[governance] "users" (was Re: ALAC and NCUC)

[Norbert Bollow]

Karl Auerbach <karl at cavebear.com> wrote:
> Lucy Lynch wrote:
> > Actually, an internet "user" can be a thing (think sensor nets) and
> > may very well be at the far edge (last hop) of the network.
> 
> Personally I have trouble with considering mechanical entities as 
> "users".

On this point I agree with both of you.  From an engineering
perspective, I strongly agree with Lucy: internet technical
infrastructure, including computer programs like "web browsers",
should allow "things" to acts as users.  In particular, there
should be webservice interfaces for everything (i.e. not just
point-and-click interfaces).

However I feel equally strongly that in the internet governance
context any tendency is very troubling which distracts from what
I feel should be the clear and uncontested objective of all internet
governance efforts, namely to coordinate efforts to make the internet 
meet the needs and interests of _people_.

Greetings,
Norbert.


-- 
Norbert Bollow <nb at bollow.ch>                    http://Norbert.ch
President of the Swiss Internet User Group SIUG  http://SIUG.ch
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