?This is either intellectual incompetence or intellectual dishonesty.? – Howard Rheingold
Response to this piece on the Cato Institute’s website has sparked a heated debate over who will own the internet of the future.
The author of the article, Adam Thierer warns that a “commons” approach to cyberspace will cause the web to stagnate and the only way forward is to allow private interests their property rights turning the web into a private, profitable machine. With the Cato Inst. 100% funded from corporations, foundations and individuals, you can’t blame Thierer for saying these things. They know who signs the cheques. But you can challenge them. And in this post that is exactly what Lawrence Lessing does.
Much of the net is still open and free for all to use (minus connection fee, of course), but this is sliding away. Now is the time to be fighting for our rights to this network of protocols, which are public domain. To not fight is to let this technology go the way of television and radio, public property in the hands of private interests.
