[usenet] Response to Usenet Death Penalty Notice: @Home Network
Newsgroup Policy Specialist
Subject: [usenet] Response to Usenet Death Penalty Notice: @Home
Network
From: Newsgroup Policy Specialist <athom...@corp.home.net>
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 08:21:44 -0800
Cc: athom...@corp.home.net
To: dr...@primenet.com, davja...@corp.home.net
Subject: Response to Usenet Death Penalty Notice: @Home Network
From: Newsgroup Policy Specialist <athom...@corp.home.net>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:12:33 -0800
Cc: athom...@corp.home.net
To the USENET Community:
In response to the recent UDP call for @Home Network to be removed
from interacting on the USENET, we are submitting an official response
with a proposal of short term and long term news spam prevention
initiatives. Excite@Home is very committed to participating
respectfully on the Internet, and we have taken previous requests for
action seriously.
We have found that the primary source of our excessive USENET posting
history comes from subscribers who have installed proxy software
incorrectly. Unbeknownst to the customer, this mis-configuration has
allowed outside access to the @Home news servers, and has resulted in
our subscribers becoming spam relays. Because these various IP
addresses create holes in our network, spammers have taken advantage
of this mis-configuration, and have posted thousands of newsgroup
messages through our news machines.
As of today, we are stepping up our involvement and taking more
aggressive action by performing frequent network wide scans of our
customer base to target proxy servers. Once these customers are
identified, we are suspending their news service immediately.
Re-enabling will not occur until we are assured that their machines
are secure. We feel that this proactive effort will dramatically
decrease the amount of extraneous news traffic originating from
home.com.
We are committed to promoting better Excite@Home participation on the
USENET, and we are in the process of modifying our current news
product and news architecture. We are also implementing more user
education as a parallel initiative.
With these new tactics in place, we are asking for an extension to our
USENET access beyond the 18th of January and we are confident that the
USENET community will see positive news statistics coming in the next
few days.
David Jackson
Manager, Network Policy Management
Excite@Home
davja...@excitehome.net
zay...@ringgate.net
<athom...@corp.home.net> wrote:
>We are committed to promoting better Excite@Home participation on the
>USENET, and we are in the process of modifying our current news
>product and news architecture. We are also implementing more user
>education as a parallel initiative.
>
>With these new tactics in place, we are asking for an extension to our
>USENET access beyond the 18th of January and we are confident that the
>USENET community will see positive news statistics coming in the next
>few days.
>
>David Jackson
>Manager, Network Policy Management
>Excite@Home
>davja...@excitehome.net
>
And it only took 2-3 years of people screaming at you, and the threat
of a UDP to get this started. Thanks.
Zayphod at aol dot com
Zayphod at gate dot net
http://members.aol.com/zayphod/ads/ads.html
"I say to you net-abusers, KNOCK OFF ALL THAT SPAM"
--- Something "The Tick" would say, if he were on-line
SSBB Diplomatic Corps: Fort Lauderdale (Netcop)
christina
>
>
>To the USENET Community:
>
<snip> @home blah
>
>With these new tactics in place, we are asking for an extension to our
>USENET access beyond the 18th of January and we are confident that the
>USENET community will see positive news statistics coming in the next
>few days.
>
>
I wonder what makes me wonder.
--
vriendelijk gegroet, christina
------------------------------------------------------------
promises, promises
8:D
"Newsgroup Policy Specialist" <athom...@corp.home.net> wrote in message
news:vuur7s4un12gjcraa...@4ax.com...
> To the USENET Community:
OK, that's me too ;-)
>
> In response to the recent UDP call for @Home Network to be removed
> from interacting on the USENET, we are submitting an official response
> with a proposal of short term and long term news spam prevention
> initiatives. Excite@Home is very committed to participating
> respectfully on the Internet, and we have taken previous requests for
> action seriously.
Sure, the Dutch branch answers complaints about bin spam with a standard
letter, explaining that binspam is just a netiquette violations and that
@Home.nl doesn't see any reason to do anything about this.
