4 ms·
sometimes i wonder why the internet wound up this way. was there some alternative development path or is this inherent in the physical network design?
by doubloon 2y ago
sometimes i wonder why the internet wound up this way.
was there some alternative development path or is this inherent in the physical network design?
- SoftTalker 2y agoMicropayments. If it cost some amount of money to connect to a server, all of this would stop almost immediately.
- kstrauser 2y agoSomewhere, John Stankey feels a shiver up his spine.
- cdchn 2y agoSure helped the PSTN.
- SoftTalker 2y agoBack when long-distance calls cost real money per minute, yes. You got the occasional telemarketing call, but it was local and in most areas there wasn't much of it happening.
- cdchn 2y agoBut accessing the PSTN network still has a cost. Simply having a cost is not a blocker for bad actors.
- SoftTalker 2y agoYes -- the key is a marginal cost for each call that is higher than what they earn on average per call. And that would not be a lot.
- cdchn 2y agoThats not what the original poster described, just that "a" cost would be all thats needed. And trying to attach a price to a transaction that makes it unprofitable for bad actors but not be a burden on legitimate users is intractable.
- SoftTalker 2y agoThe fact is that when a long distance call (never mind an international call) cost on the order of dollars per call there was not much spam.
- cdchn 2y agoThat cost wasn't designed to prevent bad actors, that cost was designed to generate profit.
- StimDeck 2y agoMy humble opinion is that it’s inevitable due to inequality. There is money to be made doing this type of thing. Never underestimate the time-rich, money-poor.
- crabmusket 2y agoMaking intended use cases extremely efficient also makes unintended use cases just as efficient?
- MBCook 2y agoThere is no downside to doing this. There’s no punishment. So the scanners scan, whoever they are, good or bad. Even if ISPs quickly shut this stuff down the existence of botnets would allow it to continue. It’s like spam. Just tragedy of the commons.