The Web Is A Harsh Mistress

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Presented at H2K 2000 by

Nations that exist in meatspace do so by the virtue of one thing: physical force. Nothing else keeps a nation's physical borders secure (and its populace obedient). On the net, however, the stakes are different. What keeps systems secure? Intelligence, ultimately. Good security systems. Rebellious members are eliminated as fast as their permissions can be changed. For once the pen (or the keyboard) is truly mightier than the sword. There is a "wild west" air about the net, where people do as they please with little fear of swift and merciless reprisal by the de jure rulers. It brings danger, but also an unprecedented freedom. But like the west of old, such freedom will become history without a clear, rational, sane "bill of rights". This talk will consider such a bill; its origins and applications in meatspace, common concerns, issues, and pitfalls, as well as how it can lead us to a true freedom on the net - and quite possibly, a "free luna" here on earth.