Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!proteon.com!jas
From: jas@proteon.com (John A. Shriver)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: trash message from usenet (BIFF)
Message-ID: <9006011556.AA23309@sonny.proteon.com>
Date: 1 Jun 90 15:56:15 GMT
References: <9006011234.AA22023@monk.proteon.com>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 38

Actually, that message came in from usenet netnews.  It appears that
is was sent to every netnews mailgroup.  Dial-up access had nothing to
do with it.  (Anyone can send mail wherever they please from an
account anywhere on the Internet, and realistically, from anywhere in
usenet as well.)

The problem is the absolute complete and total lack of any sort of
security, trackability, or accountability in the netnews system that
runs on usenet (uucp) and over nntp.  The problem is that most of the
Internet mailing lists have been "gatewayed" to netnews mailgroups.  I
don't think that this was a good thing to do.  I don't like seeing
Internet mailing lists being brought down to the low level typical of
some of the netnews mailgroups.  I'd rather the "gateways" be made one
way (out from Internet only), or even non-existent.  (One could argue
that those "gateways" violate the access rules for the Internet, since
they cannot verify that the message came from an authorized user of
the Internet.)

I realize that this would deny netnews/uucp only sites access to the
Internet mailing lists, but if their umbrella organization (usenet)
cannot maintain professional standards of behavior, then that is their
loss.  By implementing a system without accountability, they create
that risk.

Another problem due to "gatewaying" has been consistent recurring
problems with mail loops through netnews.  About once a month one or
another of the mailing lists I'm on gets into a mail loop through
netnews.

I (and others) would welcome netnews being made properly accountable
and secure.  It is not, per-se, evil, and I understand that it is
efficient.  However, not building the Received: lines may make netnews
more efficient, but this removes all vestiges of accountability.  This
is a key problem.

The TCP-IP list has been quite consitently professional in its
conduct, as have most public Internet mailing lists.  Everything
unprofessional I have seen recently was "gatewayed" in from netnews.