Re: DEBUNKING Re: Verizon FiOS to police off-topic postings?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Seth Finkelstein <sethf () sethf com>
Date: December 1, 2009 10:25:17 PM EST
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>, ip <ip () v2 listbox com>
Cc: Edward Vielmetti <edward.vielmetti () gmail com>, John Levine <johnl () iecc com>, Lauren Weinstein <lauren () 
vortex com>, Gene Gaines <gene.gaines () gainesgroup com>
Subject: DEBUNKING Re: [IP] Verizon FiOS to police off-topic postings?

[For IP]
On Tue, Dec 01, 2009 at 05:17:42PM -0500, Dave Farber wrote:
> If this is accurate, it is outragious. djf

        Here we go again ... wolf! Wolf!! WWOOLLFF!!!

        The outrage is quite a bit late, as I've found a blog
post from *2006* that talks about similar Verizon FiOS language:

http://dankeenan.blogspot.com/2006/10/fios-rant.html

"g) to post information on newsgroups which is not in the topic area or
charter (e.g. off-topic posting) of the newsgroup"

        Note
http://community.vzw.com/t5/FiOS-Internet/New-Acceptable-Use-Policy/m-p/124847
"That line has been in the AUP for quite some time, I believe." 

        Ah - http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/r20086414-Replacement-of-Your-Verizon-Internet-Access-Service-TOS

 There is one important change in the Acceptable Use Policy as it
 relates to the posting of "off-topic" information. In the March, 2008,
                                                       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 version it reads "The following are examples of conduct which may lead
 to termination of your Service:" ... 2(e) "post off-topic information
 on message boards, chat rooms or social networking sites."

 In the Dec., 2007, version it reads "You may NOT use the Service as
 follows:" ... 3(g) "to post information on newsgroups which is not in
 the topic area or charter (e.g. off-topic posting) of the newsgroup".

        If you read it in Slashdot, it is ... well, lots of other
people have read it too, but that doesn't make it true.

        Y'know, this is a classic net collective insanity:

1) High traffic site posts some sort of "ZOMG! THEY'RE COMING TO GET US!!!"
2) Lots of responses in forums about "COME AND GET ME, HA HA HA!!!"
3) More ranting of "THIS PROVES [insert enemy here] is *E*V*I*L*!!!"

        There's absolutely no incentive to be accurate rather than
attention-seeking. I'm likely not going to get anything but grief for
having done the research to debunk this.

        Oh, yes, I agree, TOS policies shouldn't be so vague. But this
red alert treatment is basically utter nonsense.

-- 
Seth Finkelstein  Consulting Programmer  http://sethf.com
Infothought blog - http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/
Interview: http://sethf.com/essays/major/greplaw-interview.php




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