Books
Abstract
For years, the world saw the Internet as a creature of the U.S. Department of Defense. Now some claim that the Internet is a self-governing organism controlled by no one and needing no oversight. Although the National Science Foundation and other government agencies continue to support and oversee critical administrative and coordinating functions, the Internet is remarkably decentralized and uninstitutionalized. As it grows in scope, bandwidth, and functionality, the Internet will require greater coordination, but it is not yet clear what kind of coordinating mechanisms will evolve.
The essays in this volume clarify these issues and suggest possible models for governing the Internet. The topics addressed range from settlements and statistics collection to the sprawling problem of domain names, which affects the commercial interests of millions of companies around the world. One recurrent theme is the inseparability of technical and policy issues in any discussion involving the Internet.
