[bestbits] Roles and Responsibilities - CSTD working group on enhanced cooperation

[David Allen]

On May 2, 2014, at 12:11 PM, Lee W McKnight <lmcknigh at syr.edu> wrote:

> Those opposing businesses involvement in Internet governance seem to forget who owns and operates the (data) networks being inter-networked across the Internet; not to mention the required consent of the massive legion of -volunteer- techies who keep the whole thing afloat.
> 
> Anyway, it's kind of -late- in the day to begin pining for the 19th century when governments could multilaterally agree on tariffs and two-way revenue splits; it's just not happening now.
> 
> How governments choose to protect and/or abuse their own citizens rights domestically is a whole other matter, but really it is - just silly - to think the Internet can exist without multistakeholder engagement.

Perhaps not as depressing as a supposed learned statement that fails to acknowledge most large, complicated human endeavors have generally involved the range of expertises and actors from a variety of parts of society.  For a quite long time.  A very long time before the Internet.

So that supposing to slap on a multistakeholder moniker, for something old as the hills, does not make it actually new.  And decidedly does not a new governance era introduce.

> As the Internet has grown in global policy significance, ipso facto, citizens of the world aka civil society, technical community, and businesses, whether dreaded Hollywood IP rights protectionists or -- lots of other businesses engaged in aspects of networking - will have seats at the table.
> 
> A multilateral table can amuse themselves, but not govern the Internet.

A bold leap, to prognostication.  Doubtless comforting to some.

Reality - and sound thinking - invite a good bit more grasp of the facts, even as they display today.  Start there, then a look into the future has at least a basis.

> It is that reality which NetMundial recognizes; as does cough cough China/Hong Kong hosting the Internet Hall of Fame dinner 3 weeks ago. (congrats to the winners, including Chinese pioneers, by the way.)
> 
> Anyway, to be 'shocked!' that McKinsey tells businesses to pay attention to how trillions of dollars flow across the Internet through the global economy is shocking only in its presumption that businesses would not be paying attention.
> 
> It does not obviate democracy anywhere, including in participatory global Internet governance processes.
> 
> The take-away lesson from Brazil that many took, which is we are playing - in the big leagues now, and have to prepare accordingly - is the correct lesson.

Others, who look to a bit longer stretch of facts, come up with a quite distinctly different take.

> 
> In my always humble opinion : )

...

> 
> Lee


David
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