Spam is a growing menace every where. In India it has taken
a new dimension since the recent experience of the Customers of Indian ISP s particularly of VSNL
indicate a large number of spam mails on pornographic sites.
With the Indian law enforcers being very strict, if any
person is caught viewing such a web site, he is likely to be charged under IPC
for possession of obscene material and the owner of the Computer is likely to
be charged both under IPC as well as under ITA-2000.
It must be remembered that the objectionable obscene spam
is often so worded in the header that it looks like an ordinary mail and it
would be natural for the person to open it. It is also a natural instinct to
some time click the mouse erroneously when such a mail is open. Such simple
innocent actions can often unleash a series of screens carrying obscene
material trapping the mouse and embarrassing the viewer.
This epidemic has already gone too long un-checked.
naavi.org has been pleading with the ISP s to block mails that are addressed
to "Undisclosed Recipients@ (name of the ISP host computer)". Unfortunately,
ISP s are not concerned with this community crime which they are facilitating.
The Police have also not so far shown interest in taking action in this
issue.
On the other hand, ISP s have been wasting their resources
in blocking of customers of one ISP from the SMTP services of another ISP in
the guise of avoiding spam.
For example, many of the early entrants to Internet in
India had their access accounts with VSNL since it was the only ISP at that
point of time. As a result, they had e-mail ID s with @vsnl tag. These e-mail
ID s have by constant usage become a "Service Mark" with some value. Many of
these customers today use multiple access accounts and use the services of
other ISP s.
Some time back, VSNL made an arbitrary change in the e-mail
service and disabled access to their SMTP server for any customer who logs
into Internet through a non VSNL account. While it should not be difficult to
authenticate the SMTP access with the log in ID and password of the VSNL
account, they took the unreasonable step of blocking the customer from using
the SMTP server. This meant that if the customer had to send a mail from his
computer using the local client software such as outlook express he would not
be able to do so.
When this scheme was introduced, naavi.org did protest to
VSNL only to be rebuffed saying that their Web-mail service is available for
those who are logging in with other access accounts. However, since the other
ISP s such as Dishnet were allowing the use of their SMTP servers, it was
possible for clients to continue to use the VSNL e-mail ID with Dishnet's SMTP
service.
Over the last few days, Dishnet in Chennai has blocked its
SMTP service to any body who provides @vsnl e-mail ID as "From" address in the
Outlook express. On enquiry, the undersigned has been told by the customer
service department that this has been done since VSNL was arm twisting them to
do so.
As a result, a customer of Dishnet for "Internet Access"
service today will not be able to use the @vsnl address if he wants to
send out ward mails from his computer. Since he will also not be able to use
VSNL SMTP service, he has to necessarily use the web mail service only. This
is not only inconvenient but also hogs bandwidth and internet time.
This anti-customer approach taken by VSNL and Dishnet
needs to be discussed in the context of individual freedom to use an e-mail ID
of the customer's choice.
While there may be a commercial desire for the ISP to link
the e-mail ID to the access account, this raises the "Monopoly" issues such as
what Microsoft faced when it wanted to link Internet Browser to the Operating
system. Netither Dishnet nor VSNL should be permitted to insist that their
SMTP service is available only if the "Customer is logging in with their
access account". They are however free to interpose a log in screen,
authenticate the customer with reference to their account, and also charge for
the access time if they so desire. If this requires a
reconfiguration of their systems, it must be done before blocking off
customers.
On the part of Dishnet, if they insist that the old VSNL
customers are not allowed to use their @vsnl e-mail IDs, it would look like an
out come of business rivalry not to allow brand exposure to VSNL. For the user
however who is identified in the Cyber world with @vsnl tag it is an untenable
request to change his identity from @vsnl to @eth.net. If the same name in
@eth.net is already occupied, it may mean an eternal problem of lost mails and
lost opportunities.
Yet another point that should be mentioned here is that
Dishnet system is so faulty that when its SMTP server does not allow a mail to
be sent, it does not even inform the customer that the mail is delayed or not
sent. The mails simply vanish without the customer coming to know that it has
not been despatched.
This is similar to the case of a postal employee throwing
the mails in to the Coovum river because he is too lazy to deliver them. Is
there a criminal liability for such action?... Dishnet should find out.
The action of blocking of SMTP service because the ISP s do
not want to provide "Relay Service" only helps to block genuine customers
having multiple ISP accounts. It does not prevent spam which often originates
through international servers.
I therefore urge VSNL and Dishnet to stop this practice of
mutual blocking of SMTP servers so that customers will have the freedom to use
e-mail ID s independent of the access accounts. If SIFY and other ISP s are
also following similar practices, I urge them also to change the practice.
Naavi
March 20, 2002