Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!usc!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!paul
From: paul@uxc.cso.uiuc.edu (Paul Pomes - UofIllinois CSO)
Newsgroups: news.config
Subject: Re: U. of Hawaii uucp mail & Usenet news cutoff
Message-ID: <1990Feb7.183622.11065@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 7 Feb 90 18:36:22 GMT
References: <303@toaster.SFSU.EDU> <1990Feb7.012458.14811@aqdata.uucp> <2116.25cff8b7@mccall.uucp>
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Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
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tp@mccall.uucp writes:

>Yes, it is. The government has decided that the university can't support
>usenet. If the university had decided not to spend their own money on it,
>you'd be right. If it isn't censorship, it is limiting the ability of
>professional educators to decide how to allocate their resources. 

So what?  Those who have the money make the rules.  If someone doesn't
like it, they can fund their own system.  The state has an interest in
how computer systems, bought with state money, are used.  If having a
newsfeed is of commercial advantage, then the state (and by extension the
University) should either provide one to all comers or only to those with
a reciprocal agreement.  At UIUC the agreement is along the lines of
"by having a UUCP connection with us, you agree to forward UIUC mail."
Leaf sites with no other connections seldom qualify.

Please re-read the base note again:

>A state legislative inquiry into the propriety of University support
>to "outside" computer systems has compelled the Universitiy of Hawaii
>to---temporarily, at least---shut off external uucp connections and
>Usenet news feeds.

Note the reason for the cut-off: support for outside systems.  I tread a
very similar line as News/Mail/UUCP admin at UIUC.  Local businesses that
want a UUCP connection are sent to UUNET unless they can demonstrate some
benefit to the University.
--
         Paul Pomes

UUCP: {att,iuvax,uunet}!uiucuxc!paul   Internet, BITNET: paul@uxc.cso.uiuc.edu
US Mail:  UofIllinois, CSO, 1304 W Springfield Ave, Urbana, IL  61801-2987