Hey Bob, what plans to You Ronda and Bill have for us ?
At 10:38 PM 8/3/99 -0700, you wrote:
>At 08:13 AM 8/3/99 -0400, you wrote:
>
>Concerning the following stuff below, much of this discussion
>intermingles structure and function without distinguishing one
>from the other. Is a root server a piece of hardware, i.e., a
>piece of the structure, that can be privately owned? Indeed,
>yes. Does that structure carry out a public function?
>Indeed, yes. If that particular piece of hardware was not
>doing it, some other box would be. It does not matter a
>bit if every bit of plastic and metal by which the internet
>operates were owned by individuals or companies, and not
>the government or ICANN or whoever. The fact remains,
>all that stuff functions within a framework that grew out of
>the efforts of the USG, for a public purpose, and if the
>current hardware and software twiddlers don't want to
>play the game, others will.
>
>If a private network -- 206.5.17.0 or whatever -- wants to
>set itself up and do whatever, then that's fine; it has both
>the structure (the hardware) and its own internal function,
>but as soon as it joins the real world (which of course it
>already has since it is from the real world that it got
>206.5.17.0), it becomes a part of the "internetworking"
>which is the "Internet" and, like USENET, it becomes a
>part of and subject to the rules of this new civilization,
>the Internet, within which the members have the need
>to ensure that the civilization is run for the good of all,
>neither deteriorating into an absolute dictatorship
>(which seems to be the current trend) or alternatively
>into anarchy, which seems to be the favorite way to
>oppose dictatorship.
>
>
>Bill Lovell
>
>>
>> Dear Rhonda,
>>
>>>
>>> And the Internet isn't "private computer networks".
>>> ...
>>> The Internet is an internetworking of networks -- that is
>>
>>
>> I have juxtaposed two of your sentences. One of the
>> constituent networks - 206.5.17.0 - is mine. I assure,
>> it is private. Most others are.
>>
>>
>>>
>>> The essential functions of the Internet aren't "private" at all.
>>>
>>> They are part of a public medium, *not* a private entity.
>>
>>
>> Is routing an essential function? How does it occur?
>> Is there anything public whatsoever about this essential
>> function?
>>
>>
>>>
>>> The Internet is a communication medium and its *not* something private.
>>
>>
>> Can't a private medium be used for communication
>> among the general public?
>>
>>
>> --tony
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