ramsey@inmet.UUCP (07/30/83)
#N:inmet:6700006:000:2230 inmet!ramsey Jul 29 02:49:00 1983 I am somewhat saddened by the parallel discussions of the future of Usenet and 'abusive' users. I wonder if you all fully appreciate the real issues that are being debated. There are people out there who want to restrict the use of this network to the posting of 'useful' information. I don't deny that there is a lot of stuff coming through that I personally am not interested in reading, but, so what? I can sympathize with the plight of those on the other side of the Atlantic who have to pay enormous amounts of money to have this stuff sent over to them, but again, so what? Who out there is qualified to determine what is useful and what isn't? I personally never read net.bugs.* and rarely find anything of interest in net.unix-wizards, yet I suspect most of those who are complaining would consider those groups 'useful'. We should ask ourselves what the real purpose of this network is. If you all really want to limit it to the dissemination of bug fixes and new product announcements, then by all means, turn it into a profit making organization, which censors by price or by a simple refusal to forward that which is not useful. Implementing such a network would be quite simple. Usenet, Inc. need only provide a single host attached to Telenet or Tymnet which could then be accessed at relatively low cost by paying customers. I suspect such a network would remain viable for approximately 6 months. In my mind, Usenet is (and should remain) an uncensored forum for the discussion of subjects which don't necessarily have anything to do with the profit making activities of those who are paying the bills. Think of bugs.* and unix-wizards as the revenue producing part of this whole operation. Also understand that those who complain about garbage messages in net.general today, will probably be probably be complaining about everything in net.politics, singles, or women tomorrow. Marc Ramsey ...harpo!inmet!ramsey P.S. As a free-lance programmer, I depend upon the charity of my clients to read anything on Usenet, whether useful or not. Usenet, as we know it, may be doomed, but it will be replaced by an informal network of micro-based bulletin board systems (which is already in formation).
rwhw@hound.UUCP (08/01/83)
Great reply to complainers! I agree 100%. -- Roy W. H. Walters Jr. 201-949-5743