Monday, November 29, 2004
Marrakech to Cape Town
Hello good morning and welcome to Cybersurf, your weekly window on the internet – I am your Cyberhost Steven Lang, who has just had the privilege of visiting Marrakech in Morocco.
The purpose of the trip was to attend a high profile conference on the role of the media in the information society in African and Arab states. The rather long winded title indicates that the Maarakech conference is part of the process for the World Summit on the Information Society.
The first phase of the summit was held in Geneva last December and the second phase will take place in Tunis a year from now.
The summit is really an effort by governments and international agencies to come to terms with, and put some order into the management of the internet. Whether it needs this order or not is the subject of heated debate – but the whole process of conferences and meetings is going ahead – regardless.
I asked the Moroccan minister of communications Mohammed Nabil Benabdallah about the impact of the Marrakech conference on the World Summit on the Information Society:
INSERT:
The Moroccan minister of communications, Mohammed Nabil Benabdallah, speaking through an interpreter about the Marrakech conference on the role of the media in African and Arab states.
I will put a link on the Cybersurf blog for more information on the conference –
And now to another meeting, this time the annual general meeting of the Internet Corporation on Assigned names and Numbers – or ICANN, which will happen in Cape Town this week.
This meeting is very important for the following reasons – first of all, the California based ICANN, is the organisation responsible for maintaining the registry of all the domain names in the world.
Secondly because many African governments – led by our very own South African government would like the management of the internet to be handed over to an international body within the UN framework.
Thirdly because it is expected that a new organisation called AfriNIC will be officially sanctioned to maintain the registry of African domain names
And finally the ICANN conference could be very interesting because it is believed that they will officially announce plans for an Internet ombudsman.
So watch this space – sparks could fly in Cape Town this week.
I will put up links for more information on the Cybersurf blog which you can find at www.cybersurf.blogspot.com – one more time - cybersurf.blogspot.com
Thanks for listening and don’t forget to tune in next Monday for a reportback on the ICANN meeting.
Links
The purpose of the trip was to attend a high profile conference on the role of the media in the information society in African and Arab states. The rather long winded title indicates that the Maarakech conference is part of the process for the World Summit on the Information Society.
The first phase of the summit was held in Geneva last December and the second phase will take place in Tunis a year from now.
The summit is really an effort by governments and international agencies to come to terms with, and put some order into the management of the internet. Whether it needs this order or not is the subject of heated debate – but the whole process of conferences and meetings is going ahead – regardless.
I asked the Moroccan minister of communications Mohammed Nabil Benabdallah about the impact of the Marrakech conference on the World Summit on the Information Society:
INSERT:
The Moroccan minister of communications, Mohammed Nabil Benabdallah, speaking through an interpreter about the Marrakech conference on the role of the media in African and Arab states.
I will put a link on the Cybersurf blog for more information on the conference –
And now to another meeting, this time the annual general meeting of the Internet Corporation on Assigned names and Numbers – or ICANN, which will happen in Cape Town this week.
This meeting is very important for the following reasons – first of all, the California based ICANN, is the organisation responsible for maintaining the registry of all the domain names in the world.
Secondly because many African governments – led by our very own South African government would like the management of the internet to be handed over to an international body within the UN framework.
Thirdly because it is expected that a new organisation called AfriNIC will be officially sanctioned to maintain the registry of African domain names
And finally the ICANN conference could be very interesting because it is believed that they will officially announce plans for an Internet ombudsman.
So watch this space – sparks could fly in Cape Town this week.
I will put up links for more information on the Cybersurf blog which you can find at www.cybersurf.blogspot.com – one more time - cybersurf.blogspot.com
Thanks for listening and don’t forget to tune in next Monday for a reportback on the ICANN meeting.
Links
- Role and Place of Media in the Information Society in Africa and the Arab States
- World Summit on the Information Society
- Internet Corporation on Assigned Names and Numbers
Comments:
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In reaction to the South African government wanting to place control of the african domains under control of an African sanctioned I have this to say. The only reason I can see for the government to gain control or have some form of control over something like this is for reasons of regulation.
If this does happen government can tax these domains, they can control the domains and what gets posted on them and effectively remove the reason the internet is such a huge success, freedom of speech.
Should this happen and it does become regulated, South Africa will slip into the dark ages again and all the catching up we have had to do because of previous governments will be lost.
Think this one through
If this does happen government can tax these domains, they can control the domains and what gets posted on them and effectively remove the reason the internet is such a huge success, freedom of speech.
Should this happen and it does become regulated, South Africa will slip into the dark ages again and all the catching up we have had to do because of previous governments will be lost.
Think this one through
# posted by 
: 9:36 am
: 9:36 am
Personally I believe that the Internet should be as free as possible - no regulation and no taxes.
Quite frankly - I think it is working just fine at the moment.
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Quite frankly - I think it is working just fine at the moment.
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