Fwd: Re: Digital Island sponsors DoS attempt?

Mon Oct 29 19:23:37 UTC 2001

On 01:05 PM 10/29/2001 -0500, Christopher A. Woodfield wrote:
 >
 >While I am, and have been, a MAPS supporter for a very long time, the
 >truth is that this assertion is not nearly as true today as it was when
 >the RBL was first implemented, particularly in the realm of bradband
 >access. While I normally would not object to any ISP using MAPS or other
 >spam and/or content filters, the "get another provider if you object"
 >argument doesn't work nearly as well if there's only one DSL or cable
 >provider that serves the customer.

The customer is under no obligation to use their access provider for their 
email.  There are literally hundreds of options for your email provider, 
including dozens of free email providers, and many others who charge a very 
small amount per month/year.  If having a choice about how email is 
filtered or not filtered is important to the customer, the options are 
practically endless.

 >If Covad were to go under tomorrow, Verizon DSL would be my sole choice
 >for high-speed access to my home - I have no line of sight to either of
 >the satellite access providers, and the cable plant hasn't been upgraded to
 >support cable access yet. And I can't afford to bring in a T1,
 >unfortunately :/ So if Verizon were to start filtering mail based on the
 >RBL list or any other list, or filter traffic based on legal/moral issues
 >(say, to block napster/gnutella clients), what other options are there,
 >other than going back to dialup?

For email, see above.  For traffic filtering based on port (rather than 
content), you have a completely different issue.   We have employees who 
can't use the M$ VPN client to VPN to the exchange server because their 
high-speed Internet is via cable modem.  The cable modem service uses the 
VPN system for communication between the cable modem box and the head end 
office, and so that system isn't available (is "blocked") to the 
customer.  Our work-around is to setup an SSH tunnel instead.  It's not as 
simple, but it gets the employee into our servers without passing data in 
the clear.  If it's really really important for you to get to 
napster/gnutella, you will have to find a similar way past roadblocks, or, 
yes, go back to dial-up.  There's no law that says that the broadband 
options available to any one end user have to meet that end user's 
desires.  Supply and demand will create companies and services/products 
that are profitable and meet (most) customer demands, just as it does with 
other products like cars and trucks.

I'd REALLY like a truck with Dodge body styling, interior, and Cummins 
engine, with a Ford automatic transmission (Dodge is notorious for crappy 
automatic trannies) and those kewl extendo mirrors.   (For towing that 
furrytractor :-)

jc