Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!shaman!jiro
From: jiro@shaman.com (Jiro Nakamura)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: *** Top Prize Winner - IMPACT Software Contest ***
Message-ID: <1991Apr26.015221.4672@shaman.com>
Date: 26 Apr 91 01:52:21 GMT
References: <1991Apr25.130046.26086@cs.cornell.edu> <1991Apr25.134348.25432@ni.umd.edu> <1991Apr25.143604.3979@macc.wisc.edu>
Organization: Shaman Consulting
Lines: 81

In article <1991Apr25.143604.3979@macc.wisc.edu> anderson@macc.wisc.edu (Jess Anderson) writes:
>
>In article <1991Apr25.134348.25432@ni.umd.edu>
>louie@sayshell.umd.edu (Louis A.  Mamakos) writes:
>
>>Does anyone else think that this posting, and the ones
>>before it are just a little bit too commerically oriented to
>>be appropriate for this USENET newsgroup.  Especially the
>>last "batch" of them?
>
> [Rambling about SS# Deleted]
>
>Now wrt Impact, there are a number of issues.  One, it seems
>to me, is that they are using a Cornell account to transact
>a clearly commercial enterprise.  Excuse me?  I'm quite sure
>that is a violation of NSFnet appropriate use guidelines.
>If they are a business (it seems *very* likely they either
>are or soon intend to be), they should at least register in
>the *com domain and not abuse the *edu domain.  But, having
>no love for the cop role, I'd prefer to leave that up to
>the net.enforcers at Cornell.

	Net.enforcers at Cornell? Hah! Not unless a lawsuit comes up
will Cornell do anything. Not to insult CIT, they do a great job but
Cornell doesn't hirer near enough people to have an actual net-enforcer
or anyone who prefers to do the job.
	Now, concerning Impact. I know the folks, they invited me to
join but I have enough problems on my hands right now.  They are mostly
students. Attribute their postings to ignorance.
	Also, they are struggling to get off the ground. They really need
the net coverage to get going. Cutting off their USENET line would be
suicide to them at this stage.
	Here's the deal. They want to acqure and spread software through
mostly grass roots efforts -- ie. the programs you and I write in our
spare time and never have the time to really finish or add good docs. They
do that bit for us and sell it. They want to distribute at very low costs
to the common folk, researches, students, etc. 
	Because they don't have their own full-time programmers and rely
on being a publishing house, they need to get other people to do it. But
how to get those people? How do you attract lots of people?
	Now, I agree that this is a blantant net.abuse. My anus says to
tell them to stop posting or get off the net. My mouth (getting really
Freudian here) says that we should post them a kind note saying what the
USENET deal is. I'll try to talk to them too.

>
>Other vendors appearing in this newsgroup seem reasonably
>fastidious about these matters, and while Impact may still
>be largely a start-up (one does wonder who's really back
>there, behind the screen), they should get this part of the
>act together pretty soon, I would think.

	I agree. :-(  But how do you spread the word around the grass
roots? 
	
>
>But I also have some divided loyalties wrt Impact, since the
>idea of giving small prizes to adventuresome developers
>seems such a good one.  Also in their favor, they are
>apparently planning to centralize and publicize the
>distribution of certain software at modest prices.  That
>would certainly seem to be a contribution to the general
>welfare of NeXT users.  To the extent the card is an
>innovative idea, it seems a useful one, and should probably
>be explored further.

	That's why I feel bad about cutting off their postings too.
Sigh....

	jiro nakamura
	jiro@shaman.com but also 
	jiro@heights.cit.cornell.edu <-- see there's a cornell thing in there
					after all


ps. To Cornell, I'm just SID#331-820. They don't care what I say.
ps. To Shaman Consulting, I'm EID#1. They do care what I say.
-- 
Jiro Nakamura				jiro@shaman.com
Shaman Consulting			(607) 253-0687 VOICE
"Bring your dead, dying shamans here!"	(607) 253-7809 FAX/Modem