Re: [ga] At Large

["Richard Henderson" <richardhenderson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Evocative writing here... but I believe the At Large concept will persist, simply because there is an indisputable case for the ordinary users of the internet having a central say in the running of their own global resource... and their right to help shape and determine the future of the DNS, the governance of Net functions, and the online common community of the human race.

This is an ideal and a destiny that cannot be surrendered to the rich, the partisan, the vested interest, the corporate giants.

The Internet is one expression of the human spirit, and provides very ordinary people with the ability to communicate together, and network, and share - to build understanding between peoples, to co-operate in programs for the poor, to work together on health issues, education issues, issues of peace and justice. And it also provides people with the facility to communicate over distance with families and friends, to share interests in sports and art and other leisure activities. The Internet is largely inhabited and made what it is by ordinary people who give something of themselves and their time into its communal store of knowledge and information.

The concept of the At Large cannot be annexed by a Californian quango, working to meet the needs and definitions of the US government - it is far more than that, and it is not surprising that its evolution sometimes seems arduous and slow. But in due course, ordinary people all over the world will recognise the At Large as an ideal - and support the case for ordinary people to act as stewards of a world resource which belongs - not to the US government - but to all nations and all peoples.

ICANN is a temporary device for keeping some kind of control of the Net in the hands of the United States. As such, it has limited credibility, and it is ICANN (not the At Large) which will eventually disappear.

When you can mirror mirrors of mirrors, when you can re-direct to whole new parallel nets and alternative nets, and when this concept of one single top-down network is de-constructed, then the plethora of communities and individuals which truly make up the community of the Net will be recognised and increasingly understood for what it is: the bottom up expression of individuals, and the free voice of humanity which - in fact - is a multiplicity of voices... a multiplicity of visions and dreams and hopes...

The At Large is simply the people of this planet (in their online context) laying claim to the freedom and dreams of humanity, and seeking to wrest humanity free of those corporate dinosaurs which seek to dominate economically, and build walls around so-called 'intellectual property', and control through dollars and politics and the might of their private interests.

It is not the principle of the At Large which is outdated.

Its implementation may come about piecemeal and in parts, but like many streams tumbling down a mountainside, the flow of the ideal will converge and gather power and its movement and advancement is logically and morally irresistible.

* * * * * *
kind regards,

Richard Henderson

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Hugh Dierker 
  To: ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2004 3:47 PM
  Subject: [ga] At Large


  So Jefsey's recent comments got me looking back at the atlarge concepts.
  Where did they go? Are they still there in splintered community groups?
  What is going on with Esters (or is it Madonna's) at large or in that case maybe "at small"?
  Is the issuance or holding of a domain name still an issue of membership?
  Are there any more whispers of atlarge elections?

  Well they are still there but standing almost frozen in time.  There are no hot issues burning.  There is no hope. Apathy appears to be the only blood flowing. Kind of like dinosaur skeletons erected in a museum, held up by websites with no flesh.
  In fact it is kind of eery going around and looking at them. Atlarge gambling groups far outnumber Internet atlarge groups on the net.
  I got the feeling I was looking at evening newspapers in twenty years, gone but not yet forgotten.

  I did note that Iraq was listed on the Asian atlarge site  http://atlarge.freewebpage.org/countries.htm

  And that powergrabs and lack of money seems to be what caused this extinction.
  e


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