---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 14:29:55 -0400
From: David Wolfe <DWOLFE@SYMQUEST.com>
To: "'ietf@ietf.org'" <ietf@ietf.org>
Since any post seems to be a cause for "inappropriate use
of the list" flames, I hope that these note fall on receptive
terminals. I realize that some of you have more thorough
knowledge of the progress of the white paper, I hope
my modest comments do not offend.
The Second International Harvard Conference on The
Internet was just adjourned in Boston. MA.
If this posting is well received, I would be happy to
post a more complete report to the list.
I thought that the following would be of general interest.
Whilst walking with Mr. Magaziner today I had the opportunity
to ask a few questions...
The upcoming white paper will take the collected contribution from
the on-line forum in response to the green paper and respond.
The publication has been delayed by the Justice Department lawyers
in order to make sure the language will hold up in court. The
administration's take on this is that they are transferring the
"ownership"
of the infrastructure away from the US Government and that since, in
some respects, the creation of that infrastructure was paid for by
the American people that care must be taken.
To over simplify the structure of this non-profit organization; the
idea is to limit the scope of any one part of the organization to issue
specific "sub-groups" (my term) of stakeholders. And that the
definition of stakeholder is non-UScentric.
For example, the engineering standards setting process would
remain with the IETF/IAB/IESG. Issues of Copyright would be
off-loaded to the World Intellectual Property Organization (sic?).
On Wed a representative of the FBI prefaced her remarks
by raising the specter of terrorism, child pornography and
organized crime in calling for everything from key escrow to
on-line "stings". No one would, or could, defend anyone's right
to these aforementioned evils and I do not intend to do so. However;
issues of data privacy, security and censorship are trampled
on under the banner of the protection of society by law enforcement.
Mr. Magaziner's comment was that the FBI
doesn't really understand the dynamics of the Internet.
Mr. Magaziner asked if I had any suggestions for him. I suggested
that the speed of the dissemination/discussion that is common
in on-line forums was not matched by the administration's
speed of communication.
He acknowledged that there is a general distrust of
government and that the intention is to create a system
that avoids a morass of litigation while including all
stakeholders in the process.
I'm confess that I am swayed more by emotion
than my logic, a condition anathema to the very
foundation of engineering in general and The IETF
specifically. That notwithstanding, I left the conversation
with a hopeful attitude, rather that one filled with
uncertainty, doubt and resignation.
-dw
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David A. Wolfe david.wolfe@woofnet.com
Technical Instructor www.woofnet.com/~woof/
SymQuest Group 802.658-9869 (voice)
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