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From: msc@saber.UUCP (Mark Callow)
Newsgroups: net.news
Subject: Re: Keyword based news
Message-ID: <1796@saber.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 31-Dec-69 18:59:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: saber.1796
Posted: Wed Dec 31 18:59:59 1969
Date-Received: Sat, 12-Oct-85 18:21:56 EDT
References: <16460@watmath.UUCP> <1419@utcsri.UUCP> <132@mck-csc.UUCP> <3189@nsc.UUCP> <265@ukecc.UUCP> <1787@hao.UUCP> <434@looking.UUCP> <1793@hao.UUCP>
Organization: Saber Technology, San Jose, CA
Lines: 22

> > To Greg: The whole point of keywords is to allow greater user selectivity.
> > For optimal use, you need poster-pays news with "collect" features.
> 
>   This will effectively kill 95% of the net. I do not have the authority
> to spend HAO's money for this type of thing, and I'm not sure I would
> ....
> I think 95% of the users would drop off the net if they had to pay to post
> articles.

The European usenet works on a pay as you go basis.  It seems to be thriving.
I think the way it works is as follows:  each site pays a fixed sum each
month to receive and post news.  I don't know how they determine the cost.
Each site also pays for all mail that they send out.

The details aren't important.  The point is that making people pay can
work.  It is unlikely to doom the net.  Mind you payment has been the norm
in Europe since usenet started so there is no "they should keep giving it
to me" mentality to overcome.
-- 
From the TARDIS of Mark Callow
msc@saber.UUCP,  sun!saber!msc@decwrl.ARPA
...{decwrl,ucbvax}!sun!saber!msc, ...{amdcad,ihnp4}!saber!msc