Subject: This is a research group not a standards group (was RE: [Asrg] Sh annon Jacob's article on spam)

From: Paul Judge <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 21 May 2003 14:14:18 -0400

> As a technical standards group, we can define the general 
> protocol that can 
> be used for such systems leaving the actual implementations 
> aside. This is 
> similar to the efforts on developing an interworking C/R 
> protocol by Eric 
> Dean. Just like all other solutions (C/R for ex.), an 
> economic up-front 
> system will not be acceptable to everyone and not everyone 
> will be using 
> it. As Dave Crocker states in his draft 
> (http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-crocker-spam-techco
nsider-01.txt):

>"it is not clear that it is possible to retroactively fit the necessary 
>mechanisms to Internet mail. Its complete absence from the current service 
>and the existence of anonymous and free email services may provide too much

>operational inertia.  It is also not clear who should receive the fees or 
>how they should be disbursed."

>Therefore, I think we should look at such systems as one of the possible 
>solutions against spam. There are already some startups that use this 
>system. Our goal as a standards group should be on standardizing a protocol

>that can be used by many such systems to interoperate among themselves. 
>Whether the actual systems SHOULD be implemented or recommended is a 
>different question, but based on what we are seeing now, some of these 
>systems already exists and more will be implemented - just like the many 
>C/R systems. Our goal is to make sure they interoperate.

This seems to be a common misunderstanding. This is the Anti-Spam Research
Group. We are not a 'standards group'.  We are here to conduct research
focused on the spam problem. Specifically, our purpose is "to understand the
problem and collectively propose and evaluate solutions to the problem." So,
while we "may develop certain technologies that could serve as a starting
point for standardization efforts within the IETF", we still have a
responsibility to provide a voice towards recommending particular solutions
based on our understanding of the problem, view of the solution space, and
evaluation of solutions.
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From: Yakov Shafranovich <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 21 May 2003 14:48:21 -0400

>based on our understanding of the problem, view of the solution space, and

Thank you for pointing this out, I got carried away a bit.

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Yakov Shafranovich / <[email-masked]>
SolidMatrix Research, a division of SolidMatrix Technologies, Inc.
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"One who watches the wind will never sow, and one who keeps his eyes on
the clouds will never reap" (Ecclesiastes 11:4)
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