If you accept the premise that "peer == equal" does that mean in the end there will be only two ISPs each with exactly 50% of the world's Internet because no one else will be an equal? I've never understood how the word "peer" mutated from its technical definition arising from its use in the BGP protocol to its use by marketing people. As far as I can tell, EGP (Exterior Gateway Protocol) originally used the term "neighbor." Berkeley used the berkelism "peer" in their software and RFC 911 documenting their experience, and the term stuck through EGP2, BGP1-4. If we still used the word "neighbor" would the phrase "Are you a neighbor?" have a different ring than "Are you a peer?" You can have lots of neighbors, even if you think you are superior to all of them.
On Tue, Jun 05, 2001 at 05:16:13PM -0700, Sean Donelan wrote:
If you accept the premise that "peer == equal" does that mean in the end there will be only two ISPs each with exactly 50% of the world's Internet because no one else will be an equal?
I've never understood how the word "peer" mutated from its technical definition arising from its use in the BGP protocol to its use by marketing people.
As far as I can tell, EGP (Exterior Gateway Protocol) originally used the term "neighbor." Berkeley used the berkelism "peer" in their software and RFC 911 documenting their experience, and the term stuck through EGP2, BGP1-4.
If we still used the word "neighbor" would the phrase "Are you a neighbor?" have a different ring than "Are you a peer?" You can have lots of neighbors, even if you think you are superior to all of them.
there's the Mr. Rogers aspect of asking "won't you be my neighbor?" the current state of the internet does bear a striking resemblance to make-believe land, so this may be quite appropriate. :-D -- Sam Thomas Geek Mercenary
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Sam Thomas -
Sean Donelan