From: u6a44@lfkw1.bgm.link.com (Michael Lurie)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Do our taxes pay for Internet?
Date: 30 Sep 92 14:09:49 GMT
Organization: EFF mail-news gateway
Originator: daemon@eff.org


 
Dear Folks...  The following was posted in the 'INTERNET' thread on the
BBS that I operate (The Depot +1.717.853.3599) and I was hoping that, if
at all possible, someone here in eff-talk might respond.  There doesn't
seem to be a lot of crossover between the newgroup and the PC-based BBS
worlds, but I'll relay any replies to Bill McC.  tnx... mlurie@link.com
=======================================================================
 BBS: The Depot
Date: 09-29-92 (01:26)             Number: 3356
>From: BILL MCCARTY                 Refer#: NONE
  To: ALL                           Recvd: NO  
Subj: INTERNET                       Conf: (1) MAIN
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
   Here are a few thoughts and opinions on Internet. Opposing views
are welcomed. The October issue of Boardwatch Magazine has an article
devoted to Internet. Like MANY things I've read about Internet, the
article is vague and inconclusive. I have come to believe FIRMLY that
like many government programs run amuck, NO ONE fully understands this
system any longer. To get to the logical heart of any issue there must
be logic there to begin with. The author of this article was clearly
unable to find any. DEPOT File ZEN10.ZIP while interesting, confirms
this absence of reason or rationale  behind Internet.
    Internet, the article states, "began life as the ARPA Internet",
ARPA being the Advanced Research Projects Agency, A branch of the US
government. The article states that Internet is "now funded by the
National Science Foundation", which means of course, funded by you and
I. The NSF, by the way, is a US government organization which has just
announced they will no longer subsidize research organizations which
do not have females on the research staff. Gender?  That's important.
Quality of research ? Who cares !
   In common with many government boondoggles, those who manage to
feed at a particular public trough, (and I've fed at a few myself)
guard it jealously and drive away anyone ELSE who dares stick his
snout in that particular trough. Or to quote the magazine article:
"They guard the palace gates like a junk yard dog and assume the
mantel of guardian of the Internet and protector of the connected from
the heathen". The metaphors may be mixed but the meaning is clear.
   As if it were not strange enough to have people saying the Govern-
ment is not involved, when clearly it is, we now have the even more
bizarre circumstance of people trying to SELL access to this govern-
ment service to an unsuspecting public which has already PAID for it.
Costs, according to the article, can range from $120 to $85,000
dollars per year !  Some very obvious questions come to mind.  Is
there, as I believe, a main frame doing the housekeeping for the
system ? And who pays for IT ?  Who pays for the cost of telephone
services needed to link the 81 countries around the world which have
managed to tie into the system ? Is there, as I believe, a sizable
bureaucracy in Washington complete with divisions and subdivisions,
yea unto the third deputy assistant director for plans and programs
complete with HIS public relations officer and equal employment
opportunity official ? The purpose of the aforementioned would of
course be to "manage" the private contractor who actually does the
work.
   And what does this service provide the long suffering taxpayer ? To
the unwashed masses on the outside: nothing. To those on the inside,
nothing that could not be handled by a private data communications
network at, it's safe to say, far less cost.  Indeed, it would very
logically show a positive tax benefit. There are many things govern-
ment should be involved in, but competing with private enterprise is
not one of them. From sports discussions, to sex conferences, to
trivia questions, to gab fests, Internet is an idea whose time has
come and gone. This is welfare for the rich. My choice would be: Shut
it down or sell it, but get government OUT of it.   Regards,   bmc.