FIRST becoming more critical in the future?

[thegathering]

http://www.cio.com/archive/071506/china.html?CID=22985
(may be slow due to indirect ddos'ing)

This is an article about China's newest five year plan to surpass the US in internet technologies by creating a second internet dubbed CNGI (China's Next Generation Internet ).

Their plan is to make CNGI totally IPv6 (the successor of IPv4 which is used currently) and by doing so, be able to hold control over any emerging technologies. Japan and Korea have already determined to move to the IPv6 protocol, a benefit for CNGI once it becomes implemented.

CNGI is planned to be unveiled to the world in the 2008 Olympics, but is already connecting universities and institutions in China. China has before attempted to progress in technologies by encouraging math and engineering degrees.


This is exactly what Dean Kamen's senator had originally warned us about with developing nations taking over the science and engineering fields from the United States, eventually leading to a shift in dominance amoung nations.

How big of a threat do you feel this new internet could pose? Do you think China could eventually overtake the US in technology? Is the US taking the critical steps it needs to to protect it's dominance? How do you feel about FIRST's role in the change?

Discuss

Also, this will most likely turn into a debate. Please remember to be respectful of other points of views and provide logical arguments to support your own view.