From: ggw@wolves.Durham.NC.US (Gregory G. Woodbury)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Ending subsidized services?
Summary: a hypothetical example for discussion
Date: 25 Jan 93 03:35:23 GMT
Reply-To: ggw@wolves.durham.nc.us
Followup-To: comp.org.eff.talk
Organization: Wolves Den UNIX


Ok.  I'm sufficiently confuse by the arguments and counter-arguments as
to have lost track of something.  I thought I understood the Open
Platform initiative, but it seems that I can't quite get a handle on
some of the points.

Here is a "hypothetical" situation to deal with.

	Some person, a computer professional, with a job of some kind at
a friendly US University, also has a '386 box at home with a couple of
phone lines, modems and some disk space to spare (300-600MB).  Say also
that the press of work and other situations don't allow this person the
time or access at the job to follow netnews.
	Being resourceful and clever (and having the connections and
knowhow) this person obtains a practically full newsfeed at home (one of
the modems being a telebit or something of that ilk - high disposable
income obviously :-)  (which counts me out, obviously :-(
	This feed is from that friendly university.  The feed is from a
different department, not one where he is the one committing or using
University resources, and is given with a proviso that the site provides
subset feeds to other home users or BBS's in the area so that they don't
keep coming and bothering the University as demand grows.

	This feed is obviously (?) subsidized by the University, and
also subsidized by the individual in question.  (Assuming that they
don't seek donations or cost-sharing arrangements.)

	Now, suppose some situation arises that upsets the relationship
between this individual and the university (for any sort of reason.)

	This person and all the down stream news sites are left hanging
without a connection.

	NetNews (being an addictive habit) has to be obtained, but there
isn't much money around for that person to afford to go get an account
at the commercial providers. (Remember, this is a practicall full feed!)

THE QUESTIONS:

	How does the Open Platform initiative provide this person (and
the sites dependent on that site) relief (i.e.  access)?

	Does this change significantly if the person makes the feed into
a small information provider service business?  (Which will raise costs
considerably - given the current phone regulatory environment.)

	Suppose the person can get NetNews via a sattelite downlink, and
uses a lower cost option to get email and outbound news connectivity.
Does the situation change in terms of the OPI?  Does it change in other
ways?

Bonus Questions:

	Should this sort of situation be encouraged?  subsidized?
mandated?  regulated?

	What if the site and its dependents are serving as connections
to a growing, thriving community of non-technical BBS user folk who have
become used to having the low-cost/no-cost connectivity to the world?

	Can the site survive by jumping to a cost-recovery only
fee-based service provider?  How does OPI andor the EFF mission change
in relation to this site if this happens?

	Is anybody there? Does anybody care?
	(Does anybody see what I see? :-)
-- 
Gregory G. Woodbury @ The Wolves Den UNIX, Durham NC  <Standard disclaimers>
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Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk