Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!crdgw1!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!caen!ox.com!ox.com!emv From: emv@ox.com (Ed Vielmetti) Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk Subject: ANS Acceptable Use Policy Message-ID: Date: 28 Mar 91 23:20:23 GMT Sender: usenet@ox.com (Usenet News Administrator) Organization: OTA Limited Partnership, Ann Arbor MI. Lines: 118 Note in particular the phrase that 4. ANS networks must not be used to transmit any communication where the meaning of the message, or its transmission or distribution, would violate any applicable law or regulation or would likely be highly offensive to the recipient or recipients thereof. "highly offensive" is deliberately vague; my gloss on this is that ANS could use this clause as it sees fit to squash out any sort of traffic it didn't like, under only the smallest of pretexts. ANS is the recent IBM/Merit/MCI conglomeration that runs the NSFnet backbone. -- Msen Edward Vielmetti /|--- moderator, comp.archives emv@msen.com From: kwe@bu-it.bu.edu (Kent England) Date: Thu, 28 Mar 91 17:46:06 -0500 I think this answers some of the questions raised of late regarding ANS. Gordon, you might consider this in answer to your plea for someone from ANS to raise their voice. :-) From: Joel_Maloff@um.cc.umich.edu To: kwe@bu-it.bu.edu, maloff@merit.edu Subject: ANS Acceptable Use Policy Kent; Thank you for your inquiry into the ANS Acceptable Use Policy. As you requested, I have attached it to this message. You may feel free to share it as you see fit. The ANS Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) bears much in common with policies of other organizations involved in internetworking. ANS adopted an AUP for much the same reasons that led other networks to do so. We wish to provide the best possible service to the research and education community. The AUP will be administered on a case by case basis, taking real - not hypothetical - cases one at a time, and with the help of the community that we serve, respond appropriately to real instances. Both formal and informal groups will be used by ANS in seeking guidance on the AUP administration. Attaching institutions will have responsibility for adherence to the AUP, and will give advice on its administration and suggested changes. ANS expects the AUP to evolve over time. The AUP reads as follows: ANS ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY Advanced Network & Services, Inc. (ANS) is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to the advancement of education and research in the interest of improving competitiveness and productivity in the global economic environment. Accordingly, ANS' objectives are to help expand access to and interchange of information technology resources among academic, government and industry users, provide state-of-the-art high speed data networks and related services, engage in related research and development work, and improve the ways that information is created and used for education and research purposes. ANS aims to support the academic and research communities, enhance education and research at all levels, and contribute to improving the quality of education and research. Organizations using ANS services will directly benefit if ANS services and facilities are used in ways which will build overall system efficiencies, maximize the accessibility of the system, and minimize or eliminate unimportant or improper traffic over the systems. ANS will be able to provide better service for User Organizations if a reasonable Acceptable Use Policy is adopted, promulgated and applied by ANS and all User Organizations. The Policy 1. All use of ANS network services are be intended to facilitate the exchange of information in furtherance of education and research, and otherwise be consistent with the broad objectives of ANS. 2. Users of ANS network services will promote efficient use of the networks to minimize, and avoid if possible, congestion of the networks and interference with the work of other users of the networks. 3. Users of ANS network services will not disrupt any of the ANS networks as a whole or any equipment or system forming part of its systems, or any services provided over, or in connection with, any of the ANS networks. 4. ANS networks must not be used to transmit any communication where the meaning of the message, or its transmission or distribution, would violate any applicable law or regulation or would likely be highly offensive to the recipient or recipients thereof. 5. ANS networks must not be used for commercial purposes. However, if a use is consistent with the purposes and objectives of ANS, then commercial activities in support of that use will be considered an acceptable use of the network. 6. Advertising of commercial offerings is forbidden. discussion of a product's relative advantages and disadvantages by users of the product is encouraged. Vendors may respond to questions about their products as long as the responses are not in the nature of advertising. 7. Interpretation, application, and possible modification of this Acceptable Use Policy will be within the sole discretion of ANS. Questions about any issue arising under this Policy should be directed to ANS by User Organizations when an issue first arises.