UN: World Summit on the Information Society - Tunis Stupidity

Unfortunately, I do not have a list of those responsible, but whoever thought it was a good idea to hold the "UN World Summit on the Information Society" in Tunis should be fired for approving such a stupid idea.

The groups say the country is unfit to host the international summit because of its track record for censorship. The Tunisian government has earned notoriety for jailing journalists and bloggers accused of reporting false information.

Seven national leaders, including the president of the Union of Tunisian Journalists, are in the midst of hunger strikes that they hope will lead to greater freedoms, according to the France-based watchdog group Reporters Without Borders. - Silicon.com

Only the UN can host an international conference on the UN in a country that suppresses the press and access to free information.

On Friday, a journalist for France's Liberation newspaper, who was investigating human rights abuses in Tunisia, was gassed, beaten and stabbed near his hotel, his editors said. - Mail and Guardian

Did I mention that Tunis censors the internet?

The websites belonging to number of organisations critical of the Tunisian government, including Reporters without Borders, the Italian community news agency, Amisnet - which transmits news gathered from 25 Italian radio stations via its website - and the Italian Radical Party, are apparently inaccessible to anyone trying in the Tunisian capital for the UN World Information Society (WSIS) summit who is trying to log on. - Adnkronos International

I suspect that this webpage would soon not be available either. That's a shame, but it is a good example of what might happen if Tunis, China, Iran and others get their way for more control of the Internet. Sure it is their right to block these sights if they do not want their people to see what others are documenting. It is not appropriate for the US to do this to it's citizens. I also would not find it acceptable for the UN to tinker with ANYTHING that I do on the Internet. I do not see how they can contribute anything constructive to the current Internet.

'Tunisia not fit to host world web summit' - Silicon.com
Cop crackdown at UN summit - Mail and Guardian

TUNISIA: 'AWKWARD' WEBSITES DISABLED - Adnkronos International