Unprompted Post: NETMundial

Seeing as we haven't really been looking at a lot in class specifically this last week, for the final unprompted blog, I thought I would try to bring in something outside that ties into the themes of our final unit. I get messages from a group called Access, which is a net neutrality group, and lately, their messages have been about a huge meeting that took place only a few days ago called NetMundial.

Basically, the meeting deals with the future of governing the internet, seeing as copyright laws and intellectual property on the internet has been a very hot topic since way back when SOPA was first announced. The interesting thing about this meeting, though, is that rather than the typical meeting of government bureaucrats and lawmakers, the NETmundial was a meeting of "stakeholders" as they put it, people that have the most stake in the future of the net.

It's certainly a cool idea, and I think it's definitely a step in the right direction. Since the introduction of SOPA, as a public we've been arguing that WE'RE the ones that are the most affected by these kinds of legislation, and so it's good to see lawmakers finally taking that into consideration.

Unfortunately, I honestly feel like this isn't the step we needed. One of the things we've been talking a lot about in class and in the readings is the drawbacks of what "fair" culture gives us right now. As we saw in the TED talk about a truly fair culture, those with more money and power are naturally in a better position to usurp the rights and power of those less fortunate, much to their detriment. This meeting feels very much like it falls into the same trap. Even though it's a step in the right direction, expanding the making of internet legislation outward from just governments, the people are still not fairly represented. Only those with the power and sway to get themselves to Brazil are represented, and as we've seen countless times, those speaking on our account often do not do their job correctly. I personally believe that for there to be a truly fair and successful internet governance meeting, there needs to be some way for the whole world to participate, not just by proxy and definitely not represented by those that "have the most stake in it," because like it or not, the internet effects almost everyone, and we all deserve to have a say in something so monumental and important to society, and it's only going to become more and more relevant as the years go by.