[10136] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Internet Letter story on Encyclopedia
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Tim Salo)
Tue Feb 8 17:10:06 1994
Date: Tue, 8 Feb 94 15:52:19 -0600
From: tjs@msc.edu (Tim Salo)
To: com-priv@psi.com
> From: dave@oldcolo.com (Dave Hughes)
> Subject: Re: Internet Letter story on Encyclopedia
> To: com-priv@psi.com (compriv)
> Date: Tue, 8 Feb 1994 13:35:41 -0700 (MST)
> [...]
> > Jayne Levin reports:
> > 004) Encyclopedia Britannica to Go On-line in '94
> >
> > The company has "no plans for distribution beyond the academic
> >community at this time," Esposito said. As for access by individual
> >Internet users, Esposito said, "Our research suggests that a very large
> >proportion of Internet users do in fact have university affiliations, so
> >I'm not sure if this is a major roadblock [for individuals]."
>
> Boy, is Esposito out to lunch on this one. The inability of
> individuals NOT affiliated with 'universities' being unable to
> access the online EB is a short sighted, stupid decision which just
> angers me in its myopia, or hidden 'other' economic agenda,
> whichever. Is Esposito dissembling on that observation, or does he
> really believe it?
Distributing only to R&E institutions seems like an easy way to avoid
the AUP snake pit. Perhaps this was a factor in their decision.
[I hate to think of the grief they would receive if they offered a
commercial service over the Internet...]
-tjs
