Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!ucsd!ucbvax!PSI.COM!schoff
From: schoff@PSI.COM ("Martin Lee Schoffstall")
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: "Industry forns NSFnet support group"
Message-ID: <9009251847.AA02729@psi.com>
Date: 25 Sep 90 18:47:30 GMT
References: <9009251725.AA06628@hop.toad.com>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 48

Well,

I'm  hoping to learn what you really think about this
privately, I really hate the way you held back  :-)

The EE Times article is extremely wide of the mark, its interpretation
that this is "a boost", might be countered by many dozens of organizations
who think ANS has targetted the mid-level infrastructure and put
it in jeopardy at a very interesting point in time for the NREN.
This is pure coincidence of course.

> 	[When will "industry" actually get to participate in this
> 	 network?  It sure can't now...]

I think by your participation in ALTERNET and other commercial
companies particpation in PSINet, industry is participating in
the Internet, and in my opinion using the right providers:
commercial providers.

What PSINet has been doing (and from all appearances what ALTERNET
has been doing) is working with industry and not upsetting the
stability of the non-profit mid-levels from providing service to
the non-profits and academics.  That non-profit infrastrucuture
seemed pointless to hurt since too much of the US is incredibly
dependant on it.  At least I thought it was pointless.

Now when the non-profits provide service to industry is where we get
into a sticky philosophical/legal/taxation areas.  This has led
to a number of misunderstandings and conflicts that I'm sure now
pale into insignificance now that someone has said that they are
after their bread&butter.

People are smart enough to stay away from those big German shepards
but when they think they've set up a nice pastoral enviornment for
their kids with sheep in the backyard, and the sheep
are really something else, then you have real problems.

I think that the neatest thing I got out of the transcripts from
ANS's press conference were questions on the NSFNet joint work
being renewed past its first five years, which is 92?  Taking a moderate
interpretation of this, is that the free national network is soon to
be gone.  This confirms other rumblings that I had heard from other
sources.

So in some sense it maybe worse than you think.

Marty
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