Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!usc!ucsd!pacbell.com!pacbell!sactoh0!unify!csusac!csuchico.edu!robin
From: robin@csuchico.edu (Robin Goldstone)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: internet
Message-ID: <1990Oct20.234427.19592@ecst.csuchico.edu>
Date: 20 Oct 90 23:44:27 GMT
References: <5164@crash.cts.com>
Sender: news@ecst.csuchico.edu (USENET)
Reply-To: robin@cscihp.UUCP (Robin Goldstone)
Organization: California State University, Chico
Lines: 34

In article <5164@crash.cts.com> mlyons@pro-truckstop.cts.com (Handles, SysOp) writes:
>
>I'm a ProLine SysOp which can interface with UNIX computers and have
>asked our local University, (USF) University of South Florida, to allow
>me to pull some feeds from them.  At first I was told that I could,
>then they put in a new computer, and a change of staff.  With that I
>was told in a harsh way, NO!.
>
> [stuff deleted...]
>
>[...] I thought the internet was free.
>
> [mores stuff deleted] 

I am confused by your story - were you going to be connecting to their system
via telephone?  Were you going to pay for the phone bill?  If so, I don't think
your request is unreasonable.  Unless of course there are other factors that
I am not aware of - and I am sure there are.  We only have your side of the
story.

Regarding your comment "I thought the internet was free" I don't think it
is!  The Internet provides a forum for free exchange of information (free
as in "freedom of speech", "freedom of the press") but it is "free" in a     
monitary sense.  There are costs associated with operation of the computers
as well as communications costs.  These costs are absorbed by all the nodes
in the network, so it is deceiving.  But I am fairly certain that the costs
of communicating over the Internet are enormous!

So don't be under the misconception that the Internet is some free service
that you are entitled to simply because you are a member of society.

Robin Goldstone, Systems Software Specialist
California State University, Chico Computing Services
robin@csuchico.edu