[net.news] Commercial uses of the network

honey (04/17/83)

i didn't see the original eunice announcement, because i don't read
net.eunice.  i do not appreciate being urged to read it in
net.general.  i suggest you unsubscribe to net.eunice if such notes
trouble you, and refuse the newsgroup at decvax if you're really
bothered.  raising ancient issues like this in net.general (instead of
net.news) is a far more egregious offense.  would you have complained
if the notice had appeared in net.wanted?
	peter honeyman

mark (04/21/83)

I'm really amazed at all the flames I'm reading proclaiming their
horror at any "commercial use of 'the network'".  Almost all of
you are making commercial use of USENET right now.  (After all, you're
using USENET to help do your jobs, and unless you're at a University
your job is ultimately aimed at some commercial endeavor!)

I think some of you who are crying wolf ought to start by offering
a definition of what you consider to be "commercial use", and of
which network.  (Usenet?  UUCP?)  Then you should say how you feel
TWG has violated your definition, and why what they are proposing
is harmful but your note, and ucbvax!4bsd-bugs, and net.bugs are not.

Then maybe we'll have something rational and concrete to discuss.

	Mark Horton

mjs (04/22/83)

Short and sweet, the difference between the "commercial MR" system and
something like net.bugs is that a single company gets a significant
edge over the rest of the net at the net's (supporters') expense.
Net.bugs goes to all (or at least most) sites, where each individual
system administrator can choose whether or not to install a fix.  Thus,
everyone has the capability of profiting by the shared information.  In
a nutshell, any information that is shared with the net does not
qualify as a "commercial" use (though this is subject to refinement by
the rest of netland).  How about it?

		Martin Shannon, Jr.
Phone:		(201) 582-3199
Internet:	mjs@mhb5b.uucp
UUCP:		{allegra,rabbit,alice,mhb5b,mhb5c}!mjs