[AusNOG] ISP's are the new media. We dont need TV to get the message out.

[Mark Newton]

On 09/07/2010, at 1:20 PM, Sean K. Finn wrote:

 It’s the same now except we control the new media.


That's crazy talk.  We don't control the new media any more than Australia
Post controls newspapers and magazines.

The postal service provides an international communication platform
which is used by virtually every individual to for personal purposes and
by virtually every business to enable commerce.  It has its own set of
protocols, economic issues, cross-jurisdictional issues, and so on.  Over
time systems of regulation and understanding have coalesced so that
the postal service can do what it does with a minimum of interference.

ISPs provide an international communication platform which is used by
virtually every Australian for personal purposes and by virtually every
Australian business to enable commerce.  It has its own set of protocols,
economic issues, cross-jurisdictional issues, and so on. It has NOT matured
into a normal part of our regulatory landscape precisely because there
are so many people trying to portray it as something it ain't -- particularly
"new media"

When the Minister talks about his distrust for "internet companies", he's
referring to companies like facebook and google.  He lacks the knowledge
(and the desire to acquire knowledge) necessary to understand that
ISPs are like the postal service and Facebook is like a newsletter that
just happens to be sent via post.

As long as he continues to lack that understanding, he'll continue to
make stupid decisions and say stupid things.

In particular:  One never talks about censoring Australia Post to get
rid of "unwanted" postal content, one instead focuses one's energy
on the publishers and distributors of the content who just happen to
use the postal service as an incidental part of their distribution strategy.

We know he'll never want to acquire that understanding, so we need
to focus our efforts on his parliamentary colleagues and cut him out
of the loop -- If he doesn't want to be part of the picture then he's simply
irrelevant and we shouldn't waste our time with him.

That's why lobbying MPs -- even ALP MPs -- is so important.  Our elected
officials would look like dolts if they couldn't tell the difference between
a  magazine and a post office.  For the ISP industry to have any rational
future, those same officials must feel equally foolish if they can't tell
the difference between the Internet and a website.

  - mark



--
Mark Newton                               Email:  newton at internode.com.au<mailto:newton at internode.com.au> (W)
Network Engineer                          Email:  newton at atdot.dotat.org<mailto:newton at atdot.dotat.org>  (H)
Internode Pty Ltd                         Desk:   +61-8-82282999
"Network Man" - Anagram of "Mark Newton"  Mobile: +61-416-202-223





-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.ausnog.net/pipermail/ausnog/attachments/20100709/554b6fad/attachment.html>