friends--
As a statement of ideology, I generally like RFC 3271. However, I *do*
have a criticism to contribute... (I know. I should have known about
the draft and contributed my comments sooner.)
Vinton Cerf writes in RFC 3271:
Internet is for everyone - but it won't be if we are not responsible
in its use and mindful of the rights of others who share its wealth.
Let us dedicate ourselves to the responsible use of this new medium
and to the proposition that with the freedoms the Internet enables
comes a commensurate responsibility to use these powerful enablers
with care and consideration. For those who choose to abuse these
privileges, let us dedicate ourselves to developing the necessary
tools to combat the abuse and punish the abuser.
I'd like to see a more thoughtful statement about what kind of tools the
Internet Society favors for countering Internet abuse. The final
sentence in the paragraph above seems under-clear to me.
As a personal statement of conviction, I would say that I favor tools
that empower individuals cooperating in large numbers to make the
decisions about who should be punished and to what extent. When such
tools are efficacious, I think the Internet Society should favor them.
It's much better when abusers are driven from the network because they
can't attract buyers for their services, than when the cops have to run
them off as a menace to the whole Internet.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure I can suggest better language. The problem
is difficult. Perhaps if others were to offer suggestions, I could try
to offer further improvements.
--
j h woodyatt <jhw(_at_)wetware(_dot_)com>