- From: Joshua Allen <joshuaa@microsoft.com>
- Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 02:47:40 -0700
- To: "Karl Dubost" <karl@w3.org>, "Dan Connolly" <connolly@w3.org>
- Cc: <www-tag@w3.org>
> DanC: the gandi.net contract has me owning dm93.org, not renting > SKW: I made a comment that might be relevant to KD 005 """ > > Could you explain how do you own something you have to pay on > a permanent basis? This is not only a technical issue here, > but a philosophical/social one, with many implications. Nearly every category of "property" is subject to taxation, leins, or eminent domain claims. Ownership is never forever. If we restrict the definition of ownership to include only those things which cannot be taken away by the community, then ownership has no meaning. A larger percentage of Americans "own" their homes today than ever before, but only so long as they continue making mortgage payments. And those people who do not owe money to the bank still must pay property tax each year if they wish to continue the privilege of "owning" their homes. You could argue that these home "owners" are really renting, but there really *is* a difference. And it's a useful ditinction to make. It's not really useful to obliterate the semantic distinction between owning and renting.
Received on Wednesday, 29 September 2004 09:47:50 UTC