

The Internet is nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize. - 0xdeadc0de
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8560469.stm

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Semiapies
How wonderfully fatuous.

Kissinger, Arafat, a newly-inaugurated president who justified the wars he was
continuing in his acceptance speech, and now a _communications medium_.

Retire the Peace Prize. They clearly have no idea what to do with it.

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njl
This feels more like the Time Magazine "Man of the Year" than it does a
serious attempt to highlight those who have provided the "greatest benefit on
mankind".

The Nobel Peace Prize can serve a very real purpose; it can highlight someone
working peacefully to overthrow an authoritarian regime. It can give those
advocating for an improvement of the human condition a voice, international
standing, a modicum of protection from government violence, and resources.

Using the Peace Prize (and the Economics Prize, for that matter) as a way to
deliver short-sited political digs or kudos to one group or another is
farcical. It should go to people who are on the ground, working right now, to
make the world a better place.

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RyanMcGreal
After they gave it to Henry Kissinger and Barack Obama, does it really matter
who or what else wins it?

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colinplamondon
Did you read McCain's foreign policy plank? Obama gets it simply for not being
McCain.

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megamark16
Now this is just getting ridiculous. There are people and organizations out
there making the world better, saving lives, saving the world. Please stop
with the theatrics.

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cglee
Agree. I also think the prize should be given to organizations/people who
specifically seek out to promote peace, not just produce it as a byproduct.

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freetard
Wow, another nomination for Al Gore, impressive.

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ascuttlefish
"It is unclear who would accept the prize if the internet were to win."

No doubt. The internet is a passive tool; it's the people and organizations
using it for good who should be winning prizes. The Nobel Peace Prize should
be less nebulous, and for concrete achievement. (Edited for grammar.)

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novum
Maybe the W3C? Tim Berners-Lee deserves it.

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sp332
That's the World-Wide Web, not the Internet. The Internet enables email, IM &
IRC, online gaming, SSH, online backups, voice & video conferencing, _and_ the
World-Wide Web.

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gcheong
DARPA then?

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jriddycuz
Why not? The irony of giving a peace prize to a military organization would
clearly escape the grasp of this increasingly irrelevant group of nominators.

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anamax
> Why not? The irony of giving a peace prize to a military organization would
> clearly escape the grasp of this increasingly irrelevant group of
> nominators.

Western Europe was liberated by military organizations. The resulting several
decades of peace had something to do with military organizations as well.

Short of Norman Borlaug, military organizations have produced more peace than
anyone else.

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jriddycuz
Good point, and with a few qualifications I agree with you. But the actual
intent of the prize, as expressed by Alfred Nobel himself, mentions the
reduction of standing armies as a qualification for receiving the award.

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javajones
Is it for all of the internet or only the parts that aren't censored?

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jbooth
The parts that are uncensored, minus the porn and lolcats.

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roundsquare
So including 4chan?

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roundsquare
How are they justifying this? The only answer I can think of is "to highlight
the ways in which the internet is creating a difference in the world."

I hadn't noticed that the world is different due to the internet.

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RK
I will be happy to accept the money on behalf of the entire Internet.

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roundsquare
How gracious of you.

But, I want my 0.0013 of an SEK.

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vinod_m01
AWESOME!

