Will Italy Lose The Web?

Though it never made the ‘big' news, Italy's latest foray into the bloggosphere is indicative of some rather strange thinking from their leaders. Prime Minister Romano Prodi's undersecretary Franco Levi composed the text to a law that requires anyone with a website or blog to register with the ROC (register of the Communication Authority). Site and blog owners will also be required to submit documentation, pay a tax and provide a letter of intent as to making any money. The law could effectively stifle any blog or other website that does not to the political line or else.

Old Fogies or Oligarchs?

Bernhard Warner renders a scathing criticism of the Italian government in the Times Online, which I do not disagree with altogether. It would appear that the government of one of the coolest (and funny) countries on the planet is stuck in some kind of time freeze. Warner calls the legislation "a geriatric assault" on Italy's bloggers, but I think the assault comes from a far older malady - fear and ignorance. It does seem like Italian lawmakers, and those from other countries, are backpedaling in fear of Web 2.0's new freedom of expression element. China, Taiwan and any number of other nations have been in the news with one issue or another. I am not so sure gagging expression is so much an age specific tendency (as Warner suggests) or a "fear of change" issue. Even young people are afraid of change that - look at Google vs. anything new.

Small - Big News

Blogs from LucaFiligheddu.com and Boing Boing to the Times and Newsvine - made comment on this relatively significant news - with Warren's article lending the most concern and weight. I find it somewhat interesting that none of the major blogs seemed to take notice. Perhaps the most notable and affected blogger is Beppe Grillo who says that if the law is passed it will mean the end of the Internet in Italy! Even if this a sensationalistic assertion Grillo is a well established and important blogger and I would have thought more people would have taken notice. Grillo seems genuinely concerned and asserts that if worse come to worse he will pack up his blog and move to a democratic county.

Next - A Ministry of Thought

Grillo and other Italian site owners should be concerned, as should the rest of us. Italian people are really dynamic, creative and fun people - this world 1.0 suppressive mentality is actually quite offensive to me and many others I know. It is actually difficult to believe that intelligent government leaders (outside repressive regimes) would even consider such primitive - supressive tactics.

For roughly 8000 years human beings have tried to sluff off the chains of those who have stifled and squashed every thought from creativity to idealism - it just seems like it is about time every person had the right to "be" in a true sense without figureheads to do their bidding. This counter progressive mentality should have a Web 2.0 name - let's call it "scaredy cat regulation" for lack of a better term. If leaders are not smart enough or eloquent enough to counter opinion fairly - perhaps it is time to find better, smarter and less fearful leaders? At least, the first ministry anyone creates should be one that can think.