Re: Nanog mentioned on BBC news website

["Patrick W. Gilmore" <patrick () ianai net>]

Sent from my iPhone, please excuse any errors.


On Jul 23, 2009, at 4:27, Jim Mercer <jim () reptiles org> wrote:

> On Wed, Jul 22, 2009 at 08:44:21PM -0400, Patrick W. Gilmore wrote:
> > My fav part:
> > <quote>
> > "That's precisely how packets move around the internet, sometimes  
> > in a
> > many as 25 or 30 hops with the intervening entities passing the data
> > around having no contractual or legal obligation to the original
> > sender or to the receiver."
> > </quote>
> >
> > How many of you pass packets without getting paid?
>
> in the case of intervening entities, it is true that they have no  
> link to
> the sender or receiver.  my packets from office to home can traverse  
> at 3
> or more networks that are not paid by me, or my company.
>
> they likely have contracts or obligations with their immediate  
> neighbours,
> which is basically why the system continues to work.

I honestly expected someone to mention this when I wrote the original  
post, but I had hopes no one would. :-)

It is clear the intent of the TED speaker was the intermediaries were  
transiting packets out of the good of their hearts.

Allow me to illustrate:

The postal system is amazing!  You can mail a letter from the US to  
England and the "intermediate" carrier will deliver the mail even  
though they have NO contract with you or the recipient!  How awesome  
is that?

This is not fantasy.  You give it to the USPS, who will hand it to  
DHL, who will hand it to Royal Mail, who will hand it to the  
recipient.  Does _anyone_ comment on the lack of your contract with  
DHL?  Is anyone surprised it still works? Is it worthy of a TED talk?

--
TTFN,
patrick