Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!proteon.com!jas
From: jas@proteon.com (John A. Shriver)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: netnews gatewaying
Message-ID: <9006041649.AA05939@sonny.proteon.com>
Date: 4 Jun 90 16:49:31 GMT
References: <1990Jun2.033607.9779@mthvax.cs.miami.edu>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
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I will admit that many peoples' counter arguments to me have been
interesting (many sent just to me), including a cute peice of forged
SMTP mail.  I appreciate the comments, and do admit a anti-netnews
bias.  Apologies to those offended.

However, I was glad to see that some comments came out that might
address the problem.  David noted that there is a cancel function in
netnews, and that it nabbed this message fairly quickly.  Maybe the
netnews/SMTP "gateway" agents could put in a delay, maybe an hour or
two, that would allow the "cancel" to do it's work.  Also, maybe there
should be a crude filter program.

I think that we should focus on how to improve this system, rather
than assert that complaining about problems is unfair or evil.  There
is a problem, let's not stick our heads on the sand.  Research is
under way on secure SMTP mail, maybe research is needed elsewhere.  Be
constructive. 

My concern, which I may not have made clear enough, is that the US
Government is potentially watching us.  If they don't like what is
being done with the money the subsidize the Internet with, they might
cut it off.  We live in a glass house, as Barry noted.  The fellow
with the *big* rock is in Washington, D.C., not some hacker.

By the way, my other point about the netnews gateway just came home to
roost.  There is a mail loop on this list, with a delay of over 6
weeks, that just kicked in.  Groan, will that be hard to find.