Wider control? 2

[GwydionM]

This site has a mostly US membership, so I'd be interested on seeing some reactions to this.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/technology/3307673.stm

.

Please remember that the idea of the internet is quite old and that it was implemented in Britain by Prestel Viewdata and in France by Mintel.

 

[sleipnir214]

If non-English-speakers want non-English content on the internet, I recommend they get busy creating it. That's what they do in China and India.



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TANSTAAFL!!

 

[CajunCenturion]

Yes indeed, the internet is quite old and while Britain was developing the Viewdata system in the 70's, other developments were underway elsewhere. The following page

http://www.zakon.org/robert/internet/timeline/

provides a good timeline on the internet development.

I do agree with a number of things that Kofi Annan said, not the least of which is the following:
" There is a content divide. Much of the information on the web is not relevant to the real needs of people. "


Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[MasterRacker]

Anyone, anywhere is free to put up whatever content they want in whatever language they want. So I agree with sleipnir.
There is a lot of nonsense on the web, so I also agree with Cajun.

One thing I'd like to add is that I sense the maybe the UN not only wants to take over administration of the 'net, but maybe they also want to control content?



Jeff
The future is already here - it's just not widely distributed yet...

 

[sleipnir214]

CC:

The real needs of what people?

The internet and the information it provides has worked pretty well in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. That's about 87% of the world's population.

The emphasis of Mr. Annan's comments seems to be Africa. In those places where governments are stable, there have been great in-roads with the internet.

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TANSTAAFL!!

 

[carrr]

Anyone, anywhere is free to put up whatever content they want in whatever language they want.

Absolutely and totally agreed...many times over.

There is a lot of nonsense on the web

That's about relative, eh? ...and kind of flies in face of the first statement...or, are we in favor of a governing body to determine what constitutes nonsense?

 

[CajunCenturion]

To me the key point is the relavency of the information. Now I ask you sleipnir214, what percentage of internet content is pertinent to you?

Wait, let me re-phrase that.

what percentage of internet content is pertinent or relavent to normal folk?



Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[edfair]

Oh-Oh. Us S&M minority just got shortsheeted again.

 

[DrJavaJoe]

African countries have failed to obtain a commitment from the richer nations on a special fund for technology projects.
It sounds like Annan is on a fund raising mission to me.

and I thought Al Gore invented the internet.

 

[sleipnir214]

CajunGrocer:
I can't say how much of the information on the internet is pertinent to me or to anyone.

Please classify and quantify the entire information store of the internet and I'll happily answer that question.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[dkediger]

Quote:
"....Much of the information on the web is not relevant to the real needs of people. "
Kofi Annan


He could have just stopped at "Much of the information on the web is not relevant," and been pretty accurate.

Yeah, the real question is what is 'relevancy' in content. Then you get the whole 'access' issue. That's a thorny enough item here in the States as to what level of government involvement/mandates are approriate, at least regarding broadband.

 

[DrJavaJoe]

There are alot of books, magazines, tv shows, along with web content that can be seen as irrelevant to the 'real needs of people'. What people, what real needs, what are real needs, what constitues irrelevent, who cares? If it's not relevent to me, I don't care if it's there and why should Annan, just get to the point and ask for the money.

 

[CajunCenturion]

I would love to classify and quantify the entire information store, but too much of it makes no sense and is beyond classification.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[cryptogro4]

According to Kofi Annan:
"Nearly 70% of sites are in English, at times crowding out local voices and needs."

It should be noted that english is the most common language in the world. Now before you people say it is spanish or chinese or some other, I am not talking about the language with the most people, but the almost universal language, which is english.

And, "...as well as over who should rule the internet."
Rule? If he is suggesting or intoning the UN, that is laughable because it has been proven to have no authority over any world matters.

"African countries have failed to obtain a commitment from the richer nations on a special fund for technology projects."
I would guess he wants the USA, Britain, and other nations to give money to African nations to develop their communications infrastructure, even though they receive millions a year in funding already.

 

[chiph]

I have to keep reminding my Senegalese coworker that 200 years ago America was a third-world nation.

But we didn't stay there by begging others to write books in English (French was the multi-national language at the time).

I am also under no illusions that English and US culture will remain world-dominant in years to come. The Chinese seriously want to be a world player, and they have a very deep talent pool.

Chip H.


If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ222-2244 first

 

[kiddpete]

Learn Chinese? Aghhhhhhhhh! No way! Let's keep it in English! There was a question; 'what percentage of internet content is pertinent to you?'. Who cares, as long as I can find what I need to know!

 

[MasterRacker]

I still think that in UN terms, "real needs of real people" could very likely mean letting them see only what their governments want them to see. Remember how many repressive nations are members of the UN. Many of these same nations are terrified of free flow of information. This is one of the points made in this commentary:

http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/opinion/7461744.htm

Jeff
The future is already here - it's just not widely distributed yet...

 

[dilettante]

Hmmm...

That article strikes me as another case of politicians who have never really used the Internet themselves.

But I'm not sure what is expected by this guy (these guys?) anyway. Maybe the problem lies with limitations of the technology I'm not aware of? I sure trip over a lot of Asian-language web sites though, and the requirements to publish content in those languages can be a lot different from English.

I just don't know whether to pry at this more deeply and suggest the issue they have may be a lack of large-scale search facilities like Google for African languages. I assume thought hasn't really gone that far on these guys' part, but as usual I could be dead wrong.

I'm just not sure where the 'net is discriminating against non-Enlish languages. Seems about as liberal linguistically as short-wave radio broadcasting to me.

 

[MakeItSo]

I really think "most sites being in English" is not an issue. There are loads of foreign language sites and every day you 'll find some more... A lot of webmasters have already reacted and set-up the site multi-lingually. It all comes down to who you want to address and if you really want to inform or just perform on the internet...
In the latter case, the webmaster will keep the site monolingual. If his business is regional, he'll keep it in his own lang, else in English.
Those, who really have an interest in addressing as many people as possible and thus in getting as diverse feedback as possible will set-up a multi-lingo site.

I see no ethical problem in this, cause I think daily business will sort out the mono's.

Concerning Language: Once it was Arabic, then Greek, then Latin, then French, now it's English...
Times will change as they always have - perhaps it'll be Japanese or Korean one day, who knows. And thos who want to be successful will learn Korean then , no matter what they would say today... ;-)

 

[CajunCenturion]

kiddpete - Probably without realizing it, you really are making Annon's point when you say "Who cares, as long as I can find what I need to know!." And after all, why should you, your needs are being taken care of, and your needs are that's all that matters right?

And that's exactly the attitude that Annon is protraying as the problem. The the more further developed countries should spend their time and resources, be less selfish, and provide these needed services - both in content and language - to those who don't have the money to develop the technology.

Now I don't necessarily agree that more developed countries should do that, as opposed to dealing with more pressing problems, like food, water, and shelter, but I certainly don't want to fuel his fire by giving ammunition to help him make his point.

Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein