Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/214020 
Year of Publication: 
2016
Citation: 
[Journal:] Internet Policy Review [ISSN:] 2197-6775 [Volume:] 5 [Issue:] 3 [Publisher:] Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society [Place:] Berlin [Year:] 2016 [Pages:] 1-16
Publisher: 
Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin
Abstract: 
In popular culture, and in policy discussions, the internet is often conceived of as a decentralised technology, which cannot be controlled. Drawing from research into internet infrastructure, focusing on the Border Gateway Protocol, I show that the internet has never been, and never can be, decentralised. I argue that the internet is better viewed as being distributed, both in terms of technologies and governance arrangements. The shift in perspective, from decentralised to distributed, is essential to understand the past and present internet, and to imagine possible future internets which preserve and support the public good.
Subjects: 
Decentralisation
Governance
Protocols
Routing
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article

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