WG activities ( was Re: [Afrispam-wg] co chair)

[SM]

At 03:34 14-12-2007, Graham Beneke wrote:
>I would like to suggest some global objectives for the working group 
>for us to look at so that we can define the scope of our activities:
>
>Provide a unified platform for guiding the development of legal 
>frameworks within the AfriNIC region for the control and prosecution 
>of spam and related cyber crimes.

It's better to tackle the technical problem then to discuss about the 
legal framework as most of the subscribers are not lawyers.

>         The current legal framework within South Africa is 
> considered by many to be ineffective against the spam problem and 
> at this stage Africa as a whole accounts for a minuscule volume of 
> spam sent. The Internet does not understand national borders and if 
> the legal frameworks are in place to co-ordinate efforts across the 
> region then we stand a much better chance of keeping the problem 
> under control within the region.

As we cross geopolitical boundaries, we have to deal with the 
different jurisdictions and the problem that entails.

>Ensure the continued effectiveness of email as a communications tool 
>across the region.

I don't think that the focus should be narrowed down to email as a 
communications tool across the region.  We have to ensure that email 
from this region doesn't get blocked based solely on its 
origin.  Some countries of the region have a questionable reputation 
and that taints the entire region.

>And finally - develop technological best practices and/or new 
>technological tools that primarily aim to resolve problems specific 
>to the Internet landscape in the region.
>         The most obvious aspects that comes to mind is the problem 
> of narrowband communications and the high costs of IP 
> communications in the region when compared to the rest of the world.

The above is not directly related to spam.

Regards,
-sm