Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!malgudi!osc.edu!karl.kleinpaste
From: karl.kleinpaste@osc.edu
Subject: Re: compuserve
Message-ID: <1991May22.000121.14755@oar.net>
Followup-To: com-priv@psi.com
Sender: news@oar.net
Nntp-Posting-Host: ashley.osc.edu
Reply-To: com-priv@psi.com
Organization: Viento Gigabit Testbed, Ohio Supercomputer Center
References: <1991May21.165458.7441@sci34hub.sci.com>
Date: Wed, 22 May 1991 01:00:13 GMT
Lines: 27

gary@sci34hub.sci.com writes:
   Compuserve likes to bill for the use of their systems; billing people
   who telnet in would be very difficult.

This is false.  Connect time is connect time; they know how long
you've been there by any access method, and they'll bill
appropriately.  Remember the hermes.merit.edu Telenet access point --
this effect is already there.

   If CIS could see money in telnet/ftp connections, it'd already be done.

Also false.  Regardless of the raw $$$ that might be available,
CompuServe has a really serious problem with political questions.
They are quite paranoid about being on the receiving end of political
complaints; getting the original mail connection in place required an
agreement with the FRICC (this was 1989) which says, essentially, that
neither CompuServe nor NSFNet will charge the other for the use of the
other's network.  More recently, questions of "appropriate use"
agreements with each of the IP suppliers with which they checked
somewhat dominated their concerns.

Please, this is not a topic appropriate to tcp-ip any more; please
take it to com-priv@psi.com, if anywhere.  (Unfortunately, I
understand that my Reply-To: isn't surviving the news->mail gateway at
ucbvax.  Ohwell.)

--karl