Webone blocking port 25??

[Jason Stokes]

Martijn van Oosterhout wrote:
> 
> On Thu, Jul 25, 2002 at 10:10:17PM +1000, Paul Bryan wrote:
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA1
> >
> > On Thu, 25 Jul 2002 20:15, Damien Elmes wrote:
> > > Nope. I have my laptop deliver mail directly, and that way you don't have
> > > to fiddle with SMTP server settings depending on where you are logged on
> > > from. Here's a prime example of where ISPs blocking port 25 is causing loss
> > > of functionality.
> >
> > I really don't think ISP's should block anything. I'd much rather have a free
> > (as in GNU)  and open internet where if today I feel like sending mail
> > directly well damn it I will! (and can with netspeed)
> 
> Ah well, that's easy them. Someone setup a Linux friendy ISP with "We
> promise not to block anything" in the EULA. Price it accordingly and
> advertise it.
> 
> > I was wondering in what cirumstances relaying or sending directly would be
> > more approptirate. Thats why I posted the question in the first place. Like,
> > in your case with the laptop, it does matter. Thats why the ISP shouldn't
> > determine what you can and can't access in my opinion.
> 
> They shouldn't in your opinion, however they do own the servers, routers,
> cabling, hubs, modems and phonelines, so they can do what they damn well
> please.

I think what's happening here is that Paul is arguing from a technical
point of view, as to what kind of firewalling an ISP /should/ do, and
whether blocking outgoing connections on the SMTP port holds any valid
technical purpose.  Martijn, on the other hand, is arguing some
political point about how, if Paul doesn't like it, he should take his
business elsewhere or start his own ISP which, quite apart from the
stunning impracticality of counselling every consumer to start his own
phone/car/internet/financial etc. company if he doesn't like what he's
getting now, is also an entirely a different issue.  If Martijn has any
technical arguments to make, I'd like to see them, otherwise I think the
discussion on free market politics belongs elsewhere.