[2298] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Connecting to the Internet outside of the US?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (drw@BOURBAKI.MIT.EDU)
Wed Feb 5 16:31:54 1992
Date: Wed, 5 Feb 92 16:32:23 EST
From: drw@BOURBAKI.MIT.EDU
To: com-priv@psi.com
In-Reply-To: <9202052041.AA00575@kddlab.kddlabs.co.jp> "kddlab!twics.co.jp!jefu@uunet.uu.net"
From: Jeffrey Shapard <kddlab!twics.co.jp!jefu@uunet.uu.net>
So, why is this overlooked in the RFCs? Why are there such
assumptions that the whole internet show is a national affair
or something that will extend no further than the realm of
subsidized research activities? Why is there so little work
being done in accounting mechanisms, or cost-sharing and
billing structures, to make it easier to administrate things?
Certainly, these issues are the essence of "commercialization and
privitization", which is what this list is supposedly about. It seems
to me, however, that the reasons they are not discussed are:
1) There is still an intense prejudice against commercial
(money-grubbing) usage of the computer networks.
2) People have an intense resistance to pay-per-use billing, as it
makes their personal contribution to Internet loading visible to their
institution (which is paying for it).
People want Internet access that resembles access to health care in
the US: Their employer pays a flat fee, and they get to use as much
as they want to.
Dale Worley Dept. of Math., MIT drw@math.mit.edu
--
Perhaps this excerpt from the pamphlet, "So You've Decided to
Steal Cable" (as featured in a recent episode of _The_Simpsons_)
will help:
Myth: Cable piracy is wrong.
Fact: Cable companies are big faceless corporations,
which makes it okay.
