"The Web?s growth ? both in its impact and in its reach ? has FAR outpaced the establishment of systems, policies and procedures for COMMUNICATION and AGREEMENT between the various ?stakeholder groups?. In this regard, the Web has been very much like the ?Wild West? of the American 19th century. People were living and working there before all the structures of government or even norms of behavior for citizens had been established. In some cases, where a policy or a law existed, there was no clear mechanism for enforcement. Questions like ?Who?s in charge here?? ?Who?s land is this?? and ?Who made you the boss of me?? plagued the early settlements for decades, until the fibers of civilization could be woven in wherever they were needed.

As bad as it may have been in the un-settled American West, at least they had guidelines to import from the East. Much of the law and systems of government could simply be copied and reproduced. This was not so difficult, because most of the Basic Objects over which and upon which law and government operate ? like citizen, corporation, county, etc. ? had not changed. On the Web, it?s all new ? and in many cases, questions of authority, jurisdiction, ownership and Right of Opinion have not been established.

That is a terrifying fact, when you consider the assets and lives now bound up in and dependent on the Web... more