~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SANDY SANDFORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C'punks, Here is a guest editorial that ran in Monday's SF Chronicle. It should make your blood boil. S a n d y * * * ANARCHY, CHAOS ON THE INTERNET MUST END Elections are over, and for better or worse, recognized leadership is installed and working in most places. Yet, in Cyberspace the electronic world dominated by the much-vaunted Internet, there is not much order. This huge international computer web tying together about 30 million people is governed by no one. What an amazing state of affairs. The most powerful communications medium ever invented is being left to the equivalent of mob rule. Last year was the year of the Internet in the media. Clearly it is now mainstream. Nonetheless, judging by what you read or hear, the key question of who runs it is not even an issue. It is more fun, after all, to contemplate shopping in an electronic mall or how to order a pizza through a modem. No matter, if you scratch the surface of this big, happy party, the need for firm direction is all too obvious. Also reported in the press is an expanding array of Internet problems. Unregulated broadcasting of sexually explicit material that is readily available to children usually heads the list, but on-line sexual harassment, profanity, defamation, forgery and fraud run close seconds. The secretiveness that computer communications allows is a special reason why abuse is easy. National and personal security are serious considerations when anyone can, with complete anonymity, send encrypted information worldwide via the Internet. Such problems are further exacerbated by a computer located in Finland called the Anonymous Server, which exists for the sole purpose of laundering computer messages, much like dirty money is laundered through small island nations. Consequently, if you want to, say, threaten someone with death, your risk of retribution is small, courtesy of the Anonymous Server. Nowhere are Cyberspace difficulties more evident than in the inevitable swing toward Internet commercialization. The widely reported turf war rages between academic factions that controlled the Internet before it went public and business newcomers who now want access to its huge audience. Electronic attacks on business people by means ranging from computer insults, called flames, to assorted forms of electronic vandalism, persist uncontrolled. Worst of all are the ``canceller robots,'' computer programs meant to erase the communications of anyone the hackers who usually launch them wish to silence. These self-styled vigilantes routinely challenge free speech in Cyberspace unabated. Internet access providers, companies that connect people to the Internet for a profit, likewise assume the role of censors, arbitrarily closing accounts of those whom they disapprove. Given its international nature, one obvious way to bring much needed order to the Internet is through diplomacy. The United States should lead in this. A good beginning might be to urge the Finnish government to deactivate the Anonymous Server. Diplomacy could also help to establish an international standard of recognizing laws existing at the point of origin as controlling the message sender. When conflicts arise, governmental diplomacy should again be the answer, just as it is with other trade and communications issues. Next, laws already regulating behavior in the real world should be applied in Cyberspace. This is already taking place on a case-by-case basis, but the process is too slow. The Supreme Court should act to crate a precedent stating that crime is crime, even when the criminal instrument is a computer keyboard. In the United States, legislation should be passed making Internet access providers common carriers. This will get them out of the business of censorship and under the guiding hand of the Federal Communications commission. People need safety and order in Cyberspace just as they do in their homes and on the streets. The current state of the Internet makes it clear that anarchy isn't working. If recognized governments don't find a way to bring order to the growing and changing Internet, chaos may soon dictate that the party is over. ---------- Martha S. Siegel is the author of ``How to Make a Fortune on the Information Superhighway'' and CEO of Cybersell in Scottsdale, Ariz. * * * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~