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From: dricejb@drilex.UUCP (Craig Jackson drilex1)
Newsgroups: news.admin,news.misc,comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: Internet/NSFNet proposal to be run by IBM -- call to action!
Summary: IBM doesn't exist solely to produce bad products
Message-ID: <16121@drilex.UUCP>
Date: 30 Oct 90 05:21:14 GMT
References: <1990Oct28.220432.521@ddsw1.MCS.COM>
Organization: DRI/McGraw-Hill, Lexington, MA
Lines: 45

In article <1990Oct28.220432.521@ddsw1.MCS.COM> karl@mcs.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) writes:
>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.

It would seem to me, in the absence of *much* more detailed information,
that this is just so much conspiracy theory.

>Anyone want to bet how long the Internet remains accessible to non-IBM
>people?  Or whether the Internet ends up another Prodidy, with active
>censorship?  Whether you'll have to buy an IBM system to hook into it, 
>since they might decide that TCP/IP is no longer any good and now it's 
>time to go to SNA or worse?

Assuming that IBM has made such a proposal, why should they spend money
to turn something working in to something that doesn't work?  Not that
I think that IBM has turned out many good products over the years, but
they don't exist solely to torture computer programmers--they're actually
trying to make a buck.  Quite a few, in fact.

The principal reason why IBM would volunteer to run the NFSNet, etc would
be to enhance their standing in the academic technical community.  This
would encourage them to do a good job--the 'net' community is not one
that is easily swayed by appealing to a CEO or two.

<Karl goes on to propose that the net be turned into a government thing,
paid for like roads.  Let's hope nobody gets to send their packets over
the Mianus River bridge.>

>Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl)
>Public Access Data Line: [+1 708 808-7300], Voice: [+1 708 808-7200]
>Macro Computer Solutions, Inc.   "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"

P.S. I know people who love Prodigy--just because it can give them
a stock quote quickly.  As for the active censorship, it seems from
reports that they are a bit touchy about criticism.  However, any company
with "deep pockets" who does not actively censor a bbs service is
a bunch of fools--there are simply too many people willing to file
a civil suit or criminal charges over all sorts of nonsense.
-- 
Craig Jackson
dricejb@drilex.dri.mgh.com
{bbn,axiom,redsox,atexnet,ka3ovk}!drilex!{dricej,dricejb}