From: gu_jc3@stu.ust.hk (GU)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.hongkong
Subject: Gary Ng is JUST a friend of Gary Ng :)
Date: 24 Dec 1992 20:44:00 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu
X-Unparseable-Date: Fri, 25 Dec 92 10:43:15 HKT

In a msg on <Dec 25 00:50>, Gary Ng of gnct.com writes:

 GN> within 3 seconds using today's modem technology. Which based 
 GN> on the current rate is around HK$ 0.6. And if you do it 

Yes, 3 seconds... provided no hanshaking, no error retry/retransmit,
what about carrier drop in the middle of the transfer, running cost of
the BBS etc.  Beside, we don't charge for incoming e-mail although we will
not allow incoming uuencoded binary transfer or subscribe to Mailing
List, etc.

 GN> day ? I believe if you let others know its burden, a lot of 
 GN> people will be willing to pay to share it with HKPCUG's 
 GN> management. 

 GN> It has a number of advantages :

 GN> 1. When more are willing to pay, HKPCUG's fund will be larger
 GN> 2. This would either relief the burden of those who is currently 
 GN> supporting the group financially

 GN> Or the fund can be used to improve the service like more 
 GN> newsgroup/echomail etc.

In principal it works, this is the ideal solution but unfortunately it
is not practical so the HKPCUG decided not to collect money from other
SysOps, instead, we decided to support the running cost of the ZoneGate
by ourself and provide our own services to collect funds from our own
users and Members.  In return e-mails entered in HKPCUG BBS will get
deliver overnight and we only provide Inter-Zone e-mail service for
others BBS once per week.

 GN> 1. The BBS isn't mine.
 GN> 2. How do you define the word 'frequent' and 'advertising' ?

 GN> The discussion is getting personal. And the subject really 
 GN> surprise me. I don't know what I have done wrong which cause 
 GN> you to react so vigorously. 

Good question... the problem is that start from the beginning I knew
where you came from and I hate to see you tried your very best to 'hide'
the close relationship between yourself and GNCT.COM.  In fact, you are
the root of GNCT.COM and I think everyone here know what a 'root' user
mean.  You never give up any chances to 'advertise' for GNCT and try to
make netters believe that you are unbiased and only a happy user of
GNCT.

 GN> just to a request asking about internet mail capability in 
 GN> HK. 

In that case I will mention AT&T Mail. IMO, if I have to pay $80.00 per
MONTH for GNCT I will pay $100.00 to AT&T Mail becasue AT&T didn't
charge for incoming traffic (YES, you can even include uuencoded binary
and I am currently using AT&T Mail to collect tons of Mailing List or
even News in a daily basis) and their $2.5 per/K for outgoing traffic is
worth the cost because they deliver e-mails REAL time but GNCT is not.

 GN> So why don't you just post a summary on how to have internet mail 
 GN> capability from HK rather than playing Holmes?

Such kind of information are in John Ho's FAQ already... My NETMAIL4.DOC
with well documentation on how to send e-mail from FidoNet to Internet
was also being posted here several times.  Don't get me wrong, it was
not posted by me because the article mentioned HKPCUG many times and I
don't want to get accused.

 GN> PS. I have logon to your system but can't find a way to send 
 GN> internet mail, Do I have to be a HK$ 400/yr associated member 
 GN> before I can do that ?

You don't have to... However, as far as system security is in concern :)
no BBS should allow "WRITE" capability to e-mail or newsgroups for first
time (Non-verify not Non-pay in my case) callers.  However, my BBS
doesn't prevent you from receiving e-mail or access to newsgroup in
"READ" only mode, right?

BTW, HKPCUG distribute Usenet News free to other BBS in HK (think to
AT&T Mail).  However, I was told GNCT.COM request their users NOT to
re-distribute Usenet.  I don't think GNCT.COM has the 'right' to
restrict distribute of Usenet, can you elaborate on it?  In that case I
also don't think GNCT.COM want HKPCUG become your customer because for
sure that HKPCUG WILL re-distribute Usenet to whatever who want.

Next time you are in my BBS, NETMAIL4.DOC is available for download from
File Area# A.
 
Samson Luk