----- Forwarded message from David Farber <[email protected]> -----
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2010 16:04:11 -0500 From: David Farber <[email protected]> Subject: [IP] Building the shadow Internet Reply-To: [email protected] To: ip <[email protected]> Begin forwarded message: From: Dewayne Hendricks <[email protected]> Date: December 18, 2010 9:23:58 AM EST To: Multiple recipients of Dewayne-Net <[email protected]> Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Building the shadow Internet Reply-To: [email protected] Building the shadow Internet by danps Sat Dec 18, 2010 at 03:14:05 AM PST <http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/12/18/929935/-Building-the-shadow-Internet> Two developments have started to fragment the Internet of late. One looks quite a bit more benign, but both threaten the openness that has been a hallmark of the connected world. The rise of Internet-enabled mobile devices has had some interesting consequences. On the face of it, smart phones and tablets are a boon. They allow people to access email and web sites anywhere, not just when tethered to a desktop. Laptops, with their greater bulk and relatively short battery life, have traditionally been business devices for those who need to work remotely. Smaller devices changed that. Now that consumers are used to having the Web in their pockets, or throwing a tablet into a small bag, everyone is trying to deliver a high quality mobile Web experience. Reduced screen sizes make many pages difficult to view, which leads to mobile applications (apps) designed specifically for the new form factor. Which then leads to app stores. App stores have helped turn devices into unique ecosystems. In the desktop computer world this has not been an issue: most people would choose one operating system and stick with it. But if you own an iPhone, you'll have apps designed specifically for it. You cannot just pick up a Blackberry and immediately start using it the same way. Sure you can find many of the same apps (and pay for them again), but that is a hassle. Now that carriers are starting to sign exclusive deals for content, it might become less and less an issue of what software runs on it than what agreements have been inked with whom. All these new services will be introduced on spiffy new next-generation high speed networks. Which, incidentally, are being rolled out with absurdly limited usage caps. Which, incidentally, should not exist at all. Back in the mid-90's there was lots of freaking out when AOL unveiled an unlimited dial up access plan for $19.95 per month. The conventional wisdom was that the infrastructure would not support the increased demand. Guess what? ISPs built out their networks, capacity rose to meet the new demand, and all was well. The same should happen now. If providers are concerned about where the money will come from, they should start with the $200 billion already lavished upon them by taxpayers for just this purpose. [snip] Dewayne-Net RSS Feed: <http://www.warpspeed.com/wordpress> ----- End forwarded message ----- _______________________________________________ pfir mailing list http://lists.pfir.org/mailman/listinfo/pfir
