[9365] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Clarificationon ISOC and its charter please- was discussion on problems on AUP and varuous newtworks
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Tony Rutkowski)
Thu Dec 30 21:47:49 1993
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 1993 21:35:14 +0500
To: AIKEN@ccc.nersc.gov, com-priv@psi.com, ietf@ietf.cnri.reston.va.us
From: Tony Rutkowski <amr@cnri.reston.va.us>
Cc: vcerf@cnri.reston.va.us, hwb@sdsc.edu, isoc-trustees@cnri.reston.va.us
Bob,
>Excuse me Tony - but are suggesting that the ISOC was to be THE org to address
>internet internetworking issues? I continually get confused as to what the
>ISOC is/purports to be. I thought it was a professional society? IF so - then
>yes - it can be concerned with the Internet - but this does not give it
>authority over other organizations' networks, the way they interoperate,
>the policies they enforce, or any other part of their business activities.
You raise good points. However, you are reading much more than intended
into my rather rhetorical posting. These are also matters that are being
examined, discussed, and will continue to evolve among a great many people
and players.
I simply note that the Internet Society exists as an international
organization with broad common ground that can provide a kind of very loose
aegis for the very disaggregated Internet world to the extent that a
consensus exists for it to do so. There is absolutely no intent here to be
empire building. The single all-encompassing organization model is patently
folly - it no longer even exists in the telco world.
>Are you stating a Sprint Policy that SPRINT looks (Or should) to ISOC to
>address its internetworking/peering/business issues? IS the ISOC a standards
>body (ie. does ISOC own the work done in the IETF?), a profesional society
>(works through its membership to work on related matters (like IEEE- which BTW
>is also International), or an OPERATIONAL organization?
These are many of the issues that must be effectively dealt with by some
kind of appropriate, neutral, *international* entities as the Internet
continues to evolve. I stress international because by the end of 1994,
there will be more networks outside the US than within - this is a
revolution that is occurring around the world. As they are now, I expect
(and hope) that these will continue to be specialized, highly active,
innovative forums of interested parties. I subscribe to the Dave Clark
motto - no kings, but running code.
I proffer the possibility, however, of this occurring within some kind of
"federation" that might nominally be an ISOC aegis, where the forums remain
essentially independent. Perhaps the institutional model here is much like
the Internet itself. There are no positions here - just considering needs
and alternatives like you and many others. Where things should be going.
I'm not sure that a Brownian Movement model will work.
>Many of the issues that Hans-Werner points out is due to the fact that the
>Internet is made up of a large number of independent network service providers,
>information service providers, and users. Although the ISOC may wish they
>spoke for all of these entities I don't believe they do nor do I remember the
>ISOC being proposed as doing such - has its charter changed? HOw can the ISOC
>address issues and policies of the independent organizations that comprise
>the INternet? The number and diversity of the INternet is what has made it
>a success - with distributed mgmt/control also comes additional headches -
>ie the diff of democracy and totalitarianism.
Totally agreed. French has a great term: "d'accord."
>I again ask how the ISOC intends to "control" the numerous independent
>organizations (commercial, R&E and others) of the Internet? Is the ISOC
>going to issue guidance or orders to commercial vendors (Sprint, PSI, ANS, ...)
>to the federal and state governments, campuses, International Governments and
>PTTs,etc.?
We're dealing with spheres of interests and consensus decision making that
are very independent. No single entity - even on a small scale - could
"control." But, as things continue to scale exponentially, it's in
everyone's common interest to craft some kind of organizational fabric that
maintains the culture of Internet autonomy and innovation and the Clark
Motto. I'm proffering the ISOC as one of several potential means of doing
that, lest some particular parties form their own global institution(s) (or
buy into an existing institution) that doesn't maintain these Internet
traditions.
I'm sure the ISOC Trustees, as I do, really appreciate the input, and look
forward to continued dialogue to best help meet the needs and expectations.
---
Happy New Year - which for the Internet community will be one of continued
remarkable discovery, hyper-scaling, accomplishment and fun!
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Tony Rutkowski
THE INTERNET IS ITS OWN REVOLUTION
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
