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Path: utzoo!utcs!pubs-lab
From: pubs-lab@utcs.UUCP (Taras Pryjma)
Newsgroups: net.news
Subject: Re: Stargate and Usenet
Message-ID: <310@utcs.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 30-Dec-84 02:14:58 EST
Article-I.D.: utcs.310
Posted: Sun Dec 30 02:14:58 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 30-Dec-84 02:31:32 EST
Organization: University of Toronto - General Purpose UNIX
Lines: 52

It seems interesting to note that nothing has been mentioned in the 
current discusion of Stargate, of the ability of Stargate to go anywhere
that WTBS goes now currently.

I seem to recall awhile back, in the early days of TVRO systems, of various
people playing with their satellite dishes and picking up signals from 
European, Soviet and Japanese satellites and displaying them on their 
TV sets.  Thus by implication, anywhere that WTBS can be received, 
the Stargate feed could also be received, the implications for this are
immense, due to the fact that the distribution of moderated news groups
that Lauren keeps talking about could easily be distributed to anywhere
that signal reaches, such as Western Europe, Japan and Korea, with relatively
no additional cost.

In other words Usenet, or the Stargate portion of it, would finally become
truly international computer network.  At least it would be a one of a kind
network, not at all like BITNET or ARPANET, due to its purpose and structure.

I don't know if anybody considered the volume or the bandwidth of Stargate
operating at either 1200 or 9600 baud.  The volume of material even for 
one hour of constant transmission is simply horrendous.  I have a terminal
at home with a 1200 baud modem, and I know that I can't afford the time
to read even a small percentage of USENET traffic that I would find useful,
never mind the junk.

To put another point in perspective, if the the telephone tarriffs are the 
same here as in other jurisdictions, the point of Stargate is to reduce,
as much as possible, the long distance portion of the phonebill that many
sites face.  Since the cost of local calls in alot of jurisdictions are 
flat rate, the idea of using the SCA portion of FM signals does not make
economic sense, never mind the technical problems involved.

Also since, we are transmitting computer data anyways, dosn't it make sense
to use packet networks, such as Datapac, Tymenet and Telenet with 
the appropriate PAD devices or X.25 boards to further reduce long 
distance charges that many sites incur.  Regardless of whether we are 
talking about Usenet traffic or not.

It also seems to me, that the users of USENET, must at some point or another
justify the amount of time they spend reading and submitting articles to
various news groups not only to their employers, but to themselves.
This must halve at some point some economic value, if only for 
discussion of certain timely topics that the net has done in the past.

In the future, along with the amount of verberage that will inevitably be
generated, I think that you will find that another group will come onto
the net.  A group of people such as doctors, lawyers, engineers (none EEs),
and other professionals that will use the net to discuss issues that they
find important and topical once they, like us, discover the power and the
additive nature of this network.

				Taras S. Pryjma