[2637] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: The AUP, Common Sense, and the Emperor's Clothes
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steve Simmons)
Tue Mar 24 21:55:34 1992
From: scs@lokkur.dexter.mi.us (Steve Simmons)
To: com-priv@psi.com (Com-Priv Mailing List)
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 92 21:49:14 EST
In-Reply-To: <9203250026.AA18361@psi.com> from "John Curran" at Mar 25, 92 07:26:01 pm
A few thoughts on acceptable use and this whole topic...
Maybe we should all get in the habit of distinguishing between NSFNet
and the Internet? NSFNet is now a subset of the Internet, and saying
things like "Internet AUP" are just plain silly.
In case nobody noticed, the post office and the telcos do have
acceptable use policies. One critical difference between them and the
Internet is that the phone/post office have the same AUP across the
whole "network". Local corporations with internal phone systems may
have internal AUPs (like no using company longlines to call your Mom)
but they don't have any effect on the outside world.
Heretical statement: I have no problem with the NSFNet AUP. What I
have problems with is apparent use of the AUP as a marketing tool by
ANS ("Them commercial folks can't hook you to nsfnet, but we can...").
Faugh. How about treating everybody by the same rules, guys.
IMHO, NSFNet ought to disconnect *ALL* commercial clients, including
ANS. If they don't want to be the national backbone, that's fine and
understandable. NSFNet sites who want to deal with commercial groups
should (read: can easily and affordably) buy a commercial link from a
commercial networking company.
The commercial networks should build their own backbone(s), doing all
of (a) co-operative unmetered arrangements like the CIX, (b) private
interconnects between two mutually agreeable parties, (c) buying from a
3rd-party backbone supplier at some mutually-agreed upon rate for
packets and/or bandwidth and/or whatever. Let the market decide what
kind of arrangement is best. It's working for phones -- almost all
the complaints I hear about the telephone system today have to do with
the still-regulated parts.
The only reason NSFNet/ANS matters is because they own the backbone.
If, as has been said here, a backbone could be built cheaper and better
with existing off-the-shelf equipment, then let's put our money and
work where our mouths are and DO IT. Universities etc are *extremely*
price-sensitive, and will switch to commercial carriers if they can
save bucks. The AUP will become not merely irrelevant, but an active
hindrance to those who use NSFNet.
