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From: palowoda@fiver (Bob Palowoda)
Newsgroups: news.admin,news.misc,comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Internet/NSFNet proposal to be run by IBM -- call to action!
Message-ID: <1990Oct29.084442.28373@fiver>
Date: 29 Oct 90 08:44:42 GMT
References: <1990Oct28.220432.521@ddsw1.MCS.COM>
Organization: Fiver Communications, Fremont, Ca
Lines: 54

From article <1990Oct28.220432.521@ddsw1.MCS.COM>, by karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger):
> This is a call to action by all interested parties.
> 
> There is wind of a proposal stirring in Washington that would place the 
> NSFNet backbone, and eventually the entire government-run part of the 
> Internet, into the hands of IBM.

  This is a very bad idea. For one the Internet, NFSFNet, and all the
other local networks stand for something opposite of the corporate
sturctures. Don't get me wrong I think IBM is a good company but they
do not have a policy for controling goverment resources.     

> IBM has supposedly pledged to run this on a non-profit basis for some 
> number of years.   Of course, the number that's being bandied about is
> small, like "2".....

  If what you mean by "run" as in IBM runs the networks. NO this cannot
do. If they want to help why not give cash or equiptment donations to
NSFNet just as any other large corporation (i.e. Xerox) would give
to a public broadcasting station.   

> Anyone want to bet how long the Internet remains accessible to non-IBM
> people?

 I believe IBM has thier own network(s).

> Or whether the Internet ends up another Prodidy, with active
> censorship?

  This also brings up a point of conflict in interest. 

> 	3)	Keep control in the hands of the many, or in the hands of a
> 		non-profit corporation funded EXCLUSIVELY to run this beast.
> 		Giving it to IBM or another pseudo-government company is as
> 		good as letting the fox loose in the henhouse -- the
> 		potential for abuse and profiteering is just too great to
> 		ignore.

 I agree 100 percent. 

> Get involved NOW folks.  I didn't know about this until last night, and it
> knocked my socks off.  People I've talked to think this is a universally bad
> thing, but they don't know how to stop it.  I suggest that a million loud
> voices would have a significant impact.

  Is there any goverment email address we can write to about this?

---Bob

-- 
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