debenedi@yale-com.UUCP (Robert DeBenedictis) (12/09/83)
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Interesting Characteristics of USENET
Decisions regarding the net (i.e. USENET) are not made by a central
authority. When an issue arises, anyone who cares to can participate.
Generally a consensus is eventually reached. One such issue that comes
up occasionally is that of advertising. Should USENET allow
advertising? Most people are opposed to it yet they agree that if it
were "done right" it would not be a problem. "Done right" means that
ads would have to be such that anyone who didn't want to see them could
easily avoid them. Also, ads could only be posted once. Another issue
that frequently comes up is that of group proliferation. Some people
feel that there are too many newsgroups (or bulletin boards in the
previous analogy). These people like to ensure that there is a good
reason before a new group is created. A major decision that USENET
made concerned the formation of a newsgroup to discuss gay issues.
Many people were opposed to its formation. But then, many people
wanted it formed. Later in this paper we will investigate how the net
handled this topic.
Another characteristic of USENET is that there is no direct censorship.
People can say whatever they want.
Come off it, you ass. Perhaps my logic doesn't make the cut
for arguments before the Supreme Court, but that doesn't take
one fucking bit away from what I said- this is a racist
society, one whose inherent racism has its roots way the hell
back in the 16th century. (#2)
However, there is pressure to avoid posting articles like this.
Didn't your mother ever wash your mouth out with soap? Or is
the vulgarity necessary to cover up the lack of anything being
said in your flame? (#3)
Public complaints, such as this, are commonly believed to act as a form
of social control. Some people, though, seem to enjoy getting chastised.
There is another much worse form of censorship that occasionally
appears on the net. USENET costs money. Someone must pay the phone
bills and someone must maintain the software. The sites (where the
machines are) that comprise USENET are generally Universities and
Corporations. (#4) The rationale they have for paying these costs is
two-fold. First, roughly 14% of the articles posted to the net are
technical in nature. (#5) These articles allow the Corporation or
University to keep on top of the latest developments and give them
access to the software that is routinely supplied by fellow netters.
Second, access to USENET is a factor in some people's decision of where
to work. USENET is a perk provided to attract talented employees. (#6)
Occasionally, those who foot the bill the change their mind.
On Thursday afternoon, October 20, one of our employees advised
us that he had submitted a racial article to the net.jokes
group on October 8. We apologize for any offense caused by
this unauthorized and improper use of the system. We wish to
record that we do not condone this type of material or conduct.
On Friday, October 21, we initiated action to withdraw the
article from the system. On Monday, October 24, we voluntarily
removed ourselves from non-business use of the network. (#7)
Those who read and enjoy the net are aware that this service is
provided by the grace of their employers. This awareness leads to a
certain cautiousness regarding the net. No one wants to see a site cut
off from USENET. How far people are willing to censor themselves to
prevent this from happening is unclear. This was an issue that came up
when discussing the pros and cons of a gay newsgroup for USENET.
Currently, USENET has a high rate of turnover. Out of the top 10
sites, ranked by the volume of articles they generate, over half are
educational institutions. (#8) This means that the net gets many new
users with the beginning of each school year, as well as losing many
old users at the end of the school year. (Many of these former users,
though, may go on to work at a company that provides access to
USENET.) This high rate of turnover means that it is difficult for
someone to set themselves up (or be set up) as a recognized
decision-maker on USENET. New people will always come along who
unaware of the established pecking order.
USENET is an asynchronous communications network. By asynchronous I
mean that when I'm talking to others, they are not talking to me, and
vice versa. Being asynchronous, I decide when I want to read others'
articles. Also, when composing articles, I have as much time as want.
This allows me to carefully word articles posted to the net. "Being
quick on your feet" is not a valuable talent for this form of
communication.
Finally, a characteristic of USENET, as well as this medium of
communication, is that it tends to dissolve social barriers. I say
this cautiously because currently those who have access to USENET are
most likely professionals or students; not a reflective sample of the
general population. However, when reading articles there are only two
ways one can stereotype an author. A reader can prejudge an author
from information supplied by her. Examples of this might be marital
status, last name, etc. As a rule, though, people are judged on the
contents of their articles. How well you express yourself in writing
is crucial. However, some people do have more status than others.
They have what Andy Tannenbaum refers to as a "traditionally strong
influence on what path USENET takes." (#9)
----- End of Part 2 -----
"Now, You're Never Alone"
Another Message In The Bottle from
Robert DeBenedictis