Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!uwvax!tank!oddjob!matt
From: matt@oddjob.uchicago.edu (Matt Crawford)
Newsgroups: news.admin
Subject: Re: Geosat transmission of news
Message-ID: <3580@tank.uchicago.edu>
Date: 1 Jun 89 21:12:20 GMT
References: <371@odi.ODI.COM> <3400@looking.on.ca> <3549@ddsw1.MCS.COM> <3413@looking.on.ca>
Sender: news@tank.uchicago.edu
Reply-To: matt@oddjob.uchicago.edu (Matt Crawford)
Organization: Koyaanisqatsi
Lines: 46
In-reply-to: brad@looking.on.ca (Brad Templeton)

Oh, this is getting unbelievably absurd ..

Brad Templeton rants:
) All [Stargate] wanted to say was that those who took advantage
) of the satellite transmission should all pay for it equally.

No, that they should all pay the set amount.  If 20 sites in each region
shared a downlink they could pay equally, but then Stargate would only
collect 1/20 as much as they wanted.  But I'll chalk this error of
Brad's up to simple bad phrasing.  But the rest of what he said is
either dense or crazy!

)   Why, I wonder did people care about how stuff they were posting was
) transmitted?  Why did it matter if those who got it by downlink were
) required to pay if other people could get it by other routes?

People decided that although they were willing to share their thoughts
and some of their work for free, they were not willing to provide it for
free so that others could (1) sell it for money, or (2) prevent some
people from sharing it further.  People are generally accorded the right
to have some control over how their own intellectual creations are used.
Do you have a problem with that, Mr. Templeton?

) What I was commenting on was the fact that people weren't satisfied to
) let Stargate live or die through this system of free choice.  They
) opposed it and put the share-right messages on their postings.

First off, I doubt that these copylefted articles had much impact on the
failure of Stargate.  But even so, are you saying that the authors tried
to go beyond their rights?  Maybe the Stargate people should have
ignored copyright problems, as you did this morning in your message
<3414@looking.on.ca>.

) Consider the fact that I get netnews on my system.  I am fully allowed
) to let it stop right here and be a leaf. ...  Could somebody require
) me to give out free accounts and free feeds?  Of course not.

Relax, Brad.  Nobody would dream of asking *you* to give away something
for free.  But you go right ahead and ask us to give you things free,
and on your terms.  We don't mind.  Really.


Can anyone make head or tail of what Brad was trying to get at by all
the numbers in his last two paragraphs?  I can't.
________________________________________________________
Matt Crawford	     		matt@oddjob.uchicago.edu