[2568] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: access to world.std.com from the Univ of Michigan
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Joe Ragland)
Mon Mar 16 21:06:32 1992
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 92 21:02:36 -0500
From: Joe Ragland <jrr@concert.net>
To: bzs@world.std.com
Cc: SEAN@SDG.DRA.COM, alison@oar.net, com-priv@psi.com
Barry,
Thanks for the reply. A few comments:
> But here's a short list of why people commonly complain about our AUP
> limitations:
>
> 1. Access to the Online Book Initiative (a collection of about 200MB
> of freely redistributable online texts ranging from novels and poetry
> to standards documents and dictionaries.) I get a few frustrated
> complaints about this from "out there" per day.
The only time I got a user request for access to world.std.com was to
retrieve the Bible. In that case I found 6-8 sites for the Bible and
that covered the requirement. But, sounds like you have more text of
potential interest, some of which might be unique.
> 2. Access to other files (archives, sources) we make available.
> Oftentimes these are files put up by our customers in collaborative
> efforts with people on "the other side", only to find out that won't
> work.
That says you are likely motivated to see the walls come down too.
> 3. Access to resources such as Quantum Books' catalog (a first-class
> technical book store near MIT.) They will answer questions via e-mail
> and take orders etc.
Maybe of some interest but I'm not sure our institutions are ready for
e-mail book orders...:-)
> 4. Clarinet UPI news and similar services (we will be adding USA Today
> on-line soon and I am investigating an offer to put The St Petersburg
> News online, that's the one in Russia.)
Clarinet news appears in several places, usually restricted to the local
site. Could I get to Clarinet info freely from the Internet if it wasn't
for the AUP?
> 5. A very complete (almost 3,000 groups, 2989 to be precise) netnews
> feed. Many sites due to policy or resource limitations curtail large
> portions of USENET to their sites. Some don't carry it at all or
> restrict access to portions of their community who could otherwise
> telnet here and get this, thus resolving, for a few dollars a month,
> these conflicts with administrative policies.
If we are missing anything in the netnews area, one of our sites should
let me know.
> 6. We will carry anonymous (to the public) accounts where many sites
> will not. For example, a person who wishes to be involved in a gay
> discussion group but would rather not be associated with that activity
> to his or her co-workers. We can and certainly do support that type of
> access so long as it is done responsibly.
Neither do we apply any restraints as long as it's legal.
> 7. People on the road, particularly if they're in the Boston area, and
> need access to the net. We are far cheaper than long-distance dialing
> (about an order of magnitude cheaper.) That's a double-billing issue,
> right now a bona-fide contractor or researcher who cannot arrange a
> guest account but cannot get through via our system for about $1/hr no
> doubt just gives up and charges the $10/hr phone fees to their
> contract. Note that such people might be in this situation for months
> at a time. Right now, for example, we have a woman who is doing some
> sort of work for a professor at Dartmouth (she's located in Boston),
> it's our system that's making that relationship possible. I am sure
> there are a dozen such things going on, and another few dozen that
> were frustrated.
Good rates and a good service to your Dartmouth prof.
> I could go on, but like I said, that's the short list that pops right
> to mind.
Guess I should make the point that connectivity is a two way proposition.
Where I asked for what reason do I need to get to world.std.com, then
world.std.com should ask for what reason do your users need to get to
CONCERT sites. Maybe your Boston bookseller might like to have the
opportunity to sell their wares somewhere in NC via e-mail and maybe
one of our NC sites has something unique to offer world.std.com users.
There's the side of me that says we'll never get all potential good
networked resources on the same network. We all keep trying. But,
when the only obstruction is an AUP, there's got to be a solution and
one that all parties support. It will take some give and take by all
interests. It ain't a one way street nor is it of benefit to just one
side of the street either.
Thanks Barry. I'd appreciate your long list of world.std.com offerings,
maybe outside of the com-priv path would be appropriate.
--joe
