From: steve@jack.sns.com (J. Steven Harrison)
Subject: Re: Affordable UUCP/USENET for BBS operartors
Organization: Systems'n'Software
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 92 09:13:40 GMT

In article <wBwXVB17w165w@west.darkside.com> maddox@west.darkside.com (xoddaM ottO) writes:
>klaus@cscns.com (Klaus Dimmler) writes:
>
>> Your implication that your uucp service is automatically better just
>> because you don't charge $15 a month is somewhat irritating to me. And
>> mind you, I have nothing to do with Info Connections (or whatever the name
>> of that service was.)
>>  
>> If you have something for free you want to give away, why not make your
>> own ad? Why do you make a response to someone else's ad? Looks very
>> unprofessional to me...
>
>Of course it looks unprofessional, he's not taking money for it like some 
>people.
>
>
>[] Charles Durand [] UUCP:  ..!apple!uuwest!maddox
>   (415) 969-1634  Usenet:  maddox@west.darkside.com
>Mountain View, California, U.S.A.

Thanks, I think Charles...

Professionalism has nothing to do with the intent of the comments I made.
My professional rates start at $250/hr.

I offer a free service to those that wish to use it which I believe for what
it is intended to do is as reliable as any other service around (note I said
for what it was intended to do). I have been runinng uucp sites now since
1980 and (and I REPEAT AGAIN) still believe they should be free.

As for the comments which I received below:

> Regarding your comments about Infoserve
> 
> Steve,
> 
> I appriciate your repeated concerns for BBS sysops and their pay access to 
> USENET.  Their is one comment I would like to make and you may also want 
> to reply to my comment.
> 
> I live in Ohio and use Infoserve Connections as my link to USENET.  It 
> doesn't sound very smart calling clear accross the country to get in and 
> still paying $11.95 each month, but here is why.
> 
> When I first contacted Infoserve about there service they were very 
> helpful in there support of someone like myself with very little UNIX type 
> knowledge.  I wanted to establish my own Domain address for professional 
> purposes and they guided me in that direction and eventually helped me set 
> it up.  I appriciated the support they gave and continue to give me.
> 
Any individual that you get a feed from should be just aas helpful. You have missed
the whole point. It is the free flow of information. That means ANY information.
Which I feel includes all of the above items you mention. 

> The one reason I don't mind paying is that when I pay, they are obligated 
> to provide a service to me (supplying USENET).  Generally on FREE or 

Obligated, come now Rick, what recourse do you have? Sue them? Sure I'll bet.
Besides I would be willing to bet my up-time is as good as their's! The service
we offer hasn't been down one day since 1989.

> Non-Paid access services the sysops cannot afford to spend anytime helping 
> new users out and if their system crashes they have no real obligation to 
> get it up and running fast.  Infoserve has proven that they provide a 
> reliable service and that helps my BBS be strong.
> 
Again you have missed the point entirely! That is exactly what folks like me
and hundreds of others do spend time doing! Don't try to blame the silent majority
if you haven't taken the time to find one!

> It is not just a matter of FREE ACCESS there are other issues involved.  
> 
I don't think so I believe it is just you own inability to think and work you 
way through a problem. You want news find a way to get it. Okay so the easy
way out is to pay for it. And pay for it you will eventually you will end up
paying so much you won't be able to afford the information. The what happens
to democracy?

> 
> Rick Korecki
> 

-- 
J. Steven Harrison, PhD.	steve@jack.sns.com
45034 Imnaha Court		Voice:	(510)623-8651
Fremont, CA   94539-6669	Data:	(510)623-8652
Systems'n'Software            	FAX:	(510)623-8656 
Newsgroups: alt.bbs.ads