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From: oyster@uwmacc.UUCP (Vicarious Oyster)
Newsgroups: net.mail,net.news.group
Subject: Re: abuse of the net
Message-ID: <2225@uwmacc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 19-May-86 19:28:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: uwmacc.2225
Posted: Mon May 19 19:28:40 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 20-May-86 20:24:48 EDT
References: <2206@uwmacc.UUCP> <317@sdcarl.UUCP> <2021@hammer.UUCP>
Reply-To: oyster@uwmacc.UUCP (Vicarious Oyster)
Distribution: na
Organization: UWisconsin-Madison Academic Comp Center
Lines: 60
Xref: mit-eddie net.mail:1618 net.news.group:5160

In article <2021@hammer.UUCP> tekecs!doghouse.TEK!snoopy (Snoopy) writes:
>In article <317@sdcarl.UUCP> tre@sdcarl.UUCP (Tom Erbe) writes:
>>.
>>	So what is the verdict??  Is the posting of sources and binaries for 
>>the ST kosher?  Or is the net only around for UNIX and like systems?  If it 
>>is, how are the following newsgroups justified?
>>
>>		net.sources.mac
>>		mod.amiga.sources
>>		mod.amiga.binaries
>>	
>>	I for one, use many machines (IBM,SMI,DEC,Atari,Apple,Motorola,etc.)
>>at work, and most of them are not UNIX machines.  I appreciate getting useful
...
>I don't see why UNIX machines should be expected to pay for distributing
>software and discussions for other operating systems.  Why can't they
>set up their own network?  Disk space and phone lines aren't free for
>machines that run UNIX anymore than they are for machines that run
>mac/amiga/ST/PC-DOS/VMS/whatever.

(Wherein oyster@uwmacc resolves to forego flaming on this topic and enter
into serious discourse...)

OK.  There are two ways that I work with our UNIX machine.  One of them is
being used right now from my office.  It's an IBM PC.  The other sits on
the desk in my study at home, and is an Atari ST.  For both of these
methods of access, I need *at least* a good terminal emulator.  Now
add on a file transfer program or two, so I can edit files on the non-
UNIX machine (effectively "off-line", since paying users like to access
the UNIX machine, too, and since my wife wants to use the 'phone every
once in awhile :-).  Oh-- did I say off-line editing?  How about a nice
PD editor?  What?  Use UNIX-like tools on the ST for development,
and transfer working, portable C code to the VAX?  Sure!  Now, where
were we?  Oh yeah; supporting non-Unix machines on a Unix network.
To date, either directly or indirectly (diskettes *are* flying back and
forth through USmail at our personal expense), I have gotten Xmodem
programs for both the ST and Unix, a vi clone for the ST, a make
utility (ST), etc.  The software alone has contributed immensely to
using my ST as an extension of the local Unix machine.  Add in the
non-software aspects of the computer-related newsgroups, and I personally
find those "non-Unix" newsgroups contributing substantially to the
usefulness of my local Unix machine.  And if I walk down the hall here,
I'll run into Mac users, Amiga owners, etc, all of whom use their
pet micros in conjunction with the Unix Vax.  They're all benefitting
from "non-Unix" newsgroups.
>
>(Before someone mentions groups like net.cooks, consider the difficulties
>of connecting a modem to your average saucepan.)
>
   Yes, but what does net.cooks, or net.music, or net.SF-Lovers contribute
to Unix?  Seems to me that if ya wanna ban non-Unix topics, those things
would be the first to go (note: I just chose those particular groups
'cause I enjoy 'em, too).  Actually, Chuq's answer expressed my view of
USENET quite succinctly, so I'll let it rest there.
--

 - Joel ({allegra,ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!oyster)

P.S. I took the liberty of editting out any specific micro newsgroup(s)
in the Newsgroups line.