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Open source goes to Tunis

What is most important is to engage in a dialogue with other stakeholders, in an effort to promote greater understanding, and we are confident that this is what will come out of this summit."
Written by Dana Blankenhorn, Inactive
Bruce Perens
While other Americans are condemning the Tunis WSIS Summit, warning of a coming "UN Takeover" of the Internet, a small group of open source pioneers are there on the ground, doing what they do best, advocating.

Bruce Perens, Richard Stallman and Mark Shuttleworth are speaking as invited guests. Perens is going to show off his blog. A spokesperson explained, " What is most important is to engage in a dialogue with other stakeholders, in an effort to promote greater understanding, and we are confident that this is what will come out of this summit."

Given the growing politicization of the Summit in America, that might prove controversial , I noted. Perens responded personally.

Richard, Mark, and I are not going there for the internet issue, but to speak about Open Source during another meeting. I'll try to get into the internet meeting. That might be hard. I'm not on the panel and doubt I'll be able to contribute anything.

I was lucky enough not to have been involved in ICANN. But everybody knows it's been a mess, and if the U.S. really wanted control, they would have cleaned it up before the inevitable happened. So, their current protest might just be sabre-rattling. Given the way the buck has fallen against the Euro, I don't see what the U.S. could do in way of protest that would impress other developed countries.

He added:

Working for change very often means taking a position contrary to that espoused by your government. Peaceful political change is taken for granted in democratic societies, even some endangered ones like the wartime U.S.

To which I could only add, good night and good luck.

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