[governance] Re: Update on upcoming IGF consultations

[David Allen]

Noticing that, in particular,

At 1:25 AM +0100 11/24/06, Ralf Bendrath wrote:
>As long as we ... have ... less than ten people in the forums or using the online participation functions
>...
>If we move too far into cyberland, the governments won't follow us. To a lot of them, the whole IGF process was already way too fast and too CS-driven.

This brings back to the fore what has been said before.

For CS to be a credible partner to governments in the brave new MS world, it needs reasonable representation, from around the world.  That reality is many, many CS organizations, well established in their lands.  That sets a target of course, far beyond a few brave pioneers in chat rooms.  Or, quite beyond the small kernel of people so far voting in this CS.  Something to work for.

As to online tools themselves - probably a more delicate subject here - many will see them only as an adjunct to and in support of real sitdowns.  (Only) when the real limitations dictate usage - in other words, when face-to-face is the starting point and online is jiggered to be 'in support' - does it seem likely they might be given serious consideration.

That said, Second Life and its brethren metaverses surely are a striking new entry, not possible without ICTs.  Will they, in time, make more real the virtual meetings that, as just above, many would now find less than satisfactory?  Major organizations are now trying them on for size.

Along with some realism about adequate representation in CS  and about the appropriate use of tools, surely we want to stay tuned.

In that regard as Adam brings up, development must be on our minds,

At 8:34 PM +0900 11/24/06, Adam Peake wrote:
>using SL at least as a showcase of what's possible

Rik P has raised my consciousness on this in Second Life, pointing out a simulation of Darfur there ... maybe not communications policy per se, but ... http://slurl.com/secondlife/Better%20World/194/243/22/?img=http%3A//images17.fotki.com/v305/photos/2/291733/3348416/stratics_032-vi.jpg&title=Camp%20Darfur%20on%20Better%20World%20Island (once you teleport to near the Peace & Justice Center, follow the red arrow and 'fly' over the little inlet to Camp Darfur.)

David
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