Firewall Makes Harvard Internet Parasite

To the editors:

While I understand the technological constraints that may be pushing Harvard Arts and Sciences Computer Services (HASCS) into its latest actions limiting network traffic (News, "New HASCS Policy Affects Programs," Feb. 28), it is a great shame that the campus conversation on the issue is void of any moral or philosophical commentary. In essence, the HASCS decisions to limit outbound traffic and erect a firewall establish Harvard as a parasitic user of the Internet, explicitly taking more that it gives. Not only is this inherently selfish, it betrays the promise of the Internet. As more users ignore the implications and follow suit, the Internet risks transformation into a one-way stream from content providers to content consumers, rather than the rich network of information exchange it could be. Harvard has the resources and prestige to make decisions such as this based on factors other than dollars and bytes and should try to save the Internet from evolving into a higher-technology incarnation of television. We must consider that the implications of our actions are far larger than the loss of Dialpad.com.

Clay B. Tousey '02

Feb. 28, 2001