The Internet Doesn't Exist

Writing over at P2P.net, Bill Thompson reminds us why the web and its open standards are indeed special:  "The standards matter because of the strange nature of the internet. Despite the fact that it covers the world, the Internet does not really exist. It is best thought of as a joint technical undertaking in which all the organisations and individuals who want to take advantage of the benefits which the network can offer agree to conform to a set of technical requirements for connecting their computer networks to other computer networks.  One of the most important aspects of the process is that the technical standards are not owned by anyone: they are intellectual property held in common, hence the description of them as ‘open standards.'  The history of the internet is therefore a triumph of mutualism and joint endeavour. All the many interests have worked together to create a system which is transforming the world, and anyone who doubts what can be achieved by cooperation should consider just how much we have achieved by working together online."