From: aggedor@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (The Monster of Peladon)
Newsgroups: austin.public-net
Subject: Example of the Need....and PROFIT to be had!
Date: 21 Jan 1993 13:38:43 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin
Distribution: austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: foghorn.cc.utexas.edu


Greetings:

	There has been some discussion here and elsewhere, as to whether there
is a need for an austin public Internet access source.  I think I can give a 
good example of the kind of user who would be *very* interested in this, and 
the reason for that interest.
	I currently have legitimate net access through UT.  I've found the
Internet to be both helpful and just plain fun as well.  It's a service that I
would *never* be able to afford to take advantage of unless I had it as a con-
sequence of my employment at the U.  
	The raason for this is simple.  I have made enough money to purchase 
some good, if old computers.  I do not earn enough however, to use the public
Internet access services that are running today, such as p$i or HoloNet.  I've
been on the net for about a year now and despite my income level, I've managed
to utilize it without blowing anything up.  B-)  
	I've made many friends worldwide through IRC, and would miss them, as
well as the other features of my Internet account if I were to loose the 
account.  And that is exactly what is about to happen.  After this semester I
will be moving on to another job, and my Internet access will go the way of all
good things.  As the situation stands at the moment, I'll wave goodbye to my
friends, my useful information, my access on May 7.
	Would I pay someone a reasonable fee to retain access?  You're darned 
right I would.  Right now I am paying $5.00 a month for GeNieBasic Services.  
As readers might know, GeNie compares to Internet like a grain of sand compares
to the Sahara Desert.  I'd much rather spend that money every month for access
to Internet without silly connect time charges or those other fees that the
current puclic services have.
	So where's the profit I talked about?  Right here.  There are in my 
opinion, many people who used to have net access who would jump at the chance
to join a public access network, especially if its first concern wasn't trying
to upload as much hard cash from its users as possible.  I feel that once the
news of a network such as the one that is being proposed gets out onto thlocal BBS's, the main problem of the organizers will be keeping up with the 
demand.
	So ends my response to those who say that the poor are too ignorant to
gain anything from Internet.  I think also that I've proven the need.  
	One more thing before I close.  How many public nets can cruise 
missiles buy?  I'm not certain of that but I'd say that one could buy far fewer
public nets with the cruise missiles that have been produced, than with the 
money that has been wasted over the past quarter of a century on *some* useless
social programs.


				Cheers!

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Milner	  |  *********  |  Amateur Radio Callsign  N 5 R U L
(GeNie)  D.MILNER |  *  Moo! *  |  (Internet)  aggedor@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
Austin, Tx. U.S.A.|  *********  |  I know who I am, and I will NEVER go back!
** Illegitimus Non Carborundom Est!  (Don't let the bastards get you down!) **
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------