stargate@stargate.com (05/11/88)
Stargate continues to operate in experimental mode with our current
set of experimental subscribers. While the initial experimental subscription
period was originally scheduled to end Dec. 1 of last year, we have
continued operations in experimental mode (and they are still continuing)
at no additional cost to the experimental subscribers. We are not soliciting
new subscribers for the experimental operation phase of the
project; new subscribers will be solicited if and when we decide
to move the project into a production mode.
Discussions currently underway offer some significant and exciting
possibilities for the future of Stargate. These include expanded
and enhanced data delivery technologies, additional varieties of delivered
information, new subscriber plans (including plans which may allow
equipment leasing instead of purchase when desired) and in general a
large number of new possibilities which could expand the availability and
range of services. In terms of information, we are working toward adding
varieties of information that are not available on Usenet and which in
general are poorly suited for dialup delivery, including data
with "time criticality" that would be especially useful when transmitted
to all subscribers quickly and simultaneously via the Stargate
satellite/cable system. Stargate's ability to send to all subscribers
simultaneously via the same transmission, and to prioritize information
to allow important materials to be sent immediately to all subscribers
allows for a great range of interesting applications.
The discussions that could lead to these positive developments are such
that they cannot be detailed in public at this time, but we thought
we'd mention that some exciting potentials do exist that we hope can
be realized.
In the meantime, anyone interested in being added to our mailing
list should send email to:
steve@stargate.COM
or:
{osu-cis,uiucdcs,rutgers}!stargate!steve
or call/send physical mail to:
Stargate Information Services
4067 Hardwick St. #252
Lakewood, CA 90712
(818) 359-0964
We certainly read all traffic in news.stargate, and the traffic
volume in that group has been quite low lately, primarily
because we handle most of our stargate announcements via
direct mailing lists. If the backbone decides that they
would like to remove the news.stargate group that would be OK as
far as we are concerned; we could always use one of the higher level
"news." groups for any important status-related announcements that
needed to reach the network at large.
Thank you very much.
The Stargate Team