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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!topaz!klinzhai!webber
From: webber@klinzhai.RUTGERS.EDU (Webber)
Newsgroups: news.stargate
Subject: Re: on `why not do it both ways.'
Message-ID: <190@brandx.klinzhai.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Sun, 26-Apr-87 06:01:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: brandx.190
Posted: Sun Apr 26 06:01:51 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 26-Apr-87 23:12:39 EDT
References: <965@vortex.UUCP> <7946@utzoo.UUCP> <7947@utzoo.UUCP> <2928@well.UUCP>
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Lines: 25
Summary: no, that wasn't what it started out to do.

In article <2928@well.UUCP>, mjr@well.UUCP (Matthew Rapaport) writes:
> 
> In sympathy with both points of view here, would it not be acceptable to
> all concerned if Stargate did what it set out to do by feeding the
> moderated newsgroups and offloading them from the phone based net. ...

Ah, but that wasn't how it all started.  People were initially
interested in `stargate-like' projects as a way of cutting down on the
overall cost of usenet.  Now we find that the people who went off to
investigate the situation are using their position of superior
knowledge and influence to restrict who can benefit from this service.
(Yes I know this sort of thing happens in corporate board rooms and
the halls of government, but there is no need for it here.)

There is no technical reason to do this.  All bits look alike to the
i/o channels.  There is no legal reason to do this.  If it is illegal
to broadcast a particular message over a satellite link, then it is
doubtless illegal to broadcast it over phone links or over networks
in public universities and companies.  Anyway, there is no degree of
moderation that can prevent you from eventually being sued.  After
all, newspapers with paid legal counsel still get sued and sometimes
loose.  All the moderator can do is help split the cost of the lawyer
that will defend him and the other parties in the suit.

-------------------- BOB (webber@aramis.rutgers.edu ; BACKBONE!topaz!webber)