[1178] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Forwarded from PACS-L Digest
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (stev knowles)
Tue Aug 13 11:19:23 1991
Date: Tue, 13 Aug 91 10:11:53 -0400
To: Ittai Hershman <ittai@shemesh.ans.net>
From: stev@ftp.com (stev knowles)
Cc: schoff@psi.com, nren-discuss@psi.com, com-priv@psi.com
So, I hate to break it to you, Stev, but we simply aren't the monster
that you think IBM has unleashed on the Internet world. It just ain't
so -- no matter how many times Marty insinuates it on these forums.
-Ittai
sorry to break it to you, ittai, but i dont believe *everything* marty sez.
after all, he doesnt believe in Santa Claus! on the other hand, i have seen
things that i view as anti-competitive from ANS in the past. actually, the
way ANS came into existance, getting in a contract exchange with
Merit/IBM/MCI like that smells of a non-competitive process. on the other
hand, PSI seems to have done the same thing to NYSERNET, no one else got to
bid to run the non-profit NYSERNET other than PSI. maybe this is just the
way big-league networking is going to be run.
do i think ANS is *evil*? i dont know yet. do i think they are *slick*
business men? yea. that makes me want to watch them more closely, because i
cant predict what long range plans they have, and what they are *really*
doing.
i understand that the NSF could not afford to do with ANS is currently
doing. i understand that ANS is pumping alot of other money into the NSFnet
to make it better, stronger, faster. i even have a vague idea of whose money
it is (IBM, MCI). i wonder what is going to happen in the next few years.
i have been told my ANS people that other companies could join the ANS
group, just like IBM and MCI did. and i hear from the CIX people that they
feel the same way. on the other hand, i notice no movement by either of the
camps in the others direction.
