17 November 2005

Open Letter to Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri

Dear Dr Matsepe-Casaburri,

As a concerned citizen and voter of the Republic of South Africa, I strongly urge you to read the article at http://worldofends.com/.

Have your staff print it out for you - I promise I won't consider it a waste of my tax-money - and read it. Read it every morning when you wake up, and every evening before you go to sleep. Keep reading it until you get a clue.

At every turn you, through your department, demonstrate your utter and complete failure to grasp what this "Internet" thingie is about. You try to regulate those of us who create content, whether in the form of websites, web-based applications, or simply blogs like this one. You try to stop us from creating small, neighbourhood-scale networks in order to protect Telkom's monopoly-position.

Well it just won't work - the network will simply route around your obstacles, and probably sink Telkom as a small side effect. I'm not going to enlighten you here as to the hows and whys; read the damn article.

In the meantime, ignore the best opportunity for empowerment, upliftment, education and job-creation at your peril. Keep your boot on the necks of the downtrodden. For perhaps you do understand that Internet access to the poorest-of-the-poor will be your downfall, as it routes around your position of privilege.