Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!mailrus!iuvax!rutgers!bellcore!texbell!sugar!ficc!peter
From: peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Who Controls The Network?
Message-ID: <2701@ficc.uu.net>
Date: 11 Jan 89 22:42:03 GMT
References: <2114@brahma.cs.hw.ac.uk>
Organization: Xenix Support
Lines: 37

I don't think that this question is relevant to Usenet.

Or rather, Usenet is not a relevant model for considering this question.

Usenet is not the network we're using. In fact, we're using a number of
seperate networks, but it looks like a single homogenous one. This is
because of a set of protocols agreed to by individuals who are part of or
have access to other networks.

For example, the DoD controls ARPA. For the conventional Usenet node, it's
dealing with a number of controlling organisations. First, there are the
BoCs for the node itself and for all their neighbors. Then there is AT&T,
Sprint, and other conventional long-distance carriers. For some links there
are also common data carriers such as PC-Pursuit.

Within organisations their are local networks, and they have their own
controllers.

I think that there will always be secondary "networks" like Usenet and FIDO
net built on top of whatever popular systems are out there. Some will have
stronger central control than Usenet (such as FIDO), and some weaker (such
as Altnet). Some will share the same media and software as others (Peacenet
using FIDO, Bionet or Altnet using Usenet), and some won't (For example,
usenet versus FIDOnet).

I can't see any way of shutting any of these down, long term, that won't
radically reduce service (and income) on whatever they're built upon. And
it will just get better in the future.

So, the question should become either, "what will the commercial networks
of the future look like", or "what will the media our networks run on look
like"...
-- 
Peter da Silva, Xenix Support, Ferranti International Controls Corporation.
Work: uunet.uu.net!ficc!peter, peter@ficc.uu.net, +1 713 274 5180.   `-_-'
Home: bigtex!texbell!sugar!peter, peter@sugar.uu.net.                 'U`
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