>>> Philip Mestecky <p.mestecky@ELSEVIER.CO.UK>
06/06/96 11:13am >>>
> Many thanks for your comments about our
> proposed online journal project. I, too, would prefer
> to use the IP addresses of users as the means of
> regulating the system. The only problem for us is
> getting hold of IP addresses of valid users. The
> best way for this to happen is for the librarian to
> consolidate these and forward them to us at the
> time of subscription. However, would librarians be
> prepared to do this?
-------------------------
You should be able to handle this by using the
Class C level ip blocks as do most other journal
publishers.
======================
> I am told by our IT experts that the level of security
> afforded by the domain level of the IP address is
> not sufficient due to the existence of proxy servers etc.
----------------------------
As your experts know, there is no such thing as
perfect security.  Passwords will get passed
around the world quickly, and soon you'll have many
more problems than you ever will with proxy servers
or potential ip spoofing.
====================
> In addition, there will inevitably be researchers at a
> given site who do not share the same domain
> name as the library and this too may cause
> difficulties.
---------------------------------
Those people then can come to the library just like
they did in olden times.  No system is perfect, but if
we had to deal with passwords you could count on
us to NOT subscribe.  Period.
=======================
> Perhaps a simple solution is for the librarian to
> supply us with the names and addresses and
> e-mail addresses of users that they deem suitable,
> and then we contact the users directly with passwords.
------------------------------
You've got this backwards.  Librarians are NOT in
the habit of prescreening "suitable" users.  We
want systems that we can setup for any of our
students or faculty who walk in the door to access,
linked from one of our web pages.  As long as
you're filtering by ip number you have no worry
about such a system.   It works for thousands of
administrators of a wide variety of web servers.
Many who sell things on the web handle their
subscription services this way, including most of
the vendors of Xrated services.
===========================
> Do you think that this could work?
-------------------
It might "work" technically, but I doubt you'll find any
academic or public librarians who'll be willing to
play under those rules.

cheers

dan

Dan Lester, Network Information Coordinator
Boise State University Library, Boise, Idaho, 83725
USA
voice: 208-385-1235   fax:  208-385-1394
dlester@bsu.idbsu.edu     OR
alileste@idbsu.idbsu.edu
Cyclops' Internet Toolbox:    http://cyclops.idbsu.edu
"How can one fool make another wise?"   Kansas,
1979.