Internet politics and Internet governance Fairytale ala Princess Bride

1. Internet governance
by
Desiree Miloshevic
Internet Society (ISOC) Board Trustee Emeritus
International Affairs and Policy Adviser, Afilias
The Guardian Activate
01/07/2010
London

2. The Tale of
Internet governance
How did we get here,
and where are we going next?
A cyber-fairy tale for adults

3. Who governs the
Internet?
If “govern” means defining the rules of
the game, the current answer is mostly
private sector interests... but that could
c hange at any tim e
To understand how and why, one must
hearken back to a simpler age...

4. Industry Self-Governance...
Unfamiliar? Uneasy?
Today, if the concept of “industry
self-regulation” is already familiar,
it may not inspire warm feelings

5. However...all Pirates are the
Not
Same
Sometimes they
m ay actually be
the good guys.....

6. The Tragic Love Triangle at
the Heart of the IG Story
The betrothed: The Sovereign:
From humble origins, Late to the game,
now a wildly successful but knows a good
innovator/entrepreneur The Internet: thing when he sees it
Simple but elegant,
virtuous by design

7. The Tragic Love Triangle at
the Heart of the IG Story
The Sovereign, The scary
Overlord pirate
tries to put some very disruptive
order The Internet: & makes his
Simple but elegant, own rules
virtuous by design

8. To win the Prize Each will
seek out assistance from a Variety
of Colorful Characters, including...

9. Cybercrats
(Internet-oriented technocrats)
They represent the Sovereign and provide expert policy advice

10. Scientists and Technologists
They build and maintain the Internet
Miraculous inventions...
loved by many, feared by some...
?

11. Cyber-bedouins
(a rag-tag mix of globe-trotting scholars, activists, and
advocates)
The “usual suspects” at IG events around the world...
Drawn to Internet Governance for many different (often issue-
specific) reasons, some are supported by industry stakeholders,
others by research institutions, academia, or government, or ngos –
Civil Society

12. The Graybeards
Present at the creation, they remind us what’s
important:
End-to-End Principle RFC1958
Net Neutrality
Open development of Internet standards

13. The recurring Plot revolves
around efforts by one group to
secure the Prize against the
nefarious machinations of its
rival,
which are Considered
Harmful.
For example, in a recent
episode...

14. Shotgun Wedding

15. Shotgun Wedding…

16. A Story Without an
Ending?
In the novel of the same name that inspired the movie, author William
Goldman described the story so "a fairy tale for adults." By this he was referring
to the fact that that the original story had no clear and unambiguous ending --
did our heroes escape from the heavily armed cavalry at their heels? Did
Wesley survive his previously fatal injuries, and did he and Buttercup actually get
away live happily ever after? Goldman left these questions unanswered, because
closing that way was more true to life than the antiseptic, invariable happy
resolutions that one finds at the ends of children's fairy tales…
Today, the conclusion of our story also yet to be determined. Maybe that's the
best outcome that we could hope for…

17. Thank yo
u !
http://ti
ny url.com
/3ybdh
no
twitter: D
es
Desiree@
afilias.info