From: nathan@laplace.biology.yale.edu (Nathan F. Janette)
Subject: Re: Athena Design Announces Mesa Educational Pricing
Reply-To: nathan@laplace.biology.yale.edu
Organization: Yale University, Department of Computer Science, New Haven, CT
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 22:17:10 GMT

In article <1992Aug17.164824.4066@metrosoft.com> gvh@metrosoft.com (Gordon Van  
Huizen) writes:
> In article <QDd-wjC@engin.umich.edu> zmonster@engin.umich.edu (Eric  
> Hermanson) writes:
> > In article <1992Aug16.212601.12695@proponent.com> Monty Solomon  
> <roscom!monty@think.com> writes:
> > >It is extremely annoying that press releases posted to the NeXT groups  
> have had  
> > >their price information removed.
> > >
> > >Who has implemented this practice and why?
> > >
> > >Press releases posted to other groups routinely include price  
> information.
> > >
> > >Please stop this annoying practice.
> > >
> >      
> > My sentiments exactly.  What good does this do anyone?                    
> > 
> 
> OK OK...this is getting out of hand. Is there some definitive statement  
> that can be made about the appropriate use of commercial announcements in  
> the NeXT groups? There really is too much random opinion about this.

A quick check in the news. groups reveals (at least) two
relevant postings, of which I will quote selected portions:

Archive-name: what-is-usenet/part1
Original from: chip@tct.com (Chip Salzenberg)
Last-change: 19 July 1992 by spaf@cs.purdue.edu (Gene Spafford)

WHAT USENET IS NOT
------------------

7. Usenet is not an advertising medium.

Because of Usenet's roots in academia, and because
Usenet depends so heavily on cooperation (sometimes
among competitors), custom dictates that advertising
be kept to a minimum.  It is tolerated if it is infrequent,
informative, and low-hype.

The "comp.newprod" newsgroup is NOT an exception to this
rule: product announcements are screened by a moderator
in an attempt to keep the hype-to-information ratio in
check.

If you must engage in flackery for your company, use the
"biz" hierarchy, which is explicitly
"advertising-allowed", and which (like all of Usenet)
is carried only by those sites that want it. 


Archive-name: posting-rules/part1
Original-author: mark@stargate.com (Mark Horton)
Last-change: 11 May 1992 by barmar@Think.COM (Barry Margolin)

This message describes some of the rules of conduct on
Usenet.  The rules vary depending on the newsgroup.  

Announcement of professional products or services on
Usenet is allowed; however, since someone else is paying
the phone bills for this, it is important that it be of
overall benefit to Usenet.  Post to the appropriate
newsgroup -- comp.newprod -- never to a general purpose
newsgroup such as "misc.misc".  Clearly mark your
article as a product announcement in the subject.  Never
repeat these -- one article per product at the most;
preferably group everything into one article.
Advertising hype is especially frowned upon -- stick to
technical facts.  Obnoxious or inappropriate
announcements or articles violating this policy will
generally be rejected.  This policy is, of course,
subject to change if it becomes a problem. 


--
Nathan Janette		"I'm a NeXTstep man,
Dept MB&B, Yale Univ	 I'm a NeXTcube guy"
New Haven, CT
nathan@laplace.biology.yale.edu (NeXT)

Newsgroups: comp.sys.next.marketplace,ba.market.computers,comp.sys.next.software