Re: The Internet Under Siege

[ravi <gadfly@xxxxxxxx>]

Charles Brown wrote:

> The Internet Under Siege
> By Lawrence Lessig
> <http://www.foreignpolicy.com/issue_novdec_2001/lessig.html>



a timely and interesting piece (there has been a recent debate on
the e2e IETF mailing list about the end-to-end argument) and it
even manages to get most of the facts right (most but not all: for
example, long before ICQ there was IRC with more sophisticated
design and features). it is surprising however that lessig chooses
to highlight only the dangers of network layer customizations
(like policy based routing) helping cable monopolies, and content
copyrights and their restricting effect. this is surprising since
he points out the advantages of gnu/linux and such open software,
but he seems to have left out the greater threat of the emerging
monopoly at this layer: microsoft. imho, the stifling effects of
microsoft's internet strategies (of which the recent .net effort
is but one) will be much more than that of cable monopolies
(which are already under scrutiny).

thanks for the link!

	--ravi