You Won't Recognize the Internet in 2020

alphadogg writes "As they imagine the Internet of 2020, computer scientists across the country are starting from scratch and re-thinking everything: from IP addresses to DNS to routing tables to Internet security in general. They're envisioning how the Internet might work without some of the most fundamental features of today's ISP and enterprise networks. Their goal is audacious: To create an Internet without so many security breaches, with better trust and built-in identity management. Researchers are trying to build an Internet that's more reliable, higher performing and better able to manage exabytes of content. And they're hoping to build an Internet that extends connectivity to the most remote regions of the world, perhaps to other planets. This high-risk, long-range Internet research will kick into high gear in 2010, as the US federal government ramps up funding to allow a handful of projects to move out of the lab and into prototype. Indeed, the United States is building the world's largest virtual network lab across 14 college campuses and two nationwide backbone networks so that it can engage thousands – perhaps millions – of end users in its experiments."

Comments

What crap

[jackspenn]

I love this BS where a bunch of academics theorize how things should be, if only they were in change and the world was a very organized and authoritarian structure. Then what really happens is some dude with no more than a HS diploma comes up with a workable solution in his garage. It isn't sexy, it just works and the academics either 1). hate him for it and put his solution down or 2). Claim he was simply doing what they suggested in the first place.

Re:Their goal is audacious?

[dontmakemethink]

If corporate interests and security-obsessed regimes are able to lobby for certain "features," though, distorting the process, then we're in for some major problems.

What the hell do you mean by "if"? You're hoping the opportunities this transistion provides will go unnoticed? The MAFIAA are no doubt holding their breath!

And who exactly could stand up to the many varietals of "Homeland Security"? All they have to do is tell the media that terrorists use the internet to coordinate attacks, and they'll dump in more security protocols than airports. Anyone in a position to offer substantial resistance has too much to lose and everything to gain by playing ball.