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I agree that the PAX shutdown is an ominous development. Nobody's internet access is perfectly free from the kinds of pressures that were brought against PAX. What steps can we take to keep the same thing from happening to us?

There's one very obvious thing, but it costs money (the real kind, not the stuff we've been playing with). Someone needs to *buy* a connection to the *commercial* internet and put an anonymous remailer where the NSF can't touch it. NEARnet recently signed an agreement with ANS and CIX to use ANS as a pipe between it and the CIX (note the lack of *any* government involvement here). If I understand this development correctly, this means a site on NEARnet with the Commercial Routing Service (it costs extra, numbers on request) can, I think, send packets anywhere without crossing the NSFnet. ANS simply leases bandwidth to the NSF. Most backbone bits cross this leased bandwidth, but now, it is possible to buy access to this *privately* owned network. Now, who has $16k annually (that's the number, I have a quote on my desk) to sink into the connection? Are we serious enough about this to form some sort of corporation (with legal ties that bind, and identify) to maybe set this up? There's enough people on this list to make this sort of thing cost < $10/month each if *everyone* participated. Of course, if we did this, we'd have to make it quite clear what we were planning on doing. Use of PGP makes this hard. A company set up for the purpose of making PGP easier to use would arouse the Wrath of RSA really quickly. FYI, the NEARnet AUP: NEARnet Primary Goals NEARnet, the New England Academic and Research Network, has been established to enhance educational and research activities in New England, and to promode access to regional and national innovation and competitiveness. NEARnet provides access to regional and national resources to its Members, and access to regional resources from organizations throughout the United States and the world. NEARnet Acceptable Use Policy 1. All use of NEARnet must be consistent with NEARnet's primary goals. 2. It is not acceptable to use NEARnet for illegal purposes. 3. It is not acceptable to use NEARnet to transmit threatening, obscene, or harassing materials. 4. It is not acceptable to use NEARnet so as to interfere with or disrupt network users, services or equipment. Disruptions include, but are not limited to, distribution of unsolicited advertizing, propagation of computer worms and viruses, and using the network to make unauthorized entry to any other machine accessible via the network. 5. It is assumed that information and resources accessible via NEARnet are private to the individuals and organizations which own or hold rights to those resources and information unless specifically stated otherwise by the owners or holders of rights. It is therefore not acceptable for an individual to use NEARnet to access information or resources unless permission to do so has been granted by the owners or holders of rights to those resources or information. Violation of Policy NEARnet will review alleged violations of Acceptable Used Policy on a case-by-case basis. Clear violations of policy which are not promptly remedied by Member organization may result in termination of NEARnet Membership and network services to Member. It seems to me that the user of possibly illegal software like PGP could be considered a violation of rule 2. The whole issue of anonymous harassing email brings up rule 3. I've send mail to one of the NEARnet discussion lists asking how encryption and anonymity affects the interpretation of rule 3. Marc