[extropy-chat] MDIA: Microsoft does it again...

[Robert J. Bradbury]

New Worm Spreads VIa MSN Messenger
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/01/02/0356230&mode=thread

Interestingly -- it seems probable that this should
get through firewalls -- so those avoiding I.E.
and Outlook and who happen to have picked MSNM
may be screwed.

While it may be safe for now, previous experience has
demonstrated that such holes may be exploited into
sending SPAM.  Note the following:
  http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/01/02/1625224&mode=thread
where the SPAMers are using "chained open proxies".
These are combination of people running software that
isn't securely configured as well as machines that
have been compromised by viruses.  And then of course
there is "bulletproof hosting in India".  Simple to
resolve -- accept no communications from IP addresses
in India (the problem is implementing it on the poorly
managed machines that function as open relays).

I ran across an interesting debate the other day.  Apparently
a number of people in the EU, esp. the UK, had created a
petition for the EU to boycott Israel until it began to
implement the UN resolutions on borders and the requirements
by a number of peace plans to engage in discussions.  In
response a counter petition was generated against this.
>From what I read the signatures on the first petition were
50-75, while on the second petition were 15,000+.  Now
obviously one can get a petition with 15,000+ signatures
of non-Israeli Jews to sign a petition supporting any
position that Israel takes.  (I am *not* anti-Jewish
having worked with a number of people of Jewish faith
in New York City in my younger days and having admired
their values, commitment, etc.  I am anti-irrationalism --
wherein Jews assert they are entitled to the entire "state"
of what they believe Israel should be -- based in large
part on the perspective that "God" gave it to them.)

Now, it occured to me that there might be a private or
semi-public action that could be taken that governments
would never take -- Cut them off until they decide to
get realistic.  (I.e. I could deny access to the
aeiveos.com web site to all incoming requests from
Israeli IP addresses -- I could lobby with Google
that they do the same -- after all Google doesn't
probably make much money from Israeli queries.)
The point would be that the methods used to block
SPAMers could similarly be used to exert pressure
on populations and governments to get their acts
together in the age of information technology.
(Yes I realize there are ways around such restrictions
but the point would be to heighten an already active
debate.)

Just some thoughts.
Robert