[12212] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
RE: CREDENTIALS - My response
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (UpdegraffW)
Mon May 9 20:46:59 1994
Date: 9 May 1994 16:06:58 U
From: "UpdegraffW" <UpdegraffW@mac.ripon.edu>
To: "com-priv " <com-priv@psi.com>, "temp" <anita@onramp.net>
I've hesitated to respond to this because the issue of credentials is anathema
to the Internet. I'll comment briefly anyway.
I'm Director of Computer Services at Ripon College in Wisconsin. We're a small
private liberal arts institution of some 800 students and a member of WiscNet,
the non-profit network in Wisconsin that provides Internet access for
educational institutions, other non-profits, and commercial organizations.
WiscNet is not tax supported but does have all of the University of Wisconsin
campuses as Members. I happen to be Treasurer of WiscNet and subscribe to the
com-priv list to gain a different perspective(especially commercial) on the
Internet. Discussion has been interesting, contentious, and informative.
Ripon, Wisconsin is a community of some 7,200 people located 20 miles west of
Fond du Lac. We have a local telephone provider, PTI, which is apparently a
west coast company wanting a presence in rural Wisconsin. I am currently trying
to promote a dialup Internet service for the communities of Ripon and Green
Lake which are in the same toll-free dialing area. It does not appear that
rural communities the size of Ripon/Green lake are viable candidates for
commercial dialup Internet providers, let alone commercial E-mail providers.
It does appear that we may be able to offer dialup service at reasonable cost
through WiscNet.
I happen to have a Ph. D. in nuclear physics which has no bearing on this list
and has only limited propriety to my current position.
I am appreciative of the fact that list members have responded to some of my
barbs about advertising and commercial ethics.
I have the conerns of everyone on this list about the future and survival of
the Internet. We do not share the same vision but we do share the same
culture.
-Bill Updegraff
Director of Computer Services
Ripon College
Ripon, WI 54971
(414) 748-8171
(414) 748-7243 (FAX)
Comments are my own and do not represent views of Ripon College or WiscNet.
