be said of Government policies that are unbalanced. What happens
when one Government tries to maintain some form of supremacy? Is that
working with China? Beginning with China a few other nationas could fully or
partially protest and that could lead to fragmentation of the Internet which
would lead to a totally opposite outcome : rather than enhancing a nation's
hold, it would end up totally breaking the Internet away from any
possibility of any further benevolent influence.

It is not in the commerical interest of business coporations to work towards
a cable-like model and it is not in the interest of Governments to seek to
maintain an unbalanced form of control.

Sivasubramanian Muthusamy
India.

On Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 9:22 PM, Fouad Bajwa <fouadbajwa at gmail.com> wrote:

> An interesting article that has provoked me to even write a book on
> the subject. What I see here is the emergence of Local or NEOn e
> Internetworks or basically Internet NEO-Clans that will be providing
> pirated or hacked access to consumers that will not be able to afford
> the huge charges imposed by corporations?:
>
> The End of the Internet by 2012?
>
> by Todd Lemmle
> http://www.lammle.com/blog/news-and-announcements/22/the-end-of-the-internet-by-2012/
> C
>
>  user is driven against a wall, the adverse outcome may not really be the
emegence of NEO clans providing hacked access, but rather an

On Thu, Dec 18, 2008 at 9:22 PM, Fouad Bajwa <fouadbajwa at gmail.com> wrote:

> An interesting article that has provoked me to even write a book on
> the subject. What I see here is the emergence of Local or NEOn e
> Internetworks or basically Internet NEO-Clans that will be providing
> pirated or hacked access to consumers that will not be able to afford
> the huge charges imposed by corporations?:
>
> The End of the Internet by 2012?
>
> by Todd Lemmle
> http://www.lammle.com/blog/news-and-announcements/22/the-end-of-the-internet-by-2012/
>
>
> --
>
> Regards.
> --------------------------
> Fouad Bajwa
> ____________________________________________________________
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-- 
Sivasubramanian Muthusamy
http://www.linkedin.com/in/sivasubramanianmuthusamy
http://www.circleid.com/members/3601/
http://twitter.com/isocchennai
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