[Mimedefang] OS wars... [was Viruses: Bounce or Discard?]

[Joe Stevens]

> I don't know what things are like where you live, but here in Canada,
> most of the big ISPs do not offer "unrestricted access" to the Internet.
> Most, for example, forbid you to run servers, and many actively filter
> out SMTP and HTTP inbound ports.  Quite a few block outbound SMTP, forcing
> you to relay through their mail servers.

Wow, I didn't know it was that bad.

Here in Japan, most ISPs will sell you a static IP for an additional 
couple dollars a month if you want to set up a home server (the only I 
work for doesn't, but about half the major national ISPs do).

There are even a number of consumer devices which take advantage of this 
to offer people who wouldn't be able to do it themselves an easy way.
for example, the "personal server galileo":
http://www.sharp.co.jp/products/hg01s/index.html

> Legality or illegality has nothing to do with it.  Just as ISPs can charge
> for excess bandwidth use, they can charge for transmission of viruses.

Well, we don't charge for excess bandwidth use, or block ports.  (in 
fact, we haven't even ever seriously considered doing so)  Our customer 
agreement is that you get an "unlimited use" account for the monthly fee.

> But unless you can show harm to the users of that software, the
> government will likely lose its case.  That's why the first (painful)
> step must be to make the users of the software pay the *true* "Total
> Cost of Ownership."

Ahh -- there would definitely have to be a law that restructured 
corporate liability for software makers before any government action 
would likely suceed... but in the end, I think that solution is more 
likely than getting more than one or two ISPs to work together.

In the end, one could argue that the spam/virus problem has only gotten 
this bad because its not been in anybody's best interest to stop it.  If 
you can't make some legal incentive for the software vendors to do so, I 
think it will be even more difficult to convince the ISPs.  With the 
software vendors, its at least "their fault" (in a way) -- ISPs just 
provide the connectivity, we have no say over what people do with it...

--
Joe