The U.N. wants the internet!

[stevo]

Read about it here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050715/ap_on_hi_te/internet_control

 

[mark]

interesting article. it mentions that the u.s. was largely responsible for funding the startup/development of the net but no indication that any responsibility for reimbursement for costs plus current value would be offered. i am sure that an offer of several trillion dollars would be considered for transfer of control if laid on the table :-D

 

[VisualDigits]

nice article, the UN should learn to control peace before they move on to the internet. America shall rule!

 

[mmkrulz]

nice article, the UN should learn to control peace before they move on to the internet. America shall rule!

not if Bush stays...and nothing lasts forever, although i can only hope U.S does.

 

[slavahosting]

with the current economic depression is US, if a several trillion dollar offer to handle control of the internet was offered, I would bet my life on it that the US would gladely accept, that would repay all foreign dept for our nation, and that would be the first time USA would be debt free since WW2.

No national debt would raise value of US Dollar, and increase the economy dramatically.

If it were handed over to an international organization I don't see any problems with that for US would still have voice in all desicions, and nothing excessivly bad could ever come to happen.

Sadly nobody is going to ever offer a several trillion dollar offer to the US, because the internet is currently safe in our hands, and there isent any motive to spend that much money to have an international group control it. No one country has the funds and will to buy the internet, so it would have to be done by the UN, and I don't think ever countr in the world is gonna give about 100 Billion dollars, to have their name on a list with a few hundred others, when they are taking up votes on an international web resolution to fight spam.

Just my $0.02

 

[Dave Zan]

Also reported here:

http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=165702500

 

[bigbobm]

The US is NOT in a depression. The economy is strong.

with the current economic depression is US, if a several trillion dollar offer to handle control of the internet was offered, I would bet my life on it that the US would gladely accept, that would repay all foreign dept for our nation, and that would be the first time USA would be debt free since WW2.

No national debt would raise value of US Dollar, and increase the economy dramatically.

If it were handed over to an international organization I don't see any problems with that for US would still have voice in all desicions, and nothing excessivly bad could ever come to happen.

Sadly nobody is going to ever offer a several trillion dollar offer to the US, because the internet is currently safe in our hands, and there isent any motive to spend that much money to have an international group control it. No one country has the funds and will to buy the internet, so it would have to be done by the UN, and I don't think ever countr in the world is gonna give about 100 Billion dollars, to have their name on a list with a few hundred others, when they are taking up votes on an international web resolution to fight spam.

Just my $0.02

 

[Jeffreyw]

I'd rather agree with America controling the internet rather than the UN. If UN controls it, then this is the start of the One World Government. Yikes...

 

[slavahosting]

The US is NOT in a depression. The economy is strong.

Hey, no dissrespect to America, I'm as patriotic as the next guy but we still havent recovered to the economy as it was prior to 9/11 and its been a few years.

When a counttried economy crashes and stays down with slight improvememnt for multiple years, thats a depression.

It might not rival the Great Depression of post WW1 era, but its still a depression.

 

[carlton]

nice article, the UN should learn to control peace before they move on to the internet. America shall rule!

Well put! I'd rather not have a majority of their inept members compromising the integrity of the internet's continued evolution. :wink:

 

[QuantumBeam]

:smartass: wha the............................

 

[DaddyHalbucks]

Nice strategy. Don't do jack sheet, provide no funding, show no leadership, then waltz in once the technology is a big success and demand ownership.

Nice job, U.N.!

 

[Rubber Duck]

Nice strategy. Don't do jack sheet, provide no funding, show no leadership, then waltz in once the technology is a big success and demand ownership.

Nice job, U.N.!

Well, it seems a natural progression. They have dillusions of World Government, so naturally it would appear to be their responsibility.

On the other hand, the internet is rapidly growing into an international phenomenon and frankly the US is deluding itself if it thinks it has rights of ownership over the whole thing. Clearly a lot of decision are still being made under the tacit approval of the US Government, but ultimately a more democratic way of doing things will prevail.

Best Regards
Dave Wrixon

 

[smonline]

The United Nations has said its plans to renovate its headquarters at Turtle Bay will cost $1.2 billion.

That strikes Donald Trump as far too much. "The United Nations is a mess," the developer said yesterday, "and they're spending hundreds of millions of dollars unnecessarily on this project."

And he's not the only one. Several Manhattan real-estate experts told The New York Sun this week that renovating premium office space should cost a fraction, on a per-square-foot basis, of what U.N. officials expect to pay.

