This is the old 'Apple Box' issue:
If you have surplus apples and put a box with 'Please take one' by your
gate
is that different to a box with 'Help yourself on it'
Rod
-----Original Message-----
From: cctech-bounces at
classiccmp.org
[mailto:cctech-bounces at
classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of der Mouse
Sent: 19 March 2007 04:19
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: ftp archives disappearing?
> Perhaps some DOLT leeching the entire site causes
them to be shut
> down by their provider due to bandwidth. Perhaps some selfabsorbed
> arrogant miscreant sucking down the entire site, costs this guy a
> sudden $200 bill that he wasn't expecting due to bandwidth. How RUDE
not to respect
the site owners wishes.
1. If the person didn't want to share the files, then
why are they up
on the 'net in the first place?
Perhaps the person was interested in helping people who actually ahve a
need for them, instead of feeding leeches.
2. QoS has been around for over a decade, both
software and hardware.
Put bandwidth controls on your stuff if you fear it will cost you
money. My FTP server limits to 16KB/s because I pay for my bandwidth.
Bully for you. So now it's the victim's fault? I don't have any easy
way to place bandwidth limits on my FTP server. If I get hit with a
leech who ends up costing me bandwidth overage charges, do you think I'm
going to go spend money to keep it from happening again? No; I'm far
more likely to either shut it down entirely or just report the abuser to
the provider used (and quite likely ban access from that provider in the
interim, with the ban made permanent if they don't consider it abuse).
I have trouble thinking any of us who run anon FTP sites are likely to
react otherwise.
I've had the same discussion, basically, with qmail fans. They too seem
to think that it's sane to take the stance "I should be able to grab all
I want, and if you don't want me to you should make sure I can't". The
concept that computers are used by humans and that politeness is
important to humans seems completely lost on them. (And yes, I've had
to put automated defenses in place against qmail's commonest form of
abuse - connection-bombing receiving mailservers.)
3. Not everyone has to host their files on a plan that
will cost them
crazy money if abused.
Great. Therefore it's OK to abuse those who don't?
Look. It's really quite simple: please respect the archive provider's
wishes. If you don't know what they are, either ask or be conservative.
Anything else risks destroying the resource you are abusing.
Sorry, touched
a nerve.
Sorry, but you still haven't proven your point.
There is nothing to prove.
You are asked to not abuse something provided free. You are arguing
"you should make it impossible to abuse". True or false, that does not,
repeat DOES NOT, excuse your abusing it, or attempting to.
Offering files online for the good of the community,
then putting
arbitrary limits on access, doesn't make sense. You either want to
help people, or you don't.
If you can't see the difference between helping people and feeding
leeches...*boggle*
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