Calling all researchers (was Re: Vulnerbilities of Interconnection)

Mon Sep 16 17:58:49 UTC 2002

On Sun, 15 Sep 2002 sgorman1 at gmu.edu wrote:
> > Due to policy constraints the commercial Internet more closely mimics
> > a collection of decentralized networks.
>
> It is the collection of several competitive decentralized networks that
> has caused the collective Internet not to be a decentralized network,
> and more along the lines of what was discussed in the previous post.

This may just be a language problem, understanding the difference between
distributed networks and decentralized networks.  The current commercial
Internet is a loosely coupled collection of decentralized networks.

> are back to square one.  Government types get edgy and point fingers
> and the providers say that there is not a problem.  There are several
> ways this can play out, and I would hope none of which would involve
> the big R word - regulation.

Unfortunately some government types are asking the wrong questions.  When
you ask the wrong question, you get the wrong answer.

The current process seems to be the government "tasks" industry to
prepare a response to a question some government person wants answered.
The "tasking" may or may not be relevant to any of the problems which
currently exist in the Internet.  Its great for consultants, and people
who bill by the hour, but lousy for most industry types who have other
work to do.

The answer is 42.  What is the question?