On Sep 11, 2008, at 6:52 PM, Randy Bush wrote:
In the internet world, mass depeering / de-transitting like we've see in this instance is akin to capital punishment. By vigilantes. The US Old West redux. Connecting to my network is a PRIVILEGE, not a right. You lose a criminal case, you lose rights (e.g. freedom to walk outside). Disconnecting you from my network is not denying any of your rights.
There is no law or even custom stopping me from asking you to prove you are worthy to connect to my network. You don't want to prove it, that's your right, just as it is my right to not connect to you.
Mind if I ask why you think you have any right to connect to my network if I do not want you to do so? For _any_ reason, including not showing me "legit" customers, political affiliation, or even the color of your hat?
amidst all this high flyin' political theory discussion of rights, there is an elephant in the room. as conditions to merger/purchase, there were legal restrictions placed on one or more significant operators regarding [de-]peering (i.e. your statement above is significantly incorrect). my altzheimer's device tells me that those restrictions end 2008.12.31. expect change.
The fact there is a temporary exception to the rule for two providers in the US who agreed to the exception for reasons other than peering / transit does not mean the rule is invalid. As for (some of?) the exceptions expiring at the end of this calendar year, I'm not at all certain it will be a sea change. Contrary to popular belief, the US is not the center of the Internet any more. And even if it were, those providers - even the two combined - are not the center of the US Internet. Besides, wouldn't that just prove the rule anyway? :) The 'Net has become much more egalitarian. I would think that you of all people Randy would applaud the internationalization and flattening of the Internet. -- TTFN, patrick