<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Analogies of course are dangerous … but I’m not sure that I see how what you are suggesting follows… to extend my public transit analogy, how or what folks wear to get on and off the bus doesn’t really matter and if they choose to have special shoes for bus riding so be it (but of course, a well ordered public transit system would make appropriate accommodation for the handicapped, seniors, mothers with young children etc. and would likely influence the design of buses through mass ordering but I can’t see how this would affect the design of automobiles or bicycles for that matter…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>For a very long time in many (most) parts of the world having access to a dial tone was either provided as a public utility or as a highly regulated monopoly… I’m not sure that I see the difference between having an “always on” Internet access and being able to pick up the telephone and have a dial-tone (and yes I know all the arguments against PTT’s etc. but I would suggest that those arguments were about a different time and different technology with much different implications and impacts… -- <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>How the dial tone was provided was a “black box” for most people provided by the good folks with slide rules and pocket protectors… I see no reason why something similar couldn’t happen with the Internet. How the Internet is used whether for spam or for surveillance etc. is of course something that needs to be addressed but somewhat analogous issues were present in those days as well and there were mechanisms in place to respond…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>M<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> John Curran [mailto:jcurran@istaff.org] <br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, April 04, 2014 8:15 AM<br><b>To:</b> michael gurstein<br><b>Cc:</b> Alejandro Pisanty; discuss@1net.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [discuss] Current drive<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On Apr 4, 2014, at 10:59 AM, michael gurstein <<a href="mailto:gurstein@gmail.com">gurstein@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I think that as the significance and scope of deployment of the Internet grows and the Internet becomes even more ubiquitous the calls for (and arguments in support of) seeing the Internet as a (global?) public utility operating (i.e. being “governed”) “in the public interest” are growing apace at least outside of circles dominated by a neo-liberal ideology.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></blockquote><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Michael - <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>By that logic, should we not also "govern" the design and functionality of the actual<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>devices used to access the Internet? I am having trouble understanding why we'd<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>be so careless in allowing a variety of software and hardware designs, given the <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>need for consistent "utility-like" delivery, and certainly we could make a major impact <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>in areas such as security and spam if the configuration was not left to the vagaries <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>of actual users... ;-)<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>/John<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Disclaimer: my views alone.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div></body></html>