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Ok, fine, they scan for bombs. So people shift to mailing sealed anthrax envelopes (which has happened). A public service is also going to be used by criminals,

Ok, fine, they scan for bombs. So people shift to mailing sealed anthrax envelopes (which has happened). A public service is also going to be used by criminals, yet we do not expect the service to be shut down.

mulmen 6y ago
> So people shift to mailing sealed anthrax envelopes (which has happened). Which they also scan for? The USPS does try to keep the mail safe, and generally does a good job. Mozilla cannot make the same guarantees about Send so they shut it down.
- the8472 6y ago
  Ok, I googled a bit. According to this[0] they're running PCR tests on samples from the air around the mail processing. I.e. outside the mail. In a sufficiently sealed package/enveloped that wouldn't be detected. Well, and with encryption the files going through mozilla are always properly sealed and they can only rely on external indicators such as reports or IP blacklists. So they're doing no worse than USPS. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2003/06/postal-service-test-anthrax-detection-systems-14-sites https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2003/06/postal-s...
Spivak 6y ago
The USPS literally detects anthrax too as a result of that happening.
sjy 6y ago
Because it’s a public service funded by the government.
floatingatoll 6y ago
We absolutely expect public utilities be shut down temporarily when danger exists. This happens with gas, fire, electric. In 2001, when USPS first encountered the 'sealed anthrax envelopes' problem, they shut down lots of post offices for quite some time. Your framing suggests that Firefox Send was a 'public utility', held to the same standard as a power company or a gas company, required to provide service to all who seek it. Firefox Send was not a 'public utility', though, and so it need not be temporary to shut it down in the face of attackers. Apparently the Firefox group decided to make it permanent. What if Gmail was shutdown without notice tomorrow? Would any lawsuit have standing if refunds were issued that same day? Would free users have any recourse whatsoever? It isn't a public utility, right?

mulmen 6y ago

> So people shift to mailing sealed anthrax envelopes (which has happened). Which they also scan for? The USPS does try to keep the mail safe, and generally does a good job. Mozilla cannot make the same guarantees about Send so they shut it down.

the8472 6y ago
Ok, I googled a bit. According to this[0] they're running PCR tests on samples from the air around the mail processing. I.e. outside the mail. In a sufficiently sealed package/enveloped that wouldn't be detected. Well, and with encryption the files going through mozilla are always properly sealed and they can only rely on external indicators such as reports or IP blacklists. So they're doing no worse than USPS. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2003/06/postal-service-test-anthrax-detection-systems-14-sites https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2003/06/postal-s...

Spivak 6y ago

The USPS literally detects anthrax too as a result of that happening.

sjy 6y ago

Because it’s a public service funded by the government.

floatingatoll 6y ago

We absolutely expect public utilities be shut down temporarily when danger exists. This happens with gas, fire, electric. In 2001, when USPS first encountered the 'sealed anthrax envelopes' problem, they shut down lots of post offices for quite some time. Your framing suggests that Firefox Send was a 'public utility', held to the same standard as a power company or a gas company, required to provide service to all who seek it. Firefox Send was not a 'public utility', though, and so it need not be temporary to shut it down in the face of attackers. Apparently the Firefox group decided to make it permanent. What if Gmail was shutdown without notice tomorrow? Would any lawsuit have standing if refunds were issued that same day? Would free users have any recourse whatsoever? It isn't a public utility, right?