osdf-devteam team mailing list archive

[Andrew Ettinger <sillydeveloper@xxxxxxxxx>]

From the brief: "These software tools could, for example, detect whether a broadband provider is interfering with DNS responses, application packet headers, or content."

And: "These applications should also collect anonoymized data that can be used for network research and analysis of patterns and trends in Internet openness."

Also: If I read that RFP correctly, we have only 4-6 months to build this? So whatever we do should be small enough to design and build in that window.

A (Very Loose) Idea to Get Started:

I propose we focus on tools for broader analysis and aggregation. 

We set up a server and an API that accepts data in some specified format, such as: 

- physical location('ish)
- your 'supposed' bandwidth
- the url/service you are connecting to
- a log of kb/sec., or some sort of measurement, with timestamps

The idea would be that we could statistically analyze the incoming traffic patterns and try and detect whether or not the traffic is being shaped. We would also probably be detecting that internet connections suck in the US and when ISP's go down.

Then we build a simple test case, as a FireFox plugin or something, that will send data to the server. People can build hooks into other internet connected apps, but a FireFox plugin seems a pretty well defined way to do a proof of concept. 

"But why would I send you statistics?" you ask. Well, if we could analyze the data and detect a 'normal' usage we could potentially show publicly when things are messing up. 

Given this is open sourcery, we would probably want to build in a way so people can set up their own servers and share data on connectivity with 'trusted' sources. Maybe that's just gold plating, but it does decentralize the whole thing (meaning, to me anyway, that the FCC isn't just getting everyone's data; we're all sharing the payload and the payout).

There's a lot of holes in it (like a server off day, down for maintenance, DDOS, knowing what route a packet is taking, why wouldn't the ISP's just shape our incoming traffic, etc). 

Just a thought to get things rolling =)

~ Andrew

On Jan 5, 2011, at 8:15 PM, Eddie Geller wrote:

> Looking for someone to take this one: http://forum.theosdf.org/index.php?topic=28.0
> 
> Any takers?  Glory lies ahead...
> 
>  -- 
> Eddie Geller
> 
> President and Founder
> The Open Source Democracy Foundation | www.theosdf.org
> Ph: (818) 660-6845
> Twitter: eddie_geller
> AIM/Gchat: egellerosdf
> 
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