---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <ISOC@bob.ma> Date: Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 10:02 PM Subject: [Internet Policy] The Internet is not bottom up To: itu2012chapters <itu2012chapters@elists.isoc.org> Cc: internetpolicy@elists.isoc.org Before we can discuss WCTI/ITU issues we need to have a better understand of why the Internet matters and what it is. **** I’m concerned that the ISOC is too accepting of the ITU framing, especially when I read policy statements saying that the Internet is bottom-up. This implicitly makes the entire Internet a layer on top of and dependent upon the telecommunications world. This is not just wrong, it misses the reason the Internet is such a transformative idea.**** It is essential that we understand of the difference between communications in the sense of speech or the web and communications in the sense of a best efforts exchange of bits.**** Getting the benefits of the Internet depends on putting daylight between the two senses of "communicate". "Bottom up" means we are dependent upon service providers whereas by only requiring a best efforts exchange of bits we can view the entire telecommunications infrastructure as one of the resources we can use. We only require best efforts rather than carrier services. This allows individual to do experiments such as creating a world wide web without having to seek consensus first.**** We create a crisis for “Internet Freedom” when we conflate the two sense of communications and accept the idea of funding infrastructure by preventing any communicating be it in **** To a degree the telecommunications industry faces the same problem as other consumer electronics businesses do in trying to find ways to add value. As I wrote in http://rmf.vc/RefactoringCE, how do you make money when the value has moved elsewhere and is not in the wires or faux wires (as in wireless).**** The Internet is an idea, a technique for communicating using any available resources. We should be setting the agenda and asking what it means to control the Internet rather than being on the defensive.**** ** ** _______________________________________________ To manage your ISOC subscriptions or unsubscribe, please log into the ISOC Member Portal: https://portal.isoc.org/ Then choose Interests & Subscriptions from the My Account menu. -- Barrack O. Otieno +254721325277 +254-20-2498789 Skype: barrack.otieno http://www.otienobarrack.me.ke/