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From: mcb@styx.UUCP
Newsgroups: news.stargate
Subject: Re: Stargate experimental subscription announcement
Message-ID: <21253@styx.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 12-Feb-87 19:27:41 EST
Article-I.D.: styx.21253
Posted: Thu Feb 12 19:27:41 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 13-Feb-87 22:21:34 EST
References: <3341@cbosgd.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: mcb@styx.UUCP (Michael C. Berch)
Distribution: na
Organization: Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Livermore CA
Lines: 37
Summary: Questions about Stargate

Though the Stargate Information Service article contains a good deal of
useful information, there are some crucial questions that potential
subscribers may wish to know before making even an informal committment 
to sign up. A few of these were covered at the BOF session at Usenix, 
but considering the much larger community to whom the Stargate
announcement was addressed, are worth pursuing in this forum.

1. Is the provider of Stargate Information Service a for-profit or
   non-profit entity?

2. What is the nature of the "netnews-like" material that will be
   transmitted to subscribers? Is it material already available on
   Usenet or via mailing lists, or similar material from another
   source?

3. Does Stargate assert copyright in the transmitted information?
   Will subscribers be restricted in further dissemination of
   Stargate-derived material?

4. May subscribers provide their own Stargate-compatible equipment, or
   is the subscription bundled with required equipment purchases?

5. Does Stargate plan to make known its post-introductory rate
   structure to potential subscribers prior to their committment to
   purchase Stargate receiver equipment?

I hope the Stargate principals will be able to clear up these matters
in sufficient time to permit people to make an intelligent decision
about an introductory subscription. I don't mean to put the Stargate
people on the defensive; I think the concept is a good one. But I
don't think the original announcement contains enough critical
information for many people to commit their personal funds or try to
sell this to their management.

Michael C. Berch
ARPA: mcb@lll-tis-b.arpa
UUCP: ...!lll-lcc!styx!mcb   ...!lll-crg!styx!mcb  ...!ihnp4!styx!mcb