Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!news.cs.indiana.edu!widener!dsinc!unix.cis.pitt.edu!gvlf3.gvl.unisys.com!tredysvr!cellar!rogue From: rogue@cellar.UUCP (Rogue Winter) Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk Subject: Re: Big Brother: A simple solution Message-ID: <2BDuZ1w163w@cellar.UUCP> Date: 3 Apr 91 19:00:48 GMT References: Sender: bbs@cellar.UUCP (The Cellar BBS) Organization: The Cellar BBS and public access system Lines: 27 sean@ms.uky.edu (Sean Casey) writes: > Those that make no profit should file for a non-profit tax status. > Once the IRS approves it, they can again pay residential phone line > rates. And their customers can tax-deduct their BBS fees too! > > Sean > -- > ** Sean Casey > ** Recent news headline: "Compaq joins price wars" I have few problems with local BBS services that charge a fee for extended services. (I must - I'm on one now.) As long as the service is fairly priced and has a unique value, and there are no connect charges, then pay services have some validity. For example, I pay $35 for a six-month subscription to the Usenet feeds. I consider this a great price for a public node. Of course, I also know the sysops - but this doesn't give me a price break. As to the non-profit status of BBSes, most are already run at a loss - if I had to guess, I would say that less than 2% of the charging systems out there put the user fees in the sysop's chocolate fund. Most fees go into hard drives, multiplexers, and higher-speed modems. Any non-profit organization must first raise $500 to register with the IRS forthe special tax status (if this doesn't come under usury, nothing does). I'd much rather see that $500 go for a hard drive or a 9600 baud modem than for bureaucrat appeasement.