Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site othervax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!micomvax!othervax!ray From: ray@othervax.UUCP (Raymond D. Dunn) Newsgroups: net.news.group,net.micro.amiga Subject: commercialism and net.micro.amiga going the way of .mac Message-ID: <715@othervax.UUCP> Date: Tue, 29-Oct-85 11:05:41 EST Article-I.D.: othervax.715 Posted: Tue Oct 29 11:05:41 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 1-Nov-85 01:28:48 EST References: <5717@fortune.UUCP> <629@ecsvax.UUCP> <1828@hao.UUCP> Reply-To: ray@othervax.UUCP (Raymond D. Dunn) Followup-To: net.news.group Distribution: net Organization: Philips Information Systems - St. Laurent P.Q., Canada Lines: 54 Xref: linus net.news.group:3420 net.micro.amiga:4418 Summary: Organization: There has been much reasonable discussion on the volume and content of net.sources.mac recently. The questions of commercialism and relevance to an essentially UNIX based network have been covered. In addition, net.internat, and net.bizarre have been deleted amid a general clamour about costs, traffic and rule breaking. Can I suggest that the situation with net.micro.amiga is rapidly getting out of hand, and that for once, we attempt to self-regulate a group BEFORE it becomes a serious problem, and before it requires the sort of action that generates more net.news.group and net.flame traffic than the offending groups did in the first place! The bulk of the current postings in net.micro.amiga are from so called 'developers' who receive special treatment from Commodore to enhance the commercial value of the Amiga, with an increasing volume of traffic from Commodore itself, answering technical questions, making reassuring noises, promising software and documentation issues etc. It is also very clear that there is much e-mail being passed through the network between Commodore and its developers. There is no argument that this is extremely useful and interesting traffic to the Amiga world, and peripherally interesting to many of us, but surely it is *PURE COMMERCIALISM* with the cost being met by the network as a whole, in some cases by *COMPETITORS* to Commodore, whether directly or indirectly. In addition, program sources are beginning to appear within the group, and, if net.sources.mac is any indication, these will proliferate extremely quickly. Another example which I feel we should be concerned about was the recent announcement from Intel re the arrival of the 386. This was a perfectly justifyable general announcement except for the solicitation for e-mail requests for information. Yes, there was a telephone number to phone, but I believe in such cases there should be a mandatory statement that e-mail communications will *NOT* be entered into. I admit that even I mailed a comment to Intel before I gave the implications serious thought - why should the network bear part of the cost of marketing this device? Quite honestly, the only real solution I see to the current net malaise, is to retrench ourselves into a pure UNIX network, with moderated feeds from other interest groups, and perhaps even with full moderation on all groups. To the flamers, please note that the issue is *NOT* one of free speech, nor is it any attempt to gain control over the *priviledges* we enjoy in being able to communicate in this medium. The only alternative I see, is a fully commercial pay-as-you-go structure for the network. Ray Dunn. ...philabs!micomvax!othervax!ray Disclaimer: The above is the opinion of the author as an individual, and not necessarily that of his employer or any other organisation.