the thought just occurred to me that there is a danger in just
assuming that bits are in that "internet thing" when they leave our
computers. Physical location has certian legal implications. Bits
going on a trans-oceanic cable are in international waters. I really
don't have the legal training to read over international
telecommunications treaties, but it seems that there's no legal
recourse for a nation splicing into one, or really a way to detect
it. I believe that a new US sub under development, the USS Jimmy
Carter, is developed with this kind of mission in mind. Data that is
legal in one country, like political messages, might contravene the
laws of of countries that it passes through.
This strays pretty far from your original question, but I thought its
important to remember that even though we may think about the
internet as a cloud, it does have a location that does have real
effects on the data that is sent.
--------
Ben Spigel
Department of Geography
University of Toronto
On 29-May-05, at 5:52 PM, Dena Attar wrote:
> We have had fun with this question here in London this evening.
> The answer I got from software engineer friends was as follows:
> This is not a "real" question, i.e. it can't be answered on its own
> terms, because the data isn't in between node 1 and node 2. It doesn't
> "leave" node 1 until after it's "arrived" at node 2 as confirmed by
> transfer protocol so in that sense it's not travelling between them at
> all
>
> Dena
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mapping and visualising Internet infrastructure and Web space
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sue Thomas
> Sent: 28 May 2005 20:25
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [MAPPING-CYBERSPACE] Cyberspatial question for the holiday
> weekend
>
> I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Can anyone point me to
> research
> on the following question:
>
> If I throw a ball to you, we know that it passes through the air
> between
> us.
> (unless we are in a vacuum, in which case we would both be dead etc
> etc)
>
> Q: When a data packet 'travels' from one node to the next, does it
> pass
> through anything? What is between the nodes? I know transfer is very
> fast
> but nevertheless it is still transfer so there must be a point
> where it
> is
> in neither place so it must be somewhere else. Shouldn't it? Or have I
> misunderstood?
>
> All hypotheses welcome. Preferably those I can understand ;)
>
> Sue
>
> http://travelsinvirtuality.typepad.com
>
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