Re: NYT on Thing.net (fwd)

[David Schwartz <davids () webmaster com>]

On Tue, 14 Jan 2003 06:25:51 -0500 (EST), Miles Fidelman wrote:

> This is why ISPs should be treated as common carriers - just like
> telcos.
> The primary characteristic of common carriers is that they HAVE TO
> serve
> all customers except under very tightly controlled circumstance,
> like a
> court order against on obscene caller.  Everyone is protected - the
> telcos
> can't tell you who you can and can't call or what you can say on a
> phone
> conversation, and at the same time the telcos are not liable for
> what you
> say.  Common carrier status is typically associated with heavy
> regulation,
> but it need not be.

        Governments have already conclusively demonstrated that they're not
competent to decide what traffic belongs on my network. How long has
it been, and still not only no law against spam but not even a
definition of one. Better to leave the control of what traffic passes
over my network to me.

        DS