The Fracturing of the Internet

farrellj writes "There is currently a major conflict between the US and the rest of the world about the control of the Internet. They are fighting over who will control the root DNS servers and assign IP addresses. The US is against an independent international body to do this. This could fracture the Internet into multiple country and regional mini-internets, with conflicts over IP and Domain Name assignments, with no interconnects between them." From the article: "... the Bush administration said in July that the United States would 'maintain its historic role in authorizing changes or modifications to the authoritative root zone file.' In so doing, the government 'intends to preserve the security and stability' of the technical underpinnings of the Internet. Without consensus, some experts say that countries might move ahead with setting up their own domain name system, or DNS, as a way of bypassing Icann." Update: 09/30 20:45 GMT by Z : I believe this to be another view of the discussion we had a while back.

Comments

All according to plan

[nokilli]

The reason the U.S. is refusing to release control is obvious. Too many Americans are bypassing whores like The New York Times and CNN and getting their news from overseas. Break up the Internet and that stops.

I hope the EU takes this into consideration. Yes, the present administration is wretched beyond belief, but this is the wrong way to retaliate.
--
You didn't know.

Bush....

[cnerd2025]

Who really believes that Bush knows what a "root zone file" is? The man can't pronounce "nuclear"!

USA Bashing

[elmerf9000]

Yup it is definitely in fashion to hate the USA. No matter what the USA does the rest of the world just looks down their noses in disdain. We have SAVED the world three times(WW 1 and 2, and Soviet rule) and still the disdain. I want to see Europe get plowed over again and see who they run to for help..... Europeans remind me of Jewish mothers. Always want to make you feel guilty for something and never fucking happy about anything...... And for the Americans bitching about the USA, move to fucking France. No one wants you here. Dumbass elitists...

Typical a$$holes in other countries

[seanmc42]

These stupid pricks should be thankful we let them use it at all! America gives and gives and gives, and they complain. WE INVENTED IT - IT'S OURS. Screw them.

DNS is 1/2 the problem

[Alain Williams]

Doleing out new top level (country) domains is 1/2 the story, we in the democratic world simply use non USA top level domain servers ... so we can see Iraq (or whoever it is that the USA is invading up this week).

The problem comes with the assigning of IP addresses. If the USA refuses to recognise some that the rest of the world has given to Iraq/... and then gives them to someone else - we end up with two places having the same IP address. Chaos would ensue 'till BGP/... was fixed to hide the ''illegal'' USA duplicate addresses -- yuck!!

Admission: the UK government's use of lies to take us to was makes me ashamed to be British.

Re:what isn't...

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes- you are a rash
A rash of the type that comes from an accumulation of semen mixed with shit flowing out of your ass and settling on your unwashed testicles you fucking piece of shite. FUCK YOU you fucking rash.

Re:Bush doesn't want to play nice?! Shock!

[DerProfi]

Shockingly bad analogy, dude. Please try your argument again later. This is a recording.

Re:Govern

[Anonymous Coward]

The rest of the world needs the US a lot more than the US needs the rest of the world.

You wish. if you cut off international trade now, in at most a week, the US would be one giant warzone. The same is of course true for just about every other modern country, but if you think you can get by without the rest of the world, you're delusional.

I also hereby declare that I no longer give a fuck about your involvement in and after WW2. You're pulling that card whenever you meet some opposition. It's used up.

Incumbent administration flexes ailing muscles??

[lightyear4]

So. How much of this stupidity is manifest through the shortsighted policies of the current administration? In so many of its actions, it has led the US on a path around the globe, blatantly indifferent of those trod underfoot. Presidencies here last at most eight years; yet, it is difficult to say whether the next will be more mindful of other nations. Let us hope.

Re:Yes the internet will be fractured

[Proud Neocon A True]

Ah, spoken like a true demoncrat, since all they do is whine, cry, and commit treason. America will not try to control trafic from other nations, but then again it seems like the ones that hate America will spin the truth to whatever suits them or flat out lie to push their communist agenda.