Kurtis's Blog

I read this morning on CircleId that the ITU Secretary General believes that the ICANN Government Advisory Council, GAC is merely cosmetic, and that "The GAC is merely advisory, and ICANN may choose to take the advice or not". Yes, that is correct, and the same is true for the ITU as well. Actually, the ITU has been trying to inject itself into Internet Governance for a decade almost, trying to find a role in the new world of telecommunications, as the legacy telecommunications network that the ITU knows are becoming less and less important.

However, what role, or contribution that the ITU could bring to the Internet or Internet Governance is hard to see. The model of the traditional telecommunications network, where innovation is blocked and new uses and technology are developed top-down and handed as fait-acompli to the end-users are over, and certainly not what made the success of the Internet. I see the comments merely as a way to try and secure a job and a future role for a body who has seen it's relevance diminish over the years.

In the full CIO magazine article it also seems like the chairman of the GAC acknowledges that the role of governments and GAC in a multistakeholder forum is different to that in the ITU and that there is value in that. Which I believe is good!

Internet Governance is an interesting topic, where the topics where governments actually could make a difference. Harmonizing legislation easing prosecution and law-enforcements across borders, they actively choose to ignore or not follow up, instead focusing on management issues as root-zone and IP number space management. Areas where there are no urgent problems, areas of technical nature, and where the challenges and problems ahead are well understood and managed. Go figure.

Something that keeps amazing me on my travels is the lack of support for travelers with communication needs at airports (I don't do trains much, but the availability of Swisscom hot-spots on Swiss train stations seems progressive and better than many airports. Then again, their trains run on time too.....).

Often I find myself looking at brand new, or renovated airport facilities, with the sort of bar like installations with high chairs, a set up that actually like to sit at work at when I am just passing by. BUT, where are the power sockets? How hard can that be? Actually, how can you as Munich airport of the renovated Charles de Gaulle, simply leave them out?

Then comes the next grievance, if you against all odds still have power in your battery, you are faced with the Wireless network. Or the lack of it. If you are lucky, there is a pay-for wireless. Or serveral. Once you figured that out you are faced with a login screen. Or, there is the problem, if I am not s subscriber what do I do? I know, I know, I should have a roaming account (and I have actually ordered one), but now I don't. Normally after staring at the overcrowded, flashing (like Monzoon - but hey, they do IPv6 for free! ) start page, you might find out how to pay with your credit card. Here comes the next catch. You just want to send those emails you wrote on the plane, but answering all the questions, clicking all the boxes, and going through all the steps (in worst case with animations) will take you all the time, and just as you are finished, it's time for boarding. I hate that.

I can't figure out why it is so hard to get this right!

Today I am reached by the happy news that Monty Python has decided to launch the Monty Python channel on YouTube...

Now I just need to find time to do some work between all the clips....

Some of you have already seen my presentation on IPv6 usage in Sweden that I have given at RIPE previously and at the current IETF I gave it at both IEPG and v6ops.

There is now several of these presentations and efforts started that try and gather real usage data. Google presented at v6ops as well Arbor Networksdid in the last RIPE meeting.

I think it's good that we are starting to see a lot more of these initiatives. I got quite some feedback that said they wanted me to continue to try and collect this data, which I will. One idea that occurred to me this weeks is to try and collect all this data in one place, and with the same methodology so that it can be easily compared. Let's see where get with that idea...

On a recent flight back from the US I flew Air France and got offered this years Beaujolais Nuvo. I have to make an admission - I can'r remember if I ever had a Beaujolais Nuvo before. I think so, but this one trigged my senses and so on Monday I went to the Swedish Alcohol monopoly and bought three bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau Villages Cuvée non Filtrée from Pierre Dupont. Now I am regretting not buying more. But that can always be fixed :-).

Futher, I had a small dinner tonight and decided to take something from the cellar at home and to my surprise found a Francis Ford Coppola Claret from 2002. It was magnificent! What made me even happer is that I have two more! An amazing wine!!!!!! And there is more! Now I just need to finnish my glass of Beaujolais Nuvo and go to bed...