Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!microsoft!darekm From: darekm@microsoft.UUCP (Darek MIHOCKA) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: The Quick ST II Challenge vs. Usenet? Message-ID: <58521@microsoft.UUCP> Date: 25 Oct 90 18:35:23 GMT References: <1990Oct22.190053.21874@wam.umd.edu> Reply-To: darekm@microsoft.UUCP (Darek MIHOCKA) Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA Lines: 49 In article <1990Oct22.190053.21874@wam.umd.edu> dmb%wam.umd.edu@uunet.uu.net (David M. Baggett) writes: >The real issue (as far as I can tell) is not with Darek's posting style >but rather with his supposed use of Usenet as an advertising vehicle. >The fact is that Usenet has always (in spirit, at least) been intended >for NON-PROFIT purposes, to the extent that commercial advertising is >severely FROWNED UPON. > >In fact, I believe most Usenet veterans would say agree that >_commercial_ sale notices are absolutely PROHIBITED. (Commercial, that >is, versus personal for-sale notices, like cars for sale, etc. Darek >is "allowed" to post a message telling everyone his car is for sale, >but he is not "allowed" to post a message telling everyone his new >product QuickProgramProver is available for sale.) I have to disagree with that. If we were to follow that rule to the letter, then any discussion of ANY commercial product, whether software, or hardware could constitute being called advertizing. For example, when someone posts complete specs and prices for the TT or the new Macs, is that not really advertizing? Any time someone posts the name of a product and a price and an address, is that not adveritzing? What difference is there if I post my address and prices, or if someone else does it. If someone wants to know, I'll post it. And the "product" I was "advertizing" was a free demo. I didn't waste a lot of bandwidth by posting a 150K uuencoded file to the net. Instead, I posted a short message saying that if anyone is interested, they can email me privately, and then later posted a 9K message because a lot of people requested it. more bandwidth has been wasted arguing about this than my original 2 postings! The whole point of the demo is to give people a free taste of what I sell without forcing them to spend a penny. I am even mailing the demo disks out at MY OWN EXPENSE, and an not using the net's bandwidth to email dozens of 150K uuencoded messages. What can be discussed if we can't talk about commercial products? Remember that message I posted about two weeks ago where I bitched about how commercial products don't get discussed on Usenet. Well I see why. And it ridiculous. We have here a network for the free exchange of information all around the world, and you're telling me I can't post a message telling people about my product. I'm not posting daily or weekly "ads", just one announcement. If you're telling me I can't do that, then Jesus, what's Usenet for? There is just so much PD software we can talk about and distribute. - Darek ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Darek Mihocka All views expressed are my own. Branch Always Software XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (address crossed out so that I can't be accused of advertizing) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------