\section{European Autonomy and Domestic Meddlers}

\dropcap{S}\kern3pt ince\plainmargintext{by Tom Jennings,چ
1:125/111, June 89. An article I wrote for FidoNews, theچ
electronic newsletter of the FidoNet communicationsچ
network.} I see my name is getting dragged into this, I thoughtچ
I'd respond on the subject of Zone 2's autonomy, which is reallyچ
an issue of control.

First of all, no one need worry about trademark abuse; I am inچ
contact with all parties involved, and there is nothing to worryچ
about. Things will be settled to everyone's benefit andچ
satisfaction. No further discussion is needed on this matter. 

It is none of our business\margintext{What's going on is,چ
provincial law'n'order control freaks in the U.S. were (and stillچ
are) trying to make (in this case) European FidoNet membersچ
behave `like us', the `correct' way. Same old story. It'sچ
especially embarrassing in an international environment. The goodچ
part is that it really {\rm is} an inter-national environment,چ
and people {\rm are} learning. It's not a pretty process to watchچ
though, and real damage does get done along the way. Oh well.}چ
how Zone 2 (or any other zone) runs their network(s), other thanچ
how they interface to us, just as it is no business to net 125چ
how net XYZ runs theirs, unless it somehow physically affects ourچ
operation. If they have different criteria for joining a network,چ
what business is it of ours? To meddle ahead of time ``in caseچ
they do something awful'', is silly; they are no more (or less)چ
likely to do something stupid than we in Zone 1 are. Europe isچ
not just the U.S.-only-different; it is a totally differentچ
environment, socially, technically, legally and politically.چ
Europe is none of our damn business. 

Zone 1 is not the police force of the world. Have we not learned چ
our lessons from other arenas? We do not ``have'' a unified 
world-wide network, nor is such a thing even desirable. What weچ
do have is a number of cooperative networks, that can cooperateچ
in a world-wide networking effort. This is a critical difference. 

Unfortunately, meddlers and control freaks will not give up untilچ
everything not exactly like themselves is squashed orچ
controlled\margintext{It's funny for me to read two years laterچ
and see how fast and how far the law'n'order mentality has goneچ
in this country. Ha ha.}. Or they are in turn removed. We have aچ
growing bureaucracy in our Zone 1 that wants to reorganize usچ
from being a bottom-up network, where sysops choose their netچ
hosts and other /0's, and determine how to run their own BBS,چ
nets and lives, to one (according to POLICY4) where the existingچ
bureaucracy picks their own region and net hosts. Bureaucratsچ
always tell us, if they can control this one more thing, then allچ
the problems will be solved.

Our network has never run smoothly, and I propose that it willچ
{\it never} run smoothly; this is good, not bad. It means we'reچ
alive, only dead rigid bureaucracies are pure order. (Or pretendچ
they are.) Excessive order is not good for any organism. Itچ
stifles creativity and free expression. Let's take a hint fromچ
history, OK?

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