[governance] Re: Comcast Blocks Some Internet Traffic

[carlos a. afonso]

A road is also a service, and the packets have drivers - the ones who
originated them and are (our should be) the sole responsible for them,
and "drive" (through instructions embedded in the packets and unless a
sniffer/shaper steers them) them to their destination. The metaphor is
valid, since road maintenance can be calculated over time on a regular
basis (thus is calculated the traffic toll agreement between road
operators and the state).

--c.a.

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Krimm <dan at musicunbound.com>
To: governance at lists.cpsr.org
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:11:47 -0700
Subject: RE: [governance] Re: Comcast Blocks Some Internet Traffic

> At 2:19 PM -0300 10/25/07, carlos a. afonso wrote:
> >Milton, they should not "handle" packets. The carriers should just
> let
> >them pass, like cars in a highway... :)
> 
> 
> Unfortunately that metaphor doesn't work, however attractive it may
> be.
> 
> Once a road is built, the builder requires no energy to keep traffic
> moving
> on it (aside from occasional maintenance when the road cracks).  On
> the
> Internet, the "pipe builders" are also "pipe operators" and must
> invest
> much energy and resources in keeping it running.
> 
> A road is a product.  Internet data transfer is a service.
> 
> Something to keep in mind.
> 
> Yes, ISPs should "handle" packets in the most unintrusive manner
> feasible.
> But they do indeed have to "handle" them, or otherwise those packets
> will
> come to a halt, because they are not self-powered.  The cost of data
> distribution on the net is "near zero" but not absolute zero.
> 
> Dan
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