Posted on http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/10/25/blocking-network-packets-the-comcast-fiasco/#comment-21057
What is most interesting about this is the fact that, inevitably, the establishment raises the bar on anti-democratic practices, intrusions into freedom etc., and brings about the evolution of the next generation of technology - what will be the solution from the p2p community?
No-one should be surprised by this. The research carried out by the article’s authors sounds legitiate and well conceived. The results indicate a deterministic scheme, not some more random malfunction.
Comcast is no-doubt seen as a flgship in right-wing circles, including the RIAA and it’s ilk, a flag-ship amongst neo-fascist practices being rolled out in the name of protecting profit margins in the decadent media industries. But this is the tip of the fascist iceberg people!!
Politically and socially, this internet ‘war’ is perhaps the most interesting phenomenon. The establishment is claiming the moral high ground, and taking the opportunity to create and implement technologies which will be used against freedom of speech and freedom of activity per se, as suits the needs of the establishment and it’s political and economic community.
I note that encryption is now available in p2p client implementations. And what role might IPv6 play in all this? How is QoS and security balanced in an encapsulated protocol/content-type-agnostic scheme? Is it still true that the ‘internet’ is inherently a democratic space?
Anti-terrorism legislation (enacted by the terrorists themselves!) and anti-piracy measures are, simply put, the vehicles for anti-democratic controls and intrusions.