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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhuxt!mhuxi!mhuxa!houxm!ihnp4!drux3!druny!jmb
From: jmb@druny.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: More boiling water
Message-ID: <680@druny.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 1-Sep-83 11:52:50 EDT
Article-I.D.: druny.680
Posted: Thu Sep  1 11:52:50 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Sep-83 20:29:58 EDT
Organization: AT&T Information Systems, Denver
Lines: 43

Well, it seems my item finally got around the net.  Everybody seems aghast
that I would suggest some (self-imposed) limitations on what gets posted
to the net.  I have been likened to Yuri Andropov or similar persons who
would deny people their God-given liberties.

First, who said >anybody< has a RIGHT to use the network?  Somebody has to
pay for all those computers and disks and modems and telphone calls (etc).
If I'm AT&T and I buy a computer for hardware developers to run simulations,
do I also give them the RIGHT to use netnews?  Obviously not.  If I am
a machine coordinator, and my machine is loaded to the gills, am I obligated
to let people eat up more of my CPU and disk for something not related
to their work?  No.  If I'm the man who has to sign the purchase orders,
and I see my employees using my expensive piece of hardware to exchange
movie reviews, will I be willing to let it continue?  Probably not.

Many persons got hot under the collar without reading my flame carefully.
Perhaps I do have an obligation to allow PROFESSIONAL information to be
exchanged through the net - such as programs, bug fixes and the like.
I see these as part of professional growth and learning.  Too bad more
information like this isn't out there.  Instead we have net.jokes.all and
long running arguments over whether hot or cold water boils faster.
How is net.jokes going to help me write a better program or make a better
design?

				J. M. Barton
				...!druny!jmb
				AT&T Information Systems Laboratories

P.S.  I can see a time when the ever-increasing load of netnews causes it
      to change from "for-the-good-of-all" communism to free-market
      enterprise.  In other words, I write contracts for all those nodes
      whom I supply with netnews, laying out exactly what newsgroups they
      will get or not get, and how much they will be charged per byte of
      newtitem.  My suppliers(s) will do the same to me.  Is this anti-net?
      No, it is reality.  Allocation of scarce resources is what an economy
      is for, and the CPU, disk, etc. used for netnews is just another scarce
      resource.  You have a right to read any book you choose - but if you
      don't have the money to buy it, too bad.

P.P.S.  You don't have to send replies to /dev/null.  As this is an open
        forum, and I am expressing my ideas to everybody, I have an
        obligation to listen to those who would dispute me (as long as
        they do it reasonably).