Re: CPSR NII Paper

[remail@tamsun.tamu.edu]

>
>   CPSR NII Paper
>                     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>      COMPUTER SCIENTISTS RAISE SOCIAL AND DESIGN CONCERNS
>                      ABOUT THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY
> 
> 
> "In its 'Agenda for Action' document, the Administration has set forth 
> a positive vision of what the NII can be," said Dr. Roberts.  "To 
> achieve that vision, however, the government must play a major role 
                                    ^^^^^^^^^^             ^^^^^^^^^^
> in the design, development, and regulation of the network."  CPSR 
         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

  This is exactly what you don't want to happen, unless of course you
want shoddy protocols and kludges. Most of the govt services on the net
are the worst software I've ever seen including Nasa Spacelink,
Library of Congress Information System, etc

> o   Guarantee equitable and universal access through an appropriate 
>     mix of legislation, regulation, taxation, and direct subsidies.

  Translation: $25-50 billion dollars tax increase for the middle class.
FCC and Rep. Markey become King of the Net.

> o   Promote the development of a vital civic sector by ensuring 
>     resources, training, and support for public spaces within the NII 
>     where citizens can pursue noncommercial activities.

  IRC, MUDs, Usenet, E-mail. Amazingly, people find ways of developing these
things without govt input.

> o   Promote a diverse and competitive marketplace in terms of the 
>     content carried over the NII.

  Regulations on commercial speech, market quotas?
 
> o   Encourage democratic participation by ensuring full public 
>     disclosure, and actively promoting democratic decision-making 
>     and public participation in all stages of the development process.

  This is the worst part of the proposal. If this rule is followed, the
NII will never be finished in my lifetime. And you thought congressional
gridlock was bad.

> o   Guarantee the functional integrity of the NII by establishing 
>     critical technical requirements including ease of use, widespread 
>     availability, full functionality, high reliability, adequate privacy 
>     protection, and evolutionary expansion.

  Government mandated user interface? ugh.

  I really don't see why we need NII at all. We already have internet.
Cable companies are rushing to provide high bandwidth networks for consumers.
NII seems to be nothing more than WelfareNet. Which isn't surpising since
CPSR praises systems like IGC (Econet, PeaceNet, etc) which are much more
expensive than Netcom, Panix, Digex, and provide shoddier service.

Sam Hill