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List:       ietf
Subject:    RFC 3271 and Internet abuse
From:       james woodyatt <jhw () wetware ! com>
Date:       2002-04-30 22:49:46
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friends--

As a statement of ideology, I generally like RFC 3271.  However, I *do* 
have a criticism to contribute... (I know.  I should have known about 
the draft and contributed my comments sooner.)

Vinton Cerf writes in RFC 3271:
>
>    Internet is for everyone - but it won't be if we are not responsible
>    in its use and mindful of the rights of others who share its wealth.
>    Let us dedicate ourselves to the responsible use of this new medium
>    and to the proposition that with the freedoms the Internet enables
>    comes a commensurate responsibility to use these powerful enablers
>    with care and consideration.  For those who choose to abuse these
>    privileges, let us dedicate ourselves to developing the necessary
>    tools to combat the abuse and punish the abuser.

I'd like to see a more thoughtful statement about what kind of tools the 
Internet Society favors for countering Internet abuse.  The final 
sentence in the paragraph above seems under-clear to me.

As a personal statement of conviction, I would say that I favor tools 
that empower individuals cooperating in large numbers to make the 
decisions about who should be punished and to what extent.  When such 
tools are efficacious, I think the Internet Society should favor them.  
It's much better when abusers are driven from the network because they 
can't attract buyers for their services, than when the cops have to run 
them off as a menace to the whole Internet.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure I can suggest better language.  The problem 
is difficult.  Perhaps if others were to offer suggestions, I could try 
to offer further improvements.


--
j h woodyatt <jhw@wetware.com>

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