Dave, notice the repeating pattern of how ISPs seem to be doing business these days:
1) Without prior public notice, major technical changes are deployed that have significant and in some cases critical effects on their subscribers' ongoing applications, including crucial services like e-mail. 2) As users try to understand and workaround these sudden problems, rumors (often true, sometimes not) spread like wildfire around Net regarding the situation. Often when customers ask ISPs what's going on they're met with blanket denials of any changes and/or utterly misinformed customer service agents. 3) *After the fact* (that is, when the effect is obvious to all and can no longer be ignored or denied) the ISP makes a public statement about what it has done. If any other utility -- basic telephone service, power, water, you name it, operated on this basis nationally, there would be calls for Congressional investigations, not just an occasional grudging FCC look-see. ISPs are still operating as if this was still the experimental Net of many years ago. Hell, DOD wouldn't have accepted this level of behavior even in the early days of ARPANET. The Internet is now a key information and communication utility that people depend on, not simply a sideline toy to be snooped on and manipulated at will. It's time that ISPs who won't behave like good citizens on their own have their feet held to the fire, either by the marketplace or, if that won't work, by other means. These concerns are key aspects of what Network Neutrality is all about. --Lauren-- Lauren Weinstein [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 http://www.pfir.org/lauren Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org Co-Founder, NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com - - - Dave Farber wrote: > The debate over port 25 is interesting. BUT the idea that without > notice they disabled by outbound email (which is NOT high volumn -- > POBOX.com handles list distribution) is IRRESPONSIBLE in the > extreme. Also consider those who dont have access to CMU and IP > whose mail agents set up port 25 by default. Suddenly their machine > stops sending email and their personal and/or business suffers. I > wonder if Comcast will refuse to let me place calls on their digital > voice if I call too much or they just feel in the mood. > > This is BULL -- you know what. > > Dave > > ------------------------------------------- > Archives: http://v2.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now > RSS Feed: http://v2.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/ > Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com >
