Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.
Re: I hate Napster, Gnutella, Freenet...
Author: Phil Wolff Posted: 4/7/2000; 11:43:32 AM Topic: I hate Napster, Gnutella, Freenet... Msg #: 16020 (In response to 15973) Prev/Next: 16019 / 16021
Gnutella and Freenet(not quite so much Napster) quite frankly break the whole TCP/IP purpose. They basicly span a whole range of port numbers, can choose them at random, and can pipe through known port numbers to serve non-standard content. Thier whole purpose is to be HARD to administer(therefore hard to restrict). I can understand thier desires, but as a Network admin I find these programs to be EVIL. They remove MY control of MY network.I am probably wrong but I want to comment on this. Not addressing you, William, since I don't know you or your situation, but I think you're in error. Here's why...
You should be a hero. But you can't be until you grok that...
The network you manage is the *user's* network.
While there are exceptions, perhaps you, my experience is that network admins, especially firewall/security admins, don't believe that. It shows up in poor internal customer service and long delays to support the tools of the day. You may not recall, but it took
I suggest that your profession is actually provoking the work-arounds that deprive you of control because you misuse that control.
- 3 years for the majority of network admins to let *email* flow over firewalls, fearing security breaches
- 2 years for users to browse with *http* outside the firewall, instead of promoting web use,
- 1 year for net admins to kill off Pointcast instead of adapting to it, and
- such paranoia or narrow focus on security instead of enablement that other powerful communication tools, like instant messaging, are routinely denied service.
You can change this by accepting the user empowerment challenge: to put as much capability to communicate and collaborate, peer to peer or otherwise, in the hands of as many members of your community as possible, as quickly as possible.
Be a hero of the people.
There are responses to this message:
- Re: I hate Napster, Gnutella, Freenet..., Ken MacLeod, 4/7/2000; 1:10:33 PM
- Re: I hate Napster, Gnutella, Freenet..., William Crim, 4/8/2000; 2:32:04 PM
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