Path: utzoo!utgpu!BITNIC!FUTURE-L Date: Tue, 27 Feb 90 23:20:21 EST Reply-To: BITNET Futures List Sender: BITNET Futures List From: Dan Lynch Subject: Re: The fall of Bitnet Comments: To: FUTURE-L%BITNIC@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU To: UofToronto LAN redistribution References: Message from "Roger Fajman " Message-ID: <90Feb27.232531est.57380@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca> Newsgroups: list.future-l Distribution: ut Approved: devnull@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu Roger, I hope your comment about "convincing the powers that be in the Internet..." is wrong. (Being a member of the IAB, I can at least speak for one of those folks.) BITNET solved/solves a certain class of problems. So does Internet. (So does SNA, Netware, DECNet, etc...) Internet was based upon a set of assumptions about connectivity, cost and community of interest. BITNET dealt with the same set of considerations. Each came up with different solutions. It appeears that the Internet sytel of networking is taking hold in a whole lot of places. As it "expands" it will run into "subcommunities" that more closely resemble the BITNET category and it is our mutual responsibility to ensure that the services provided to the users are actually useful. I may be a bit off base here, but I'll venture an "opinion/observation" to hopefully help the readers understand my leading remarks about "assumptions". BITNET has two services that are not present in the Internet. THose are : Store and Forward Anonymous file transfer and Interactive messaging. Well, BITNET wins hands down on item one, but not on item two. The Internet has had "chat" and "talk" (I.e., realtime "terminal-to-terminal" interaction) for almost 20 years. It's just that it is not highly used (and therefor not widely known or even implemented) because (this is my own "because") its mail protocl is "realtime". That is, one can send mail and expect that the recipient will get it in a few minutes.This obviates the need for having a "realtime interactive messaging service". I'm not trying to point out "deficiencies". (Money is wonderful stuff...) I'm just trying to point out that good services are good because they meet a real need. All of the BITNET services need to be accomodated in the evolving Internet; maybe not in the identical manner, but definitely in function,for an agreed upon "price". Dan -------