[net.news] Commercial news feeds, Usenet INC all over again

bstempleton@watmath.UUCP (Brad Templeton) (05/11/84)

Well, I expected we would see this come up again.  For those not here
the last time, the net seemed to mostly reject this idea of Usenet Inc.
because
	a) Usenet bills are absorbed in the corporate phone bill and
	   nobody is really aware of what they are.  Nobody wants to go
	   to management and say, "Let's pay $50 a month for Usenet from
	   USENET Inc. as it is costing us $300 a month now in phone bills"
	   because management will say, "It's costing $300 a month?  Shut
	   it down NOW!"

	b) Many fear usenet inc. would try to control the net and censor
	   it, or be forced to to avoid legal problems

	c) If people really knew what news cost, they wouldn't send it.

I think all these problems can be eventually overcome.  I have wanted to
set up a usenet like network company for some time and have all the details
already worked out, but there is:

	d) Nobody has the time to manage all this.