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From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.news.group
Subject: Re: Causes on the net...
Message-ID: <776@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Sep-85 13:00:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: vortex.776
Posted: Tue Sep  3 13:00:40 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 4-Sep-85 06:34:48 EDT
References: <60@l5.uucp>
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 20

Hmmmm.  It seems to me that to some extent, we are ALL "freeloaders"
on this net, since none of us pays the full cost for distributing
our message throughout the network.  We may pay a little for the
initial sending of the message... but after that it vanishes
into the abyss of the net and is paid for by virtually everyone.
Thusly, it seems pretty clear that only topics that "everyone" agrees
they are willing to pay for (one way or another) should be suitable
for newsgroups.  Otherwise, mailing lists should be used, ideally
getting the permission of intermediate sites if direct connections
for distributing the mail are not planned.  

As a practical matter, unless a mailing list consists totally
of direct connections to the recipients, there is by definition
"freeloading" going on.  The important issue is to what extent
we want to discourage or encourage people from using the "community"
resources of Usenet for particular ends, particularly given our
current traffic and load problems.  It's not a matter to be
considered lightly.

--Lauren--