[governance] Re: Comcast Blocks Some Internet Traffic

[Karl Auerbach]

Ian Peter wrote:

> And are you suggesting that no technical effort go into improving protocols
> and network infrastructure to minimize packet loss? 

I think you and Lee are colliding on simply different point of view of 
what constitutes packet loss.

Lee is right, the net depends on the ability to toss packets into the 
dumpster when resources require (or when traffic management mechanisms 
like RED [random early discard] are needed to coax an excessively 
exuberant TCP stream to slow down.

On the other hand, it would be bad if packets were deliberately 
discarded for the wrong reasons.

What are those wrong reasons?  I think we all agree that a carrier ought 
not to drop packets that are from an application that competes with an 
application that the provider sells as well.

But it gets a bit more iffy when we consider some people paying more for 
elevated service, creating a smaller amount of resources through which 
to squeeze the remaining traffic.

		--karl--

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