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From: robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Tim Maroney is wrong
Message-ID: <893@eosp1.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 22-May-84 12:34:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: eosp1.893
Posted: Tue May 22 12:34:12 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 23-May-84 19:19:42 EDT
Organization: Exxon Office Systems, Princeton, NJ
Lines: 48

References:

The materials TM posted to the net about his conflict with UNC clearly
show him to be in the wrong.  Mr. Brooks stated a position very
clearly in one communication -- that he did not wish TM to represent
his organization as an employee on the net.  I think this is an
eminently reasonable position which requires NO justification at all
(censorship/discrimination discussed below).

The sources show that TM is unable to reason logically,
unable to understand other people's simple communications, and unredeemably
argumentative in all his dealings.  I wouldn't want such a person to
represent my company on the net either.

Now a position on censorship/discrimination:  I don't believe that any
person has a right to publish anything on the net,
anymore than any person has a right to publish anything that he wishes
in his company's, or anyone else's, newspapaer.  TM's demand for access to
the net is equivalent to demanding that your company allow you to say
whatever you like to all of its actual and prospective customers. No such
right exists, and you may reasonably be fired, and denied access to
company equipment if you refuse to follow such company policy.

I fail to see how the use of government funds affects this situation.
Have you ever tried demanding that the university give you the right to use
ALL of its equipment, in ALL laboratories, that is supported by public funds,
to use as you wish?  Of course you have no such right.  The university must
be carefu to see that the equipment is used in a controlled fashion, to
protect the equipment and the people involved.

UNC is not blacklisting TM from the net.  He has the right to select another
employer who will grant him access, or even to rent or purchase his own
net facilities.  In the same way you may buy or lease your own newspaper or
press to express your own opinions.

The net may feel like a free communication medium with unrestricted rights,
but it is not.  It is an extraordinary privilege that is paid for so that we,
hopefully, can all benefit in a way that will aid the people paying for the
net as well.  Even in cases where net mail uses fixed price communication
paths, the cost and bandwidth of these paths is paid for and justified;
excess mail could overwhelm the bandwidth of a fixed price link, or the
link could be replaced by a cheaper one that would be satisfactory only
without the burden of netnews.  It is our fortune that the cost of netnews
is carried with so few conditions on its use.
					- Toby Robison (not Robinson!)
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