| Yes I'm aware. But the vast majority of traffic happens as a result of a request of some kind. In other words Netflix doesn't start streaming data to me for the hell of it. Pandora doesn't stream songs to my computer unless I hit play. Songs don't get downloaded from iTunes unless I request them and pay for them. This is in contrast to the mail that the USPS delivers to my door. I don't ask for most of it and I have to sort through it and throw all the bullshit away. I guess what I mean is that most internet traffic is based on consent of some kind. While paper mail is not. I might not specifically request any particular bits but the majority don't show up unannounced and unwanted. > there's plenty of application protocols which involve "pushing" data over TCP/IP transpor Right but by the time a TCP link is established you've already setup a session which can't be done unilaterally. That is akin to consent and quite possibly a request. You can't be "data-raped" because if you decline the TCP session that's the end of it. Someone can send a billion request to initiate TCP sessions but they can't initiate without your (or your computer's) consent. Given the router/firewalls that basically everyone has between their modems and their computers it's getting very, very difficult to send data to residential ISP customers without their express or implied consent. |