Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!uflorida!novavax!proxftl!twwells!bill From: bill@twwells.uucp (T. William Wells) Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: Re: I'm pro Russian Keywords: Soviet, UUCP network Message-ID: <222@twwells.uucp> Date: 28 Nov 88 18:33:31 GMT References: <192@s1.sys.uea.ac.uk> <2326@cbnews.ATT.COM> <7961@dasys1.UUCP> <2338@cbnews.ATT.COM> Reply-To: bill@twwells.UUCP (T. William Wells) Organization: None, Ft. Lauderdale Lines: 42 In article <2338@cbnews.ATT.COM> lvc@cbnews.ATT.COM (Lawrence V. Cipriani) writes: : Before I give anyone else the impression that I'm a knee jerk Anti-Soviet : I'm not. I can see the value in corrupting the Soviet system with a USENET : feed, and yes it would be interesting to have the technical exchange with : our counterparts in the Soviet Union. However, I remain unconviced that : help to someone I don't know in the Soviet Union is in my long term self : interest or national interest. Here is what I've said about a Soviet newsfeed: 1) The Soviets can already get any information they want from the USENET. It is very easy for *anyone* to get on the net. 2) Therefore, the only thing that a feed directly to them can effect is the cost of the information. It can't affect *what* information they get from the net. 3) It is an arguable proposition that lesser expense of a non- clandestine feed to the Soviet empire is outweighed by its possible destabilizing effects. I happen to believe that the destabilizing effect is the more important. However, that's just an opinion; we don't have the facts. : I really do like helping people with technical problems. But how can : I be certain that the help I give will not be used against me someday? However, there is one benefit that a known Soviet feed gives you: you can refrain from answering Soviet questions. There are two possibilities: if they maintain their clandestine feeds, they now have an additional cost, the cost of the known feed. This eliminates the cost argument against the feed. If they don't maintain their clandestine feed, then you *know* when you might be contributing to the Soviet empire's welfare. There is another benefit to us and our intelligence agencies: the nature of the questions coming over the feed is information about the state of the Soviet empire. --- Bill {uunet|novavax}!proxftl!twwells!bill