>
> We have found that the primary source of our excessive USENET posting
> history comes from subscribers who have installed proxy software
> incorrectly. Unbeknownst to the customer, this mis-configuration has
> allowed outside access to the @Home news servers, and has resulted in
> our subscribers becoming spam relays. Because these various IP
> addresses create holes in our network, spammers have taken advantage
> of this mis-configuration, and have posted thousands of newsgroup
> messages through our news machines.
Yeah sure, start picking on the users you didn't want to be bothered with,
instead of acting on the reports I and many other despammers send you.
>
> As of today, we are stepping up our involvement and taking more
> aggressive action by performing frequent network wide scans of our
> customer base to target proxy servers. Once these customers are
> identified, we are suspending their news service immediately.
> Re-enabling will not occur until we are assured that their machines
> are secure. We feel that this proactive effort will dramatically
> decrease the amount of extraneous news traffic originating from
> home.com.
Yup, that figures. Well scanning you where doing already, and the hardcore
spammers know this and firewalled your scanningsoftware IP adresses, so the
hunt is for the poor dudes that are happy they have a cable connect and run
a FTP server to swap files with there neighbours. We already know that a
@Home customer is thrash and will be dealt with accordingly. So what's next
tightening the upload cap from 16KB to 8KB? That'll teach them those dirty
spamming users.
>
> We are committed to promoting better Excite@Home participation on the
> USENET, and we are in the process of modifying our current news
> product and news architecture. We are also implementing more user
> education as a parallel initiative.
Whoehahahaha, if the Dutch Branch is an example in this we are in for a
laugh. Most employees don't know there ass from a hole in the ground. Not so
long ago the dutch userplatform discovered a serious privacy leak in the
listserv that spammed users with a newsletter. On reporting the issue the
guy who reported it was asked what kind of newsreader he is using. I guess
it might be a good idea to train personel before training the often well
informed users.
>
> With these new tactics in place, we are asking for an extension to our
> USENET access beyond the 18th of January and we are confident that the
> USENET community will see positive news statistics coming in the next
> few days.
Nah, wouldn't give shit for this. The times I have been tolled I wuld be
called back after a complaint but never have been are countless. Talk is
cheap with @Home and knowledge is low, seeking the solution in open proxies
is stupid, How long do I need to have a port open to dump my shit on the
usenet, not nearly long enough to give @Home a fair change to find me. But
they don't need to now do they? Every spammer can be traced and if you ask
me this would be considerable easier than start a portscan witchhunt. The
days of Salem are over I've been tolled.
SlashWolf
mercy. Port scan will not do %(#$%^. Trace and shut down the spammers...
Slash
"Newsgroup Policy Specialist" <athom...@corp.home.net> wrote in message
news:bdvr7sc21a93dbunr...@4ax.com...
> To:
> Subject: [usenet] Response to Usenet Death Penalty Notice: @Home
> Network
> From: Newsgroup Policy Specialist <athom...@corp.home.net>
> Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 08:21:44 -0800
> Cc: athom...@corp.home.net
>
> To: dr...@primenet.com, davja...@corp.home.net
> Subject: Response to Usenet Death Penalty Notice: @Home Network
> From: Newsgroup Policy Specialist <athom...@corp.home.net>
> Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:12:33 -0800
> Cc: athom...@corp.home.net
>
>
> To the USENET Community:
>
> In response to the recent UDP call for @Home Network to be removed
> from interacting on the USENET, we are submitting an official response
> with a proposal of short term and long term news spam prevention
> initiatives. Excite@Home is very committed to participating
> respectfully on the Internet, and we have taken previous requests for
> action seriously.
>
> We have found that the primary source of our excessive USENET posting
> history comes from subscribers who have installed proxy software
> incorrectly. Unbeknownst to the customer, this mis-configuration has
> allowed outside access to the @Home news servers, and has resulted in
> our subscribers becoming spam relays. Because these various IP
> addresses create holes in our network, spammers have taken advantage
> of this mis-configuration, and have posted thousands of newsgroup
> messages through our news machines.
