London is hosting a Cyberspace Conference which is a world-first. Britain wants to start discussions on developing principles on how we should behave on the Internet – that is governments, corporations and individuals.
This is an interesting proposition. But will an agreed set of principles really solve the negative issues that come with the Internet? To me it seems a bit silly that we have to be told how to behave online. There will always be individuals who don’t conform to society’s standards. For those that don’t follow rules now, these principles will not suddenly make them behave more appropriately.
So what will a set of guidelines achieve? Probably nothing. The Internet is a vast network that is part of society. It shouldn’t be viewed as something that is creating society’s problems, it isn’t. We need to adjust to the Internet as something that is unique, fluid and dynamic. Blaming it for our problems shows we haven’t yet grasped the changes that are occurring in society as a result of the Internet. Producing a set of guidelines won’t alter that.
Would love to read your comments and thoughts.