[1748] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
what is a high speed network
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (CK.MAN@rxg.xerox.com)
Mon Dec 16 12:09:40 1991
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1991 04:35:05 PST
From: CK.MAN@rxg.xerox.com
To: com-priv@psi.com
Reply-To: CK.MAN@rxg.xerox.com
This is my last comment on the subject (thank goodness!)
An awful lot of folks took exception to my point that a high-speed internet
link does not count as `high speed networking'. Well if that was the case, we
sure don't need to provide anything other than block mode terminals to end
users.
A few other people even sent detailed descriptions of their net arrangements.
Impressive. BUT they also had to admit to funding and operating an expensive 24
hour network control center to keep all those neat `high-speed' links up and
running. In spite of promises of support from the telcos, many network
operators still have to manage their own lines (including backups).
Speaking of backup lines, A writer in Belgium indicated that as network speeds
get higher, the requirement for `hot backups' to maintain network integrity
went up as well. In one case, a network operator has hot backups equaling
nearly 35% of her live network capability.
And there were lots of cases where people wrote things like "we do this here"
or "they do that there". But what about users who are not here or there. If
someone outside of the Internet (in its' global sense) internal fraternity
wants access at reasonable speed and throughput, they are pretty much stuck.
Either there is a problem with host connections, or a problem with local lines,
or a problem with costs.
A good deal of the negative mail I got refered to how proud folks are of their
high speed links with other systems, and how dare I bring up the issue of the
end user. NOT ONE NOTE REFERED TO HOW A SYSTEM WAS WORKING TO GET THE SPEED TO
THE END USER. I think there is a problem here.
The end user is the life blood and rationale for the existance of a network.
Systems admininstration activities must take a back seat to the needs of the
end user. Systems administrators are NEVER justified in saying `my users are a
pain in the ---'.
I will the first to admit (and I have) that all of this is a gross
oversimplification. But....... Does anyone remember the old Apple Computer ad?
The one about `computers for the rest of us'? What about high speed networking
for the rest of us?
