[11479] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: The whole CIX concept is flawed
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (William Manning)
Mon Apr 4 03:43:08 1994
From: bmanning@is.rice.edu (William Manning)
To: gwh@crl.com (George Herbert)
Date: Sun, 3 Apr 1994 21:48:43 -0500 (CDT)
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: <199404031811.AA03477@crl.crl.com> from "George Herbert" at Apr 3, 94 11:11:05 am
> You can go through a regional or Sprintlink and resell,
> but that puts you in the routing-not-guaranteed class
> if I'm reading things right.
>
Well, -NO-ONE- can ensure routing, not even the CIX :)
In the five cases I know of, routing is done with the
same promptness for everyone.... as long as they meet
the dreaded AUP :)
Just for grins, this draft was approved at the IETF last
week. Kind of puts AUP-free into perspective.
------------------------------------------------------
Acceptable Use Policy Definition
Status of this Memo
This document is an Internet Draft. Internet Drafts are working
documents of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), its Areas,
and its Working Groups. Note that other groups may also distribute
working documents as Internet Drafts.
Internet Drafts are draft documents valid for a maximum of six months.
Internet Drafts may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other
documents at any time. It is not appropriate to use Internet Drafts
as reference material or to cite them other than as a "working draft"
or "work in progress."
Please check the 1id-abstracts.txt listing contained in the
internet-drafts Shadow Directories on nic.ddn.mil, ds.internic.net,
venera.isi.edu, nic.nordu.net, or munnari.oz.au to learn the current
status of any Internet Draft.
0. Abstract
This paper covers basic fundamentals that must be understood when
one defines, interprets, or implements acceptable use policies over
the Internet.
1. Background
Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) are an implicit part of internetworking.
Everyone has one, whether published or not. This applies to networks
that provide transit paths for other networks as well as end sites and
the individual users that use systems. A better understanding of an
AUP, and how to formulate one seems to be increasingly important as the
global net encompases new environments as varied as K12 schools and
real-time systems. AUP's are used to determine pricing, customer base,
type and quality of service metrics, and a host of other provider services.
2. AUP components
In defining your particular AUP there are three areas that must be addressed.
They are where you get service from, who your peers are, and whom you
provide service to. A good understanding of these concepts will make or
break the AUP you formulate.
2.1 Where you get service from
Each entity gets its service from one or more other providers, either
a level three service, such as IP transit, or a level two service, such
as circuits. The provider of such services usually has an AUP in the
form of an agreement or contract specifying terms and conditions of use.
This forms the basis for the type of service offerings that you as an
entity can provide. If you get service from several providers, all of
them need to be considered in the formation of policy.
2.2 Who your peers are
Are your policies consistent with those offered by your peers? In many
cases, the formation of policy will define who your peers are. It is
important to clearly identify which areas you intend to reach and the
community you wish to be a contributing, productive part of. Once this
is clear, formulate polices along those lines.
2.3 Who you provide service to
It is required that you inform those who use your services just what
your policies are. Without this information, it will be almost impossible
for them to distinguish what to expect from your service offering.
Without a clear policy it is possible that litigation may ensue. It
is important to reflect community standards in the creation of policy.
3. AUP issues
IP provided services can be complex They comprise both information
and communication. In the formulation of policy it is critical that
the policy provide for security _and_ access to information and
communication while ensuring that the resource use does not overburden
the system's capabilities. These conflicting demands must be analyzed
and a synthesis arrived at. This hints a fourth component of an AUP,
that it has a method to extract compliance. This is so site specific
that further analysis will not be attempted here.
Some items that should be considered in the formation of policy are:
- privacy - morals & ethics
- freedom of expression - legal constraints
- safety - harassment
- plagiarism - resource utilization
- indemnification - targeted areas of interest
- expected behaviours - remedies and recourse
This should not be considered as an exhaustive list but as pointers for
those types of things to be considered when policy is formed.
4. Security
Security and Liability are not covered in this memo.
5. Summary
Acceptable Use is here to stay. As the Interconnected mesh of networks
grows, the choices presented to end-users mandate that provider
expectations are clearly presented. Use of these guidelines will help
create a clearer, better defined environment for everyone.
Don Perkins - HISD
Bill Manning - Rice University
For further reference, see the following materials:
Name=Acceptable and Unacceptable Use of Net Resources (K12)
Type=1
Host=riceinfo.rice.edu
Port=1170
Path=1/More/Acceptable
____________________________________________________________________
APPENDIX: THE COVIS NETWORK USE POLICY
A. Mission Statement
The Learning Through Collaborative Visualization Project
(CoVis) was established to explore project-enhanced science
learning supported by advanced computing applications in a
secondary school environment. As such, the computer network
environment supported by the project (the CoVis Network) is
designed to enhance the learning and teaching activities of the
participating science classrooms at New Trier and Evanston
Township High Schools. The term "network" in this document
refers to a number of computers and other electronic tools that
are connected to each other for the purpose of communication
and data sharing. CoVis is a National Science Foundation
(NSF) funded research project, and use of the network is
therefore provided to allow the study of its impact on learning
and teaching.
