[governance] For you as an Internet user, what is a "Critical Internet resource"?

[McTim]

Milton,

I was hoping NOT to have to jump in on this thread, but this red flag
is just too tempting ;-)

On 10/1/07, Milton L Mueller <mueller at syr.edu> wrote:
> Paul:
> Critical internet resources are the virtual resources required to maintain the Internet's connectivity: IP addresses, domain names, routing tables. The term derives from the Tunis Agenda.

Reading the TA, CIR aren't defined in it (below are all instances
where the term "critical internet resources" appear in the TA), and
there is certainly no mention of routing tables anywhere in the TA.
But I am curious about their inclusion in your list, if you have a
routing table, that implies a router, so aren't routers also a CIR
under your definition?

"58. We recognize that Internet governance includes more than Internet
naming and addressing. It also includes other significant public
policy issues such as, inter alia, critical Internet resources, the
security and safety of the Internet, and developmental aspects and
issues pertaining to the use of the Internet."

So this seems to suggest that naming and addressing AREN'T CIR
according to the TA!! Perhaps this is an example of "sloppy thinking"?

"70. Using relevant international organizations, such cooperation
should include the development of globally-applicable principles on
public policy issues associated with the coordination and management
of critical Internet resources. In this regard, we call upon the
organizations responsible for essential tasks associated with the
Internet to contribute to creating an environment that facilitates
this development of public policy principles."

Again, CIRs undefined!

and of course:

72. j. Discuss, inter alia, issues relating to critical Internet resources.

>
> (Arguably, one could include bandwidth and the relevant interconnection arrangements, but little is to be gained by lumping bandwidth, which falls under a completely different business and governance regime, with addressing resources. imho this is a result of sloppy thinking, which the Tunis Agenda often contains.)
>

One could include many things under the umbrella of CIR, as it is
undefined by the TA.

I know that if I am doing "bushnetworking" in Africa, I'll need:

power (truck batteries, solar panels, inverters/solar chargers,
earthing kit, etc)
high sites (for wireless repeaters) or a VSAT dish
network interfaces
Outdoor cat 5 cables, jacks
wifi routers or high-powered cards
a truck (with diesel) to get the kit to remote sites
physical security

Of course the networking equipment needs port assignments (IANA)
protocols (IANA again), IP addresses (IANA again!, but not necessarily
a RIR), a default route/gateway, an ASN (for the whole network)
(IANA/RIR), however, once I have those things, (plus lots of other
stuff standardized by the IETF/W3C) I still couldn't get a connection
to a remote site without the above list of things that need to get on
the truck!

> I must challenge your approach to this question. You are Director General of an organization that allocates and assigns internet resources (IP addresses). The commercial Internet service providers who join your organization and pay rather substantial membership fees to do so, no doubt think these resources are critical.
>

I must challenge your challenge.

Countries and academic institutions and other folk join APNIC as
LIR/NIRs as well as "commercial ISPs".

RIR fees are calculated on a "cost recovery" basis, so they aren't
"substantial" for most members. Annual fees are approximately the same
as the costs of many, (if not most) list members expenses to the IGF.

> Are you really telling us that you do not know what we mean by "critical internet resources"? Or are you trying to suggest that the resources you allocate are not critical compared to others?
>

I suspect it's the former, not the latter.  Since TA didn't define
them, well they are subjective, innit?

> If it is the latter, I can see no purpose to this question other than an attempt to divert attention away from your own policy domain and move it into others. And I think that's wrong.
>
> Certainly telecom access and electrical power, as some other messages have suggested, is critical to development and to the Internet, in any country. Neither are "critical Internet resource" of the type invoked by the Tunis Agenda.

Again, TA does NOT define what is a "CIR"  If you are going to invoke
a document, you should be sure that it says what you think it says (or
perhaps want it to say).

>
> If you start talking about what environmental factors are important to the internet, then no doubt literacy would be critical. But Paul, civil society didn't put you on a critical internet resources panel to discuss power grids or literacy. You have no expertise on that, and the UN Internet Governance Forum is not the appropriate place to discuss policies related to that.
>
> So my advice to you is, stick to your knitting. Be prepared to discuss how the policies YOU make at APNIC

So, this is what made me jump in here.  RIRs DON'T MAKE ANY POLICIES!!
 It's not the membership of the RIR itself that make the policies,
it's the members of the RIR communities that make the policies, this
can include end-users, CS and gov'ts as well as the boffins who work
for "commercial ISPs" (what you really should use in this context is
"LIRs/NIRs", not ISPs).

Take me for example, I work with several LIRs, but don't represent any
of them on RIR mailing lists, I represent myself.  I think that this
is the case for many if not most participants on those lists.  These
folk have the health and growth of the network foremost in mind when
discussing policy, not necessarily the commercial interests of their
employers.

> affect users, and how those policies might be improved. Don't seek excuses from users for not addressing those issues.

I hate to abuse a late equine, but if you want to improve those
policies, you should join those processes.  Can you help Paul with his
knitting?  IIRC, Ray has already invited you to join his circle.


-- 
Cheers,

McTim
$ whois -h whois.afrinic.net mctim
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     governance at lists.cpsr.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance