ISPs versus the zombies

TalkBack 24 of 95:

Next »

« Previous

• Thread View
• Flat View

The average person will give up [NOT!]

Many have predicted the imminent ending or melting down of the Internet. I've even done it myself jokingly while working for a dial-up ISP back in the early 1990's. I don't think this or anything else will cause users to leave the Internet in masses. Don't expect to get T3 speed at your house any day soon because everybody else has "hung up" on the Internet. Sorry to tell you people are no more going to stop using computers and the Internet than they are going to stop eating or drinking water. You don't give people enough credit. People have weathered dial-up ... viruses ... spam ... and the like. Some of them are new enough or ignorant (ignorance is no excuse by the way) enough to not know what a lot of that is, but it doesn't mean they can't be educated, nor does it mean that they will give up and disconnect forever.

I don't believe that the average person will give up. I've been there on the ISP side and *I* have shut off zombie computers with viruses or worms. Often I'd give them a day or two to get rid of it, even consult to them (tech support++)on how to get rid of their problem. If they still can't get rid of it. They get notified again. If they aren't presently paying someone to help them to resolve it, and they still have the problem, they get shut off until they do resolve it. (Even at this point I've given them the option to Self-Disconnect a computer until they get it fixed. But it *has* to be disconnected from the Internet.)

Yes there is a bigger issues about software and operating systems, a lot of which are being addressed. Noone said it was perfect. Neither are planes trains and automobiles. Just like there are bigger pictures about roadways and automobiles. If your car is causing a safety problem on the roadways (either you have a problem or the vehicle does) causing it to be to some extent [or fully] out of reasonable control, then Police have the right to take you off the road. You could also call that a band-aid. The police didn't necesarily fix you or your vehicle. They just took the threat off the highway.

In the Internet parlance a network owner or ISP has a responsibility to take care of and protect their own networks, and by their backbone providers they have a requirement to not violate policies (Acceptable Use and the like). In many cases if the ISP doesn't take *your* problem computer off the network, then potentially their entire ISP network could be taken off the backbone (aka the Internet at large). I would say that in this light that if a customers computer(s) are propogating viruses/worms, exploiting other computers, or causing spamming or other bad things on the Internet then the ISP has a similar responsibility and right to take that computer off the Information Super Highway. If giving you the equivalent of a ticket and or warning doesn't get your Internet CAR fixed then your car needs to be taken off the Internet Road.

And that's all I've got to say about that

--- Forest Gump.

Posted by: communications@...   Posted on: 07/19/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

• Reducing Server Total Cost of Ownership with VMware Virtualization Software VMware VMware virtualization enables customers to reduce their server TCO and ... Download Now
• The Impact of Virtualization Software on Operating Environments VMware Today's use of virtualization technology allows IT professionals to ... Download Now
• Virtualization: Architectural Considerations And Other Evaluation Criteria VMware Of the many approaches to x86 systems virtualization available in the ... Download Now