Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!psuvax1!psuvm!UNCCVM!ACC00RRB From: ACC00RRB@UNCCVM.BITNET (Robert R. Blackmun) Newsgroups: bit.listserv.policy-l Subject: Re: Technical direction vs. Services Message-ID: Date: 9 Feb 90 19:51:09 GMT Sender: Discussion about BITNET policies Reply-To: Discussion about BITNET policies Lines: 14 Approved: NETNEWS@PSUVM Gateway In-Reply-To: Message of Fri, 9 Feb 90 09:47:48 CST from Richard's comments strike a familiar chord -- I've suggested for some time that the best solution to the "volunteer vs. central staff" issue would be for CREN to use some of its surplus income or reserves to fund development projects by member universities. This would mean, for example, that Princeton or Rice or whatever campus received such a grant would be responsible for the development and maintenance, rather than relying on the "goodwill" of those institutions and their staff members, as we've done for many years. Unless expenses of operating Bitnic have increased dramatically as the result of the move to Washington or the merger (which were not projected in the merger documents), there should continue to be money to support such activities, especially if the members can agree on some way to decide what is *important* and how it is to be done.