Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!cica!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!natinst!sequoia!dewey
From: dewey@sequoia.UUCP (Dewey Henize)
Newsgroups: news.misc
Subject: Re: The Rape of Usenet
Keywords: The wholesale capturing of Usenet by GEnie
Message-ID: <4139@sequoia.UUCP>
Date: 22 Dec 89 02:30:59 GMT
Reply-To: dewey@sequoia.UUCP (Dewey Henize)
Organization: Home for Recalcitrant Hackers
Lines: 56

Lets see if we can take this slow, for the slow minds out there.

No one yet has posted that they object to GEnie getting groups gatewayed
per se.  At least, if they have, it hasn't reached this site.

People HAVE complained that it looks like all the benefit is one-way.

Some people can't tell the difference between a one-way gate and a system
with commercial access.

GEnie is supposedly going to try to put some sort of copyright on what
they port from Usenet, just because they did the 'hard work' of porting
it.

Is that right so far?  Did I miss a point?  I don't think so.  All the 
whining and bitching about Well and Portal being just the same can be
ignored - it's just a matter of people who are too lazy to READ what the
posts are [Those people aren't too stupid to understand it, several of
them have shown intelligence before].

Is there some legal problem?  If so, there's nothing that is going to go
to court, so that's not really an issue.  Forget it folks.

Is there a moral issue?  Better question.  PART of Usenet is based on the
idea of disseminating information.  This would do that part.  Another part
is based on the idea that you, one way or another, contribute back for some
of the benefit you recieve - which is why a lot of sites, this one included,
transport a lot of stuff we don't use directly.  We get benefit, we help
others get benefit.

GEnie is going to get benefit.  Right now, they're going to keep their info
and import ours as well.  You can't stop it, you know.  MAYBE, just maybe,
there's someone involved in it that wants to work on a basis of fair play,
but what you're talking about is a $-making company that has absolutely no
reason to.  That's the way of the world.

You're seeing what Usenet would be if it were all commercial, folks.  Scream
and holler if it makes you feel better.  Doesn't get the foul taste out of
my mouth, but that's the way it is.

NO ONE, at least that doesn't need a keeper, is going to really think that
the spirit of sharing found in the Usenet community is gonna continue without
some sharks ripping it off.  Looks at the maps mailing lists, simply for
one example.

If you don't like it, cancel or quit using your GEnie access.  Quit posting
to group(s) they put on a one-way gateway.  Or just accept that one of the
prices of a whole lot of people trying to share without any contract other
than a 'fair play' expectation means that those who don't give a damn can
always take advantage of those that do.

Dewey
-- 
| ...!cs.utexas.edu!execu!dewey or | "If you will just quit shouting at me, I |
|     ...uunet!execu!dewey         | will try to hear what you are saying"    |
| Execucom and I often have different ideas.  THESE are mine, ok?  Ok.        |