@yaaps @liaizon Whenever I see this diagram I like to point people to this other diagram, from one of Paul Baran's companion papers to the one with the classic illustration. I like that it shows that this is a spectrum of topologies with different practical characteristics.
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_memoranda/RM3097/RM3097.chapter2.html
@darius thank you! Remembering how everything is really more honest when explained as a spectrum then a versus is such an important lesson.