[2051] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Dialog
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Joel Maloff)
Wed Jan 22 13:37:07 1992
Date: Wed, 22 Jan 92 13:30:10 EST
From: Joel Maloff <maloff@ans.net>
To: com-priv@psi.com
To All Who May Be Interested:
As you know, there has been tremendous interest in accessing Dialog
through its connection into the ANS Network. This has been more
complicated than I had anticipated.
As the one involved in discussions with Dialog leading up to their
decision to obtain Internet access service from ANS, I thought it
might be helpful to share my thoughts with you, and to apologize for
any confusion.
When Dialog agreed to become the first ANS CO+RE client, I was unaware
that their traffic would be prevented from reaching regional networks
or other networks interested in Dialog access, even if they were R&E.
I was also unaware that Dialog was planning to announce Internet
access in their newsletter prior to service implementation and
acceptance. When I became aware of these issues, I and others in ANS
began discussions with Dialog to correct both the understanding and
functional concerns.
The solution to our current dilemma has been for Dialog to adhere to
the ANS research and education Acceptable Use Policy. This is an
interim step in the correction of a larger Acceptable Use Policy
problem, and we consulted with a variety of involved organizations,
including Merit and NSF, prior to coming up with this answer. With
the implementation of routing updates late on Thursday, January 23,
research and education -- acceptable users of the Internet will be
able to access Dialog on the following day.
As often occurs with the implementation of new activities, we have had
a few surprises. Navigating the morass of Acceptable Use is
difficult, especially when you are concerned about adhering to all of
the rules of the day. I applaud Dialog for their assistance and
patience in working through these issues, and believe that their
participation in our community will be a highly valuable addition.
Dialog has shown considerable vision to enter into a new distribution
media. Through the leadership of Dialog, I anticipate additional
information providers joining the Internet community in short order.
Thank you for your interest and comments. ANS is committed to being a
"good citizen" to the Internet community and responsive to client
needs in a sometimes murky political environment.
Joel Maloff
