Wednesday 27 May 2009

Vint Cerf Speaks

podcast interview with Vinton Cerf, one of the founding fathers of the internet:

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Just click on the link and the podcast will download to the desktop (in parts to start, but unified at end)

Vint now works for Google and has a lot to say about what's happening behind the secrecy. He is also the leading proponent of the basic human right of free and unfettered access to all that the network has to offer. 

I had the great honour of serving with Vint on the board of directors of his Internet Societal Task Force, back in the days before The Terrowar engulfed US policy. The ISTF was an activist wing of the Internet Society, charged with ensuring open and uncensored Internet access to every human on this globe and beyond.  In our last open media transmission we strongly criticised the US government for completely and without warning suspending entire national ISPs in Africa on the grounds of "suspected" links to Al Qaida, effectively stranding all legitimate Internet users in those countries -- we found our UN-granted political immunity quickly overruled, our mandate quickly redefined and our group silenced within days.  Rather than carry on as a powerless 'advisory discussion group' reporting only to the US officials, we disbanded.