[11207] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: IP vs. "shell accounts'.
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Miles R Fidelman)
Fri Mar 25 07:25:31 1994
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 1994 11:14:02 -0500 (EST)
From: Miles R Fidelman <fidelman@civicnet.org>
To: com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: <9403231740.AA05248@psi.com>
On Wed, 23 Mar 1994, Bill Sommerfeld wrote:
> I think the *correct* place for the CIX to draw the line is between
> "single user/single address" and "multiple user/multiple address" IP
> service. Otherwise, you're going to encourage service providers to
> reinvent the wheel and lock in their customers with proprietary front
> ends like what AOL and Prodigy use, rather than providing a cleverly
> packaged open-architecture IP-to-the-desktop over
> dialup/cable/whatever.
>
Hear hear! This really hits the core issues:
i. getting knowledgeable end users access to full-service Internet
capabilities
ii. getting visibility for what the Internet is really about, rather than
promulgating the misperception that the Internet is text based and
complicated (its amazing how many people confuse the Internet with Unix)
iii. stimulating market demand for higher bandwidth local loop services
iv. heading off the promulgation of proprietary GUIs (and its not only
AOL, etc. - its also the new Lotus/AT&T Notes based network thats coming
down the pike)
v. stimulating the market for CIX members
Now having said that, there might be room for a middle ground - based on
the different traffic characteristics of terminal vs. SLIP users.
Perhaps the CIX could set up something between a total flat rate fee and
a per-packet fee structure -- something like different flat rates for
different size connections to the CIX, and different rates for whether or
not a CIX member allows its customers to provide SLIP access.
Miles
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Miles R. Fidelman mfidelman@civicnet.org
Executive Director 91 Baldwin St. Charlestown MA 02129
The Center for Civic Networking 617-241-9205 fax: 617-241-5064
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Information Infrastructure: Public Spaces for the 21st Century
Let's Start With: Internet Wall-Plugs Everywhere
Then We Can Worry About: "Switched, Interactive, Broadband Services"
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