[10371] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
MCI ability
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Geoff Carpenter (8-862-1970))
Sat Feb 19 16:41:34 1994
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 94 15:43:24 EST
From: "Geoff Carpenter (8-862-1970)" <gcc@watson.ibm.com>
To: nettech@crl.com
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
Ref: Your note of Fri, 18 Feb 1994 18:57:01 -0800 (PST) (attached)
Joseph,
One of the statements in a recent note you authored caught my eye:
> For the techie's out the - the IBM RT pile of junk that made up the T-1
> network. They made millions off a failed product. What failed product
> will be customized to make the vBNS work ? Will it be done at the 59
> month mark ? Why is the person in charge of the cash a board of director
> at ANS ? These are not just wild claims, they are facts.
I think you are confusing the subtle difference between a positive and
negative number. I also suspect there are relatively few failed products
which have made millions, which contributes to the false ring of
the suggestion that IBM made money off of its NSFNET-related activities.
Can you really name a piece of NSFNET-related technology (hardware
or software) which was sold by IBM proper as a product? It has happened,
but the fact very few people could give you an example of an instance
should make it clear whether or not IBM's contributions to NSFNET
resulted in a profit or loss.
Given a technical background beyond that of the average journalist
(whose expertise is oriented towards clarity in writing, not
building and running large IP networks), you enjoy a significant
advantage when it comes to understanding the ramifications of the
decisions being made. If you are ever able to document unethical
behavior, you will want to be sure that you have not already
squandered your credibility: you've heard this refrain before.
Suggestions that IBM has profited from its NSFNET involvement
fail a sanity check and, albeit unintentional, can have the
unfortunate side effect that people may question your ability
to correctly interpret facts.
While I wish you luck on your search for the truth (whatever it
may be), I do respectfully suggest you be more cautious when
making public assertions.
Geoff Carpenter
IBM Research -- Yorktown Heights, NY
