Actually, Sprint's policy is partially motivated by "politicking" - or at least by capitalistic goals. Since you have personally admitted this to my face, and Sprint's management has said as much in private e-mail, I think you calm down on the name calling.
You know I don't usually bother to add to the ranting on this list, but
At 12:35 AM 10/8/98 -0400, Babylon Sigma wrote: please
forward said private email from Sprint management. As one who was formerly responsible for this policy as a Sprint Engineer I find it impossible for you to have said mail. There are many reasons for this, none of which I care to go into. Produce it please.
As it was a private e-mail, I will politely turn you down. I will, however, tell you that it happened this year (1998), during an exchange on NANOG much like the one we are currently having. If you don't believe me, I completely understand. Feel free to disregard that portion of my statement as I probably should not have said anything anyway, since it was sent in confidence. However, the discussion between Sean and I was in the lobby at the last NANOG and was witnessed by many people. Feel free to ask about that. BTW, since you were part of the original decision process, are you telling me that Sprint did not at any time consider any financial impact these filters might have? If so, that's actually worse (IMHO) than doing it solely to get money. This may be the Internet, but (as I have found out personally of late ;), if you don't make money, you don't stay in business. The point is not really whether Sprint did it because it gives them an advantage. The point is that it DOES give Sprint the advantage, and they know it (or at least they should, if you wish to disregard my claims), yet Sean and Sprint still act publicly as if they are guardians of the route table and without their wisdom and restraint, the rest of us would all die horrible deaths. Thanx, but I prefer the cash motive if you're gonna pull something like that. Then to add insult to injury, the only reason they enjoy a continued advantage is because *we let them*. This is what has me totally befuddled. Any Sprint peers care to explain why they do not filter Sprint in the same way Sprint filters them?
Jonathan Gardner
TTFN, patrick I Am Not An Isp www.ianai.net "Think of it as evolution in action." - Niven & Pournelle