[CS-FSLUG] Let's Talk About It: Web of Trust

[Don Parris]

On 12/28/05, Ed Hurst <ehurst at asisaid.com> wrote:
> Don Parris wrote:
> > On 12/28/05, Ed Hurst <ehurst at asisaid.com> wrote:
> >
> >>I'm contemplating an article for Tim's Ofb.biz on the subject of the Web
> >>of Trust. Specifically, I'm considering the community nature of the
> >>Internet. A certain amount of commercial exploitation is unavoidable,
> >>and even welcome. However, the apparent attitude of some commercial
> >>entities is they bear no accountability whatsoever if their paying
> >>customers violate Netiquette. However, do not limit your comments to
> >>that alone. Let's philosophize, maybe play the Devil's Advocate, etc.
> >
> > Would you mind giving me an example of what you're talking about?
>
> Assumption: If you connect to the Net in any fashion, you are
> honor-bound to abide by RFCs, for example. There are major players which
> refuse to provide an "abuse@" mailbox, which is required by RFC 2142.
> The enforcement is strictly voluntary for now.
>
> There are activists out there doing what they can to legally pressure
> the big-boys, but some resist everything (can you say "AOL"?) because
> their user base is too large to ingore, or because they actually run
> major Net traffic hardware. Blacklisting/blocklisting is only mildly
> effective, and results in major propaganda backlash.
>
> While fighting these types of misbehavior is arguably Quixotic, to
> simply drop it makes things only worse. What are the moral grounds for
> continuing the fight, for attempting to enlist others in the fight? What
> can we as a list together say for or against any part of this issue?
>

This is along similar lines:
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,16559,1674358,00.html

It isn't the same, but similar.  I'm sure you'll find it interesting. 
In my view, ISPs should be helping to control what gets sent from
their domains.  I seriously hate to take a Big Brother perspective of
this issue, but I do feel strongly that spam is bad for everyone.  It
wastes bandwidth, time, money.  It's frustrating as all get out.  It
can even be hazardous to our computers and data.  I think there is
plenty of moral high ground.  Whether there is will power is probably
a better question.

Don
--
DC Parris GNU Evangelist
http://matheteuo.org/
gnumathetes at gmail.com
"Hey man, whatever pickles your list!"