[GRLUG] new Comcast mail blocking?

[Collin Kidder]

Don Wood wrote:
> Packet arrives at Comcast gateway.
>
> Comcast: Welcome to Comcast! Are your papers in order?
> Comcast: Are you here on business? Or for pleasure?
>
> Packet: I'm not sure sir. I was only told where to go.
>
> Comcast: Halt! (Comcast pulls out pistol wildly!)
> Comcast: Up against the wall for inspection!
>
> (Comcast looks packet over very closely and though no contraband is found, packet is found to be suspicious and herded onto a cattle car headed for dreaded camp /dev/null
>
> _______________________________________________
>   
You know what they say: "The internet treats censorship as damage and 
routes around it." But, in this case, what will happen is that people 
will start to use other non-standard ports for things and/or they'll 
just tunnel packets through other channels (such as VPN.) Of course, 
this is already occurring. Eventually comcast will probably totally 
block encrypted traffic. The war will just continue to escalate until 
someone talks some sense into these people.

Port blocking is just plain stupid. It's the same thing as the draconian 
new laws we're seeing in response to terror. Oh, we got bombed, time to 
take away personal liberty! Except this is "Oh, we got spammed, time to 
block legitimate ports!" Where is Benjamin Franklin when you need him?