NotCon 04 - Politics Of the Internet

Bill Thompson (BT) - there is no such thing as the internet. Politics of the net may not be nice (as we would want it), big coms can manipulate it. Need to do serious politics. The net is built on regulation, never forget.

Cory Doctorow (CD) - doesn't agree that the internet will disappear. The internet is free because we fought to keep it that way. Freedom is the most important thing. EFF wins fights. Fight for "end to end". DRM erodes free speech.

Will Davies (mysociety) - employ someone because they looked up friends on orkut and liked them. (JB) Doesn't that happen anyway? You hire people if you like them. (Talked a lor about stuff that I switched off from!) A lot of net communities are hiearchical, celebrity people eg at ETCon.

Stefen ? (ex-UpMyStreet) - * The 10% matter *, eg Poll Tax dissention was 8% but made the whole thing unworkable. China is bad, can't get bbc without the IP address!

Questions
• (missed question) (CD) VCR exists because Sony fought it in the courts. Nobody wants DRM. Sony now being eaten by its record companies. (BT) Was coincidence that SOny did that, they just want money. (CD) Disagrees.
• Picture was too rosy. (But no question)
• Why does record company dictate to electronics com? (CD) Electronics coms have never evolved, no regulatory backbone.
• How can you know whether tech will be used for good? No answer.
• How can online groups be more accessible? (WD) Small and large groups have more differences than scale. Shifts to self selection. Need to formalise.
• Why does BT assume that everyone online is left-liberal? (BT) Doesn't but assumes that everyone at NotCon is.