I think that AUPs issued by each ISP, but with some common elements
are very important. If we can agree on the common elements that would be
a start. The next step would be for the big providers to include
these common elements in their contracts. My lawyer tells me that
the best way for me to avoid being in the middle is to pass these
contractual responsibilities along in the form of our AUP. We do that.
I suspect that others would too.
I'm not too worried about enforcability at this point. I think
there are two issues here. One is more or less a code of good
conduct. The other is what to do when people don't follow the
code. At this stage I'd be happy if we could just inform people
what acceptable conduct is. We can figure out what to do about
people who don't play along later.
-Jeff Ogden
Merit/MichNet
I'm not too worried about enforcability at this point. I think
there are two issues here. One is more or less a code of good
conduct. The other is what to do when people don't follow the
code. At this stage I'd be happy if we could just inform people
what acceptable conduct is. We can figure out what to do about
people who don't play along later.
I agree, but I'll even go a bit further.
When issues like this come up people tend to assume they are all in
agreement and talking about the same thing. It's true that in the
extreme they probably are. But my guess is that if a sizeable group
tried to write down what is and is not acceptable it will become
apparent that, again other than the most egregious behavior, agreement
isn't as easy as it may've first appeared.
I suppose one can stick to codifying only the worst sort of behavior,
but that always raises the issue of whether this then implies that
other behaviors are acceptable? If 100 messages are unacceptable, then
are 99 ok? Can we live with zero tolerance only? etc.
I think this all can be resolved with some mere shouting and
screaming. But the exercise should also be enlightening: If a group
such as this has some difficulty agreeing on the boundaries then
surely laying the same out for others clearly, even just as an
informatory document, would be worthwhile. How could the community at
large have been expected to intuit what we can't easily define?
At any rate, it'd be a good start.