Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!aplcen!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!uwm.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!porthos.rutgers.edu!pleasant From: pleasant@porthos.rutgers.edu (Mel Pleasant) Newsgroups: news.misc Subject: Re: The Rape of Usenet Keywords: The wholesale capturing of Usenet by GEnie Message-ID: Date: 21 Dec 89 22:01:14 GMT References: <946@crash.cts.com> <1989Dec21.000041.6034@ns.network.com> <1989Dec21.020140.24067@athena.mit.edu> <6577@brspyr1.BRS.Com> Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 33 To: tim@brspyr1.BRS.Com In general, I don't believe in sending `me too' messages but I think this case is important enough that `me toos' may actually matter. To this end, I have to say that I support Karl's stand on the matter. Essentially, I don't care that GEnie might make a buck or two off of usenet postings. What I detest is that the link is not bidirectional. We on the Usenet are not able to receive the same benefits from the link that the folks on GEnie are able to receive from us. Statements in Tim Northrup's own posting <6577@brspyr1.BRS.Com> suggest this, to wit: "Since all the `experts' already appear on GEnie and voice their views there, and [sic] can't see how they object to comments posted to Usenet being dumped into GEnie as well." and: "I still say that this link *can* represent a convenient way to diseminate a large volume of information to people who don't have access to Usenet." In both cases, information flowing into GEnie may be of great benefit to that audience. It would be great, particularly considering the first statement, if information would flow in the other direction as well. So again, this is not a complaint about the possible profit that GEnie may make from Usenet postings. It's a call for a bidirectional link which will benefit us all on both sides of the fence. And in the general case, its a plea for holding out on any new links until those representing the other end of the link recognize the benefits of a bidirectional news/mail link and are willing to co-operate to bring such a link to fruition. -- Mel Pleasant {backbone}!rutgers!pleasant pleasant@rutgers.edu mpleasant@zodiac.bitnet