The common person is asking/begging for
help. So people should not be surprised that governments are going to take
action. As Paul Vixie notes, this may result in overlapping legislation
and regulation that makes interoperation of the Internet more difficult.
That is worse than a "waste of time".
Perhaps the membership of the IETF could
step up, provide leadership, and at a minimum provide informed advice to the
public debate on what will and will not "work". In the
process people might discover work that falls into the traditional province of
the IETF ...
regards, peterf