Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihnp4.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!gjm
From: gjm@ihnp4.UUCP (Gary J. Murakami)
Newsgroups: net.news.stargate
Subject: Re: Re: Need for Stargate screening?
Message-ID: <710@ihnp4.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 31-Jan-85 08:41:42 EST
Article-I.D.: ihnp4.710
Posted: Thu Jan 31 08:41:42 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 2-Feb-85 00:23:13 EST
References: <494@vortex.UUCP>, <702@cbosgd.UUCP> <831@hound.UUCP> <133@tmq.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 65
Keywords: USENET Costs

My thanks to Peter Kerrigan for a clear and constructive statement of
why Usenet functions and flourishes inspite of entropy, chaos, and even
abuse.

I keep a very low profile on the network -- mostly because I am just too
busy with real work plus just keeping things working around ihnp4.  Here
are some stats that might be of interest:

Name:		ihnp4 (Indian Hill Network Processor 4)
System:		AT&T 3B20S, UNIX SVR2p
Org:		AT&T Bell Laboratories
Remarks:	AT&T mail gateway
Networks:	NSC HYPERchannel, AT&T Datakit(r) VCS, RJE, ACUs
		(3BNET pending)

News links:	74		(58 IH + 16 non-IH)
				(includes 7 backone feeds; 8 non-AT&T feeds)
Mail links:	1055		(about 60 broken)
Daily Mail:	1500 messages	(average weekday, 1/3-1/2 to non-AT&T sites)
Daily UUCP:	20 Megabytes	(average weekday)
Daily network:	40 Megabytes	(includes 20 M UUCP)
Weekly phone:	$ XXXX		(guestimate)
Monthly phone:	$ XXXX		(guestimate, decvax pays more due to mcvax)


Peter Honeyman wants me to be more "responsible" (friendly suggestion),
but I'm having a rough time just keeping my head above water.  ihnp4
sends out regular test messages; I know which links do and dont work. 
However it is impossible to call all of the contacts to fix the broken
links (Action Central people try to fix the AT&T problems).  It is
impossible to force the cooperation of administrators (even just within
AT&T when you give them COMPLETE information!).

So, if you have a link with ihnp4, please check to see that it is
working!  Our UUCP information has not changed over the past 2 years --
there is no excuse for not at least sending us a note with the right
UUCP infomation, especially since we're currently willing to foot the
bill. Thank you to those that have cooperated.

The point of all this is:  

	It takes friendly people, friendly management, and hard work
	to set up and maintain Usenet.

Remember "harpo"?  I think that both "harpo" and Brian are doing
profitable work - now that they are out of the backbone business.  Where
permitted by friendly management, sites function due to the people that
care enough to make things work.  The administrative burden is already
high, and any project like "stargate" that holds the promise of easier
distribution and administration also holds the promise of making netnews
work much better in the future (not to mention the cost benefits).

My appreciation extends to all those wonderful people that have kept
Usenet functioning for so long (thank you Brian for harpo when we had
it), and to the current set of administrators, supporters, developers,
and dreamers that contribute constructively to the flourishing of Usenet.

A special "Thank You" to cbosgd!mark, princeton!down!honey, bellcore!ber,
decvax!aps, seismo!rick (and many others) for their long term contributions
(I'm not sure that I can last as long).

A very special "Thank You" to vortex!lauren for preseverence in the face
of adversity and for his foresight into the future.  Go stargate!

-Gary