CPS 182S, Fall 2003, Paper I
As the nature of the Internet and the types of organizations that are
involved in its development change, pressures mount to change the
architecture of and regulations surrounding it. "Tussles" and
"Rethinking" examine some of these pressures. Lessig discusses the
evolution of the Internet, and the attempt to layer "architectures of
control" on top of the current design in response to these pressures.
In Code, p. 30, Lessig states:
The values that [Internet architectures] embed are different, and one
type of difference is regulability - a difference in the
ability to control behavior within a particular cyberspace. Some
architectures make behavior more regulable; other architecture make
behavior less regulable.
Make a strong and concrete thesis statement about how the
rise of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have changed and will
continue to change the
architecture of the Internet. Your paper should address a number of
questions:
- How have ISPs enabled or hindered the original end-to-end nature of the
Internet? What has changed from the original design?
- What parties have exerted pressures on ISPs to change or
maintain the status quo, and to what degree of success?
- What motivation
do ISPs have to change or maintain the status quo?
- To whose demands or which principles should ISPs be responsive?
Your paper will argue whether the changes effected by the ISPs are
"good" or "bad". Support your argument using class readings and your
own research.
Owen L. Astrachan
Last modified: Fri Aug 29 11:37:07 EDT 2003