[1227] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Are all public-access resources public?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (NPRESTON%SUVM.BITNET@mitvma.mit.ed)
Wed Sep 16 13:15:23 1992
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1992 12:12:07 CDT
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
From: NPRESTON%SUVM.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L%UHUPVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Recently I tried to find out about all the public-accessible Internet
sites that offer the ERIC database. (I get loads of requests for
this information, and I wanted to put together a fact sheet to send
out in response.)
In the process, I discovered that some sites that _can_ be accessed
by anyone using the Internet didn't want me to advertise this fact.
They intend their ERIC data to be for their community only; they are
afraid of their system being overloaded; they are afraid that they
will become known as the ERIC site for the country; they may want to
start charging in the future. But there is nothing to prevent others
from finding out about these resources and sharing the information
with the entire community. And it's happening.
So what do you Pacselites think? Should we observe others' wishes
when it comes to announcing "public" resources? (And how could this
be enforced?) Or should we go ahead and share what appears to be
public, leaving it up to the hosts to create some barrier if they
want to?
Nancy Preston
ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY 13244-2340
NPRESTON@SUVM.ACS.SYR.EDU
