Re: <nettime> Is CPSR Program Promoting Internet Privatization?

[Newmedia@aol.com]

Ronda:

Which "Internet" are you speaking about?

Much discussion in media ecology and other circles have wrestled with this 
matter.  

Since the protocols upon which all this rests, TCP/IP, HTML, URL, etc. are 
not directly useful to humans, then what *exactly* is the medium which we 
glibbly call the "Internet."

What we are talking about is, in fact, many mediums, thus, my 1990 coinage 
"New Media" -- i.e. plural.

So, who should "govern" which "Internet"?  Which "Medium"?

The "Internet" which you seem to be referring to is an old medium, granted.  
With an interesting history (but, alas, without a family-crest and some land 
and a seat in the House of Lords, not a "noble" one).

But, that one was long ago supplemented by other "Internets."

Indeed, since an open-ended set of "Internets" -- or human extensions, i.e. 
mediums -- is very likely to rest on the same collection of protocols, who 
shall govern future "Internets"?  Future "mediums"?

Your advocacy for this group of net.citizens, of which you are apparently a 
self-appointed spokesperson, is only one possibility.

The E-Commerce "Internet" -- the subject of most current interest, it would 
seem -- might truly be a matter for consumers to care about.

Or, for IBM to care about.

Or, if you truly mean the base protocols, perhaps the machines which use 
these protocols should govern them themselves?

But, without some attempt to clarify *what* you are referring to -- which 
"medium", which "Internet" -- I fear that your advocacy will fall on deaf 
ears.

Best,

Mark Stahlman

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