Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!coy
From: coy@ssc-vax.UUCP (Stephen B Coy)
Newsgroups: news.misc
Subject: Re: The Rape of Usenet
Message-ID: <3087@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: 22 Dec 89 21:53:14 GMT
References: <946@crash.cts.com> <1989Dec21.000041.6034@ns.network.com> <1107@utoday.UUCP>
Organization: Boeing Aerospace & Electronics, Seattle WA
Lines: 42
Keywords: The wholesale capturing of Usenet by GEnie

In article <1107@utoday.UUCP>, wagner@utoday.UUCP (wagner) writes:
> Similar arguments could be made for other netters, I'm sure. The people who 
> post to comp groups, for instance, are largely people who are paid for their
> computer knowledge. When they post to the net, they are choosing to give their
> wares away. If Joe Smith posts to newsgroups saying, "I am having such-and-such
> a problem with my CompuBelch 800, can anybody help," and Jane Jones, consultant,
> reads it and knows the answer, she has two options if she wants to help:
> (a) She can sit down and write a letter saying, "Hi, I'm Jane Jones, consultant,
> and I know how to solve your problem, and if you send me $100 I'll tell you 
> what the answer is." Nothing wrong with that. That's how Jane earns her 
> living---by solving other people's computer problems for them. Or, (b) she
> can just sit down and bang out a response, and post it or e-mail it, with
> no thought of monetary compensation.
> 
> Now, let's say Mr. Smith missed Jane's posting and some third guy comes along
> and says, "I'll solve your problem for you Mr. Smith," and takes Jane's
> posting and charges Mr. Smith $100 to read it. How's Jane going to feel?
> Ripped off. She's going to think, "If I wanted Smith to have to pay for this,
> I'd'a charged him for it myself." 

Mr. Smith knows where to look for the answer, ie the followups to
his query.  But he doesn't bother.  Joe 3rd Guy takes the time to
sift through the net's usual cruft to find and extract Jane's gem of
wisdom which she has given to the world.  Mr. Smith think $100 is a
fair price to solve his problem.  He pays, his problem is solved,
he's happy.  Joe is compensated for his work, he's happy.  Jane
thinks, "Mr. Smith would rather pay than sort through the net.
I guess his time must be worth more to him."  She's amused.  I see
GEnie as sifting through the net for the gems and charging people
for this service.  The information is still free and with the usenet
postings will come information on public access unix sites and the
means to get that information for free.  Along with all the other
"information" that fills the net.  GEnie is charging for a service
much like a consulting agency will charge for the service of sorting
through a talent pool to find the individual that will fill the
needs of their client.

> Mitch
> wagner@utoday.UUCP

Stephen Coy
uw-beaver!ssc-vax!coy