spam and Google, was Re: more on query on eBay to Acquire Skype

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Tony Finch <dot () dotat at>
Date: September 13, 2005 7:28:30 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net, Bob Frankston <Bob2-19-0501 () bobf frankston com>
Cc: Tony Finch <dot () dotat at>
Subject: spam and Google, was Re: [IP] more on query on eBay to  
Acquire Skype


> The good news is that Google seems to be going towards open protocols.

It's interesting to observe Google's anti-spam strategy. They seem to be
concentrating on ensuring that their users are real people, but  
rather than
using technical hacks like CAPTCHAs, they are working at layer 9.

For GMail they are using a web-of-acquaintance model to restrict  
invitations
to real people. (I had wondered if this was to keep the userbase  
small to
manage bug report volumes or scaling problems, but the latter seemed  
unlikely
given Google's competence in the area.)

For Google Talk they are restricting federation to other controlled IM
networks - they will not federate with the open Jabber network.

A side-effect of this is that, although they are using open protocols,
Google are doing so in a closed manner. Anti-spam people have often
observed that the problem would be much easier to solve if email were a
walled garden of trustworthy operators, but it is too hard to get there
from here. The lack of a legacy anchor in IM makes it possible for  
Google
to establish this regime before it becomes impossible. However, this
might not entirely please the freedom-loving techno-anarchist  
contingent.

Tony.
--
f.a.n.finch  <dot () dotat at>  http://dotat.at/
NORWEGIAN BASIN: IN NORTHEAST, NORTH OR NORTHWEST 6 TO GALE 8,  
DECREASING 4
OR 5, THEN BECOMING VARIABLE 3 OR 4 LATER. WINTRY SHOWERS DYING OUT.  
MODERATE
OR GOOD. IN SOUTHWEST, NORTHWEST 4 OR 5 BECOMING VARIABLE 3 OR 4 , THEN
CYCLONIC 6 TO GALE 8 LATER. RAIN LATER. GOOD BECOMING MODERATE OR POOR.


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