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WARNING [message #77519] Thu, 30 May 2013 23:24 Go to next message
franka is currently offline  franka
Messages: 38
Registered: May 2013
Karma: 0
Member
Message-ID: <388@hercules.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 16-Jan-85 00:59:46 EST
Article-I.D.: hercules.388
Posted: Wed Jan 16 00:59:46 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 18-Jan-85 02:18:43 EST
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 119
Xref: watmath net.games.frp:1124 net.games.go:140 net.games.pbm:142 net.games.rogue:2555 net.games.trivia:1511 net.games.video:398


     First of all, let me apologize for the  multiple  post-
ings,   posting   to   groups   where   I   am  not  allowed
(net.women.only), and, in general, making a mess of the net.
Also,  let me say that ALL  RESPONSES to this  should either
use net.news  or private mail to me.  Again I apologize  for
the  inconvenience,  but  in  this  case,  due  to this mes-
sage's importance, I feel this is justified.

     Also, the opinions posted here are my own and in no way
reflect those of my employer or any of its other employees.

     Primarily, the message is  that,  unless  something  is
done  shortly,  this  newsgroup  may not exist a year or two
from now.  To understand why requires a bit of history.

     The USENET was at first a very small net.  Being a very
small  network,  the  news  software was written as an unmo-
derated bulletin board system, where anyone could post items
thought to be of interest to all.  As time went on, the suc-
cess of  this  concept  became  evident,  as  shown  by  the
increased  number  of  machines  on the news network and the
corresponding increased volume of news items.  In fact,  the
volume  of  news  items  increased  so much that some of the
backbone sites were finding it hard to justify the  cost  of
news forwarding over long distance phone lines.

     A few months ago, a group of network administrators got
together  and  decided  to fund a project called "STARGATE".
Basicly, this was a  sound  idea.   News  sources  would  be
routed to the STARGATE transmitter which would beam the mes-
sages to a satellite which would, in turn,  relay  the  mes-
sages  to  more localized network hubs, thus alleviating the
need for as many long distance calls.  A  satellite  carrier
was  found and the plans for designing hardware and software
put into motion.

     Unfortunately, the people who have promoted this scheme
could  not  leave  well  enough  alone.   They felt that the
volume of "garbage" flowing through the net  was  too  high.
They  felt  that the carrier of these messages might be able
to be sued for possibly libelous messages.  They  felt  that
this  was  their  chance  to  play God and they took it.  In
short, the new network will have no unmoderated news.

     Any message that is to be transmitted through  STARGATE
will  be  screened  by a  moderator for "suitability of con-
tent",  "possibility of libel",  and  other  vague  criteria
which  only  he  moderators will know.  You won't be able to
protest a bounced message, because the moderator is the only
person  with  a right to relay your message to the STARGATE.
If your article is bounced or edited beyond recognition  you
won't  be able to defend yourself - how are you going to get
a message past the moderator?  In short,  you  can  call  it
moderation, but it's still a euphemism for censorship.

     "Fine," you say, "We'll just post  it  in  groups  that
don't  go through the STARGATE." Well, I wish that were pos-
sible.  Unfortunately, the backbone sites have decided  that
since  they have STARGATE, and all of the "important" groups
are there, they don't have to forward news articles in other
"less  popular"  groups.   The net, except for STARGATE ser-
vice, has effectively been destroyed.  The only  people  for
whom  the  net exists freely is the moderators.  The modera-
tors decide what are "acceptable" topics for the net.   They
have the power to say what you can say.

     The new people in power bleat, "We're saving  the  net.
Without  this  the backbone sites will desert, anyway." What
good is saving the net if only the people in power can enjoy
it?   If  they  cared about the net (and not just their cozy
little portion of it) they'd fight in their  institutions to
save  it.   The news network, as it stands now, is something
unique and should not be drastically altered.

     What can we do about this?  I  really  can't  think  of
much.  The net has always been voluntary.  One thing is cer-
tain, though.  As soon as STARGATE  goes  into  effect,  the
chances  for  a free network surviving is nil.  The institu-
tions involved can point to STARGATE and say that there's  a
perfectly good network right there.  There will be very lit-
tle chance to start a new network at that time.  So the only
thing  I  can  suggest is to try to stop STARGATE in any way
possible.  Let the people who conceived of this know that it
is  not  appreciated.   E-Mail  bomb them.  Flame them until
they drop.  If you see them in public, spit on  them.   Hide
dog  turds in their desks.  Disrupt the next USENIX meeting.
Check with your local ACLU to see if  there  are  any  legal
means to stop this.  Harass them in any way possible.

