Xref: utzoo bionet.general:437 bionet.molbio.bio-matrix:102
Newsgroups: bionet.general,bionet.molbio.bio-matrix
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!ephemeral.ai.toronto.edu!steeg
From: steeg@ai.toronto.edu ("Evan W. Steeg")
Subject: Re: BioNet shutdown
Message-ID: <89Jul8.125846edt.10744@ephemeral.ai.toronto.edu>
Organization: Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto
References: <23066@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>
Date: Sat, 8 Jul 89 12:58:32 EDT



Dr. Davison,

  I would like to add my voice to the chorus of disappointment
over the proposed loss of the BioNet.  I appreciate the concerns
of the several scientists from small biological sciences labs who
need the BioNet software and databases in order to tackle 
computationally tough tasks.  I am actually in a sort of opposite
situation.  I am a computer science grad student, with access to the 
biggest and best in computer software and hardware, but without the normal
access to information and contacts in the biological sciences community.
I am very interested in, and have worked on, applying advanced computer
techniques to problems in biochemistry, and I rely on the communications
services of the BioNet -- the e-mail and the newsgroups -- to keep
me informed and connected.  Not being in a biochemistry department,
I don't see biological abstracts and conference announcements posted
around me every day, but I do have access to the newsgroups, and
I would hate to lose this service.

  In a time when there is so much talk about interdisciplinary
science and the need for cooperation and communication in solving
huge problems (mapping the human genome, molecular structure
prediction, finding an AIDS vaccine, etc.), it is ironic and
sad that shortsighted policymaking will take away the BioNet,
a major resource for interdisciplinary and international 
communication and research.

  -- Evan


-- 

Evan W. Steeg (416) 978-7321      steeg@ai.toronto.edu (CSnet,UUCP,Bitnet)
Dept of Computer Science          steeg@ai.utoronto    (other Bitnet)
University of Toronto,            steeg@ai.toronto.cdn (EAN X.400)
Toronto, Canada M5S 1A4           {seismo,watmath}!ai.toronto.edu!steeg
-- 

Evan W. Steeg (416) 978-7321      steeg@ai.toronto.edu (CSnet,UUCP,Bitnet)
Dept of Computer Science          steeg@ai.utoronto    (other Bitnet)
University of Toronto,            steeg@ai.toronto.cdn (EAN X.400)
Toronto, Canada M5S 1A4           {seismo,watmath}!ai.toronto.edu!steeg