[governance] Re: Comcast Blocks Some Internet Traffic

[Ian Peter]

This debate here and elsewhere is getting very confusing. But to put it
simply.

Traffic shaping is a necessary tool for network management and a good one
for users in that it can dramatically improve performance. 
(eg it doesn’t really matter of your email packet arrives a second late, but
it does matter to performance if your voip packet gets delayed. So traffic
shaping can help performance).

Traffic shaping is not a violation of network neutrality as most people know
it.

Although traffic shaping does involve packet discrimination by type, it does
not provide discrimination by provider or complete blocking of any
particular type of package. That would be a violation of network neutrality
(and some basic rights of internet users as well)

What Comcast has done appears to fall into the latter category.

The principle here (Bill of Rights people, are you reading?) might be
something like "an internet user has the right to expect that packets sent
to anywhere on the network will be delivered".

Ian Peter
Ian Peter and Associates Pty Ltd
PO Box 10670 Adelaide St  Brisbane 4000
Australia
Tel (+614) 1966 7772 or (+612) 6687 0773
www.ianpeter.com
www.internetmark2.org
www.nethistory.info
 

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition. 
Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.10/1091 - Release Date: 24/10/2007
14:31
 

____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     governance at lists.cpsr.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance