Xref: utzoo ont.uucp:681 can.usrgroup:345
Path: utzoo!attcan!telly!evan
From: evan@telly.on.ca (Evan Leibovitch)
Newsgroups: ont.uucp,can.usrgroup
Subject: Is it time for a "uunet-north"?
Message-ID: <25CA554B.1357@telly.on.ca>
Date: 3 Feb 90 03:51:38 GMT
Distribution: ont
Organization: Public Access Usenet, Brampton, Ontario
Lines: 55

[Note: this is being cross-posted to ont.uucp and can.usrgroup. I would
like to take this discussion to a mailing list of interested people
sooner or later. For now, please leave the cross-posting, because it has
interest to people not involved with Uniforum Canada or Unix Unanimous,
and also to people on the UU mailing list who don't get news. Thanks.]

Some interesting side discussions at the recent Unix Unanimous meeting
in North York, coupled with the coming departure of the site nebulus,
have revived interest in this matter.

There has been widespread mumbling for the past year or so about the
feasability of having a central Ontario site that would function
similarly to uunet in the U.S. That is, a stable, well-connected site
which charges fees for feeds. It would carry every newsgroup and
mailing list available, allowing subscriber sites to make up their
own minds on what's appropriate to take.

The idea in concept appears to have the support of many of the board
members of Uniforum Canada, possibly even a majority at this time. The
backing of that body for a non-profit organization running this site
could involve direct funding, getting cheap hardware from the group's
corporate sponsors, or other means.

The consensus among those I have spoken to points to a small (maybe 1.5)
number of paid staff positions and a core of volunteers to assist.

One issue that may become sticky is that of Internet access. As I
understand it, present Onet policy concerning commercial sites hooking
up is unclear. Perhaps this site could be a lightening rod, taking care
of the commercial hookups and relieving other Onet members of that
"problem". I believe this can result in a working agreement that
benefits both sides.

I myself would like to see the site offer, besides Usenet and mail
feeds, some kind of ftp access for subscribers. Maybe modem SLIP links,
or perhaps we could implement an ftp server which would allow subscribers
to request uploads - requests would be queued up, and the files would be
set for UUCP transmission to the requesting site upon arrival.

Archives? Of course. Lots of disk, to allow for a full repository of the
GNU tapes, the newest Xwindows, TeX, the entire contents of comp.sources,
whatever. I can see that in the early going, some of the stuff could be
kept offline on Exabyte tapes, available for downloading on N hours notice.

I believe such a site would be of great interest to UUCP sites in
Ontario and Quebec. I don't think there'll be much interest in the
Maritimes and West, because with our stupid phone rates it's likely
cheaper to call Virginia from Vancouver than to call Toronto.

Comments?
-- 
The Northwest Territories:  | Evan Leibovitch, Sound Software
Where men are men, women    | Located in beautiful Brampton, Ontario
are scarce, and caribou are | evan@telly.on.ca / uunet!attcan!telly!evan
very careful how they walk. | (416) 452-0504