[Air-l] A definition of the internet

[Seth Johnson]

Sam Tilden wrote:
> 
> I know this is a trivial question! Does anyone have a really good definition of the Internet.
> 
>   The only ones I have speaks only to the technology.


We used the definition below in the Dynamic Platform Standards
Project's proposal for net neutrality.  It's a definition of the
technical behavior of the Internet Protocol (not TCP/IP, but IP
in itself), and we intend it as a definition of the technical
behavior that assures net neutrality, but in the correct,
broadest sense.

I'm not sure what speaking of the technology takes away from
anyone's purposes.  Here we speak in deliberately general terms,
rather than particulars of how many bytes represent what kind of
information in any specific protocol, in order to describe the
functions and purposes it supports adequately.

The Internet Protocol has a lot of specifics, but it also is very
general in a way very like the way the digital computer is
general.  It isn't just the basis for interoperability of
different types of networks; it's the basis for the genericity
and flexibility of the Internet as a platform for creation and
communication.  In general terms, it describes a set of technical
behaviors that support nearly anything you can think of.

Section 2 ("Findings") explains this aspect:  Points 2, 3, 5 and
6 are most technically relevant:

(from http://www.dpsproject.com/legislation.html)

(2) The success of the Internet is built on the establishment of 
    certain commonly observed principles of practice, expressed 
    in "Internet protocols," governing the manner in which 
    transmissions are exchanged. Interoperation among competing 
    Internet providers on the basis of these principles assures 
    that the Internet remains a generic, flexible platform that 
    supports innovation and free expression.

(3) This flexible platform, commonly referred to as the "IP 
    layer" of the Internet, enables users to independently 
    develop innovative applications by devising rules and 
    conventions describing how information transmitted between 
    connected users will be interpreted in order to serve diverse 
    purposes. The vast collection of applications that have been 
    freely created in this manner is commonly referred to as the 
    "application layer" of the Internet.

(5) Among the commonly-observed principles of practice that 
    govern Internet transmissions are the following:

    a) Transmissions are broken down into small pieces referred 
       to as "packets," comprised of small portions of the 
       overall information useful to the users at each 
       transmission's endpoints. A small set of data is 
       prefixed to these packets, describing the source and 
       destination of each packet and how it is to be treated.

    b) Internet routers transmit these packets to various other 
       routers, changing routers freely as a means of managing 
       network flow.

    c) Internet routers transmit packets independently of each 
       other and independently of the applications that the 
       packets are supporting.

(6) These principles governing the IP layer establish a technical 
    behavior that not only assures the platform's flexibility, 
    but also assures its reliability, availability, universal 
    accessibility, and uniform treatment of information flow. The 
    IP layer assures that all applications may compete on a level 
    basis of connectivity, be they commercially developed by a 
    major corporation and made available to millions, or non-
    commercial applications developed by individuals and offered 
    at no charge.


Under Section 3 is the more specific, yet still general,
definition we use for nailing down legal language:

(A) Internet.- The term "Internet" means the worldwide, publicly 
    accessible system of interconnected computer networks that 
    transmit data by packet switching using the standard Internet 
    Protocol (IP), some characteristics of which include:

      i) Transmissions between users who hold globally reachable 
         addresses, and which transmissions are broken down into 
         smaller segments referred to as "packets" comprised of a 
         small portion of information useful to the users at each 
         transmission's endpoints, and a small set of prefixed 
         data describing the source and destination of each 
         transmission and how the packet is to be treated;

     ii) routers that transmit these packets to various other 
         routers on a best efforts basis, changing routers freely 
         as a means of managing network flow; and

    iii) said routers transmit packets independently of each 
         other and independently of the particular application in 
         use, in accordance with globally defined protocol 
         requirements and recommendations.

(B) Internet access.- The term "Internet access" means a 
    service that enables users to transmit and receive 
    transmissions of data using the Internet protocol in a manner 
    that is agnostic to the nature, source or destination of the 
    transmission of any packet. Such IP transmissions may include 
    information, text, sounds, images and other content such as 
    messaging and electronic mail.



Seth Johnson
Corresponding Secretary
New Yorkers for Fair Use

> 
>   Sam
> 
> 
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