Duncan asks

So if the feds intend to regulate cyberspace, what specific sorts of regulations are possible at this point? Forget laws, what is *technically* and institutionally feasible? Can they just throw out TCP/IP and mandate X25? Can TCP/IP be "tamed?" How can they control private virtual networks that piggyback on the basic network structure?

"Our chief weapon was surprise", and of course Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. The most effective thing they could do would be to deploy a digital signature system that you _have_ to use to pay your company taxes or file your individual tax returns on-line, and go from there to requiring it for other business transactions with the government. Subsidized servers, of course. It's worked with Social Security Numbers, and if they control on-line signatures for business, then they can control access to the nets for a large fraction of the population. Along with it, require that banks use the signatures for electronic banking, which is a bit easier since banks are heavily regulated and the Federal Reserve would probably be happy to help. Besides, it gives the Post Office something to do in a post-paper world. They obviously can't prevent piggyback networks, but they _can_ make it economically infeasible for medium-large companies to run them. For instance, declaring internet providers to be common carriers, and doing a "digital telephony bill" to require them to use IPng authentication on packets and traceable headers on news and email systems, with the risk of de-licensing and confiscation for non-conformists. It's nice that the largest backbone provider is now NOT the NSFnet, but a commercial provider (though I'd obviously prefer AT&T to Sprint+MCI :-), but they're still the Phone Company, and could be forced to accept regulation. Meanwhile, at the user end, the Enemy could start using confiscation on any computers caught running remailers or encryption - even if they can't stop us Nasty Evil Black-Marketeering K0deZ Dealers, they could make it too risky to do at work or school, which means your own money is on the line if you get caught calculating in the Black Numbers. I doubt they'll be able to ban convicted lawbreakers from using computers entirely for much longer (heck, I wouldn't be able to use my microwave oven any more, much less drive my car), but they could still try. Bill