[11750] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: In the matter of adverti
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Bill Love)
Sun Apr 17 01:31:41 1994
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 1994 18:57:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: Bill Love <love@internet.com>
Reply-To: Bill Love <love@internet.com>
Cc: Everyone Else Lurking on Com-Pr <com-priv@psi.com>
In-Reply-To: <199404161819.LAA12720@netcom9.netcom.com>
On Sat, 16 Apr 1994, Glenn S. Tenney wrote:
> This raises the real question: Who is it that should be teaching
> newcomers the rules of the road?
>
> Should all the drivers on the road today teach these newcomers? No, I
> don't think so. Of course, we should be polite and helpful, but I don't
> think that the current users should have this responsibility foisted on
> them.
>
> I think it should (no, MUST) be the responsibility of every Internet
> provider (including AOL, or any university) to be sure that their users
> know the basics of netiquette. This is where the responsibility rightfully
> belongs.
>
Hmmm... Excuse me, but isn't this like asking Ford and GM to teach
everyone they sell a car to how to drive? I can see it now:
User: Hi, I'd like to buy an Internet account.
Sales: OK, Here's a blue one, it'll cost you $XXX.XX.
User: Fine, I'll take it.
Sales: Great, Please sign this and here's where you pay.
User: What does this document that you want me to sign say?
Sales: Oh, nothing really. It just states that you know how to
use the "Net". Don't worry about it.
User: Oh, ok. :)
And now Joe user drives off with his lovely new blue internet account
and posts a message to 5000 newsgroups about the last printing
of Mao's little red book.
I am not at all sure who should be "in charge" of educating the
users, but it certainly should not be the users. And I have
a hard time believing the service providers are going to
educate them.
But, I don't really know of a solution -- it's just my $.02
> Now, we could help work up a short description of netiquette that all
> Internet providers make sure their users get...
>
May be useful, but would it really cover enough?
