Rami Olwan

25 years ago Richard Stallman started the GNU (”Gnu’s Not Unix”) project to create a computer operating system like Unix (then ascendant in computer labs like the one Stallman worked in), but with source code free for programmers to run, study, share, and improve.

Introduction

I will discuss below two problems that may have a severe effect on the development of the internet. Spam and network diversity relate in one-way or another to each other. Policy and communication law choices that we take today will have a far- reaching tremendous impact on the development and the future of the internet.

Spam is a real problem that relates to the security and reliability of the net. It is an abuse of the electronic messaging system that poses a great threat to our daily use and enjoyment of the internet. Users and Internet Service Providers (ISP) are annoyed with the bulk of received unsolicited e-mails that needs extensive financial resources and timeless efforts to be clear out. It is not only a growing nuisance, but relates much to deceiving, violating privacy and inflicting harm on computers and networks. Will spam mean that we will not enjoy the use of e-mails as we used to be in the future? What legal actions we should take to control spam and protect our computers and networks? What are the most appropriate technological measures that we should employ? Do we have the necessary enforcement procedures mechanism put in place to enforce traditional legal rules or spam laws against spammers? How can we deal with spam on the international level? All these questions and many others come to my mind when dealing with the spam problem.