Re: Too many "Internet Conferences" in Washington

[Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>]

In truth, I mistyped. Tim not only was talking about the frequency (and I
gather, the danger) of the conferences, he was responding to the ACM one,
not the WW one. 

Now, who attends these things?

1. Journalists
2. Government bureaucrats happy to have a day off from work, who want to
position themselves as "Net-savvy"
3. Lobbyists who bill it to clients
4. Think tank people who hope someone reads their papers

The Naderite "Appraising Microsoft" conference seemed to be populated
mainly by journalists, at some points.

These conferences can be dangerous. If the best thing for the Net is for
DC to leave it alone, that principle leaves no space for Washington
lobbyists who bill by the hour (and through the nose) for their expertise:
pressuring various portions of the government. This is why lobbyists,
including so-called "Net-lobbyists" are not what the Net, and freedom,
need.

-Declan



On Wed, 7 Jan 1998, Tim May wrote:

> At 11:08 AM -0800 1/7/98, Declan McCullagh wrote:
> >[This is the conference Tim was criticizing yesterday. --Declan]
> >
> 
> Just to be more accurate, I was criticising the _sheer frequency_ of such
> conferences, with this one just being one of many. And not even the latest
> such example, as yet another Washington conference on the Internet was
> announced later yesterday.
> 
> I just can't understand who attends these things, besides the Usual Suspects.
> 
> Maybe we could convince them to all have their confabs on the same day, the
> same day Abu Nidal explodes his nuke in Crystal City?
> 
> (Or invite the Algerians in for a Hackers Conference? Get medeival on their
> asses.)
> 
> --Tim May
> 
> The Feds have shown their hand: they want a ban on domestic cryptography
> ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
> Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
> ComSec 3DES:   408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
> W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
> Higher Power: 2^2,976,221   | black markets, collapse of governments.
> "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."
> 
> 
> 
> 
>