From: joe@decoy.uoregon.edu (Joe St Sauver)
Subject: Re: BigFun
Organization: University of Oregon Network Services
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 23:17:27 GMT

In article <billy.714851759@sol.acs.unt.edu> billy@sol.acs.unt.edu (Billy  
Barron - VAX/UNIX Systems Manager) writes:
> I agree with Ed however that the experimental side of the net is there
and
> has to be taken into account.  Joe, what I do with those kind of letters  
you
> are getting is either send back a form letter (send me mail about where  
to get
> my library guide and you get a form letter for sure) or file it to NL:  
(I know
> you are at least a part-time VMS person so I didn't say /dev/null :-).

Billy,

You know that I am one of the most pro-access people on the network,
and anyone who has ever met me can tell you that "bureaucrat" (as
some have privately flamed me) really doesn't fit very well...
no three piece suits for this boy, and how many bureaucrats drive a
'73 Chevy pickup? 
 
My concern is that every so often I suddenly start getting a barrage
of login failures and random bashes against my box from out on the
wire -- which I do NOT ignore. For example, here's a little (incomplete) 
extract from today's console (and note that this is AFTER I posted
my corrigenda and things slowed down):

>Aug 26 07:27:07 websterd[19092]: refused: UTKVX4.UTK.EDU
>Aug 26 07:32:04 websterd[19110]: refused: uoft02.utoledo.edu
>Aug 26 07:43:29 login: 1 LOGIN FAILURE FROM mila1.ac.upc.es, help
>Aug 26 07:43:36 login: 1 LOGIN FAILURE FROM mila1.ac.upc.es, HELP
>Aug 26 07:43:43 login: 1 LOGIN FAILURE FROM mila1.ac.upc.es, Webster
>Aug 26 12:16:58 login: 1 LOGIN FAILURE FROM gc.maricopa.edu, anonymou
>Aug 26 12:17:23 login: 1 LOGIN FAILURE FROM gc.maricopa.edu, guest
>Aug 26 12:17:47 login: 1 LOGIN FAILURE FROM gc.maricopa.edu, anonymou
>Aug 26 12:17:54 login: 1 LOGIN FAILURE FROM gc.maricopa.edu, lo
>Aug 26 12:18:10 login: 1 LOGIN FAILURE FROM gc.maricopa.edu, ex
>Aug 26 12:18:28 login: 1 LOGIN FAILURE FROM gc.maricopa.edu, ^[
>Aug 26 12:18:49 login: 1 LOGIN FAILURE FROM gc.maricopa.edu, jlkgsfjg
>Aug 26 12:32:10 websterd[19362]: refused: ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
>Aug 26 12:32:17 websterd[19363]: refused: ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
>Aug 26 13:09:59 websterd[19388]: refused: pigeon.creighton.edu
>Aug 26 13:10:07 websterd[19389]: refused: pigeon.creighton.edu
>Aug 26 14:05:57 login: 1 LOGIN FAILURE FROM artemis.ecs.umass.edu, help
>Aug 26 14:06:08 websterd[19440]: refused: artemis.ecs.umass.edu
>Aug 26 14:06:19 websterd[19441]: refused: artemis.ecs.umass.edu
>Aug 26 14:23:07 websterd[19446]: refused: radio.astro.ufl.edu
>Aug 26 15:29:16 websterd[19523]: refused: kate.ibmpcug.co.uk
>Aug 26 15:30:51 websterd[19526]: refused: kate.ibmpcug.co.uk
>Aug 26 15:34:26 websterd[19532]: refused: minerva.demon.co.uk
>Aug 26 15:44:50 websterd[19568]: refused: nyx.cs.du.edu

So. Point 1 is that I *really* don't think it makes ANY sense for
people in the UK and Spain and all over the United States to be 
attempting to use a fungible resource that happens to be at the
"end of the trail" network-wise out here in Oregon. If you need a 
dictionary, you can buy a printed one for a buck at Goodwill, if
money is tight for you, or a new one at B Dalton for five bucks.

If you absolutely must have an electronic one, arrange to run a 
Websterd on a local machine, rather than using one thousands of 
miles away over the network.

Also note that a dictionary is inherently different from a library
card catalog, which is (more or less) unique at each site, and 
therefore not readily replicable in local form. By analogy, one
might reasonably fly to Paris for French cuisine, but to go 
cross-continent to buy a BigMac just isn't real smart.

Point 2 is that people don't take "no" for an answer. When the 
incorrect information they've been given doesn't work, they proceed to
try variations on that information, including some things which
border on the anti-social (such as testing for unpassworded
general access or "guest" type accounts). 

Point 3 is that I generally don't ignore e-mail -- if someone sends
me mail, I generally get back to them. I may snarl, I may bark, but
I don't just ignore you.  I understand your point of view on this,
Billy, but I just don't hold with ignoring a polite (if innocently
mislead) inquiry.

Most people don't mean any harm when they post incorrect information,
but they just do NOT appreciate the problems incorrect information can 
and DOES cause.

Joe (the mean nasty ogre who kicks his non-existant dog, pulls the
     wings off flies for cheap thrills, and is a fun-hating thug,
     yah, you betcha...)