Quite often, I like to eat vanilla ice cream. Not the cheap, gummy, goopy vanilla ice cream that can sit out of the fridge for hours at a time and still not melt. I used to like the original Breyers – remember the stuff that had an ingredients list that read “Cream, sugar, vanilla bean and nothin’ else.” Perfect for topping with fresh fruit, hot fudge or anything else that is good or bad for you.I haven’t been able to find Breyers original vanilla in years.
Why the ice cream theme? Partly because of the start of the summer holiday weekend. And partly because ice cream is a wonderful metaphor for IP network technology. I invite your comments to carry this theme forward… think about it this weekend with your favourite toppings. I welcome photos of your OSI ice cream models.
It seems to me that the “net neutrality” folks want plain vanilla IP from network providers. They think the other flavours should only be added by application providers or users. Dumb pipes – vanilla ice cream.
I just think that committing vanilla flavoured IP into legislation will stifle innovation in the long run. I agree that vanilla should be available. I wish we could legislate the old formulation of Breyers back into existence.
Some people need something more than a rich and creamy vanilla base – don’t you think we also should allow other base flavours to emerge? If I want a coffee-toffee crunch, isn’t it ok for me to pay to start with a dark chocolate base instead?
It reminds me of the movie Pleasantville – where the cast are thrown from the present into a B&W; 1950’s era family values show. Life in Pleasantville is ok – it is just missing the colour.
But that is another metaphor – we’ll save that for another time.