[rtpg]

no matter what the intentions, this sort of notion that we have to formalize the governance of the internet seems like just the sort of thing to bring about a "death by committee" when it comes to internet freedom.

Personally, I don't understand how the current governance of the internet is an issue. The only thing that enables stuff like all the NSA spying is that American companies are by and large the major providers of services. No amount of governance will fix that problem.

On the other hand, many European countries do have some pretty heavy-handed approaches to information regulation, which I definitely would not want to affect the status quo.