Someone directed to a thing going on over at DP and I would like some input.

I'm not sure the legality of what these kids are doing but when the crap hits the blades, (the media gets hold of this) it will not raise our public image one bit.

I shut down a thread where the member was giving away free links to his Virginia Tech.edu FileBox.

Like we need more publicity from that school after the tragedy and subsequent reg fest.

Admin, if hot links to other forums are not permitted please edit as you see fit.

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showt...ht=.edu+domain

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showt...ht=.edu+domain

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showt...ht=.edu+domain

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showt...ht=.edu+domain

Even if this is not against the TOS of these schools, I cant see this action as being within the intent of the service offered to students and faculty.

If it turns out what they are doing is in fact illegal, the students wont be the ones talking the hits, we will.

Those slimy cybersquatters have infiltrated our universities and corrupted our students.

I can see the headlines now.

Cy

The .GOV is very bothersome, but not so sure about the .EDU's.

At the end of the day a college education is suppose to provide you with tools for your life and career. If it's a student, using their own authorized content page, then I don't see a problem. The kids paying tuition to have access to that web page.

However if it's some administrator / employee, then I do see a huge problem.

So far it's my understanding that the students have "leased" folder space to non students and that these non students are now allowing either:

xxxx.edu/studentsfolder/leasedfolder/yourpage.html

or

xxxx.edu/studentsfolder/leasedfolder/leasedpage.html
and selling direct links.

I'm still trying to sort this all out, and I dont see a problem if this is legit... I'm just concerned with the media take on any/all of this.

Anyone with knowledge or reach into the Uni TOS regarding this, it would be appreciated if some facts could be brought forth.

Cy

Legal or illegal, I cannot imagine any university (college, school) allowing this type of activity. Whether they are aware of it or able to adequately respond to it is another thing.

Yeah, if they are selling hosting that's a big problem.

But if just selling links on their own pages it's not obvious to me why that's a problem.

Good lord. Now have a look at this one, Cy.

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=174913

This is blackhat, and as far as i know is legal, not very morally right though.

And yet he continues to sell! What sheer lunacy!

Originally posted by ILikeInfo
But if just selling links on their own pages it's not obvious to me why that's a problem.

Doesn't it seem the least bit subject to enormous levels of abuse? Security issues? Liability issues? Public trust issues?

THINK ABOUT IT

Ok, this is exactly my point.
When this all comes crashing down who will be taking the heat?
The kids?
The schools?
Hell no, the domainers!

It's this kind of dreck that could crumble this industry through imposed regulations.

I cant decide whether to start contacting the schools and start an issue that may be picked up by the press or beg DP to shut this down.

Suggestions?

Cy

One problem is, do you know which specific schools are being targeted? You know what, somehow I just cannot see this as anything else besides criminal. It's abuse of public funds and public resources.

I know some IT people at the University of California if you need a head start.

Maybe the other difficulty is that this problem already seems so insidious it's kind of like trying to keep flies off thousands of piles of sh*t.

It's time for DP and whoever else to do some fly-swatting, or else they're going to be in a world of sh*t.