[Polarhome] polarhome policy change

Zoltan Arpadffy zoli at polarhome.com
Tue Aug 9 02:23:56 CEST 2005


>From 2005.08.01 polarhome has new user policy. 
 
ftp accounts are (will be) revoked and just template and shell accounts
exist. This policy modification was needed in order to protect polarhome
from users that use their ftp accounts for phishing, spoofing, distributes
warez, running pirate forums and other malicious activity. ftp users can
continue to use polarhome until 2005.10.31. After that date ftp access will
be denied.
 
Polarhome for last five years has offered shell, ftp, mail and other online
public services. Unfortunately, there have been always some user that abused
these services.... and as time passed we have been forced to introduce
different security measures in order to keep services running. 
 
If you read through http://www.polarhome.com/news.php  and
http://www.polarhome.com/service/decision.html you can follow up how an
absolutely open, free shell site - "gateway to freedom" - becomes a gateway
to prison. A place full of fear from closed lines by ISP, abuse mails, "site not
available" messages etc.
 
Problems are caused by individuals. 
Individuals, malicious by hart or just ignorant that jeopardize existence of
whole community. The worst is that we can not do much more than close our
doors, restrict rights etc, in order to have as less possible services that
could be abused.
  
We need to be blind not to see the parallel with the real world.
Unfortunately, more police officers, ID checks and cameras will not help to
save the tube passengers. There can be always an individual who will be able
to damage, even the most efficiently shielded public service. 
 
This is valid to virtual, online World, as well. 
Public services are for ideal World where everybody follows at least one
rule "Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you."
For such idea to work The World needs more trust, dialog, love and
understanding of each other needs. 
 
Is it possible to realize such idea in such imperfect World with lot of
different interests? 
No, it is not... and it is written: "It will be just worse". One does not have
to be a prophet to see that we are every second closer to Armageddon - and
we just sit here and simply can not do anything against. There is nobody to
protect us, to lead us to the right side. 
 
I can almost hear your angry voice - but there is God. He will show us the
right way. 
Yes, probably he does show the path - unfortunately most of us do not listen
to God. Most of us prefer to listen to humans that translate God's words.
That causes troubles. Most of us mostly do what they are said to do, because
it is too hard to learn and have enough courage and competence to make a
decision alone. We became marionettes of our own neighbourhood.
 
I do believe in free will and in possibility to change this bloody
existentialistic destiny. We can not change the World, but we can make, at
least, ourselves better.
Polarhome community will be much smaller but closer and trust worth. 
 
What will happen now? What are the implications of new policy?
    
1.	introduced a template account - this account is a full featured
account but without ftp, ssh, shell etc access. Just e-mail access is
allowed. 
2.	earlier ftp accounts will exist until 2005.10.31
3.	1st of November ftp accounts will be converted to template accounts
and web pages will be archived and removed from web space
4.	from 1st of November just "hard copy" registered users will be able
to access polarhome services and change content of web space etc.
5.	because we raised the "trust level" PHP safe_mode will be turned OFF
and functions: mail() fsockopen() pfsockopen() stream_socket_client() will
be allowed  
 
In short: current ftp users have three choices:
1.	register a shell
2.	leave as it is and after three months use just e-mail
3.	stop using polarhome services 
 
The updated policy could be finding at
http://www.polarhome.com/service/policy.html
 
Please note, there are much better free e-mail providers as gmail, yahoo,
hotmail, msn etc. They are reliable - polarhome is not. Therefore, if you
need just e-mail service, it is recommended to use some huge respectful
company instead.
 
polarhome.com is non commercial, educative effort for popularization of
shell enabled operating systems and Internet services, offering shell
accounts, mail and other online services on all available systems...  and
polarhome is not afraid to take hard steps in order to fulfil this task. 
  
Regards, 
Z
owner and system manager
polarhome.com
 
 
Honestly, I wanted to write a longer explanation, but because of
professional and private reasons I just simply can not get enough time to
have this written on that way as I would like to do - but hope that
everybody got the idea what is happening and what is polarhome's destiny.
 
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