As a society, we have become dependent on the Internet. It is a fundamental infrastructure. Yet few people know the routes their data takes when they send information as Internet users. The opacity of these paths was originally a core value of Internet routing. But it also raises questions: does my data follow a secure route when it leaves my country? Does my data travel along environmentally sustainable routes? Is the route fast? And if you could choose for yourself, what route would your data take?
In this workshop, you will learn how data travels over the Internet and help design the most desirable routes. Based on Packet Run, a software tool that allows users to see how the Internet routes data, you'll play a game to take an ideal route through the Internet. We discuss what an ideal route means for different users, and what understanding of Internet routing is desirable depending on what contexts (e.g., the Web sites people visit).