[17] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Breaking network funding out of central planning
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (njin!cup.portal.com!thinman%uupsi.)
Thu Oct 18 04:19:14 1990
From: njin!cup.portal.com!thinman%uupsi.UUCP@psi.com
To: com-priv@psi.com
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 90 20:35:44 PDT
Dan Schlitt <dan@sci.ccny.cuny.edu> writes:
John, (Gilmore)
It is hard to argue with your theory. All that I was doing was observing
that in my experience the result is that community interest loses out
to individual interest. In your economic terms there is a version of
Gresham's law at work.
Gresham's Law is not apropos. It's the Tragedy of the Commons we need to
consider. The Internet is just as open to abuse, but not nearly as abused,
as the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation.
I think the current system is elitist and cements the power of large
institutions by their unequal access. The Internet should be restructured
so that Internet access is equivalent to telephone access. That system
is cheap, universal, and the last I heard it did pay for itself.
Lance Norskog
Sales Engineer
Streamlined Networks
408-727-9909
