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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhuxl!houxm!hogpc!houti!ariel!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!fluke!inc
From: inc@fluke.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: The Network as Bulletin Board
Message-ID: <91@tpvax.fluke.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 19-Nov-83 16:53:42 EST
Article-I.D.: tpvax.91
Posted: Sat Nov 19 16:53:42 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 22-Nov-83 01:17:09 EST
References: ssc-vax.611 <200@wxlvax.UUCP>
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Everett, Wash
Lines: 34

Sorry, I for one don't buy the argument that Boeing is too trusting in
setting up guest accounts. Normally, such accounts can be easily monitored
because only one person is given the guest account at a time, and the
password is changed when the need is filled. Also, your impression that
the "guest" was bragging is utter nonsense. She (he?) was merely relating
how a guest account can be of value during the time that a person's own
account is being set up. 

Besides, what's to trust? I swear, some people who submit junk onto the
net must think that military secrets are accessible to anyone who gets a
an account and password for a day. My own experience is that these
newsgroups generally discuss trivia, and that nothing really important is
said here. For the most part, net.flame is a collection of childish
diatribes (net.jokes is very similar, I might add.)

If you think of the net as a giant electronic bulletin board, much like
the kiosks you see on any university campus, maybe it will help assuage
your upset over anonymous submitters. Some people identify themselves on
bull boards, some don't. Who cares? Who does it hurt?

On the other hand, if you think about the net as a well-regulated,
self-disciplining glimpse of future electronic communications, then you
might be upset over anomymously posted *direct* mail, but general
anomymous postings still hurt noone. The sad fact of the matter is that
the net is by no means well-regulated, nor does the self-discipline seem
to be improving. That's kind of too bad, because I would like to think
that this method of communications might someday amount to something. So
far, it doesn't look to me as if it will. 

Gary Benson
John Fluke Mfg. Co.
Everett, WA, USA

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