[IP] Re: Call for "ISP Point of Contact" Database for Neutrality "Event" Concerns

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

________________________________________
From: Suresh Ramasubramanian [suresh@hserus.net]
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 9:20 PM
To: David Farber
Cc: lauren@vortex.com
Subject: Re: [IP] Call for "ISP Point of Contact" Database for Neutrality "Event" Concerns

David Farber [08/04/08 10:11 -0700]:
>From: Lauren Weinstein [lauren@vortex.com]
>of my primary concerns was that many seemingly reportable "events"
>that can occur on the Internet -- and that might seem on their face
>to be network neutrality "violations" -- might actually be caused by
>innocent technical issues related to ISP operations, testing

Doesnt help that people are so ready to leap to conclusions, eh? This
recent little episode about colorado.edu's tests and comcast for example

>It is particularly troubling that there generally is no routine
>mechanism available for early contact by neutrality researchers with
>appropriate *high level* ISP representatives during investigations

Why should there be and why should high level ISP representatives actually
contact you directly?

>of network issues that may relate to neutrality concerns.  Wide
>publication of possibly alarming test results followed by ISP
>denials in innocent cases is decidedly suboptimal for everyone.

Everyone?  Who, pray? The researchers who screw up and then have to
retract? The ISP? J.Random IP poster? "NN Squad" member?

>community, I strongly believe that there would be major positive
>benefit for all parties if better communications between these
>groups was available.

Chicken and egg. If "these groups" would actually learn to apply at least
some statistical rigor to your crusade for network neutrality, that'd be
great. And it might help ISPs come forward.

Not when all the average network neutrality crusader does is issue this
steady stream of emails to IP, blog posts etc simply criticizing this, that
and everything else as a real or more often than not an imagined breach of
neutrality.

>I hereby offer NNSquad's services to establish a database of
>individuals who would be the designated ISP point of contacts in
>cases of detected network events that are suggestive of possible
>network neutrality concerns in a broad sense.

Sigh. If it is a large enough operational issue to be noticed by you (end
user on a cable modem), it is probably affecting service enough to be
noticed on nanog and various other forums, and fixed.

And ISP point of contact databases - between ISPs, and ISPs to law
enforcement say - are dime a dozen. It would be very rare indeed, what you
suggest - ISPs providing a db of their senior executives to someone just
because they dont want to be blogged about, or written up on IP. Especially
where they more often than not do have their own people reading IP who can
speak up in their own defense, debunk your next fanciful theory etc etc.

I frankly see no point at all in your new database, but that's just me.

        srs

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