IP: DDoS -- The new kiddies

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> From: "Bob Frankston" <RMFx18 () Bobf Frankston com>
> To: "David Farber" <dave () farber net>
> Subject: DDoS -- The new kiddies
> Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 23:09:51 -0400
>
>
> Just found a few hundred hits on /default.ida on my server and I'm sure 
> I'm not alone. So far, in the last day, there were 450 requests from 94 
> distinct sites -- generally cable modem and DSL users. This is actually a 
> very small number considering what is possible and, perhaps, likely in the 
> next few days.
>
> But they don't worry me as much as those who see it as their duty to 
> protect us by taking away our ability to be full network participants. 
> That's the real tragedy of terrorism; the fear that results in responses 
> that make those most frightened act as terrorist's agents. I expect to see 
> increasing noise from those who wish to save the Internet by allowing only 
> those with proper credentials to participate. Unfortunately there are too 
> few people who understand that this accomplishes little more than 
> destroying the Internet and bringing back the centrally controlled and 
> limited economy.
>
> Playing into fears and superstitions allows the telecommunications 
> companies to impose arbitrary restrictions in the name of doing good. And, 
> for the most part, I accept their claim that they have no nefarious 
> purpose. But that's because keeping the Internet itself open to innovation 
> is simply not part of their mission. Their primary mission is to provide 
> closed services like telephony and television. Those who advocate openness 
> are marginalized by being framed as crazies. The fact that simply blocking 
> port 80, or checking the character string of email addresses frustrates 
> normal users while doing little to address the real problems gets lost in 
> the panic.
>
> Even the Economist, a publication that I normally consider an advocate for 
> open markets, uses the term "Cyber-Libertarian" (in a recent editorial) as 
> they defend the need to tame the Internet. It reminds me of the attempt in 
> the late 1800's to shut the patent office because everything worth 
> inventing had already been invented.
>
> What is missing is advocacy for connectivity and innovation; a company 
> whose business is meeting demand rather than disqualifying customers (and 
> normal DSL procedure). At the recent celebration of the twentieth 
> anniversary of the PC I was glad to see Andy Grove come out and say 
> explicitly that the telecom industry is holding back the growth of the PC 
> industry. I spoke to others who are beginning to see this as a key issue.
>
> We must remember that protecting the status quo comes at the price of 
> innovation and its economic benefits.
>
> Bob Frankston
> <http://www.frankston.com/>http://www.Frankston.com



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