Belmont University

Could This be the Beginning of the End of Blogging?

What makes this forum work is freedom. I am free to express my knowledge and my opinions about all things entrepreneurship.

There is a movement at work that could seriously erode the freedom of speech we now enjoy on the Internet. From Azcentral.com:

Since 1998, the basic plumbing of the Internet - administration of domain names, management of root servers and other duties - has been managed by an obscure California agency that reports to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

But in another sign of growing international distrust of the U.S. government and the ever-increasing reach and importance of the Internet, some international leaders say that needs to change.

Beginning Wednesday at a summit in the North African country of Tunisia, a raft of countries plans to propose that the United Nations or perhaps a new international body take control of Internet regulation from the Marina Del Rey, Calif.-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

The United Nations is trying to take control of the Internet. Such a move would not only take away much of the freedom we now enjoy in this medium, but would also make it no longer "free."

A big part of this movement hopes to capture tax revenues and/or fees from the Internet for the UN. It would be their first victory in the movement for a world tax (no, I am not kidding).

There is an interesting analysis of this issue at Foreign Policy.

OK, so video blogs may not cause the end of my blogging, but having to work in a medium controlled by the United Nations probably would.


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» The End of Blogging? from Harshly Mellow
The end of blogging? Perhaps as we know it, but not completely. Anyone remember Fidonet? In an alternate reality in which the internet as we know it didn't happen, [Read More]