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Fwd: Media Blackout Continues





This was just sent to about 
20 media watch groups.  FYI:

Jay.


>Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 13:35:12 -0400
>From: Jay Fenello <Jay@Iperdome.com>
>Subject: Media Blackout Continues
>Bcc: MediaWatch
>
>
>Hello, 
>
>I'd like to welcome you to my private press
>list.  You have been added because you have
>been active in exposing media bias in its 
>many various forms.
>
>Over the last two and a half years, I've been
>personally involved in the fight over the 
>establishment of Internet Governance.  
>
>Here is a brief summary of the story that
>the traditional press is surpressing.  
>
>Please let me know if you have any questions,
>and thank you for your consideration.
>
>Jay.
>
>
>+++++
>
>
>At 05:04 PM 8/9/99 , Jay Fenello wrote:
>>
>>ICANN vs. NSI
>>The Net's First Civil War 
>>Copyright (c) 1999 Jay Fenello -- All Rights Reserved
>>
>>Over the last couple of weeks, a war has erupted
>>over the very future of Cyberspace.  
>>
>>Not only have diverse organizations like Ralph 
>>Nader's CPT and Americans for Tax Reform gotten 
>>involved, but Congress has held two hearings, and 
>>launched an investigation into possible collusion 
>>at the Justice Department, and illegal fundraising 
>>by the Clinton administration.
>>
>>To most casual observers, this appears to be a
>>spat between the Internet Corporation for Assigned
>>Names and Numbers (ICANN), and Network Solutions,
>>Inc. (NSI).  
>>
>>In actuality, much, much more is at stake.
>>
>>The story begins with the phenomenal success of 
>>the Internet.  What was once a sleepy, little research 
>>experiment funded by the U.S. Government, the Internet 
>>has grown to become a world-wide frontier of freedom, 
>>ideas, education, entertainment and commerce.
>>
>>Along the way, the informal processes used to govern 
>>the Internet became obsolete.  And when governments 
>>and organizations tried to address the issues that 
>>required world-wide decisions, they realized that 
>>no-one was in charge!
>>
>>To address this situation, a couple of alternatives
>>were possible.  One involved getting legislation passed 
>>in over 200 countries throughout the world!  Not very 
>>likely, and certainly not very efficient.
>>
>>Instead, the Clinton administration proposed a U.S.
>>based, non-profit corporation to assume the management
>>of the coordinated technical functions of the Internet.
>>This new organization would use "flow down" contracts
>>that would specify every right and obligation for 
>>anyone wishing to use the Internet. 
>>
>>Last year, Commerce decided that ICANN was to be this 
>>organization.  It has been embroiled in controversy 
>>ever since.  
>>
>>On the other side of this debate is NSI.  NSI was the 
>>recipient of a government Cooperative agreement, and had 
>>the exclusive rights to register all domains in the .com, 
>>.net, .org and .edu Top Level Domains (TLDs).  And while
>>most people consider NSI an unfair monopoly in dire need 
>>of some competition, there was no such consensus about 
>>how to devolve their monopoly.  
>>
>>From ICANN's perspective, NSI is administering TLDs 
>>which belong to the public, TLDs that are under ICANN's 

>>control.  In other words,  ICANN is claiming superior 
>>ownership rights in *all* domain names.
>>
>>ICANN's version of competition is to contract the 
>>administration of *their* TLDs to the lowest bidder,
>>and to strictly license all domain name resellers, all
>>while forcing Netizens to agree with some very heavy-
>>handed policies in the process.  
>>
>>From NSI's perspective, they have built a business
>>around registering domain names, and they have built
>>certain Intellectual Property rights in their client
>>information and in their brands.  For ICANN to claim 
>>superior rights on behalf of the "public" is simply 
>>an attempt to confiscate their property without just 
>>compensation.
>>
>>NSI's version of competition involves new TLDs being 
>>introduced by ICANN, with competition between TLDs 
>>based on price and service as the result.
>>
>>This, in a nutshell, describes the public fight.  
>>And it highlights two very different futures for
>>the Internet.  In one, ICANN owns/controls the assets
>>underlying the Internet -- the domain names, the IP
>>addresses, and the protocol numbers.  This can be
>>equated with a top-down, regulatory approach to 
>>Internet Governance.
>>
>>In the other, private ownership/control is coordinated
>>through a "consent of the governed" approach to Internet
>>governance.  Individuals and organizations continue to
>>own their respective Internet resources, and *choose*
>>to interconnect based upon rules that are derived from 
>>a bottom-up consensus process.
>>
>>That's what this debate comes down to -- public ownership 
>>vs. private ownership, Socialism vs. Capitalism, the rights
>>of the state vs. the rights of the individual -- and it's 
>>not like we haven't explored these concepts before!  
>>
>>In many ways, the virtual world is simply a reflection
>>of our real world.  Attempts to bring order to the chaos
>>of cyberspace are exactly the same as attempts to bring
>>order to the real world.  
>>
>>The Internet is the Internet because it embraces certain
>>concepts -- freedom, private ownership, personal choice.  
>>The decisions we are about to make may change all of this.
>>
>>Let's hope we choose wisely.  
>>
>>Respectfully,
>>
>>Jay Fenello
>>President, Iperdome, Inc.    404-943-0524
>>-----------------------------------------------
>>What's your .per(sm)?   http://www.iperdome.com 
>>
>>"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
>>-George Santayana
>
>
>At 12:26 PM 8/10/99 , Jay Fenello wrote:
>>At 12:03 PM 8/10/99 , an editor wrote:
>>>Jay: I'd like to hear why you think this is an "untold story." Several news
>>>outlets, including the New York Times have been covering every twist and
>>>turn of this "civil war." What exactly are you getting at?
>>
>>
>>I agree -- Jeri Clausing has been among one 
>>of the best news outlets covering every 
>>twist and turn in the DNS wars.
>>
>>All of this coverage, however, has been 
>>written with a certain frame.  That ICANN
>>has been formed to bring competition to
>>the name space, and that NSI is fighting
>>to hold on to their monopoly.