1. Purpose of the Internet
The Internet (a global network made up of many smaller
contributing networks) and its services are intended to
support open research and education in and among US
research and instructional institutions, plus research arms of
for-profit firms when engaged in open scholarly
communication and research. Use for other purposes, e.g.
for-profit activity or extensive personal business, is not
acceptable.
2. Purpose of the CoVis Network
The purpose of the CoVis Network is to facilitate
communications and collaboration between members of the
CoVis community. Network use is primarily intended for
the support of project work conducted for participating
CoVis classes, and far less significantly for other purposes
that students and teachers determine to be of educational
value. The CoVis Network has limited resources, and
CoVis classrooms have limited time available for network-
supported teaching and learning activities. Any use of the
network which adversely affects its operation in pursuit of
teaching and learning or jeopardizes its use or performance
for other community members is prohibited, and may result
in the loss of network privileges.
B. Services Available on the CoVis Network
The CoVis Network consists of a variety of computing
equipment, software, and network connections. This section
describes the primary tools and services approved for use in the
CoVis Network. Other tools may be used, but may not be
supported by the system administrators:
1. Cruiser Videoconferencing. Cruiser is a tool designed to
allow video and audio connections between two people,
each of whom must have a Cruiser station and access to the
CoVis network. Cruiser conversations are private;
2. Timbuktu Screen-Sharing. Timbuktu is a commercial
software product that allows a Macintosh user to view or
control another Macintosh computer remotely (with the
remote user's permission). This is designed to allow two or
more people to work together over the CoVis Network.
Timbuktu sessions are private;
3. Collaborative Notebook. The Notebook is a personal or
group workspace designed to support project work in CoVis
classrooms. Work done using the notebook may be either
private or public, as designated by the user. Users should be
careful to note whether they are working in a private or a
public portion of the notebook.
4. General-Use Internet Tools. These include, but are not
limited to, the following:
a) Electronic Mail, or e-mail. E-mail is just like regular
mail, except instead of paper, you use the computer. E-
mail correspondence is considered private. The CoVis
Project uses a program called "Eudora" for sending and
receiving mail.
b) Listservs. A listserv is a means to broadcast an e-mail
message to many users for the purpose of maintaining a
discussion list. Although listserv messages are
transmitted via e-mail, correspondence is public, so extra
care should be used when participating. The program
called "Eudora" would be used for participating in a
listserv.
c) Network News. Netnews is a communications tool for
large group discussion. Netnews is essentially similar to
a listserv, except that it does not use e-mail as the means
of communication. Instead, you use software called a
"news reader" to read and post messages to the
appropriate groups. Newsgroups are very public, and
should be used thoughtfully. The CoVis project employs
a program called "NewsWatcher" for reading and posting
news.
d) File Transfer Protocol, or FTP. File Transfer Protocol is a
means of moving files between computers on the Internet.
The CoVis project employs a program called "Fetch" for
doing this.
e) Telnet. Telnet allows you to connect to other computers
on the Internet, provided you know the machine's Internet
address and appropriate password. All provisions of this
document apply to members of the CoVis community
while using remote computers via Telnet. The CoVis
Project uses a program called "NCSA Telnet" for
telnetting operations.
f) Gopher. Gopher is a means of navigating the Internet via
a menu-driven or point-and-click interface to the
computer. Gopher is a very convenient way to retrieve
files and information from sources all around the globe.
For most purposes, it may be considered an easier form of
FTP and can be used to initiate Telnet sessions. The
CoVis Project uses a program called "TurboGopher" for
gopher searching.
C. Who is a member of the CoVis community?
All account holders on the CoVis Network will be granted
access to all services the network offers. The following people
may hold accounts on the CoVis Network:
1. Students. Students who are currently enrolled in a CoVis
class will automatically be granted a network account upon
agreement to the terms stated in this policy;
2. Teachers. Teachers of CoVis classes may hold accounts on
the CoVis Network. Other teachers may apply for accounts;
3. Scientists. Scientists who wish to collaborate on student
projects will be granted CoVis Network accounts. The exact
nature of the account (i.e., which services are available) will
depend on individual circumstances;
4. Researchers. The researchers conducting the CoVis project
will hold accounts on the CoVis network;
5. Others. Anyone may request a special account on the CoVis
network. These requests will be granted on a case-by-case
basis, depending on need and resource availability.
Note: Except in special cases listed above, people from the
larger Internet community are not part of the local CoVis
community, and will probably be unaware of the existence
of this policy. However, you should always treat people you
"meet" on the network with respect, as if they were a part of
your community.
