Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ll-xn!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!tikal!amc!pilchuck!ssc!fyl
From: fyl@ssc.UUCP (Phil Hughes)
Newsgroups: news.admin
Subject: Re: binaries on the net
Summary: I thought I was good at communication ...
Message-ID: <1226@ssc.UUCP>
Date: 19 May 88 16:17:46 GMT
References: <1574@looking.UUCP> <22099@bu-cs.BU.EDU> <392@pan.UUCP> <3083@bsu-cs.UUCP>
Organization: Slugland, USA
Lines: 38

In article <3083@bsu-cs.UUCP>, dhesi@bsu-cs.UUCP (Rahul Dhesi) writes:
> In article <1220@ssc.UUCP> fyl@ssc.UUCP (Phil Hughes) writes:
> >...net distribution of
> >binaries is not free.  As a usenet node we pay for that distribution
> >every day.
> >...I hesitate to chuck all the binary groups as I expect
> >there would be someone who cared somewhere.

> Phil Hughes prefers no binaries on the net.  As I understand it, his
> site chooses to accept and transmit binaries, because he believes
> others value them, yet he prefers that no other site accept and
> transmit binaries, because his site doesn't value them.
> 
> I'm getting tied up in knots analyzing this reasoning.

Ok, let me try again.

Fact: it costs a lot of money to send traffic
over the net.  It may not be out of your pocket but someone pays.

Fact: Binary programs don't convey timely information.  You may learn
something from playing a game or solve a problem by running a utility
or whatever but you don't learn something by reading it or whatever.

Fact: The world is full of BBSs and companies that distribute binaries
of public domain programs for cost or there abouts.

Fact: It takes time to snatch a binary off the net, get it unpacked and
written to appropriate media for use.

Now, my point, again, is that the overall it would cost less and take less
time to buy a disk full of binaries for $3.

My comment about "someone would complain ..." reflects my laziness.
I need to ask those we feed if they care but I haven't as yet.


-- 
Phil    uunet!pilchuck!ssc!fyl