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Idea: Minister/President of the Internet?

Blogs > unkkz
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
unkkz
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
Norway2196 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-03-24 22:29:16
March 24 2012 20:12 GMT
#1
-- EDIT
Ok it seems most people have missunderstood completely, one person, a ministry or a triumvate as someone suggested per country to take care of matters regarding internet law issues in whatever country they are citizens of. I did not mean one guy/internet government to rule the whole internet on a worldwide basis.

I don't see why people are so scared of this, if it's done properly it could be very successfull. I'll for instance take Sweden has an example. Thomas Bodström was Minister of justice, there were again and again calls from USA to regulate and make laws that limited the freedom of the internet to combat piracy, Bodström told the Americans no we will not do that. Enter 2012, government has changed, Bodström is out - Sweden has voted yes on several laws and agreements(among them ACTA) that regulates the internet and allows for all sorts of surveillence of traffic.

Now imagine of Bodström had been "Minister of ze internetz" independent of a general government election, running "Ministry of teh interwebz", those laws i hope wouldn't have passed. But hell i'm only speculating.
---

A couple months ago i interviewed some Swedish politicans regarding the ACTA agreement, mostly general stuff why it was conducted the way it was and how it would affect the Swedish people. During the interview one politician told me his idea of a new position: Minister of the Internet/Internet Minister so to say, his argument was that current politicians are either too old, technologicaly inept or simply blind when it comes to dealing with questions regarding the internet. This is something i think most people on TL can agree on.

He also mentioned that this post would be indifferent from the current election and candidacy would be voted forward by the academic community rather then the people to ensure a top specialist that actually understands what the internet is about. As such the minister would have no open party affections and could hence operate more objective and solely focus on whats good for the internet in his country.

The main argument was however that it is wrong to post laws and restricting something that we in a sense have no right to restrict, the internet or the web rather belongs to everyone, and was as such "given away for free" by its creators.

Everything can ofcourse be debated and changed for whatever might be the best, such as how the voting takes place and such things but overall i am really for the idea. I'm pretty tired of having politicians in their 50's and 60's who can barely browse an online newspaper vote on laws regarding something i hold very dear, which is the internet. As an example Sweden has an "Information Technology minister" Anna-Karin Hatt, who has studied political science, international relations and conflict and peace studies. No tech background in her education at all, so how can she be the minister of such a subject? I just find it very odd.

What does TL think about this?

*
empty.bottle
Profile Joined July 2009
685 Posts
March 24 2012 20:14 GMT
#2
It could be biased, i dont think it's a good thing to impose some kind of control over the internet by any party.
unkkz
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
Norway2196 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-03-24 20:18:41
March 24 2012 20:18 GMT
#3
On March 25 2012 05:14 empty.bottle wrote:
It could be biased, i dont think it's a good thing to impose some kind of control over the internet by any party.


Well the idea is that u have a person who is not a member of any party and who has an education that makes them have a clue about technology have the final say in dealings with the internet, i dont see how theres any difference is being biased to what we currently have. Atm all sorts of insane laws regarding the internet are being passed in Sweden due to a majority government, so i mean they can pass whatever they want - how is this any different if you are afraid of people being biased?
SigmaoctanusIV
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States3313 Posts
March 24 2012 20:40 GMT
#4
Everyone should leave the internet alone as a whole. If you buy/own websites then you can control whatever the hell you want. Though if you don't own a domain name you shouldn't be able to police/Tamper with it.
I am Godzilla You are Japan
hypercube
Profile Joined April 2010
Hungary2735 Posts
March 24 2012 20:41 GMT
#5
On March 25 2012 05:18 unkkz wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 25 2012 05:14 empty.bottle wrote:
It could be biased, i dont think it's a good thing to impose some kind of control over the internet by any party.


Well the idea is that u have a person who is not a member of any party and who has an education that makes them have a clue about technology have the final say in dealings with the internet, i dont see how theres any difference is being biased to what we currently have. Atm all sorts of insane laws regarding the internet are being passed in Sweden due to a majority government, so i mean they can pass whatever they want - how is this any different if you are afraid of people being biased?


Don't be naive, politicians aren't clueless, they are just bought. You can have an "independent" person as a "minister of the internet" (whatever that means) but there still needs to be a process to select them. If he or she will have significant power than obviously the same interests that influence politicians now will try to influence the selection process.

What makes you think you can defend the selection process from negative influences?
"Sending people in rockets to other planets is a waste of money better spent on sending rockets into people on this planet."
Chaves
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
Brazil315 Posts
March 24 2012 20:48 GMT
#6
LOL SORRY but i allrdy have a goverment that take sh1t from me at my country, i dont need a digital one to take more. thank ou.
MaddogStarCraft
Profile Joined January 2012
Canada64 Posts
March 24 2012 20:49 GMT
#7
That would ruin the entire idea of the internet...

I can't believe anyone even had the notion that this would be at all a reasonable idea...
mizU
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States12125 Posts
March 24 2012 20:54 GMT
#8
Oh my god never please. The internet is already muddled with governments and all kinds of shady unsanctioned forms of control.
if happy ever afters did exist <3 @watamizu_
reincremate
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
China2216 Posts
March 24 2012 20:58 GMT
#9
President of the Internet sounds like some stupid meme.
tofucake
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
Hyrule19200 Posts
March 24 2012 21:14 GMT
#10
I can see it now: HotBid elected to Prime Minister of the Internet, declares Internet Sovereign nation.
Liquipediaasante sana squash banana
SCkad
Profile Joined March 2012
Scotland97 Posts
March 24 2012 21:19 GMT
#11
if im reading what your saying correctly this minister of the internet would be responsible for things such as policy towards piracy and copyright infringement within a selected country which i admit could be useful as the current ministers of trade don't generally know how to deal with an online service properly. i think i would be okay with this so long as there was a permanent inquisition into this officials dealings and a very clearly defined constitution with no wiggle room or exploitable loopholes which i know is an impossibility but still

also about the "bought" nature of politicians i agree that this person would have their own views and as such i would suggest that instead of a single minister it be a trimuvate or something similar
To hell with it
darkscream
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
Canada2310 Posts
March 24 2012 21:28 GMT
#12
While it is true the average politican is pretty disconnected from what the internet is actually used for and what it represents, I don't think a technocracy is the way to solve that. Technocrats are just as easy to corrupt, but are even harder to nail on it since they have the authority of academia.

