[2228] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
On Making Balanced Choices
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (David J. Farber)
Sat Feb 1 14:09:00 1992
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 92 14:02:38 EST
From: farber@central.cis.upenn.edu (David J. Farber)
To: cook@tmn.com (Gordon Cook)
Cc: com-priv@psi.com
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> Received-Date: Fri, 31 Jan 92 21:54:46 EST
> Posted-Date: 29 Jan 92 14:21:54 EST (Wed)
> To: com-priv@psi.com
> Subject: On Making Balanced Choices
> Date: 29 Jan 92 14:21:54 EST (Wed)
> From: cook@tmn.com (Gordon Cook)
>
>
> <<MESSAGE from>> Gordon Cook 29-JAN-92 14:21
> cook@tmn
> The addition of Education to the NRN in 1989 implied that policy makers
> were serious about extending access to the network beyond the scientific
> elite for which it was first envisioned. The bubble up-trickle down
> discussion of late has implied that some relatively easy software
> development could achieve a slip or ppp means of connecting users to the
> network that would require much less hand holding and $ overhead. Such a
> development would presumably bring prices down even further and get a lot
> more users connected.
>
> Whay do we appear to have been spending large amounts on backbone speed
> increases and apparently little or nothing on developing such software?
> Wouldn't a million dollars be more han adequate to do this software
> development task? If the network as an EDUCATION network is to have any
> meaning, doesn't SOMEONE have to take this on? Who might the SOMEONE be?
>
>
>
Why oh why is it built in to ask the government to do things that the
private sector can and does do. Slip and PPP are available for a
whole lot of systems on the open market. Even bb boards now have
internet almost compatable mail etc. Nothing like suggesting one
undercut these small businesses with a couple of million of taxpayer
money.
The place to spend my money is where it is pre-market -- to lead the way
and develope the seed technology.
Just to make sure my biases show (just got back from a NRC meeting).
I was intrumental in starting the Gigabit Testbed activities, CSNET and
CREN, MMDF and Thinwire. So from bits per second to gigabits per second.
Each has its time and place.
Dave
