Xref: utzoo misc.misc:2196 news.misc:1146
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!mcdchg!falkor!heiby
From: heiby@falkor.UUCP (Ron Heiby)
Newsgroups: misc.misc,news.misc
Subject: Re: The solution to: Re: "We don't get that newsgroup here"
Message-ID: <118@falkor.UUCP>
Date: 18 Jan 88 14:45:34 GMT
References: <693@brandx.rutgers.edu> <505@cresswell.quintus.UUCP> <112@falkor.UUCP> <610@acer.stl.stc.co.uk>
Reply-To: heiby@mcdchg.UUCP (Ron Heiby)
Organization: /organization
Lines: 35

David Wright (dww@stl.stc.co.uk) writes:
> But what about when it IS the backbone that isn't passing the newsgroup?
> This discussion started because of postings of poems in misc.misc from the UK.
> The European gateway (mcvax) has to restrict groups coming in because of high
> trans-atlantic transmission costs.   Thus rec.poems does not exist in Europe.

My understanding was that the transatlantic link would carry any newsgroup
that the European Usenet Community was willing to pay for.  I heard at one
point that the bicycles newsgroup was being sent over for a single individual,
who payed its communication costs.  If there are a couple of people in
Europe that are really keen on poetry, then it probably makes sense for them
to ante up and pay to transport the group.  As I said in a previous posting,
it's just economics.  If poetry is not worth paying to transmit it, then
it shouldn't be transmitted.  It should not get a "free ride" in misc.misc.
If Europe wants poetry, Europe can have poetry.

If I am completely wrong, and mcvax is evil and nasty and dropping poems
because of a lack of appreciation for art or poor social graces, then I
make this offer:

	*ANY* overseas site (not just in Europe) that wants to
	poll me in Chicago to pick up the poetry newsgroup should
	send me email, and I'll set up such a feed.  I do not charge
	for feeds, but you must pay the phone bills.

There!  Now, you can't talk about censorship or restrictions or evil
nastyness.  All you can talk about is whether or not it is worth paying
real money to transport poems over long distances.  Now, please go away
and decide locally whether or not it's worth it to you using a local
distribution and let us all know what you finally decide on.

Thanks.
-- 
Ron Heiby, heiby@mcdchg.UUCP	Moderator: comp.newprod & comp.unix
"Intel architectures build character."