[ NNSquad ] Re: Is network unneutrality necessarily bad?

[John Pettitt <jpp@cloudview.com>]

Jason Frisvold wrote:
> This brings up an interesting question.  What about deliberate
> blocking for virii, bots, etc?  For instance, many ISPs now block port
> 25 outbound to all but the local mail server.  Other ISPs block the
> Netbios protocols.
>
> Personally, I think those blocks help in many cases.  I'm not sure
> there are legitimate reasons to use Netbios across the Internet, and
> port 587 is acceptable for MSA support.
>
>   
There are ways of doing this right - check out what sonic.net does.  
They offer three *user selectable* levels of blocking for things like 
port 25 and netbios as well as a wide open option for people (like me) 
who run their own mail servers.  Full info here 
http://www.sonic.net/features/firewall/

Regarding running mail servers:   If the Government wants to snoop my 
email they have to send the national security letter to my mail server 
operator - that alone is a good reason to run my own server.

John

  [ John's last point relates directly my previous comments about privacy and
    security.  In general, courts have been setting a much lower threshold
    for outside access to e-mail on third-party servers than for e-mail
    stored on systems under users' direct control where e-mail merely
    transited third-party systems.  This doesn't mean using third party mail
    services is inappropriate (some are very powerful) but the option should
    be up to each individual user.  When port 25 is blocked, exercising the
    option of running your own mail servers becomes extremely difficult.  And
    frankly, I reject the notion that only "business class" users should have
    that capability, not well-behaved consumer class users.  Perhaps a more
    honest way for restricted Internet services to be marketed would be as
    "Internet Light" or some such.

                                                 -- Lauren Weinstein
                                                    NNSquad Moderator  ]