ISP wants to stop outgoing web based spam

Thu Aug 10 07:55:43 UTC 2006

On Thu, 10 Aug 2006, Suresh Ramasubramanian wrote:
>> Lots of groups state that ISPs must take responsibility for lots of
>> things.
>
> Lots of ISPs together stated that ISPs must take responsibility for a
> few things.

The movie industry joined together and introduced the Hays Production
Code.  The comic book industry joined together and introduced the
Comic Book Code.  Their respective industries took responsibility for a 
few things. The result was the moviegoing and comic buying public was 
effectively blocked from alternative choices and attempts by smaller 
independent studios to create movies and comics outside of established 
codes were punished by the industry members.

> Small, but significant difference there, dont you think?

There is a small, but significant difference, between ISP's providing
good, bad or no anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-x filtering on messages 
being received by customers that want those services; and a group of ISPs 
deciding to enforce common terms and conditions on customer behavior 
above and beyond what is necessary to protect and operate the network 
on unwilling customers that don't want to accept those T&Cs.

As soon as you say ISPs "must," the compulsory nature of the business 
terms and conditions is a necessary, but problematic condition.

A group of 100 ISPs decide on particular terms and conditions doesn't
mean the other 30,000 (or whatever the current count is) ISPs must
agree to the same terms and conditions.

Perhaps a small, but significantly different way to phrase it:

A group of X ISPs agreed to accept responsibility for abuse by their 
users.