This blog post may seem a little off topic at first, however Open Source requires Open Communication to maintain a steady flow of information exchange between Developers and Users. According to this article in this month's Atlantic magazine, that may not be the case:
Yet all of this growth and increasing connectedness, which can seem both effortless and unstoppable, is now creating enormous friction, as yet largely invisible to the average surfer. It might not remain that way for much longer. Fierce and rising geopolitical conflict over control of the global network threatens to create a balkanized system—what some technorati, including Google’s executive chairman, , have called “the splinternet.” “I’m the most optimistic person I know on almost every topic,” the Internet entrepreneur recently said in a public interview, and “I’m incredibly concerned.” Andreessen said it is an “open question” whether the Internet five years from now “will still work the way that it does today.”
Full article here: How regional networks may replace the World Wide Web
Comments
Sounds like you need your daily hug!
In fact, the openness of the Internet has made even totally information paranoid countries like China back off from it.
They still have plenty of protection on it at their end for anything they consider politically sensitive, but the commercial end is extremely open primarily because they are profiting hugely from that openness.
In the World and particularly in the US we have always had a lot of pressure from our existing large Corporations to make sure they get the best deal and to them that openness is threatening.
With an open Internet, we take our dollar and spend it where it does us the most good.
Of course they are the ones who would like to put an end to that and in the name of free trade, make sure it isn't.
Hypocrisy abounds.
see I don't see the difference here because the internet is are ready a collection of independent networks. keeping a country's data in country won't change much if everything is still connected. as long as all these networks can talk to one another not much is going to change.
After reading the linked article I still can't see the end of the Internet in the few examples discussed. It seems to be little more than a few tech companies complaining about the inconvenience of complying with the legal requirements of various countries.
Data localisation or "data nationalism" is supposed to destroy the Internet? Commercial and personal data have different requirements for security but wanting confidence that there is a legal framework that protects use and access to your data is perfectly reasonable. Wanting strong disclosure laws for unauthorised access and to protect privacy is going to end the world? Does is never matter where your data is actually stored? Would all Americans be happy to have their data stored in China, where the legal framework is very different to the US?
That these issues are linked to Snowden is amusing and it shows the limited memory capacity of people. There were examples of of governments using their security agencies for commercial reasons, to spy on allies and bypassing legal safeguards (eg warrants) long before Snowden. It is what they do... Personally, I'm more concerned with the criminals that are not government funded accessing confidential information and there are many examples of this unauthorised access, including large internet companies.
When a government is operating properly is it representing the views of the people, not lobby groups and corporations that buy politicians. Privacy is one area where the expectations of people around the world differ and where people are demanding more protection. That has inconvenienced Facebook, Google and others. If it is all too difficult for them, they have the option of not serving those countries.
The Internet has been largely unregulated, unlike normal international trade, and there are areas where that has created problems. It was not going to last forever.
@Theo,
If you want something with a more technical bent, how about supporting the members at Ardupilot.com with their sUAS hardware and software issues. I can assure you there is no social drama on that website.
Regards,
TCIII Admin