Re: [ga] Net-block issues

[Sandy Harris <sandy@storm.ca>]

William X Walsh wrote:
> 
> Registries should not be involved in MAPS like operations at all.
> 
> You can't seriously be suggesting that?
> 
> MAPS is not a functionality, it is a disfunctionality, and if it is to
> exist at all, it should be managed privately.

I agree, but ...
 
> Wednesday, Wednesday, August 15, 2001, 8:38:35 AM, Roeland Meyer wrote:
> > The fundimental process disconnect here is that, IMHO, the various
> > registries should be performing the MAPS function as part of their policy
> > enforcement mechanism. This is not written into any of the
> > registrar/registry agreements.
> 
> > If anything argues for a centralised systems approach, the MAPS
> > functionality does. IMHO, this makes it an ICANN issue. Yes, this also
> > politicizes it somewhat. No, some NANOG denizens won't like it and that is
> > guaranteed.

There's an important tradition among systems administrators, that they will
deal with "abuse OF the net", but not with "abuse ON the net". I think this
is valid and worth preserving.

For example, any sane ISP has something in their terms of service agreement
that lets them disconnect spammers. They must be able to do this in order
to protect other systems' users from spam.

On the other hand, an ISP or a registry should not be acting against its
customers for anything other than direct abuse OF the network. There are
laws against libel, trademark misuse, stalking, harassment, some types of
pornography, 'hate literature', slander, software 'piracy', ... 

All these forms of abuse ON the net are better dealt with by police and
courts than by system admins. Courts have legal authority to act on these
issues, experience and expertise, protections for the accused, standards
of evidence, ... Neither ISPs nor registries have any of those.

There may be some exceptions for extremely blatant violators, where an
ISP or registry might reasonably help stop abuse, but when there is any
doubt at all, they should give their customers the benefit of that doubt. 

So, while I feel that having registries disconnect spammers is not a good
idea (mainly because I don't trust ICANN to come up with good guidelines
and NSI are themselves spammers), I do think you can make a far better
case for that than for having them try to enforce trademark restrictions.
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