>
> As of today, we are stepping up our involvement and taking more
> aggressive action by performing frequent network wide scans of our
> customer base to target proxy servers. Once these customers are
> identified, we are suspending their news service immediately.
> Re-enabling will not occur until we are assured that their machines
> are secure. We feel that this proactive effort will dramatically
> decrease the amount of extraneous news traffic originating from
> home.com.
>
> We are committed to promoting better Excite@Home participation on the
> USENET, and we are in the process of modifying our current news
> product and news architecture. We are also implementing more user
> education as a parallel initiative.
>
> With these new tactics in place, we are asking for an extension to our
> USENET access beyond the 18th of January and we are confident that the
> USENET community will see positive news statistics coming in the next
> few days.
>
Tom'sQ
"gutz" <gu...@nothere.com> wrote in message news:387e4dee.7702360@news...
> On Thu, 13 Jan 2000 15:22:28 -0600, "SlashWolf"
And you obviously are an @home employee, yet again figuring that your users
are complete morons
SlashWolf
something
besides having their employees post "goodies" for them.
Slash
"gutz" <gu...@nothere.com> wrote in message news:387e4dee.7702360@news...
> On Thu, 13 Jan 2000 15:22:28 -0600, "SlashWolf"
> <slas...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >It took a UDP to finally wake up Excite@home and now they are begging for
> >mercy. Port scan will not do %(#$%^. Trace and shut down the
spammers...
> >
> >
> >Slash
>
> Concerned about bandwidth are you? I would suggest learning how to
> properly format a post. Don't just add a few lines at the top and
> quote the ENTIRE post below it. That is very bad.......
>
> As to your supposed point " begging for mercy" .....Are you nuts?
>
> @Home is at least making an effort. How people few that effort is up
> to the individual. All I have really seen here is " it's not enough",
> " Gee it only took you 2-3 years" etc.........little dogs biting at
> the heels and flexing their little muscles.
>
> Here's a newsflash for ya. I will get a private news service before I
> EVER give up my cable connection. I believe I speak for most @home
> Usenet users. If your objective is to hit them financially, I fear it
> will fall far short.
>
> I'm getting used to this idea of a UDP for @home. It sure will cut
> down on the hacking attempts on my machine, which are running at about
> 10 a day. Go Ahead delude yourselves into thinking you will make a
> difference. Do it today! Flex those little muscles!
>
> @Home is basically another AOL. 90% of it's users don't even know
> Usenet exist, and your going to try and hit them
> financially.........LOL
>
> cheers
> gutz
>
>
Baa...@nowhere.com
ab...@corp.home.net
ne...@corp.home.net
n...@corp.home.net
ab...@rogers.home.net
Interne...@shaw.ca
davja...@excitehome.net
This message is in response and partial defense of David Jackson's
comments that much of the abuse comes from subscribers running proxy
servers.
I am a an @Home subscriber and a customer support tech for AT&T@Home
and I recieve calls from users running proxy servers constantly. These
users have proxy servers so they may "get away" with not paying for
extra IP addresses from @Home. However, most users are so unfamiliar
with proxy servers that they are configured incorrectly.
Proxy servers are great programs, but they do require a user to have
knowledge before running them. Many servers are left "open" and are
easily found running a port scan on port 1080. Commonly known as a
wingate scan, any user can scan netblocks for an open port 1080 and
when a response is recieved they can log onto the server if no
authentication is required. There are many available programs in the
wild for port scanning and some specifically for "Wingate scans".
That brings about part one of the problem. The second part of the
problem is @Home's news servers do NOT require authentication to
either get headers or post headers.
With the above combination of a non authenticating proxy server and a
non authenticating news server any user may easily post to usenet and
technically make the posts from the @Home user.
As another example of how badly configured proxy servers can be;
Wingate for example also contains a DHCP server with the proxy server.
On many occasions these proxy servers are configured so badly they
conflict with the @Home DHCP servers and do interfere with large parts
of the @Home network.
This email is NOT an excuse for @Home nor an excuse for spam.
I thank you for your time and patience.
Bruce Peresky