Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Rudi Vansnick Well I started having first-time time access
to the Internet in ’94 in Europe. It was quite an early period - we were having these
first-time connections by putting in a cable in the plug. So to dial up, it's how the Internet
was used in that time. I was participating in a European Commission project that was
quite interesting as we had been in four different countries checking how the Internet was perceived
by SMEs, small and medium enterprise companies and enterprises. It was really amazing to
see the difference between the cultures. It helped with understanding that for the Italian
people, for instance, the Internet was not something magic, it could work, while in the
UK it was no longer magic it was something they were really using in the same period
of time. Putting them back in my home country in Belgium, I started setting up a few projects
with larger companies. I was the first the Web 1.0 and the, let's say the bubble that
started creating Web content producers, producing websites. So I have been involved for a few
years. Recently I have a more active participation with government and trying to help them in
understanding how the Internet works - especially for governments - and how to, for instance,
set up a new gTLD for our regions.
I was participating in a European Commission project and it was really a surprising period.
In less than 10 years the whole Internet changed and by participating in some of the bubble
companies and bubble enterprises in Web 1.0 I have been finding that the importance of
content is not just the graphics and images but also how you bring your information to
your customers - the Internet users. And I have been quite helpful in helping setting
up websites that are accessible for disabled people. It's a part of the world that very
often is forgotten but when you look at blind people it's for them the world where they
can participate in the community while in all other circumstances they are not allowed
- so that was a big jump into a step where the disabled people were allowed to participate
and still today it's a quite interesting activity which I'm really happy to be a part of.
It depends on where in the world you are when you cover the globe. The Internet doesn't
look at borders, doesn't look at weather, it’s just going forward, and it depends
on which region you are. In Europe we have this activity going which is probably known
everywhere is the PRISM discussion. It's a bit stormy for us, but in some other countries
it is not at all. When you look at Africa, for instance, it's all new for them, it's
all magic, so it's sunny. It brings them new economies. While for governments in almost
every country it starts creating a lot of discussions and also raises issues that they
never have been thinking about, for instance, discussions about the Internet do not stop
at your border but your legislation stops at the border. How do you act as a government?
How do you create new laws? That's something which I have been involved in the last two
years in Belgium and in Europe. It's an amazing period when you can go from sun into a storm
within a few minutes, just like the weather.
I would start with the fears and end up with the good, positive things. The fear is that
we see some governments and some organizations like the ITU trying to take control of the
Internet by looking at content and how we communicate. We have to be afraid of too much
control and too many Big Brother situations. It could damage the future of the Internet
if there is too much control. We know that everybody is looking at us but if we are aware
of the fact and every citizen every Internet user is aware of the fact that all what you
do on the Internet is seen, could bring it down to a limited version of Internet. My
hope is that with ISOC and with our partners in the Internet community we will be able
to turn back that situation and keep it open and keep everybody in a situation where they
can access the Internet freely without any burdens without any control of bodies and
governments. I see the Internet as opportunity, especially for developing countries. It is
access to knowledge. If we cut that off, it is not good. With the growth of the Internet,
knowledge is going to increase. The youngsters, first of all, are born with Internet. For
them, it’s natural. So I think they will protect the future of the Internet by saying,
“Hey it's something we just pull out of the plug. Don't put it down.” I hope that
the youngsters will keep it alive and follow what we have been doing.
One of the most important things to do is to get consensus on all levels and the first
ones are what we call the “I” stars - ISOC, the Internet Society, ICANN, IETF, IAB and
many others - that they reach consensus on how the Internet will evolve and tackle all
the difficulties and problems that pop up. I think that’s the most important action
- that there is consensus and that they continue to talk to each other and do not start competing
with each other in their missions. I think that that's the biggest action that is needed
in the future to keep the Internet as it is today and let it grow.