Session Date/Time: 30 Mar 2023 00:30

dinrg

Summary

The dinrg (Decentralized Internet Research Group) meeting focused on the group's charter process and the broader discussion around centralization and decentralization within the internet. Presentations were given on the effects of internet consolidation and the relevance of the end-to-end principle in the modern internet landscape. Discussions centered on refining the group's focus, incorporating diverse perspectives, and identifying concrete research directions.

Key Discussion Points

Centralization vs. Consolidation: Defining the distinction between centralization and consolidation, with consolidation viewed as an outcome of various factors (economic, protocol choices, engineering efficiencies).
End-to-End Principle: Examining the continued relevance of the end-to-end principle in light of modern internet architectures, including the role of middleboxes and CDNs and privacy related protocols.
Protocol Design and Centralization: Discussing how protocol design can unintentionally incentivize or exacerbate centralization, offering economic dominance to large entities. Examples like privacy pass, OHIO, SIP, and email were discussed.
Charter Revision: Reviewing proposed charter changes to focus on systematic analysis of internet centralization and potential mitigation strategies. The revised charter aims to be concise and technology-neutral.
Engaging Diverse Expertise: Recognizing the need to incorporate economic, legal, and policy expertise into the group's research efforts.
Concrete Research Directions: Exploring potential research areas, including documenting the negative developments and threats rising from internet centralization.
Documenting Different Perspectives: Allowing for the documentation of different opinions and consistent perspectives rather than focusing on consensus alone.

Decisions and Action Items

Charter Refinement: Refine the charter text based on feedback from the meeting and the IAB, focusing on concrete objectives and working methods.
Outreach: Proactively reach out to economists, legal scholars, and policymakers to broaden the group's expertise and engagement.
Draft Contributions: Encourage members to contribute drafts to promote regular discussion and progress on research topics.
Case Study Analysis: Incorporate concrete linkage between protocol design and the effects of centralization. More concretely identify the specific centralization effects and their causality.
Terminology Clarification: Consider defining and clarifying the meaning of centralization, decentralization, and related concepts to ensure a common understanding.
Follow-up Meetings: Plan subsequent meetings to delve deeper into topics such as the end-to-end principle, security vs. privacy trade-offs, and in-network computing.

Next Steps

Chairs to revise the charter based on meeting feedback.
Members to contribute draft documents on relevant topics.
Actively recruit experts from economic, legal, and policy fields.
Schedule follow-up meetings on key discussion points.