[Mimedefang] Lycos Screensaver that attacks Spammers

[WBrown at e1b.org]

mimedefang-bounces at lists.roaringpenguin.com wrote on 12/02/2004 04:00:54 
PM:

> While most of your arguments make sense, the last sentence is 
questionable. 
> Vigilanteism is no more or less moral than having representatives apply 
a 
> policy democratically. It's only a problem if the vigilante is 
unqualified 
> to objectively identify the criminal and apply the policy. If Lycos is 
> unqualified, then who is? (Note that those running the screensaver are 
just 
> its agents, like deputies.)

Democracy is three wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. 
Guess who gets eaten.

 
> The problem is not the "who", just the "how".
> 
> (Every one of us is a vigilante when we run MD, protecting our users 
> without the aid of organized law enforcement.)

No, we're not vigilantes when we filter spam. We're security guards only 
patrolling our property and not leaving the premises.  Returning a failure 
code is like locking the door a putting up a closed sign.  Now if we go 
out in the streets and beat up some one that tries to break in, then we 
are vigilantes.  Sending traffic to a server not on our network is being a 
vigilante.