A better thing to do would be to STOP TRYING TO REGULATE THE INTERNET, to the point of letting each elected official know their job is on the line if they do not cease. Giving an individual ultimate power over internet law would be an absolute disaster.
tec27
Profile Blog Joined June 2004
United States3702 Posts
March 24 2012 21:45 GMT
#13
On March 25 2012 06:14 tofucake wrote:
I can see it now: HotBid elected to Prime Minister of the Internet, declares Internet Sovereign nation.

I, for one, welcome our new HotBid overlords.
Can you jam with the console cowboys in cyberspace?
unkkz
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
Norway2196 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-03-24 22:03:52
March 24 2012 22:02 GMT
#14
Ok it seems most people have missunderstood completely, one person, a ministry or a triumvate as someone suggested per country to take care of matters regarding internet law issues in whatever country they are citizens of. I did not mean one guy/internet government to rule the whole internet on a worldwide basis.

Saying we need to stop trying to regulate the internet is freaking naive, that will never happen - and that's sad. But that is the reality. Atleast this way decisions would be made by people who actually have a clue how the internet works and what it is and we wouldn't get things like ACTA and SOPA which are trying to stop piracy with the same efficiency as trying to kill mosquitos with hand grenades, there's quite a bit of collateral damage.

Ofcourse anyone can be corrupted but the alternative is corrupted people making decisions on an issue they have zero understanding of.
unkkz
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
Norway2196 Posts
March 24 2012 22:08 GMT
#15
On March 25 2012 05:41 hypercube wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 25 2012 05:18 unkkz wrote:
On March 25 2012 05:14 empty.bottle wrote:
It could be biased, i dont think it's a good thing to impose some kind of control over the internet by any party.


Well the idea is that u have a person who is not a member of any party and who has an education that makes them have a clue about technology have the final say in dealings with the internet, i dont see how theres any difference is being biased to what we currently have. Atm all sorts of insane laws regarding the internet are being passed in Sweden due to a majority government, so i mean they can pass whatever they want - how is this any different if you are afraid of people being biased?


Don't be naive, politicians aren't clueless, they are just bought. You can have an "independent" person as a "minister of the internet" (whatever that means) but there still needs to be a process to select them. If he or she will have significant power than obviously the same interests that influence politicians now will try to influence the selection process.

What makes you think you can defend the selection process from negative influences?


Politicians are pretty much clueless, sorry but they are. If they are lobbied aswell, yes most likely. But that doesn't further from the fact that they are in fact completely clueless.

The selection process i have no idea, a sort of panel of experts select viable candidates and then people vote?

Anything would be better then the current system, where sweden has an IT Minister that has zero tech background.
unkkz
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
Norway2196 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-03-24 22:15:51
March 24 2012 22:10 GMT
#16
On March 25 2012 06:28 darkscream wrote:
While it is true the average politican is pretty disconnected from what the internet is actually used for and what it represents, I don't think a technocracy is the way to solve that. Technocrats are just as easy to corrupt, but are even harder to nail on it since they have the authority of academia.

A better thing to do would be to STOP TRYING TO REGULATE THE INTERNET, to the point of letting each elected official know their job is on the line if they do not cease. Giving an individual ultimate power over internet law would be an absolute disaster.


Well if its for example a triumvate of people, how would it differentiate from say the supreme court? the central bank? Hell any ministry for that matter, we leave ultimate power to ministries in all sorts of issues, why not the internet?

I don't see why people are so scared of this, if it's done properly it could be very successfull. I'll for instance take Sweden has an example. Thomas Bodström was Minister of justice, there were again and again calls from USA to regulate and make laws that limited the freedom of the internet to combat piracy, Bodström told the Americans no we will not do that. Enter 2012, government has changed, Bodström is out - Sweden has voted yes on several laws and agreements(among them ACTA) that regulates the internet and allows for all sorts of surveillence of traffic.

Now imagine of Bodström had been "Minister of ze internetz" independent of a general government election, running "Ministry of teh interwebz", those laws i hope wouldn't have passed. But hell i'm only speculating.
reki-
Profile Joined July 2008
Netherlands327 Posts
March 24 2012 22:20 GMT
#17
It feels kind of like giving control over the internet to a minister which just sounds bad all around : )
>BD
cmen15
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
United States1519 Posts
March 24 2012 22:20 GMT
#18
On March 25 2012 06:14 tofucake wrote:
I can see it now: HotBid elected to Prime Minister of the Internet, declares Internet Sovereign nation.

This sounds good to me lol <3
Greed leads to just about all losses.
dAPhREAk
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Nauru12397 Posts
March 24 2012 22:21 GMT
#19
i would love to see you get China to agree with any Western nation on how to run the internet.
Hobbesstarcraft
Profile Joined March 2012
United States31 Posts
March 24 2012 22:23 GMT
#20
As far as a president or prime minister, i think its a terrible idea. Having the government more involved in the internet is the last thing we need, take SOPA for example. This president/Prime minister would require a government behind it and that government would most likely just be a puppet of an already corrupt government like the U.S.A.. Just my thoughts on the subject.
Terran micro is silly
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