I’ve become a bit of an internet zealot. Because I reckon that New Zealand’s geographical isolation is actually our biggest strength rather than our biggest weakness.
Tourism, our landscapes and trying to maintain our clean green brand is part of demonstrating that strength. The other part is our connectivity with each other and the rest of the world and the creativity, innovation and ingenuity that it can unleash. The internet knows no boundaries.
I just discovered this site. It’s called Down to the Wire, and it’s the story of New Zealand’s Internet and how it has changed our Nation. Starting in 1989, it features video interviews with over 50 Internet personalities and players.
And I agree with the blurb which says: downtothewire.co.nz brings alive a journey that has revolutionised our lives and shaped our future.
New Zealand record label Flying Nun Records is offering a free iconic Kiwi MP3 download each day for 21 days. Today’s song (from 2003) is The Verlaines, Doomsday. To get the free downloads you have to go to downtothewire.co.nz.
I’ve just started looking through it and it’s fascinating.Today they’re talking about what happened in 2003. I might do a wee series on some of the things that stand out for me. And I urge you to have a look.And tell people about it.
Because how we use and connect with each other via the internet is an important part part of our future. And this tells us how far we’ve come.
In 2003:
Tourism New Zealand had launched a well-received portal to attract visitors to the country a few years earlier under the ‘Pure New Zealand’ brand. But, by 2003, the government wanted to lay claim to the newzealand.com domain to give both tourists and business prospects an easy-to-find location to knock on our virtual doors. The problem was that this was already owned by an offshore company called Virtual Countries that had been savvy enough to buy the .com variants of many country names.
So our government took them to the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) to claim rights to the domain. Unfortunately, the panel unanimously decided that the New Zealand government not only had no rights over the name (holding no trademark), but had also acted in bad faith and was guilty of reverse hijacking. Our handy duly slapped, we ‘opted’ to purchase the domain from Virtual Countries for NZ$1 million.
Tourism Minister Mark Burton defended the move in parliament upon being questioned by the opposition. He said, “There is no question that this domain will provide an invaluable portal for commercial entry into New Zealand for those interested in tourism, commerce, and industry”. Whether the domain had any effect or not, the tourism portion of the site would go on to win Webby awards, the ‘Oscars of the Internet’, in years to come.
And here’s Peter Harrison, the Vice President of the NZ Open Source Society talking about the concept of open source:
Will watch later,
“Because I reckon that New Zealand’s geographical isolation is actually our biggest strength rather than our biggest weakness.”
Since when, aussie is still to close by, not that isolated and with the internet these days it like we hardly on the other side of the world anymore.
It can be strength if used correctly like with our agriculture. Really, I don’t understand why we do promote our isolation, it does have it sliver lining.
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You could do alot of things here, like strange research etc.. with out the rest of the world watching
Top secret labs under the southern alps and no one would even know! lol
I think NZ isolation has an affect on the music I make. lol
Re…So our government took them to the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) to claim rights to the domain. Unfortunately, the panel unanimously decided that the New Zealand government not only had no rights over the name (holding no trademark), but had also acted in bad faith and was guilty of reverse hijacking. Our handy duly slapped, we ‘opted’ to purchase the domain from Virtual Countries for NZ$1 million.
a classic example of the Government of the time thinking it is in the right and will bully its way to get its way. Sadly what this high lights that if NZ Government earlier had the insight they could had secured this for a mere few dollars.
Love the bit on Open Source. Clare I hope you know about Diaspora which is in the same vein as Open Source. Diaspora is an Open Source version of Facebook. You, rather than a multinational corporation, own all the data and the rights thereof.
http://www.joindiaspora.com/project.html
I find it funny that you are promoting Open Source as it is a very radical idea. Some people on the other side of the copyright debate would surely consider it tantamount to piracy as it denies software companies of lucrative monopolies.
I for one think Open Source is great. I disagree with the concept of copyright as it is an outmoded law from 1709 passed specifically for literature and allowed to continue.
@Kevin – I could not disagree more with this
“a classic example of the Government of the time thinking it is in the right and will bully its way to get its way. Sadly what this high lights that if NZ Government earlier had the insight they could had secured this for a mere few dollars.”
if any other country had a potential domain which clearly should have been the property of the country would they not also expect to claim it by rights? If it was ‘PureUSA.com’ do you think they would be happy with that?
Speculation on the basis of having a domain name IMHO.
Yeah, Open Source is an incredibly important thing.
Shame the MEAA doesn’t think so.
http://rights.apc.org.au/culture/2005/03/meaa_halts_worldfirst_film_project_in_australia.php
Hey, weren’t you part of the MEAA Clare?
Well I guess that killed this discussion stone dead, didn’t it? Sorry.