Tussle in cyberspace

Abstract

The architecture of Internet is based on a number of principles, including self-describing datagram packet, end to end arguments, diversity in technology and global addressing. As Internet has moved from a research curiosity to a recognized component of mainstream society, new requirements have emerged that suggest new design principles, and perhaps suggest that we revisit some old ones. This paper explores one important reality that surrounds Internet today: different stakeholders that are part of Internet milieu have interests that may be adverse to each other, and these parties each vie to favor their particular interests. We call this process the tussle. Our position is that accommodating this tussle is crucial to evolution of network's technical architecture. We discuss some examples of tussle, and offer some technical design principles that take it into account.