On Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:25:42 -0500 Steven Bellovin <smb@cs.columbia.edu> wrote:
Figuring out how such a solution would work with email is left as an exercise for the reader.
OK, let me give it a shot. How about if we allow anyone to buy a domain name of their own and then hire someone (e.g. their ISP) to manage email for it. Now when they want to change ISPs they just carry their domain with them to the new ISP. That way the only people incurring costs are the ISPs managing the domains and the central domain name registrars, two groups who are already being paid by the end user to provide the service. You're using an email address in your ISP's domain? OK, keep paying for it and forward it using the control panel facility of your ISP. If your free account doesn't have that feature then maybe you have to ask yourself what you expect for free. Maybe politicians should just keep their nose out of things that they can't understand. Email addresses aren't phone numbers. -- D'Arcy J.M. Cain <darcy@druid.net> | Democracy is three wolves http://www.druid.net/darcy/ | and a sheep voting on +1 416 425 1212 (DoD#0082) (eNTP) | what's for dinner.