Operators Penalized? (was Re: Kenyan Route Hijack)

Mon Mar 17 15:29:10 UTC 2008

Glen Kent wrote:

> 
> 
> Do ISPs (PTA, AboveNet, etc) that "unintentionally" hijack someone
> else IP address space, ever get penalized in *any* form? 

The net only functions as a single entity because sp's intentionally 
DONT hijack space and the mutual trust in other sp's rational behavior.

Since the sp behavior is financialy driven by user's desires, this is 
actually fairly easy to predict.

The entire stability of the net is due to Nash Equilibrium/MAD Principle.

This is an ecosystem which functions because it is in everybodies best 
_practical_ interest to keep it so. Punitive actions will most likely be 
viewed as impractical, dampened and staunched as quickly as practically 
possible +- human tendencies such as ego and similar.

Actions that disturb equilibrium must be punitive in and of themselves, 
either by direct consequence or by predictable side effect and chain 
reaction.

So yes, the penalties must already exist in sufficient form, otherwise 
this mailing list wouldnt.

The jitter in the system is caused by the imperfections in the system, 
that would be the human element. The system functions because of the 
imperfections, not in spite of them.

I cant see how any imposition of authority could ever change the 
dynamic, seeing as how it requires the buy in of all, in other words it 
would function simply as an inefficient version of what already exists.

I think its worth consideration that possibly what we have now is the 
best it will ever be.