Crisis Averted: Lobby the Lawmakers

We're talking about solutions today at Preventing the Internet Meltdown. After two days of meetings, participants in the technology conference in Los Angeles posted a list of problems that could jeopardize the robustness of the network or the individual user's experience. Debate snagged over the term "meltdown" – many seemed skeptical about whether the Internet itself is really in crisis. But there was consensus around a central point: as organizer Lauren Weinstein advised participants, "We must shift our focus from the stuff we love -- the bits and the bytes -- to the policy." Internet veterans are now turning their attention to other rule-making entities -- the U.S. congress, WSIS, and major corporations. Discussion focused on ways to lobby these players to protect the end-to-end architecture and the openness of networks, but participants seemed frustrated about how to leverage their influence.