Internet's backroom boffins' big brainwave: Put people first in future The Internet Engineering Task Force is being asked to formally adopt its informal philosophy that when it comes to new standards and protocols, end users' needs must come first. The "best current practice" drawn up by Internet Architecture Board (IAB) member Mark Nottingham – currently in its fifth draft – states simply that …
IOW "When in doubt the end users come first."
Period.
End of discussion.
Then you can run any proposal through that filter and see how it comes out.
No doubt there will be cases where people will complain but at the end of the day the end users err use the internet.
The thing is, it's not the end users who plunk down for the infrastructure. If commercial interests feel they're being ignored or slighted, they could retaliate by ignoring the IETF and going it alone. Unless the IETF has the backing of law, say by imposing fines or barring access, they have no power to stop a unilateral action like that.
"Unless the IETF has the backing of law, say by imposing fines or barring access, they have no power to stop a unilateral action like that."
They have the backing of something more powerful than that: reality. Don't forget that those commercial interests didn't put the net together for the IETF's use; they're riding on top of the IETF's work. The whole shooting match only works because it adheres to a set of protocols engineered by the Internet Engineering Task Force.
If they don't want to play by those rules they'll need to go off and invent their own network. There is, of course, a school of thought that this would be entirely beneficial to the internet.
They could just stick with what's already there and just build on top of it. Consider Facebook, Google, and many of the Internet giants who are big enough to create and actually have their own internal networks. These companies probably have the power to go it alone.
"These companies probably have the power to go it alone."
But they aren't doing. They're using the protocols designed by the IETF.
The internet is a lot more than the physical infrastructure. It's also the logical infrastructure and the IETF is a large part of that - and of any internal networks they might be using. Although many would like to see Zuck etc. take their ball and go play elsewhere is isn't going to happen.
Whats a TLA? I first thought Terms And License Agreement, but Top Level Administrator, Text Link Ads...
Anyway, corporate influence becomes a problem with anything that is successful, from Peace and Love, thru Punk, to the Web. Money buys anything, even love. They can even have me; Bargain basement programmer for sale. Easy to get on with and friendly. Safe if used as directed. Do not feed after midnight or get wet. Intolerant of Real Programmers.
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