[governance] Re: Comcast Blocks Some Internet Traffic

[Dan Krimm]

You're missing my point.  Most roads are not toll roads, and cars are
self-powered, not powered by the road itself.  Packets are not
self-powered, their transfer is powered by the network.  This is a huge
difference.

We have the same goal here, I'm just suggesting that if you use an
inappropriate metaphor you will be less effective in making the more
important point which is that packets should travel in a non-discriminatory
manner, according to the paradigm of common carriage (which can apply to
both roads and data networks).

Don't overstate the point in your metaphor, because then opponents will
attack the rhetoric in order to attack the message and that just muddies
the rhetorical water.  We agree on the message.

Dan



At 4:04 PM -0300 10/25/07, carlos a. afonso wrote:
>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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>
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