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Text File | 1992-07-14 | 4.1 KB | 124 lines | [TEXT/EDIT] |
- This is an unformatted version of the overhea's used at MIT's
- Imnformation Marketplace Symposium on October 12. This was broadcast to 50
- corporate sites in addition to the 500 in attendance in Cambridge.
- Attendees received a copy of the Open Road paper in their conference
- materials.
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- Building The Open Road:
- An Entrepreneur's View of Policies for the National Public Network
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- Mitchell Kapor
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- Inspiration from the Personal Computer Industry
- >From $0 to $100 billion in a decade
- Triumph of Entrepreneurialism
- Self-organizing phenomenon
- Computing and communications technology converging
- Cultural gulf still wide
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- Infrastructure as Platform
- Must be open in all dimensions - open architecture of Apple II, IBM PC,
- Unix vs. proprietary systems
- Must contain critical mass of features and capabilities -
- Must promote good "user experience" - empowering the non-technical user
- Must be designed, not just engineered
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- PC Industry Dynamics Represent a New Ecology of Innovation
- Winning applications not knowable in advance
- "Wasteful" competition is ok
- Rapid evolution by emulation of successful products
- Low barriers to entry in applications
- Platform providers obtain leverage through evangelism
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- Post-MFJ Telephone Network
- Telcos can not be excluded from information services market, but cultural
- assimilation lags
- Beltway Gridlock, armies of lobbyists, glossy brochures and videos
- Safeguards alone necessary but not sufficient
- Need for consensus on evolution of telephone system into a National Public
- Network
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- Thoughts from an Entrepreneur's Daybook
- Nature Never Starts from Scratch
- Nature Doesn't Have a Long-Range Plan
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- The Commercial Internet is the Only New Infrastructure Game in Town
- The Internet in a transitional era
- >From research and education mission to unrestricted uses
- Emergence of commercial IP carriers, public access Unix sites
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- Why the Internet?
- An existing, open platform with large user population
- Well-developed basic protocols and services
- "Thick" connectivity
- Terrific testbed for commercial experiments
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- Policies for the Internet / NREN
- "Architecture is Politics"
- Encourage Competition Among Carriers
- Create a Level Playing Field With No Favored Players
- Equal Access to the Research and Education Network
- Interconnection Arrangements are the key
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- Developing the Commercial Internet
- The Commercial Internet Exchange (CIX)
- Declaring the Commercial Internet Open for Business
- Stimulating its economic development
- User census
- Directory of services
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- Public Policies for the National Public Network
- Expand the definition of universal service
- Civil Liberties in Cyberspace
- Extend Common Carrier Responsibilities and Protections
- Privacy Protection
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- Universal Service
- >From analog to digital
- Connections to every home, school, business
- Affordable, not free, service
- Meaningless without:
- standards for information presentation
- easier to use interfaces
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- Civil Liberties in Cyberspace
- Recognize computer networks as communications media which implicate speech
- interests
- Extend first amendment protections to new forms of digital media
- New constitutional amendment not required, just appropriate interpretation
- of Bill of Rights
- Computer as 21st century printing press
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- Free Speech and Common Carriage
- Common carriage as guarantor of free speech
- Ominous trends in 900# telephone service
- Carriers and forwarders should keep hands off content and be free from
- liability
- However, extensive government regulation would be burdensome
- Vexing issues remain regarding liabilities of online publishers, bulletin
- boards
-
- Privacy
- The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA)
- Legal protections necessary but not sufficient
- Must balance legal protection with technological support
- Crucial role for encryption
- Anti-encryption bias in current policy climate (S. 266)
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- The Electronic Frontier Foundation
- Non-profit organization concerned with social impact of computer-based
- communications
- A conduit for pioneers "on the net" to have an impact on the policy process
- Active initiatives:
- Internet/NREN
- encryption and privacy
- public switched telephone network futures
- first and fourth amendment issues
- rights and responsibilities of nodes and carriers
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