[9121] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
SUMMARY: Service Provider Sleaze Policies
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Mark Costlow)
Sat Dec 18 03:19:38 1993
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 93 22:49:45 MST
From: bbx!kitsune!cheeks@cs.unm.edu (Mark Costlow)
To: com-priv@cs.unm.edu
I asked earlier this week what policies the service providers on this list
use with regard to protecting minors from net sleaze. There were only 4
responses. Here's the promised summary:
============================================================================
Who: Steve Barnes, Illuminati Online
What: Restricted newsgroup access. No waiver required. Collects
photocopies of ID.
How: "authinfo" hacked into newsreaders, working with INN.
Who: Mark Mallet, provider in New Hampshire
What: Only sell accounts to adults. Allow adults to purchase accounts
for minors.
How: N/A
Who: Doug Luce, Telerama
What: Access to alt.sex.* and rec.arts.erotica restricted to "adults".
Requires photocopy or FAX of ID to grant adult status.
How: ?? (don't know how newsgroups are restricted)
Who: Karl Denninger, MCSNet
What: "Similar to Telerama" ... allows adult guardian to vouch for minor.
How: ?? (don't know how newsgroups are restricted)
============================================================================
So I presume that the dominant theory is that you can offer restricted
newsgroup access (i.e. users can still telnet to an open NNTP site and get
whatever they want) or just treat the service like an R-rated movie.
Different subject: I've been wondering if the access provider entrepreneurs
have set up a mailing list yet? I'm uncovering details daily as I prepare
to start a provider service, and it would be nice to be able to get some
advice from others where are doing the same thing or have already done it.
I don't think com-priv is really appropriate for that sort of stuff since
it seems to be more interested in the larger issues of commercialization of
the net than "where did you get your Visa merchant account?".
So, if such a list doesn't exist yet, is anyone interested in starting one?
Or is the competition factor too strong? Most of us are geographically
separated enough that I don't think we would pose any kind of threat to
each other, but several of you are providing service in the same metro
area.
Any interest?
Mark
--
Mark Costlow
Southwest Cyberport
cheeks@kitsune.abq.nm.us or ...mimbres.cs.unm.edu!bbx!kitsune!cheeks
