Session
Organizer 1: Sivasubramanian Muthusamy, Internet Society India Chennai
Speaker 1: Sivasubramanian Muthusamy, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: Sebastien Bachollet, Civil Society, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Kenneth Pennington, Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Other - 60 Min
Format description: Conversations on the sidelines on Days 1-3, with a summary lighting talk on Day 4
All IGF Participants are to be encouraged to 'touch' this topic during informal conversations with those nearby, during any session break or in the evenings, and any insights may be conveyed to an entertaining "lightning talk" speaker, who is to be designated. The formal session on this theme would be on Day 3 or 4 for about 20 minutes as a lightning talk + Q&A
The format of the session permits wide participation in the topic, diverse opinion on the topic would provide input for the lighting talk on the topic on Day 3 or 4.
"Internet Underground' is a dignified underground far removed from criminal intent. The topic is NOT about the Dark Web, which is understood to be largely unlawful. If there is a good underground, in what ways could it contribute to the good of the Internet? What problems that defy solution could be addressed by the Underground?
Discussions on this topic is to be facilitated by announcing the topic on Day 1 and also through relevant mailing lists, and by building up interest on this topic during the event. ( Please note that more panelists are being approached. Due to the fact that known email addresses of confirmed speakers do not match the profile on the web, one or two names are not included above as speakers, for instance, Ken Pennington, who has confirmed his interest.)
Throughout history, non-State actors, as much as State-actors caused progress. Such progress was caused without publicity or credit. In the Internet era, are there such non-state actors (perhaps also state-actors with an alternate vision)? Tor, Onion are probable examples of what resulted from quiet, unpublicised work as distinct from publicised formal work. Is there a loosely connected, good Underground, an underground that is free of criminal intent? An underground distinct from the "Dark Web" ? Would it help to know if one existed? If it does exist, do we need that for a balance?
We will use social media and the IGF platforms to disseminate information about this workshop and encourage participation.