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Google Goes to Washington
DIY News writes "Google has hired a lobbyist in Washington D.C. to influence the nation's laws governing the Internet, telecommunications and copyrights. Google sees a presence in Washington as a necessity as government becomes more involved in the Net's development. Among its efforts, the government has worked to shield private U.S. companies from demands by the United Nations and other countries for multilateral control of the Net."
I kind of wonder if /. gets paid per story about google - without any imperical data to back me up, it sure seems like there are a hell of a lot more google stories here than anything else (followed by the 360). I'm a big google fan, so it's not a huge deal, but still. Maybe Google should have their own section.
/not in marketing.
I think it's great that they're defending the 'net and trying to convince people that it shouldn't be under American control, don't get me wrong. I'm just sayin this is like watching CNN sometimes. Instead of 'if it bleeds it leads' we've got 'If it has a G, approved submission for me!'
We emerge from our mother's womb an unformatted diskette; our culture formats us. - Douglas Coupland
Countries which have contributed nothing to the technology, infrastructure, or content of the medium now want a ruling interest in it. And I'm sure the result will be as effective as a UN peacekeeping mission, as harmonious as a meeting of the general assembly, and as fair as a resolution directed only against Israel.
And the sad thing is that Europe, out of a misguided sense of jealousy, enables the savages because it is too ashamed to admit what it really wants- a seat at the table alongside its North American brothers. Exactly like how Manhattan-dwelling American liberals, scared by black urban gun violence but too ashamed to admit it, call for more gun control as if the farmer with a shotgun in Iowa or the hunters with rifles in Montana will ever endanger them.
Its pretty easy to have a 'fairly reasonable take' on copyright when its not your creations or works you are applying that take to.
"Shield"? You make it sound like somethiing positive. Frankly, the idea that Mr. WMD-in-Iraq, God-told-me-to-do-it has the power to shut down the Internet anytime he chooses anywhere he chooses is not a happy one. This is a simple and brutal power grab, and in the long run, it will lead to the Internet breaking apart because other countries -- even the allies we have left -- will not suffer a heavy-handed bully to have a stranglehold over such an important part of their economy. Can't say I blame them, honestly. Google and the other companies are of course happy with this setup, because this way, they only have to bribe one set of politicians.