A New Internet Era

On October 1, 2016, the United States government handed over the world wide web's "phonebook" to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

ICANN is a non profit composed to stakeholders including government organizations, private companies, and internet users. The organization now has direct control over the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, the body that manages the domain name system.

Prior to the hand over, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in the U.S Department of Commerce, the very home of my current employer, had ultimate authority to overrule ICANN.

Users can now influence how cyberspace evolves!

Administration in Maryland

The other day I asked someone about the Mayor of Silver Spring. Turns out the "Mayor" was a drunk named Norman Lane who wore a hard hat and was famous for saying "Don't worry about it!" There's a bust of his likeness I'm downtown Silver Spring.

The reality is there is no Mayor because in Maryland, counties are the primary administrative unit. There are 24 of them each with an Administrator.

There are exceptions. Although there is a Baltimore County, Baltimore City is its own unit and it has a Mayor.