[102] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Is SUNFLASH misuse of the network?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Martin Lee Schoffstall)
Sun Nov 11 19:08:19 1990
To: sob@tmc.edu (Stan Barber)
Cc: "Martin Lee Schoffstall" <schoff@psi.com>, com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: Your message of Sun, 11 Nov 90 17:18:01 -0600.
Date: Sun, 11 Nov 90 17:54:42 -0500
From: "Martin Lee Schoffstall" <schoff@psi.com>
> PSI would be interested in providing a backbone service to the regionals
> if the economics were good. PSI believes that the regionals are going
> to have to deal with the problem of routing traffic that is not within the
> NSF guidelines within the next two years.
What I said is this: the mid-levels will have to solve their backbone
problem by oct92 for EVERYTHING, R&E, commercial traffic, etc. Because
that is when there will be no NSFNet backbone.
> If these are correct, then please specify the economics necessary to make PSI
> consider providing this "out-of-NSF-guidelines" backbone to the regionals.
Too many variables, I'm just a poor dirt farmer from upstate NY. But thinking
of farming, I remember reading an interesting article about the largest
agricultural company in the US who's CEO was essentially a politician, and
no nothing about agriculture, he communicated and travelled in the highest
political circles throughout the globe. When a couple
of US Ag senior officials canceled out of a meeting he was sponsoring, he
whistled up Dick Nixon on 24hours notice.
Why? Well, it turns out that agriculture on a global scale is one of
the most state controlled businesses that exists with 100's of billions
of dollars worth of state subsidies, price supports, etc.
To be parochial, focusing on the US, there is a constant debate on
US programs helping "the family farm" vs agri-business. Lots of parallels
there.
Is this where we are going? Is this what we want? Or are we already there?
Of course the "smart people" make sure they get their subsidy and lobby
for the same, it was pointed out to me privately that
Apple has an entire support
organization, service, including software, and those absolutely necessary
marketing announcements happening on a commercial pay-as-you-go service
available through GENIE. Obviously SUN is "smarter".
Marty
