Forwarded message:
From: "William H. Geiger III" <whgiii@amaranth.com> Date: Fri, 23 May 97 08:29:59 -0500
No not at all. Just because I am connected to the network I am under no obligation to accept a single bit. I don't have to ever download any mail or I can download all or I can pick and choose what I accept or what I don't.
Exactly, This is the whole point of a firewall after all. Simply connecting your cable to a publicly accessible source implies no more than having your driveway end in a public street. It is NOT an open invitation to stroll through your living room.
Obviously you have not ever entered into contract agreements with an accesses provider. There is no obligation on my part to receive a single bit. If I never run a sendmail daemon then I will never receive a single e-mail message regardless of how many are aimed at my servers. This is the same with any TCP/IP service. The only obligation I have with my upstream provider is to pay my bill. If I choose to bounce everything that is routed from Spamford it is my right to do so as it is *MY* equipment.
This is certainly the exact case between myself and my provider for SSZ. Jim Choate CyberTects ravage@ssz.com