WSIS has gone on for a while and will continue to go on. What can we do and why should we care?

Beltrand De La Chapelle

WSIS is a strange beast. UN sponsored conferences, but most people have been frustrated with it for the last year and a half. A broad agenda -- to discuss the "information society."

WSIS-online.net = eBay + W3C. Basically a networking platform -- people, events, organizations, projects. This may not work, but it is something that is at least going forward. Internet governance is one issue they are dealing with.

This process is important because it is addressing the future of the Internet. Individual governments cannot address these issues alone. And these issues cannot be addressed without using the tools of the Internet.

Ralf Bendrath

WorldSummit2004: overview on important global issues and event and analysis of what a civil society shoudl be. It's called the World Summit on the Information Society, not the Internet or Information Technology.

The need for this came from the fact that most efforts at global technology was IT focused and not society focused.

Stephanie Perrin

CFPers should be concerned with this because of privacy and first amendment concerns. The potential for human rights abuse is very real and very present and WSIS can help.

David Maher

A recovering trademark lawyer who used to represent McDonald's in its domain name disputes. Now manages .org domain names.

ICANN isn't doing a great job, but doubts we'd get anyone to do any better.

Esther Dyson

Former Chair of ICANN. Angel invester is a lot of foreign companies. Didn't think this is a panel on how we can help WSIS but should we help WSIS?

Rich people from poor countries went ot geneva and had a good time and ran up the expense account. Those resources could be used better. WSIS is irrelevant other than the personal connections made there. The UN model of governance is a bankrupt model. it's corrupt and Esther doesn't want those governments getting together to do world-wide governance of the Internet or Information Society.

What would be useful?

1) If NGOs want to talk to ICANN, talk to them directly, not through an outside body that may not make a difference.

2) To develop markets in 3rd world countries, deal with local officials and local business. Basically, let the markets rule.