     In the mean time, organize.  Let your institution  know
that  you  appreciate this service they provide to you.  Let
them know that any change in the posting criteria of one  of
the  last  free  bulletin  board systems is not appreciated.
Set up an alternative network to take this net's place  when
it  folds.  Hopefully, there will be a place for unmoderated
news posting when this is over.

     The organizers have been less  than  honest  with  you.
They  hide  in  net.news (and net.news.stargate), discussing
these things which will alter  your  news  service,  without
generally  informing  the  public.  The first you would have
heard about it is  when  backbone  sites  would  have  said,
"We're  not  transmitting anything but moderated groups from
now on." You wouldn't have been able to stop them.  Goodbye,
net.women.    Goodbye,   net.motss.   Goodbye,  net.singles.
Goodbye, net.rec.*.   Goodbye,  net.flame.   Goodbye,  every
news  group that doesn't relate directly with what you do at
work, is politically unpopular, or that  your  administrator
just doesn't like.

     It looks as if a great experiment is coming to an  end.
But  it  doesn't  have  to be this way, if we work together.
Save the net.  Stop the STARGATE.  Don't let them  take away
a  unique  and wonderful resource from us.  Together, we can
stop them.

                         Stop the STARGATE,
                         Frank Adrian
Re: WARNING [message #77520 is a reply to message #77519] Thu, 30 May 2013 23:24 Go to previous message
chuqui is currently offline  chuqui
Messages: 198
Registered: May 2013
Karma: 0
Senior Member
Message-ID: <2222@nsc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 17-Jan-85 12:34:58 EST
Article-I.D.: nsc.2222
Posted: Thu Jan 17 12:34:58 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 18-Jan-85 02:44:43 EST
References: <388@hercules.UUCP>
Reply-To: chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Chuqui Q. Koala)
Organization: The Warlocks Cave
Lines: 30
Xref: watmath net.games.frp:1125 net.games.go:141 net.games.pbm:143 net.games.rogue:2557 net.games.video:399
Summary: 


 
[color=blue]>      Primarily, the message is  that,  unless  something  is[/color]
[color=blue]> done  shortly,  this  newsgroup  may not exist a year or two[/color]
[color=blue]> from now.  To understand why requires a bit of history.[/color]
[color=blue]> [/color]
[color=blue]>                          Stop the STARGATE,[/color]
[color=blue]>                          Frank Adrian[/color]

Sigh. Do you ignore the ravings of the madman, and hope that nobody is
silly enough to believe him, or do you take the chance that attempting to
show his total lack of knowledge of the subject compounded with an
inability to understand reality gives creedence to his insane ramblings?

Neither, I guess. Frank is wrong. I won't bother to try to explain why, it
has been done, time and time again. He's good at yelling, he's lousy at
listening. If you ARE worried, please tune into net.news and
net.news.stargate-- this has all been gone over many many times already
there. I won't bore you further on this-- there really isn't a reason this
should be here.

chuq


-- 
From the ministry of silly talks:		Chuq Von Rospach
{allegra,cbosgd,decwrl,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo}!nsc!chuqui  nsc!chuqui@decwrl.ARPA

Do not wait until tomorrow to tell someone you care. Tomorrow doesn't
always come.
Re: WARNING [message #77521 is a reply to message #77519] Thu, 30 May 2013 23:24 Go to previous message
henry is currently offline  henry
Messages: 287
Registered: March 2013
Karma: 0
Senior Member
Message-ID: <4967@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 19-Jan-85 20:40:51 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.4967
Posted: Sat Jan 19 20:40:51 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Jan-85 20:40:51 EST
References: <388@hercules.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 7

Are you prepared to help pay our phone bills, Frank?  If not, please
keep quiet.  The collapse of the news-by-phone network is approaching
rapidly; the phone bills are out of sight and worsening.  The Stargate
project is our only hope (yours too).
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry
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