Mapping the Internet: Visualizing the Web's Connections

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around visualizing the internet through a specific map that illustrates the connections between various nodes (computers). Participants explore the implications of this visualization, its accuracy, and the concept of a central point within the network.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express admiration for the aesthetic of the internet map, noting its beauty despite its representation of complex connections.
  • There is a request for clarification on what the map depicts, with one participant explaining that it shows interconnections based on trace routes executed across the internet.
  • Several participants question whether the map has a center, with some suggesting that a true representation of the internet should not have one due to its redundant structure.
  • One participant proposes that the center of the map could represent regions of high connection density, while others argue that there is no single node that all computers connect to.
  • Another viewpoint suggests that the internet exhibits scale-free properties, indicating that no single center exists, as connectivity varies widely among nodes.
  • One participant reflects on the philosophical notion of infinity in relation to the internet, prompting further discussion on the implications of this idea.
  • A technical explanation is provided regarding how trace routes work and the factors influencing the paths taken, emphasizing that the map may not accurately depict the entire internet.
  • There is a mention of the dynamic nature of internet routing, which can change based on various conditions, further complicating the idea of a static representation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the existence of a center in the internet map, with some arguing for its absence and others suggesting that certain areas may represent higher connectivity. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of redundancy and the nature of the internet as a whole.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge limitations in the map's accuracy as a depiction of the internet, noting that it is based on specific trace routes and may not reflect the dynamic and complex nature of actual internet traffic.

Monique
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Something that evil can look so beautyful .

It say's white is unknown, surely some warez-servers
 
That;s really cool looking, and i read through the article, but i still don't really understand what the pictures of. Could someone explain it some?
 
That's literally a picture of the Internet. The lines show the interconnections between the different nodes (computers). It was created by sending hundereds of trace routes throughout the Internet. When someone executes a trace route what it does is it outputs the IP/hostnames (computer address) of the nodes in between your computer and its destination. By sending out hundereds of these a second they could patch the information together from each trace route to form that map. You can try out trace route yourself. Go to MS-DOS (or whatever shell you use) and execute:
tracert www.yahoo.com
or for linux:
traceroute www.yahoo.com

-HBar
 
http://www.thinkgeek.com sells posters of these maps. They currently have
http://www.thinkgeek.com/cubegoodies/posters/techie/29c2/, http://www.thinkgeek.com/cubegoodies/posters/techie/3433/, http://www.thinkgeek.com/cubegoodies/posters/techie/573c/ , and http://www.thinkgeek.com/cubegoodies/posters/techie/5c26/ in stock.
 
Wow, looks like a mini universe. I wonder where I am on that map.

redrogue, thinkgeek is the only place to get cool t-shirts and caffienated soap.
 
Does the map have a center?
 
Originally posted by dduardo

redrogue, thinkgeek is the only place to get cool t-shirts and caffienated soap.

Yep! and you got to love Megatokyo!
...but the caffeine molecule tee is my favorite...I've got two.
 
Originally posted by Monique
Does the map have a center?

It looks like it may have one, but if it truly represents the 'Net, there should be no center.
Network operators strive for redundancy so that most every major network node has multiple access points, particularly on the backbones.
 
  • #10
Originally posted by Monique
Does the map have a center?

you mean that place where Neo met the Creator?
 
  • #11
Originally posted by Monique
Does the map have a center?
Yes! everywhere... (in an 'infinity' the center can be everywhere)


PS nice link, thanks...
 
  • #12
The centre of the map is the centre of the internet. There is not one specific point which is the centre. The centre is a region of greatest density of connections. But there are different colours in that centre bit of the picture; that's because the greatest connection densities occur in many different geographical locations.
 
  • #13
I agree that there is no center, although I'm not sure i completely understand redrogues reasoning. Why would redundancy obfuscate the center (if there is one)? I think what Monique meant by center was a location that every computer connects to. If so then there is no center. There is no one node that every other node must connect to.
Yes! everywhere... (in an 'infinity' the center can be everywhere)
This notion is intriguing. How did you come to the conclusion that the internet is an infinity?

-HBar
 
  • #14
The web has been shown to be scale-free. That means every little piece of it has the same kind of interconnectivity that a big pies does, or even the whole thing. This pretty much militates against having one center. Rather there is a Pareto law on the number of conections a given site. A handful, like google, have skillions. And a great many have only one or two.
 
  • #15
Originally posted by HBar
This notion is intriguing. How did you come to the conclusion that the internet is an infinity?
-HBar
I didn't, it isn't but it is a nice expression from the "Sages of the Ages" (means it's a really old statement, older then me YIKES! ) that is applicable to the understanding of infinite, (Hence, this universe?) and I had thought was a nice sort of compliment to the net and it's residents/users.
 
  • #16
Hi Monique,

I love the pictures! What he did was quite novel.

Here is a simplified explanation of how the internet works (if anyone cares).

When you do a trace route, the locations that you see are where backbone providers have their gateways & access routers (POP's-points of presence).

The paths taken are determined by several factors. Your internet provider either owns a "backbone" or leases bandwidth from someone who does. The routing will be determined by the peering arrangements that the backbone provider has to the end user's address that you are doing the trace to. If you and the other location are on different backbones, they have to hand off to one another at either private or public peering points. A peering point is a physical location where 2 or more companies with backbones hand off traffic to each other.

The handoff is usually what we call "hot potato" routing. Let's say you use ISP A and want to hit a site that has ISP B. ISP A will search for the closest point that it can hand the traffic off to ISP B. When the traffic returns to you, ISP B will search for the closest point that it can handoff to ISP A. So, the route to and from A & B will usually differ.

Also, the routes are dynamic so the route taken between identical endpoints can be affected by congestion and equipment or network failures.

So, what he did was map the particular trace routes he ran, but it is not actually an accurate depiction of the "internet".
 
  • #17
Originally posted by Evo
(SNIP)[/color] I love the pictures! What he did was quite novel.
(S'Pace)[/color]
So, what he did was map the particular trace routes he ran, but it is not actually an accurate depiction of the "internet". (SNoP)[/color]
Humm given that it is a virtual medium, it's "Existence" is questionable, in, and of, itself,...it's a better "depiction" then anyone else I have seen, as offered...works for me till I can be 'shown' better, explained better? well it all just a stream of 'zeros and ones' so here's another 'form of depiction' of the net...

0100010010001001010101001000(ad infinitum)

It is novel, and nice, that color depiction...
 
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