Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!fox!portal!cup.portal.com!Bob_BobR_Retelle
From: Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: GEnie uplink is shut down..
Message-ID: <25357@cup.portal.com>
Date: 25 Dec 89 08:43:30 GMT
References: <15158@well.UUCP>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 18

Oh well..  my ST was down for surgery for a few days, and I see I've come
in late, so everyone ignore my previous few postings on the subject (I'm
sure you will)...
 
What I'm surprised that no one has suggested throughout all of this is that
GEnie just bite the bullet and become a UseNet site.  Portal has been
mentioned several times in the discussion, but Portal is a paying member
of UseNet and has full two-way access.   The way GEnie was doing it was
by getting in "the backdoor", for free.
 
There would be no "flood" of GEnie material, as only messages specifically
posted to UseNet (as with Portal) would appear on the newsgroups.
 
However, it would take money to set up as a UseNet site, and it would take
software to handle the newsgroup feeds.  That would take a bit more selling
than just offering them something for free.
 
BobR