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From: time@ice.com (Tim Endres)
Newsgroups: comp.mail.uucp
Subject: Re: UUPSI's new rules
Date: Fri, 29 Mar 91 11:51:47 EST
Organization: ICE Engineering, Inc.
Message-ID: <1CE00001.binkndo@tbomb.ice.com>
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In article <61034439@bfmny0.BFM.COM>, tneff@bfmny0.BFM.COM (Tom Neff) writes:
> I only make a point of all this because... this is what it's going to be
> like, more and more, as capitalism hits the Net.  You're going to see
> this odd mix of practices and personalities impacting things.  The press
> release replaces the RFC.  Profit margins, and strategies for
> maintaining them, begin to take precedence over basic connectivity and
> flexibility of the net.  The founding net paradigm -- everyone investing
> a little of their resources in order to reap rewards of creativity and
> edification -- turns slowly inside out: information will now be doled
> out in restricted, metered driblets, for the direct enrichment of the
> supplier.  That would never have built the Net we have today.  It will
> take years to demolish it, but I advise readers to watch for the signs.

This may be too pessemistic of a view...

Commercialism of the "Internet" is here. This is a very good thing
for companies and independent professionals. A very good thing.

Commercialism of "Usenet" is happening, but I don't believe that it
will "squeeze-out" the traditional Usenet player. Commercial entities
will never successfully force *everyone* to pay for their information,
and I don't think they want to. Persons will still almost always find
access to Usenet via UUCP from "cooperative" neighbors. Hell, I know
of several companies just locally that will give a feed to anyone
who asks (even though they are paying up to $1000/mo for their feed).

If things go well, everyone will get what they want.
   Commercial entities "pay" for extremely reliable service and
   up-to-the-minute news and mail.

   Netters will still "network" for reasonable and timely news and mail.

To insure this happens, we only need what we have had all along:
           -- Usenet users with the original vision. --

tim.

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