Shared facilities (was Re: your mail)

[Sean Donelan <sean () donelan com>]

On Wed, 21 Aug 2002, David Lesher wrote:
> Unnamed Administration sources reported that N. Richard Solis said:
> > If you haven't worked in an environment where you had to turn in your
> > cellphone and pager at the front desk, show a badge to a camera around every
> > corner, and get your office keys from a vending machine you dont know what
> > real security looks like.
> You missed the places w/ real security. That's where the very
> polite Marine Security Guard with the 870 shotgun asks to see
> your badge again...

Sigh, and in places with "real security" you rarely find enemies/competitors
sitting in the same room.  Exchange points are like the United Nations,
not high security military bases.  AMS-IX, Equinix, Linx/Telehouse, PAIX,
etc provide a neutral facility for competitors to exchange network traffic.
The facility operators provide a reasonable level of security, and try to
keep the diplomats from punching each other.  Its in all (most?) the
competitors' self-interest to follow the rules.

Let's not lose sight of the purpose of colocation/exchange points.
If we start requiring you to be a US citizen and have top secret
clearance in order to enter a colocation facility, we've probably
decreased the usefulness of the exchange points.