RE: [funsec] McColo: Major Source of Online Scams and Spams KnockedOffline (fwd)

["Frank Bulk" <frnkblk () iname com>]

Don't confuse contract enforcement with law enforcement.  The word "lynching" or "vigilante" suggests that the enforcer 
of "justice" is breaking the law.  But there's no indication that the service providers who've cut their customers off 
have done anything but follow the provisions in their contracts.

As said elsewhere, contract enforcement is generally more effective.

Frank

-----Original Message-----
From: Jason Ross [mailto:algorythm () gmail com] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 1:45 PM
To: Nick Newman
Cc: nanog () merit edu; Kee Hinckley
Subject: Re: [funsec] McColo: Major Source of Online Scams and Spams KnockedOffline (fwd)

On Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 14:16, Nick Newman <NNewman () nw3c org> wrote:
> How many cops does it take to throw a community lynching?

None.
The question that remains is: Why is the community having to resort to lynching?

Following the metaphor and using the US "Old West" as an example,
lynchings were largely due to one of the following:

   * a lack of organized law enforcement
   * a lack of effective law enforcement
   * an outraged mob following the lead of a few with their own agenda
in the heat of some moment

I don't think the latter point applies (though some have argued it
very much does). The former two points though very much do IMO, and I
think this was the point Kee was making. To put it another way:

How can we as network operators help law enforcement become more
organized and effective such that lynchings are no longer needed?

I'm not convinced there's an adequate answer to that question given
the current structure of "the internet", and the nature of how things
work.
( I suppose there's room in there for an argument that community
lynchings are the most effective way to deal with the problems that
arise, though I don't think such is the case. )

--
Jason