[9539] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Re: Internet in a box
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Matthew Kaufman)
Sun Jan 9 15:19:44 1994
Date: Sun, 9 Jan 1994 11:57:23 -0800
From: matthew@echo.com (Matthew Kaufman)
To: com-priv@psi.com, Paul.Robinson@f417.n109.z1.fidonet.org
in reply to Paul.Robinson@f417.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Paul Robinson)
>I'd like to make the following suggestion; I think the next step in
>the issue of "Internet in a box" is the ability to allow BBSs to use
>FTP so as to increase the number of files available while not storing
>them locally.
>
>[technical description deleted]
Of course, the real issue involved with getting an Internet
connection these days is politics and policy, not technology.
It remains to be seen if, for instance, companies that
will be providing Internet over cable TV will have the
same sort of "data resale" restrictions that, for instance,
Netcom has. (Netcom does not allow their direct IP services
(full-time SLIP connections, etc) to be used to provide
interactive Internet access to users not directly affiliated
with the organization purchasing the IP service.
In other words, you can't use Netcom to hook up your BBS,
if you want to allow your BBS users to have access to FTP,
Telnet, gopher, etc... though Mail seems to be permitted)
If your local cable company has this sort of policy for its
IP services, it really doesn't matter what type of modulation
or what data rate is carried to you, because you can't
use it for what you want.
-matthew kaufman
matthew@echo.com
