Solidarite numerique :: 03:47 PM :: easyjetsetter

Having read everything else on the internet for that day and being done with the job applications for the next week or so, I discovered something new on the internetweb: Charles Bremner's Paris blog for the Times. He's that newspaper's Paris correspondent, but his blog is far more personal and anecdotal and therefore more interesting than his other writing.

He discusses such gems as the national fascination with Johnny Halladay, plotless films and inviting international correspondents at times of national crisis to criticise their country in the national media, a habit not replicated in the anglo-saxon world. Can you imagine the Today programme interviewing a French journalist about our civil liberties, for example?

He also touches on the interesting development that is the digital solidarity fund, wherein, it seems, France wishes to prevent the internet from being an entity entirely based and managed in America. He delves nicely into other places where France tries to fight anglo-saxon superiority, such as broadcasting, with the much anticipated CFII, an entity that is not expected to make any money or do a good job, just exist and make sure France has a cable news channel too, dammit!

This follows on the frankly welcome news coming out of the conclusion of WSIS in Geneva that the so-called "backbone of the internet," ICANN, will not be run by the UN as was suggested over the summer. Apparently the US is just not playing dice.

I don't know about you, or him, but I don't actually trust the UN to run something without trying to make it "better" or "more worthy" and in so doing, frankly, ruining it. Since the Register reports that such trustworthy countries as Iran and China are arguing for other governments to be given control, you know it's a bad idea.

Also in that report is this little snippet: "The United States, which currently has overall control of the internet, is refusing to allow other governments to take the lead role, arguing instead that companies, organisations and individuals made the Internet what it is today and they should continue to have the biggest say." (emphasis mine)

I can't help but feel that America, with its tradition of libertarian freedom of speech, even if that means copious amounts of porn, spam, britney spears and suchlike, is more likely to leave the internet alone. It works because it's flexible and free (ish).

I'm not sure a French internet would be much better. It's not exactly a country renowned for freedom of the press, as Bremner notes in the post about Sarkozy suppressing the publication of his wife's book, despite it being vetted by lawyers, and he mentions in passing the general squeamishness of the papers in reporting on "delicate" matters.

Then of course, bear in mind that in February, France will be the first democratic country to prosecute a blogger, following on from 2005's success of being the first democratic country to imprison a blogger. Nice summing up of the whole situation here.

Of course, the UK, acting for the EU in what I am enjoying calling the Worst. EU Presidency. Ever., proposed in Geneva a nice solution: have an entirely non-authoritative advisory arm to ICANN set up employing lots and lots of UN civil servants. Creation of jobsforlife with ridiculous pensions AND a panacea for sulky nations. Hoorah!