:-). Cheers, Bob Hettinga --- begin forwarded text Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 15:24:09 -0400 Reply-To: bzs@world.std.com Originator: com-priv@lists.psi.com Sender: com-priv@lists.psi.com Precedence: bulk From: Barry Shein <bzs@world.std.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <com-priv@lists.psi.com> Subject: Is the .to (Tonga) domain completely rogue and should be removed? X-Comment: Commercialization and Privatization of the Internet We've been having increasing problems with one or more porn sites in the .to domain promoting itself by massive spamming of AOL customers using one of our domains in their From: header thus causing both complaints to us and thousands of bounces from AOL due to bad AOL addresses in their spam lists. Looking at the .to domain I can't help but notice it's heavily laden with what appear to be porn sites (sexonline.to, come.to, xxxhardcore.to, etc.) 1. Performing traceroutes and other analyses seems to indicate that this domain is NOT being used for communication with entities legitimately located (legally, not only geographically) within the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Tonga, as intended. 2. Clearly criminal and malicious activites are arising from sites to which Tonga has provided comfort and sanctuary. 3. Therefore, I call for a process whereby it can be determined as to whether or not it is appropriate to decommission the Tongan domain due to negligence, mismanagement, and having allowed it to become an attractive resource for criminal activities. I do not believe the Tongan domain serves any legitimate purpose as an internet resource. In support of this assertion I want to show you an SMTP conversation with what claims to be the Consulate of the Government of Tonga in San Francisco (This San Francisco office is listed as an official Tongan contact point for visas etc by the US State Dept): world% telnet sfconsulate.gov.to 25 Trying 209.24.51.169... Connected to sfconsulate.gov.to. Escape character is '^]'. 220 colo.to SMTP ready, Who are you gonna pretend to be today? VRFY postmaster 500 Bloody Amateur! Proper forging of mail requires recognizable SMTP commands! -------------------- Viewing the web page for the Tongan Consulate in the US (http://sfconsulate.gov.to) reveals nothing but an ad for a software company, this page ends with: Need a domain name? Contact the Kingdom of Tonga Internet domain name registry. -------------------- Consequently, I assert there is no reason for this domain to exist and it should be removed from the root name servers. -- -Barry Shein Software Tool & Die | bzs@world.std.com | http://www.world.com Purveyors to the Trade | Voice: 617-739-0202 | Login: 617-739-WRLD The World | Public Access Internet | Since 1989 *oo* --- end forwarded text ----------------- Robert A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@philodox.com> Philodox Financial Technology Evangelism <http://www.philodox.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'