[12778] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: EFF's view of cyberspace
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Karl Denninger)
Sat May 28 15:33:48 1994
From: karl@mcs.com (Karl Denninger)
To: mech@eff.org (Stanton McCandlish)
Date: Fri, 27 May 1994 20:32:18 -0500 (CDT)
Cc: don.wills@swc.com, karl@mcs.com, djw@eff.org, com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: <199405270115.VAA00499@eff.org> from "Stanton McCandlish" at May 26, 94 09:15:07 pm
> Yes you are wrong. I'm not sure why I even bother, since this has already be
> said over and over and over:
>
> EFF is interested in having the regulated monopoly common carriers deal
> with the universal access issues. It simply doesn't apply to things like
> NetCom or DigEx or World or Delphi or Joe's BBS. Just read the docs
> you've already been pointed to a dozen times. One of the main focuses of
> OP is ensuring a competitive market, for once. One where *anyone* can
> provide content, including Karl, BBSs, your grandmother, whoever, however
> they like. Nothing in our aims has anything to do with adding any kind of
> regulatory burden to those that aren't govt-propped monopolists, though
> we'd like to see the common carriage principle of access/conduit-provider-not-
> liable-for-content extended to all.
Now wait a second!
We provide <pipes> as well as water, Stanton.
If you wish to mandate that the RBOCs and others provide pipes at a given
price (or "free"), you are also by inference going to mandate a cost-shifting
that will put people like MCSNet out of business instantly.
I will exit this market before I will try to compete with a regulated
monopoly which can shift the cost of providing the same service we provide
onto the backs of the general ratepaying public -- because there is
absolutely no way I can compete with a service which has, to them, (after
the cost-shifting) a marginal cost of <zero>!
Add to that Netcom, Alternet, PSI, World.NET, and lots of other folks out
here who are providing not just water right now -- but pipes!
I understand completely, and every time you respond you make my point for
me. You seem to think we're a <content> provider. You're incorrect. We
do not just provide content, we provide connectivity. As do all of these
other systems out there (Netcom, etc).
--
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Karl Denninger (karl@MCS.Net)| MCSNet - The Finest Internet Connectivity
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