🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <10299.9209291301@pyr.swan.ac.uk> iiitac@PYR.SWAN.AC.UK (Alan Cox) writes:
>
>They are potentially breaking two things. I've not seen them break
>anything yet, and I'd be suprised if they did so
>
>1) They can't exactly use the nsfnet backbone for their services

Let's not forget that the only things prohibited on the NSFnet backbone
are *unsolicited*. If I am at a site that is legally attached to the
NSFnet for research purposes, and I specifically request information
on the Clinton-Gore campaign from someone at clinton-gore.org, they
are perfectly well allowed to respond. This certainly holds true for
commercial companies as well. The only thing that is explicitly prohibited
in the "NSFnet Acceptable Use Policy" is *unsolicited* commercial traffic,
or the conducting of internal company business across the NSFnet backbone.
While the NSF AUP does not specifically mention political campaigning,
my guess is that political statements from an organization explicitly
affiliated with one particular candidate could be considered something
that is prohibited unless it is explicitly solicited. Other facts to 
remember are that the NSFnet backbone is not the entire Internet (in
fact, clinton-gore.org does not appear to be directly attached since
their mail goes via UUNET) and that the NSF AUP does not explicitly
mention political campaigning, only commercial or illegal traffic.
Certainly something made available only via anonymous FTP is never
sent out on to the net at large unless someone explicitly requests it.

--Greg