Fascinating interview with Verisign CEO

Fri Oct 17 17:05:07 UTC 2003

At 10:59 AM -0500 10/17/03, Eric A. Hall wrote:
>on 10/17/2003 3:17 AM Hank Nussbacher wrote:
>
>>  http://news.com.com/2008-7347-5092590.html
>
>First reaction is that this guy *really* needs some schooling in the value
>of having public-interest bodies facilitate and regulate interstate
>commerce in a federated system. Second reaction is that "commercializing
>the infrastructure" is a fairly dumb way to frame the debate, since we're
>not talking about the entire infrastructure but instead are talking about
>a couple of zones. Third reaction is that his opinion of what the Internet
>"needs" is not only wrong, but even if it were correct it would not give
>him the authority to usurp control over those zones. What next, all
>domains below the root have to pay a tax to the new emporer?
>

A subtlety often lost in this discussion is that while we might want 
to get government out of the process, privatization does not 
necessarily mean commercialization.  On one hand, privatization can 
go to a not-for-profit.  Another alternative is to commercialize, but 
to treat the commercial enterprise as a regulated utility.  Verisign 
is operating as a totally free entity.