Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!jarthur!linus.claremont.edu!jack From: jack@linus.claremont.edu Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: Reward for NeXT's response on the net. Message-ID: <1991Jan21.142539.1@linus.claremont.edu> Date: 21 Jan 91 22:25:39 GMT References: <1991Jan20.214014.18419@uncecs.edu> <4152@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> <1991Jan21.203407.12952@nntp-server.caltech.edu> Sender: news@jarthur.Claremont.EDU Organization: Harvey Mudd College Lines: 44 In article <1991Jan21.203407.12952@nntp-server.caltech.edu>, madler@pooh.caltech.edu (Mark Adler) writes: > > NeXT should participate on comp.sys.next, if for no other reason, because > comp.sys.next is the most extensive and most effective example of the idea > of "interpersonal computing" that NeXT is trying to push. Admittedly, the > signal to noise ratio here could be a little better, but the signals are > damned useful. > I have been on vacation an I have missed most of this discussion so I apologize if what I am about to say has been covered before. NeXT inc., or designated representatives, CANNOT participate on the USENET. Nor can any other company (i.e. Sun, DEC, HP-Apollo, etc.). It is a fundamental limitation of the various Networks (NSFNet, ArpaNet, HEPnet) that they only be used for Education, Research or Sciencetific communications only. It is a limitation evolving around the way that most of these networks were initially (and in many cases still are) are funded. While I'll admit that various newsgroups stretch these charters from time to time (and in some cases, are not carried on certain sites for that reason), generally the people who bend these rules are idividuals and not highly visible public corperations. Since some people have questioned it, I must say that support from NeXT has been great. It is one of the reasons that I decided to buy a NeXT. They have, in my opinion, the best techinical support of any company I have dealt with (DEC, IBM, Sun, and Apple). The "Internet" has shown signs of loosening some of its restrictions. Very recently, permission was given to HP to support its customers via E-Mail on a trial basis. However, the direction that the "Internet" takes is probably up to you and your congressman. If you want to change the way that these Networks, write your congressman. However I would be careful of what you ask for. Consider some of the benifits; No Junk Mail and No Advertisements, which could be lost if the Networks were completely open. ---Jack Jack Stewart Jack@Hmcvax (Bitnet) User Support Coordinator, jack@hmcvax.claremont.edu (Internet) Harvey Mudd College, jack@134.173.4.32 (also Internet) Claremont, Ca. 91711 714-621-8006