At 05:10 PM 8/4/99 -0400, you wrote:
>
>On Wed, 4 Aug 1999, Ellen Rony wrote:
>
>> My theory about the coverage of the USG/ICANN story is: this shift of
>> Internet administration to the private sector has so many twists and turns
>> that it isn't easily given to soundbytes. Mention ICANN and a reporter
>> must then also describe the whole transfer of functions from NSF to NTIA,
>> from IANA to ICANN. Most readers' eyes will glaze over before you can say
>> IFWP.
>
>That's something i can agree with. The issues are very complex and the
>press is not educated enought to deal with the issues.
>
>We recently ran tests on all military dns servers and identified a number
>of them with vulnerabilities in their bind. We contacted the server
>admins, and nothing happened. We contacted the senate and nothing
>happened. Finally we tried the press - they responded, but most of them
>had no idea what are admin was going on about. And these were serious
>vulnerabilities.
>
No!! Shocker! The press - even the tech trade press didn't understand
about vulnerabilities in their bind! Come on, most of the trade press move
around beats with reasonable regularity and cannot be expected to have the
same level of understanding on EVERY issue as everyone on these lists.
Ellen hit the problem on the head when she said:
"Mention ICANN and a reporter must then also describe the whole transfer of
functions from NSF to NTIA,
from IANA to ICANN. Most readers' eyes will glaze over before you can say
IFWP."
Exactly. I don't have to explain who ICANN is every time I utter the
acronym. But 90% of reporters do, and people should bear this in mind. It
makes for an acronym-filled, dull story and many of these hacks work to
extremely tight deadlines that prevents them writing deep analytical pieces
with quotes from 12 sources etc etc. Don't expect free daily tech news
feeds to give you the deep understanding you require. It just ain't going
to happen, it goes against their model.
Meanwhile the general daily newspapers serve such a broad audience that
doesn't care about this subject on a regular basis. This subject changes so
fast, it is very difficult to keep up (I'm doign other things at present
and find it difficult to pick it up accurately after just 2 or 3 days).
Therefore the papers tend to have broader sweeping approach that often
rounds up issues and often steers clear of deep probing, with one or two
exceptions from time to time.
What happens withithn the hallowed walls of these lists is generally not
the most crushing issue facing the people of the world, I'm afraid to say.
There are even more important things (in their eyes) happening in the rest
of the computer and commuinications industry to occupy them.
There are a lot more issues out there than the press can deal with in a way
that will sell papers, ads or subscriptions.
Nick
>Finally, we got in touch with someone, who knew someone who ordered the
>problem fixed, and ended up getting a thank you note from the pentagon.
>The press were not much help and most of it was due to a complete lack of
>understanding the issues.
>
>Regards
>Jeff Mason
>
>--
>Planet Communication & Computing Facility [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Public Access Internet Research Publisher 1 (212) 894-3704 ext. 1033
>
>
_______________________________
Nick Patience
Internet Editor, ComputerWire Inc
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