Mark Paton writes:
The IETF does a great job and does'nt deserve or
warrent this attack. The people who deserve it
are the politicians who are trying to implement
"laws" on the use of the InterNet, have a go at
them and leave this group alone.
Hate to belabour a point that is probably
hopeless but .... those politicians include
the blessed leaders of the blessed IETF. Who,
through ICANN, ISOC, IAB, support of the ITU
& the WTO and so on advocate a "law" of their
own. With no oversight or real popular democratic
checks, balances or controls. That only seems
to increase centralization, inhibit innovation
and enhance the power and influence *not* of
citizens but of corporate power-holders and
executives. Which they just happen to be.
For example the horrendous manner in which
competition and participation by individuals
and small businesses in the creation of New
Domain Names was suffocated. Anyone remember
what happened to Alternic? And that was thanks
to core IETF insiders and friends. Another
example is the manner in which IP addresses
are being artificially restricted and marketed.
I mean there is no shortage of numbers is there?
The last example is the increasingly complex
and rarified atmosphere in which standards and
protocols are being mortified. By the same
people who stand the most to gain fom any
development: industry insiders. All in the
interests of a very few fellow citizens.
But all that doesn't matter, does it. As long
as the network works no-one (meaning anyone
making money hand over fist from all this)
complains. The hugely inflated paper profits
keep rolling in for all those stock option
holders who make up the IETF, ICANN, IAB and
so on and so forth. Problem? Not for these
folks. For the rest of us, maybe. Not for the
bloody IETF, oh no.
Bob Allisat