(Not) Getting the Message Across

The important point for this column is the ability to focus on the relationships without depending on intermediaries that understand the messages. In this column, I'm looking closer to home-the devices and protocols that try to understand us by embedding purpose. By this, I mean that the chips and devices along the way need to know that I'm exchanging information about my heart rate. This makes me dependent upon each intermediary cooperating as well as standards committees having their say before I can try out a new idea. The end-to-end connectivity of the Internet is not just about access; it's as much about simple connectivity locally. © 2014 IEEE.