re Verizon FiOS to police off-topic postings?

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
> Date: December 1, 2009 6:28:49 PM EST
> To: John Levine <johnl () iecc com>
> Cc: dave () farber net
> Subject: Re: [IP] Verizon FiOS to police off-topic postings?

> John, language matters.  I did in fact inspect other AUPs -- and your
> quotes below simply say that users must follow the rules of other
> sites.  That is *not* the same thing as an ISP saying specifically
> that "off topic postings" are forbidden at third party sites!  Is that
> language used by any other major ISPs?  That determination, logically,
> is a decision to be made by the individual Web services, *not* the
> ISP!
>
> Still, it seems likely that what they're really going after in a  
> hamfisted
> way is spam.  But that's already covered by other language.  See my
> follow-up:
>
> http://www.nnsquad.org/archives/nnsquad/msg02378.html
>
> --Lauren--
>
> On 12/01 23:21, John Levine wrote:
> > > > Slashdot notes an "interesting" (indeed!) change made yesterday to
> > > > the FiOS Acceptable Use Policy, prohibiting "post[ing] off-topic
> > > > information on message boards, chat rooms or social networking
> > > > sites."
> >
> > The wording is a bit crude, but their entirely reasonable intention  
> > is
> > to forbid blog spam, usenet message floods, and the like.  Had you
> > looked, you would have found that just about every provider has
> > similar language.
> >
> > For example, Comcast says:
> >
> >  [You may not] violate the rules, regulations, terms of service, or
> >  policies applicable to any network, server, computer database,
> >  service, application, system, or Web site that you access or  
> > use; ...
> >
> >  Comcast reserves the right to refuse to transmit or post, and to
> >  remove or block, any information or materials, in whole or in part,
> >  that it, in its sole discretion, deems to be in violation of
> >  Sections I or II of this Policy, or otherwise harmful to Comcast's
> >  network or customers using the Service, regardless of whether this
> >  material or its dissemination is unlawful so long as it violates
> >  this Policy. Neither Comcast nor any of its affiliates, suppliers,
> >  or agents have any obligation to monitor transmissions or postings
> >  (including, but not limited to, e-mail, file transfer, blog,
> >  newsgroup, and instant message transmissions as well as materials
> >  available on the Personal Web Pages and Online Storage features)
> >  made on the Service. However, Comcast and its affiliates, suppliers,
> >  and agents have the right to monitor these transmissions and
> >  postings from time to time for violations of this Policy and to
> >  disclose, block, or remove them in accordance with this Policy, the
> >  Subscriber Agreement, and applicable law.
> >
> > Qwest says:
> >
> >  Users may have access through the Qwest Network and Services to
> >  search engines, subscription Web services, chat areas, bulletin
> >  boards, Web pages, USENET, or other services that promulgate rules,
> >  guidelines or agreements to govern their use. Users must adhere to
> >  any such rules, guidelines, or agreements.
> >
> > AT&T says:
> >
> >  Failure to adhere to the rules, guidelines or agreements applicable
> >  to search engines, subscription Web services, chat areas, bulletin
> >  boards, Web pages, USENET, applications, or other services that are
> >  accessed via a link from the AT&T-branded website or from a website
> >  that contains AT&T-branded content is a violation of this AUP.
> >
> > R's,
> > John



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