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From: Adam.Frix@f200.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Adam Frix)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Red Ryder 11.0 Announcement
Message-ID: <27752.254BDBE9@cmhgate.FIDONET.ORG>
Date: 29 Oct 89 02:46:23 GMT
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Much ado has been made about the use of the net by commercial interests.
This discussion has mainly (exclusively?) centered around Norm Goodger
announcing the introduction of The Freesoft Company's new telcom product.
Norm has been thrashed about mercilessly for "abusing the net for his own
monetary interests" or some such thing.  Fortunately for common sense,
Chuq von Rospach managed to intercede a bit:
.
>gt0818a@prism.gatech.EDU (Paul E. Robichaux) writes:
>>Blaming the excess posts on the news software is just plain wrong.
>>The news sw didn't post the excess message copy...some human- in this
>>case, you- did it.
>
>Wrong, Paul -- Norm posted it once. Two other independent people also
>posted it. If I hadn't seen Norm post it, *I* would have posted it --
>because I knew it was of interest to many people here on the net.
>
>You can't fault Norm because people who weren't in communication with
>each other all did what they thought was a good deed for the net. I
>personally think the net is a good place to see upgrade notices for
>important software packages -- upgrade notices are much different, if
>you ask me, than advertisements for new software. It's an information
>resource.
>
>>The original posting was questionable. The net isn't the place for
>>postings for commercial products.
>
>Most of what we talk about on the net is commercial products. Apple,
>for instance, sells Macintoshes last I looked. Now, blatant
>advertising I agree, but I don't agree that what Norm posted was a
>blatant ad.
.
.
Might I suggest the following two messages as blatant ads that obviously
stray outside the conventional wisdom about net commercialization:
.
.
>Subject: Computer Graphics Workshop (update)
>
>The registration deadline for this exciting workshop is approaching
>fast.  More importantly, the deadline for the hotel is October 30,
>only a few short days away.
>
>[stuff deleted]
>
>So register now!  A convenient registration form is attached to this
>message.
>
>Spencer Thomas (spencer@eecs.umich.edu)
>
>****************************************************************
>
>5th USENIX Computer Graphics Workshop
>
>November 16-17, 1989, Doubletree Hotel, Monterey, CA
>
>     The theme of the workshop is "personal graphics."  By this, we mean
the
>
>[stuff deleted]
>
>Tentative Schedule
>
>Thursday, November 16
>
>Opening Session
>
>"Microfabrication on the Macintosh" by Carlo H. Sequin
>
>"3D Animation on the Macintosh with 3DWorks" by John F. Schlag and
>Julian E. Gomez
>
>[etc., etc.]
>
>*******************************************************************
>Please register in advance to attend this limited enrollment
>workshop.
>
>REGISTRATION FEE:$200.00
>REGISTRATION DEADLINE:November 8
>
>For further information, please contact:
>
>[and gave an address]
>
>Registration information:  Please complete and return the enclosed
>registration form with your payment.  You may pay by check (MAKE CHECK
>PAYABLE TO USENIX CONFERENCE) or use your VISA, MasterCard or American
>                                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>Express card.  Payment MUST accompany registration form.  Purchase
>^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>[etc., etc., etc.]
.
. 
.
Came another message not too much later:
.
>Subject: Microsoft Word Users Conference
>
>
>             CONFERENCE FOR MICROSOFT WORD USERS
>
>For users of Microsoft Word version 5.0 for the PC and Microsoft Word
>4.0 for the Macintosh--especially technical writers, legal
>secretaries, professional trainers, and technical support staff-
>Microsoft is conducting a training conference November 6 through 8,
>1989 in Bellevue, Washington.
>
>This two-and-a-half-day conference is specifically for power users who
>want intensive training plus the inside story on Microsoft's word
>processing strategies. The conference will feature hands-on and
>lecture courses, with training on the particular features of Word that
>are most useful to various professionals. For example, if you're a
>technical writer, you'll learn about managing long documents and
>generating an index and a table of contents.
>
>Conference fee is $600. To register, or for more information, call 
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>toll-free (800) 227-4679, and ask about the Microsoft Word User's 
>Conference.
 
 
 
So, I hope that the net thought-police have seen that they have better
instances of commercialization to turn their attention to, and leave The
Freesoft Company alone.  As an alternative, they can ignore even these
blatant commercial ads alone and let well enough be.
 
--Adam--

--  
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