US No Longer the World's Internet Hub

museumpeace brings us a New York Times story about how internet traffic is increasingly flowing around the US as web-based industries catch up in other parts of the world. Other issues, such as the Patriot Act, have made foreign companies wary about having their data on US servers. From the NYTimes: "Internet industry executives and government officials have acknowledged that Internet traffic passing through the switching equipment of companies based in the United States has proved a distinct advantage for American intelligence agencies. In December 2005, The New York Times reported that the National Security Agency had established a program with the cooperation of American telecommunications firms that included the interception of foreign Internet communications. Some Internet technologists and privacy advocates say those actions and other government policies may be hastening the shift in Canadian and European traffic away from the United States."

Re:Good Riddance

[emandres]

I'm pretty sure the world has a center... but it'd be a heck of a feat trying to cool that server farm.

Just a marketing problem

[bigtallmofo]

Other countries wouldn't have a problem with routing their traffic through the United States if we had good public relations...

"For every packet your country sends through the U.S., you will automatically be entered in a drawing for one of your citizens to win an all-expenses paid trip to exotic, sunny Cuba!"

That would get them excited!

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Pick your favorite intelligence agency

[LordKaT]

Yeah, because American intelligence agencies have morals!

Re:Just a marketing problem

[pablomme]

"For every packet your country sends through the U.S., you will automatically be entered in a drawing for one of your citizens to win an all-expenses paid trip to exotic, sunny Cuba!"

"And depending on the packet's contents, participants may qualify for accommodation in our luxury Guantanamo Bay resort."

Re:Good Riddance

[Darkness404]

Aha! So that's what Al Gore was proving with global warming! That the world's servers are overheating.

Re:Good Riddance

[Doc Ruby]

The Earth has a center, because it is a sphere. But no one lives outside a small band +/- 400m from the surface, so "the world" is a shell that has no center.

No one except the Mole Men, and they've got their own Internet. Which is really more an "Infranet", but that's their problem.

Re:Thanks, washington

[CaptainTux]

high-speed pizza delivery

And that whole pizza delivery thing will be gone as soon as we start hearing someone answering the phone as

Thank you for calling Domino's Pizza. This is Agent Jentson speaking, how can I help you?"

Re:Good Riddance

[corsec67]

So you are saying I could leave the world by going up or down?

Hmm, I think there are religions based on that...

Better idea

[Anonymous Coward]

How about we have an international network that is completely free from politics and that politicians can't touch?

Re:Thanks, washington

[Tim Browse]

Ah, you Americans and your quaint complaining about the price of petrol [kshitij.com] :-).

As long as the Pirate Bay still works

[vistahator]

then i'm ok.

Re:Just A thought.

[Wellington Grey]

What if the rest of the world bypassed and then disconnected the United States from the Internet.

Most Americans wouldn't notice.

-Grey [silverclipboard.com]

Re:Not surprising

[Zombie]

Yep, and now the Internet routes around brain damage.

Re:No surprising

[nospam007]

>..I am comming from a country were something similar happened (Venezuela).

Is that you, Hugo?

Re:Not surprising

[Stanislav_J]

Yep, and now the Internet routes around brain damage.

Really? I thought it ran on brain damage...