Forwarded from: Robert G. Ferrell <rgferrelldirecway.com>

At 12:34 AM 1/17/03 -0600, you wrote:

> If you find yourself asking what else can be done to stop these
> problems, one answer that comes to mind is simple. ISP's need to be
> more reactive to complaints about abuse on their network. Their
> customers already sign an agreement stating they will follow an
> Acceptable Use Policy. Every AUP I have seen covers malicious
> activity like you describe, and puts the liability on them. If your
> system attacks mine, be it from automated worm or not, and I report
> that activity to your ISP.. they need to kill your conneection until
> the problem is solved.

This is a complex problem, and certainly one that will benefit greatly
from open discussion within not just the security community, but the
Internet community at large. I think the fundamental issue here is a
legal and philosophical, rather than technical, one, however. When
you connect a machine to the Internet and therefore join the
international online community, to what extent are you a private
citizen and to what extent are you now a member of the Internet body
politic? Do your rights to privacy and total control over your
personal property change as a result of this membership? The answers
to these questions will have ramifications far beyond simply "what
shall we do about worms?"

The p2p control controversy really covers the same ground. The
problem is that, since no one entity actually oversees the Internet or
polices it, mainly because no one entity has jurisdiction over a tool
that has the potential to be used by every person on the planet, the
variety of customs, traditions, and mind sets that are brought to bear
on interpersonal relations in the Internet milieu is as broad as the
variety of Human culture itself. What I see as perfectly right and
moral, based on my upbringing and socially-imposed values system, may
be completely abhorrent to you based on yours. Who's right in this
situation? Moreover, how do we coexist without killing each other?
(Literally or figuratively.)

This isn't just about worms or illicit file sharing. This is about
taking a step towards that One Planet/One Society concept that social
idealists have been dreaming about for hundreds of years. Given the
enormous amount of thought that has been devoted to the principles of
Human interrelations during that time, it's no wonder we're
experiencing a little friction trying to work out how the Internet is
going to function.

The Internet is one of the grandest social experiments ever attempted,
and I for one give thanks every day of my life that I've been
unbelievably fortunate enough to be in the right time and place to
participate in it. It may be the single greatest opportunity we have
to finally understand each other and get along.

Well, you wanted rose-colored glasses. Here they are.

;-)

Cheers,

RGF

Robert G. Ferrell
rgferrelldirecway.com

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