When you remember what the United States thinks of the UN, I don't think we need to worry. Fracturing of the internet (which I don't think will happen) would be much more preferable than having that lot run it. A clear win for freedom and capitalism here.

seems the isssue has allready been decided.

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,69592,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1

the increassed access to the net for the poulation of china and iran, and indeed all developing countries is a good thing, as long as there is no censorship by their governments. im still pissed off that google gave in to chinese government requests that searches for such words as 'freedom' and 'democracy', initiated in chinese servers will not work. seems the profits as a result of the massive chinese market are more important that the pricipals of free information exchange which is the best aspect of the net.

Kofi Annan said this week the U.N. had no interest in controlling, regulating, or otherwise interfering with the net. Taxing it(where on earth did the author hear THAT?) certainly is odd, "even by UN standards."

This article sounds more a pretext for U.N.-bashing than anything else.

Good article

Im happy to report online opinion has not yet been blocked in China.

On a related matter the recent story of Yahoo devolging personal emails to the CCP resulting in a chinese journalist being jailed is of great concern.

www.chinadigitaltimes.net/2005/09/group_yahoo_hel_1.php

There are many negatives to the internet such as porn,how to murder,kill,make drugs,rape etc that I wish we could preclude,but to have the corrupt,inept and gutless UN in charge of such a powerful tool,beggars belief.Coffee Drop hasn't a clue,just like his adversary George Dubwua.

Crisis over. The Economist online reports that from next year an international forum will convene to discuss internet issues, but it will have no binding powers. It says that "this is something of a relief, as many of the countries that have called loudest for America to give up its role in the running of the internet are those that are most keen to stop their citizens accessing “undesirable” material. China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and a host of other nations are guilty of censoring the content available to web users, their aim being less to protect the population from depraved content than to deter nascent democratic movements. The involvement of such repressive regimes in overseeing the internet would have been at best distasteful to more assiduous guardians of human rights, and at worst seriously damaging to its workings."

Well said. The Tunisia meeting will focus on the so-called "digital divide," although it is not clear that increased net access is critical for poor countries. More important is the sudden spread of mobile phones, which is already having widespread economic benefits.