D. Privileges and Rights of CoVis Network Community Members
Members of the CoVis community have certain network
privileges and rights. These include:
1. Privacy. All members of the CoVis community have the
right to privacy in their email, Cruiser, Timbuktu, and
notebook communications when so designated by the user.
However, if a user is believed to be in violation of the
guidelines stated in this policy, a system administrator or
teacher may need to gain access to private correspondence
or files. An attempt will be made to notify the user of such
inspections whenever possible. As CoVis is primarily a
research project, researchers may periodically make requests
to study or view correspondence and files, but
confidentiality is ensured in such circumstances. Also, it is
important that users recognize the fundamental differences
between public (e.g. news) and private (e.g. email) forms of
communication, and shape their content accordingly;
2. Equal Access. All members of the CoVis community will
be granted free and equal access to as many network
services as their technology allows. Exploration of the
Internet is encouraged relative to the purposes of the CoVis
Network;
3. Safety. To the greatest extent possible, members of the
CoVis community will be protected from harassment or
unwanted or unsolicited contact. Any community member
who receives threatening or unwelcome communications
should bring them to the attention of a system administrator
or teacher. Users must, however, be aware that there are
many services available on the Internet that could potentially
be offensive to certain groups of users. The designers of the
CoVis Network cannot eliminate access to all such services,
nor could they even begin to identify them. Thus individual
users must take responsibility for their own actions in
navigating the network;
4. Intellectual Freedom. The CoVis Network must be a free
and open forum for expression, including viewpoints that are
strange, unorthodox, or unpopular. The network
administrators will place no official sanctions upon the
expression of personal opinion on the network. However,
the poster of an opinion should be aware that other
community members may be openly critical of such
opinions. Occasionally, a message that you post may be
met from outside the CoVis community with especially
harsh criticism (a practice known as "flaming"). It is best
not to respond to such attacks, unless you believe you are
capable of a measured, rational reply. Personal attacks are
not an acceptable use of the CoVis Network at any time.
The CoVis Project does not officially endorse any opinions
stated on the network. Any statement of personal belief is
implicitly understood to be representative of the author's
individual point of view, and not that of the CoVis Network,
its administrators, or the participating high schools.
E. Responsibilities of CoVis Network Community Members
With the rights and privileges of membership in the CoVis
Network community come certain responsibilities. Users need
to familiarize themselves with these responsibilities. Failure to
follow them may result in the loss of network privileges. These
responsibilities include:
1. Using appropriate language. Profanity or obscenity will not
be tolerated on the CoVis Network. All community
members should use language appropriate for school
situations as indicated by school codes of conduct;
2. Avoiding offensive or inflammatory speech. Community
members must respect the rights of others both in the local
community and in the Internet at large. Personal attacks are
an unacceptable use of the network. If you are the victim of
a "flame," take time to respond rationally, and bring the
incident to the attention of a teacher or system administrator;
3. Adhering to the rules of copyright. CoVis community
members must respect all copyright issues regarding
software, information, and attributions of authorship. The
unauthorized copying or transfer of copyrighted materials
may result in the loss of network privileges;
4. Re-posting personal communications without the original
author's prior consent is prohibited. To do this is a violation
of the author's privacy. However, all messages posted in a
public forum such as newsgroups or listservs may be copied
in subsequent communications, so long as proper attribution
is given;
5. Use of the network for any illegal activities is prohibited.
Illegal activities include tampering with computer hardware
or software, unauthorized entry into computers, or
knowledgeable vandalism or destruction of computer files.
Such activity is considered a crime under state and federal
law;
6. Avoid the knowing or inadvertent spread of computer
viruses. "Computer viruses" are programs that have been
developed as pranks, and can destroy valuable programs and
data. To reduce the risk of spreading a computer virus, do
not import files from unknown or disreputable sources. If
you do obtain software or files from remote sources, follow
proper procedures to check for viruses before use.
Deliberate attempts to degrade or disrupt system
performance of the CoVis Network or any other computer
system or network on the Internet by spreading computer
viruses is considered criminal activity under state and
federal law;
7. You have full responsibility for the use of your account. All
violations of this policy that can be traced to an individual
account name will be treated as the sole responsibility of the
owner of that account. Under no conditions should you give
your password to another user;
8. Impersonation is not permitted. Real names must be used,
pseudonyms are not allowed;
9. Anonymity is not allowed on the CoVis Network. As an
educational network, we believe that individuals must take
responsibility for their actions and words;
10. Exemplary behavior is expected on 'virtual' field trips.
When 'visiting' locations on the Internet or using the Cruiser
or Timbuktu communication tools, CoVis community
members must conduct themselves as representatives of both
their respective schools and the CoVis community as a
whole. Conduct that is in conflict with the responsibilities
outlined in this document will be subject to loss of network
privileges.
____________________________________________________________________
This article is reprinted with the express permission of Barry Fishman.
--
Regards,
Bill Manning
