[13] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
I'm prepared to be told "no".
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (John Gilmore)
Wed Oct 17 15:40:50 1990
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 90 10:51:09 PDT
From: gnu@toad.com (John Gilmore)
To: com-priv@psi.com
Craig Partridge wrote:
> your local govt bureaucrat wants to allow you to do the "right
> thing." Unfortunately, govt rules/procedures/regulations suggest that if
> pushed, said bureaucrat will have to deny you permission.
If "the right thing" is not allowed by the rules, then let's change the
rules. We've been muddling along with vague ideas about "the right thing
under the wrong rules" far too long.
> if you discretely do what you want, wet noodle punishment is
> probably all you'll get.
I want to be able to transact my business and pleasure OPENLY on the net.
I don't want to have to sneak around or be "discreet".
> pushing for a firmer answer will probably only hurt your cause,
> because the official will be forced to state the party line more firmly (and
> perhaps, enforce it). Don't ask permission unless you're prepared to
> be told "no."
I'm prepared to be told "no". I seem to be the only person who is
saying "no" at the moment, and I want some company. Most other people
here at Cygnus have the attitude that, well, the net is there and they
aren't watching it, so let's steal what we aren't allowed to have from
it. I want a real answer, that I can rely on and justify.
If NSF tells Cygnus we can't do business with Sun over the Internet,
then gee, maybe Sun will have to hook to a commercial network, THEN WE
CAN DO SOME BUSINESS WITH THEM! (They're already a customer, but we
have to drive over there to work on stuff. And they don't see a reason
to hook to commercial nets because "We're already on the net and nobody
would dare throw us off, no matter whether we follow the rules or
not".)
I actually *prefer* a "no" since it will put people on notice that if
we-all want full connectivity TCP/IP networks, with free speech and
assembly and everyone -- business, individual, research or whatever --
on them, we'd better build them in the private sector.
I feel like a lone voice standing outside the Welfare office, trying to
tell slum dwellers that their lives will be a lot better if they learn
some skills (pay their way in the world) rather than if they let
bureaucrats intrude into every aspect of their lives in return for a
petty subsidy. But too many people are snowed by 'free money', and the
government loves to be in the position of taking it from us by force
and then 'giving it away' to further its own idea of spending priorities.
John
