[9990] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
ba.com and some thoughts on the ethics of choosing host names
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Gordon Cook)
Wed Feb 2 10:30:50 1994
From: cook@path.net (Gordon Cook)
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 1994 07:30:10 PST
To: com-priv@psi.com, telecomreg@relay.adp.wisc.edu
Maybe I am the only one asleep at the switch, but about a month ago when Eric
Rabe started posting from this and other lists using a ba.com address and
offering documents on the bell atlantic TCI merger, I thought they were Bell
Atlantic employees. That ba.com was a bell atlantic owned and operated
internet host. That ba.com was bell atlantic's direct corporate presence on
the net. That statements from ba.com were direct bell atlantic corporate
statements which might be modified only at some embarressment to bell
atlantic.
Then I saw a post or two from Ken Deutsch, Issue Dynamics, @ba.com. Knowing
that Issue Dynamics is apparently paid by Bell Atlantic to among other things
explain the virtues of the Bell Atlantic TCI Merger to the public, I thought
it strange that an employee of Issue Dynamics would be given an account on a
Bell Atlantic corporate host. I know the folk who run Issue Dynamics. I sent
email to them at another address pointing out my concern. Never received a
reply.
Now someone else whom I know personally tells me privately that ba.com is
*NOT* a bell atlantic host. No, he says that it is run by Issue Dynamics out
of their Washington offices. In otherwords the impression that I am left with
is that when we read a post from ba.com we are reading not a corporate
statement by Bell Atlantic but rather a statement by a lobbyist for Bell
Atlantic. If my assumption is accurate, such is perfectly legal, but I submit
deceptive and unethical. (again, why does it matter? because statements that
come from lobbyists don't carry the same weight as statements directly from
the organization that has hired the lobyist. The first would be easier to
disavow.)
Now I know that by the self policing rules under which we operate I could, if
I wish, register a domain host name address for myself as
advan-netwk&serv.com. If I were to do that, I'd expect a lot of flak. Why?
because a net user should be able to assume that an address is an accurate
identification of the identity of the host doing the communicating. We
shouldn't have to do a traceroute to verify every host we see.
Do others see this as a significant ethical issue?? Does the community frown
on the use of misleading host names? if so can someone at isoc or iab but out
a good strong statement on what is acceptable and what not? And if ba.com is
an issue dynamics owned and operated host could they please register a name
change to indicate that?
PS. Department of clarification: my reference to querrying issue dynamics without a reply refers to a message I sentabout 3 weeks ago. I did just receive
a private reply to yesterdays com-priv post.