An executive managing director at the commercial real-estate firm Julien J. Studley Inc., Woody Heller, said a thorough renovation of an office building would probably cost between $85 and $160 per square foot.

An executive vice president at Newmark, Scott Panzer, said renovation prices could range between $120 and $200 per square foot. Mr. Panzer, who works with many corporations to redevelop their buildings for future efficiency and energy cost savings, put a price of $70 to $100 per square foot on infrastructure upgrades. Those would include heating; ventilation; air conditioning; replacing the central plant; fenestration (specifically, switching from single-pane to thermal-pane windows); upgrading elevator switch gears, mechanicals, and vertical transportation;

improving air quality, and making security upgrades. On top of that amount, another $50 to $100 per square foot would take care of the inside office improvements.

The chairman of global brokerage at commercial real-estate firm CB Richard Ellis, Stephen Siegel, said high-end commercial renovation usually runs $50 to $100 per square foot. For a renovation that does not include new furniture--according to the 2002 Capital Master Plan, the United Nations' will not--but does provide for improved heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment, as well as work on the building exterior, the cost would be closer to the $100 end of the range, Mr. Siegel said. Even accounting generously for upgrades that might be peculiar to the United Nations, Mr. Siegel added, he would set $250 per square foot as the absolute maximum.

 

[mark]

The United Nations has said its plans to renovate its headquarters at Turtle Bay will cost $1.2 billion.

That strikes Donald Trump as far too much. "The United Nations is a mess," the developer said yesterday, "and they're spending hundreds of millions of dollars unnecessarily on this project."

And he's not the only one. Several Manhattan real-estate experts told The New York Sun this week that renovating premium office space should cost a fraction, on a per-square-foot basis, of what U.N. officials expect to pay.

An executive managing director at the commercial real-estate firm Julien J. Studley Inc., Woody Heller, said a thorough renovation of an office building would probably cost between $85 and $160 per square foot.

An executive vice president at Newmark, Scott Panzer, said renovation prices could range between $120 and $200 per square foot. Mr. Panzer, who works with many corporations to redevelop their buildings for future efficiency and energy cost savings, put a price of $70 to $100 per square foot on infrastructure upgrades. Those would include heating; ventilation; air conditioning; replacing the central plant; fenestration (specifically, switching from single-pane to thermal-pane windows); upgrading elevator switch gears, mechanicals, and vertical transportation;

improving air quality, and making security upgrades. On top of that amount, another $50 to $100 per square foot would take care of the inside office improvements.

The chairman of global brokerage at commercial real-estate firm CB Richard Ellis, Stephen Siegel, said high-end commercial renovation usually runs $50 to $100 per square foot. For a renovation that does not include new furniture--according to the 2002 Capital Master Plan, the United Nations' will not--but does provide for improved heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment, as well as work on the building exterior, the cost would be closer to the $100 end of the range, Mr. Siegel said. Even accounting generously for upgrades that might be peculiar to the United Nations, Mr. Siegel added, he would set $250 per square foot as the absolute maximum.

---------------------
yep, sounds familiar. if they ever got control of the net, you can almost bet on having much higher prices for domain registrations and they would certainly delete unsucks.com:-D (not mine but is listed for sale)

 

[DaddyHalbucks]

The U.N. can't even manage its current responsibilities, and now it wants to take on owning the net?

KWAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Rubber Duck]

Nice strategy. Don't do jack sheet, provide no funding, show no leadership, then waltz in once the technology is a big success and demand ownership.

Nice job, U.N.!

Actually, the development of the United Nations itself is perhaps a very good parody for the future of the Internet. The UN was of course as we know very much a American idea and was established mainly of US resources. Look how much real control the US excercises there these days. Still, that's democracy, Honey!

 

[smonline]

WASHINGTON - Real estate tycoon Donald Trump told the US Senate the United Nations should be fired over its handling of a $1.6 billion plan to renovate its New York headquarters.

Trump said the renovation would run far over budget because UN managers were incompetent.

More quotes from DT:

That strikes Donald Trump as far too much. "The United Nations is a mess," the developer said yesterday, "and they're spending hundreds of millions of dollars unnecessarily on this project."

"They don't know what they want, they don't know what they have, they don't know what they're doing," Trump said.

Mr. Trump says these figures can't be acceptable. He told me in my conversation this morning, he said: You can quote me. You can say what I am saying. He said they don't know. The person who had been working on this project for 4 years couldn't answer basic questions about what was involved in renovating a major building. He was not capable nor competent to do the job