>>
>>That's like covering the trees in a forest,
>>but never talking about the forest.
>>
>>The really important issues are those that
>>transcend the NSI monopoly -- those that will
>>remain after the NSI monopoly is devolved.
>>
>>In this case, we have two major issues.  
>>What process will be used to make global
>>decisions regarding the Internet, and what
>>business models will be supported.
>>
>>ICANN has decided to implement a single
>>uniform business model that involves the
>>administration of "public" property.  That's
>>a *huge* decision.  And it is being made 
>>even before its decision making processes
>>are formalized.  In other words, they've
>>got the cart in front of the horse.
>>
>>Ira Magaziner told me personally that the
>>establishment of Internet Governance is just
>>like the birth of our nation.  He said I should
>>study that history, because the issues are the
>>same.  I totally agree with him.
>>
>>If the year was 1776, would your paper cover
>>the declaration of independance as a tax
>>dispute?  I would hope not, just as I hope
>>that the XXXXXX will cover the entire story 
>>surrounding the formation of ICANN, not 
>>just the NSI/ICANN dispute.
>>
>>I hope this helps, and please feel free
>>to call if you have any questions.
>>
>>Jay.
>
>
>>Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 00:40:37 -0400
>>To: Becky Burr <bburr@ntia.doc.gov>, paul.scolese@mail.house.gov,
>>        mark.harrington@mail.house.gov, james.tierney@usdoj.gov,
>>        Esther Dyson <edyson@edventure.com>,
>>        Mike Roberts <mmr@darwin.ptvy.ca.us>, comments@icann.org
>>From: Jay Fenello <Jay@iperdome.com>
>>Subject: [IFWP] Media Blackout Continues in U.S.
>>Cc: list@ifwp.org, com-priv@lists.psi.com, DOMAIN-POLICY@LISTS.INTERNIC.NET
>>
>>
>>From the media outlet that dared to reveal
>>the "Cone of Silence" surrounding ICANN:
>>
>>>http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/te/2837/1.html
>>>
>>>Cone of Silence
>>>John Horvath   12.05.99 
>>>ICANN or Internet democracy is failing 
>>
>>
>>From the media outlet that dared to criticize
>>Esther Dyson's role in ICANN:
>>
>>>http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/te/5139/1.html
>>>
>>>A Peek into the Plumber's Pipe
>>>John Horvath   02.08.99 
>>>What's Wrong with Esther Dyson 
>>
>>
>>Telepolis now dares to present the implications
>>of the ICANN vs. NSI feud:
>>
>>>http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/te/5166/1.html
>>>
>>>ICANN vs. NSI
>>>Jay Fenello   10.08.99 
>>>The Net's First Civil War 
>>
>>
>>Meanwhile, the U.S. Media Blackout continues.
>>
>>I wonder why?
>>
>>
>>Respectfully,
>>
>>Jay Fenello
>>President, Iperdome, Inc.    404-943-0524
>>-----------------------------------------------
>>What's your .per(sm)?   http://www.iperdome.com 
>

Respectfully,

Jay Fenello
President, Iperdome, Inc.    404-943-0524
-----------------------------------------------
What's your .per(sm)?   http://www.iperdome.com 

"All truth passes through three stages.  First, it 
is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and 
third, it is accepted as self-evident." 
(Arthur Schopenhauer)