Re: Remailer Musings

[Ed Carp <ecarp@netcom.com>]

On Tue, 19 Apr 1994, Philippe Nave wrote:

> Every one of the remailers I have seen in operation so far provides a 
> 'real' address to the target system. That is, when (not if) someone is 
> irritated by an anonymous posting, they have only to look in the message
> header to get an address for their hate mail, legal action, mailbombs, etc.
> This essentially co-opts the remailer operator along with the anonymous
> poster with regard to content. (Yes, yes, I *know* that the remailers are
> supposed to be 'anonymous Post Offices.') As Scott Collins' message 
> explained, *he* (the remailer operator) is taking the heat for the alleged
> copyright violation, and his correspondent is not terribly impressed with
> Scott's protestations of innocence. Since Scott indicated that he keeps
> no logs, he is the sole target; this is grossly unfair to an individual
> who is trying to provide a service. (Yes, yes, 'Life ain't fair,' but 
> sooner or later you're going to run out of martyrs who are willing to 
> take the fall for abuses of their remailers...)

I disagree with Brad's interpretation.  For example, if I photocopy a 
book and anonymously snail mail it to people, do you think the postal 
service is going to take the fall?  Nope - they are just a carrier, and 
are not responsible for content.  Like the common carriers - they just 
receive a message and pass it along.  They aren't responsible for message 
content.  If Brad Templeton's view of the world was the prevailing (or 
correct) one, then every common carrier in the country, including Ma Bell 
and the US Postal Service, would not exist, because they would've been 
sued out of existence long ago.

Of course, this situation illustrates yet another interesting twist on 
the old "denial of service" attacks... I understand Brad's interest in 
making money from Clarinet's product (and I don't have a problem with him 
making money), but I think that this "scare tactic" is going a bit too 
far in protecting corporate revenue.
--
Ed Carp, N7EKG/VE3		ecarp@netcom.com		519/824-3307
	             	      an88744@anon.penet.fi
If you want magic, let go of your armor.  Magic is so much stronger than
steel!        -- Richard Bach, "The Bridge Across Forever"