Internet DRAFT - draft-cpsr-one-net
draft-cpsr-one-net
INTERNET-DRAFT Nathaniel Borenstein
draft-cpsr-one-net-01.txt Harry Hochheiser
Andy Oram
Computer Professionals for
Social Responsibility
Expires: 03 Oct 1998 03 Apr 1998
Status of This Document
This draft, file name draft-cpsr-one-net-01.txt, is intended
to be become an Informational RFC. Distribution of this
document is unlimited. Comments should be sent to the
authors at <onenet-comments@cpsr.org> or to the onenet-
discuss@cpsr.org mailing list.
This document is an Internet-Draft. Internet-Drafts are
working documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force
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Abstract
This document presents a suggested set of basic principles
that the authors believe should underlie all future work in
the area of Internet governance. The purpose of this
document is to work towards as broad a consensus as
possible, in the diverse Internet community, about
principles that should inform the way the Internet is
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administered for the benefit of all humanity.
The principles have been drafted under the auspices of
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, with
several iterations internal to that organization. However,
they are still very much seen as a work in progress.
Comments are solicited from all interested parties. Future
versions will be refined based on these comments and
published as future Internet-Drafts, with a goal of
publication of a finalized version of the declaration as an
Internet RFC in summer, 1998.
All comments on this document are welcome; please send them
to onenet-comments@cpsr.org. Open discussion of this
document is encouraged on the onenet-discuss list, which is
archived at http://www.findmail.com/listsaver/onenet-
discuss.
================================
One Planet, One Net: Principles for the Internet Era
The emergence of the Internet presents enormous
opportunities and challenges to humanity. If we work to
preserve its openness and diversity, we can ensure that the
Net will be used to change the human condition for the
better, and can prevent or mitigate its less desirable
consequences.
The Internet is more than wires, computers, software,
modems, routers, standards, and the applications that use
them. It even encompasses more than text and pictures, and
the audio and video that are rapidly joining those media.
The Net is also the collective knowledge and experience of
countless communities, each with its own modes of
interaction, languages of discourse, and forms of cultural
expression.
Certain principles must be understood and respected as we
consider the more detailed daily questions that arise in the
administration or governance of the Net. We believe that
among these principles are the following:
1. The Net links us all together.
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2. The Net must be open and available to all.
3. Net users have the right to communicate.
4. Net users have the right to privacy.
5. People are the Net's stewards, not its owners.
6. Administration of the Net should be open and inclusive.
7. The Net should reflect human diversity, not homogenize
it.
The continuing evolution of the Internet presents both
opportunities and challenges. We must work to counter the
political, economic, social, and technical forces that work
against these principles and threaten the promise of open
communication on the Internet. Failure to do so may lead to
a future in which the Internet is homogenized,
commercialized, and regulated to the extent that it fails to
meet its fundamental mission - to serve as a medium for
maximizing human potential through communication.
1. The Net links us all together.
The nature of people and their use of networking technology
provides a strong natural drive towards universal
interconnection. Because the flow of information on the
Net transcends national boundaries, any restrictions within
a single country may act to limit the freedom of those in
other countries as well.
The true value of the Internet is found in people, not in
technology. Since each new user increases the value of the
Net for all, the potential of the Net will only be reached
when all who desire can openly and freely use the Net.
2. The Net must be open and available to all.
The Net should be available to all who wish to use it,
regardless of economic, social, political, linguistic, or
cultural differences or abilities. We must work to ensure
that all people have the access to the technology,
education, and support necessary for constructive, active
participation. People in all walks of life should have as
much right to send and receive information as do the
affluent and powerful.
3. Net users have the right to communicate.
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Every use of the Net is inherently an exercise of freedom of
speech, to be restricted only at great peril to human
liberty. The right to communicate includes the right to
participate in communication through interacting,
organizing, petitioning, mobilizing, assembling,
collaborating, buying and selling, sharing, and publishing.
The Net offers great promise as a means of increasing global
commerce and collaboration among businesses, but
restrictions on information exchange would eviscerate that
promise.
4. Net users have the right to privacy.
Without assurances of appropriate privacy, users of the Net
will not communicate and participate in a meaningful manner.
The right to privacy includes at least three forms:
- Individual Network users should control the collection,
use, and dissemination of personal data about themselves,
including financial and demographic information.
- Network users should be free to use any available
technical measures to help ensure the privacy of all aspects
of their communications.
- Individuals have the right to control who they communicate
with, and how they conduct that communication. The privacy
implied by the decision to not communicate must be
respected.
5. People are the Net's stewards, not its owners.
Those who want to reap the benefits of the shared global Net
are obliged to respect the rights of others who may wish to
use the Net in different ways. We must work to preserve the
free and open nature of the current Internet as a fragile
resource that must be enriched and passed on to our
children.
Individual pieces of the Net, such as wires, routers, and
servers, have owners whose economic rights and interests
must be respected. However, just as the ecosystem in which
we live cannot be owned, the Net itself is not owned by
anyone.
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6. Administration of the Net should be open and inclusive.
The Net should be administered in an open, inclusive, and
democratic manner for the betterment of humanity. The needs
of all who are affected by the Internet - including current
users, future users, and those who are unable to or choose
not to be users - must be considered when making technical,
social, political, and economic decisions regarding the
operations of the Internet.
Although administration of the Net should aim to enhance its
efficiency, availability, and security, it should not do so
at the cost of discouraging use of the Net. Administration
should facilitate and encourage greater use of the Net for
communication, rather than inhibit it in any way.
7. The Net should reflect human diversity, not homogenize
it.
The Net has the potential to be as varied and multi-cultural
as life itself. It can facilitate dialogue between
communities and individuals that might previously not have
encountered each other in a dozen lifetimes. However, the
Net could also become a homogenizing force, working to
suppress diversity in favor of a bland globalism.
Individuals and communities should not be forced to forego
local cultures and traditions in order to participate in the
Net. In order to preserve the vitality that comes with a
diversity of viewpoints, we should work toward helping the
whole world participate as equals.
