Certain protocols, and the parameters required for their usage,
are essential in order to operate on the Internet. A number of
bodies have become responsible for those protocol standards and
parameters. It can be fairly said that those bodies steer the
Internet in a significant sense. This document is a summary of
those bodies and their most important characteristics. The
bodies belong to three major nexuses. Links, both formal and
informal, exist between the nexuses. It is tempting to think of
the Internet's success as being technologically determined--the
triumph of packet-switched networks over circuit-switched
networks. However, do not under-rate the Internet's governance
structure as a factor. I remember in 1993 hearing Vinton Cerf
describe the way that engineering task forces emerged to address
problems and then faded away when the problems were solved. I
remember thinking how marvelous this was--that governing
agencies put themselves out of business once their functions
were complete. How unlike actual