Path: utzoo!utstat!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!math.lsa.umich.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!sgi!silvlis.com!jimb From: jimb@silvlis.com (Jim Budler) Newsgroups: news.software.b Subject: Re: RN bothering users about groups "not in .newsrc" Message-ID: <1990Nov15.071516.1594@silvlis.com> Date: 15 Nov 90 07:15:16 GMT References: <506@tygra.ddmi.com> Sender: usenet@silvlis.com (USENET news maint) Reply-To: jimb@silvlis.com (Jim Budler) Organization: Silvar-Lisco,Inc. Sunnyvale Ca. Lines: 54 In article <506@tygra.ddmi.com> jpp@tygra.ddmi.com (John Palmer) writes: >Oh - by the way - forget getting news patches from UUNET. They've cut >off their 800 number. The only way to access their system via anonymous >uucp is to dial a 900 number. I didn't think they'd stoop so low, but >thats life. They are a business. As far as I know from having been a subscriber at my previous job, they never intended anonymous UUCP availability via their 800 number. After all, that meant THEY were paying for your connect time and long distance rates. Why should they? As a subscriber if I chose to use their 800 number instead of any of their inroutes where I paid for the long distance, I paid a premium for it. Entirely appropriate, and my choice. If you have been using 800 to access UUNET for anonymous UUCP then I would say they correctly plugged a hole in their access plan. As for "I didn't think they'd stoop so low", the announced rate they are charging for 900 service is not by any means unreasonable or comparable to rates charged by other 900 services. The rate they announced covers long distance charges plus a reasonable cents per kilobyte. You are obtaining data from them. They are a business, do you expect data from them for free? > >Please respond via e-mail and I'll summarize the responses. No, I'd rather everyone understood that legitimate business costs can be recovered via 900 service. 900 service is a legitimate outgrowth of a service which has been available for many years. When you called Western Union and sent a telegram and it was billed to your phone, did you complain? When you called a florist and sent flowers, and it was billed to your phone, did you complain? It's being abused by dialaporn and others, but it is not being abused by UUNET. I have no connection to UUNET or dialaporn. >-- >= CAT-TALK Conferencing Network, Prototype Computer Conferencing System = >- 1-313-343-0800, 300/1200/2400/9600 baud, 8/N/1. New users use 'new' - >= as a login id. E-Mail Address: jpp@ddmi.com = >- <<>>> - Can I dial you via an 800 number and download data? jim -- __ __ / o / Jim Budler jimb@silvlis.com | Proud / / /\/\ /__ Silvar-Lisco, Inc. +1.408.991.6115 | MacIIsi /__/ / / / /__/ 703 E. Evelyn Ave. Sunnyvale, Ca. 94086 | owner