cr> re5: QUESTION of open net survival

1996-01-31

Richard Moore

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 1996
Sender: •••@••.••• (Allen  L  Marshall)
Subject: Re: cr> re4: QUESTION of open net survival

>OLmaniac wrote:
>>dream is the day when banned Usenet groups and anonymous remailers are
>>hosted on servers located on satellites, where they are outside the
>>jurisdiction of all governments.  If things get tough here on earth, I'm
>>sure that is what will happen.
>
>Whoa! Hold on there! Who can afford their own satellite? Can YOU?
>
>Think realistically!
>R. Smith

I've wondered about that one, seriously though.  Perhaps if a drive can be
made to gather the funds for such a thing, we can simply "walk out" of the
'Net and leave the commercial giants to their own devices.

And then I thought, well, a lot of people would be walking out and not all
of them want to pay even if they can.

Sure, the above message is about carrying newsfeeds, but I'd like to see
this happen with general 'Net accounts.

+-------------------------------------------------------+
+ Mi lernas la Esperanton!  |||||  Je parle francais!   +
+-------------------------------------------------------+
                   •••@••.•••
   http://www.netaxs.com/people/cratagus/homepage.html
   {Allen Marshall, PO Box 14, Beverly, NJ 08010 USA}

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

RKM reply to Arun's Re: "cr> re4: QUESTION of open net survival":

Arun wrote:
>Likewise, if e-mail charges are so unrealistic, competitors will step in. They
>do not need to use your phone line, they will have alternatives in the form of
>satellites, cable and packet radio.
>
>when hundreds of LEO satellites are in the sky, they
>will have bandwidth galore, which will find few customers over rural
>areas and developing countries. If they do not sell the bandwidth, it
>goes waste: it cannot be stored. So, bandwidth should be available at
>lower rates than today, not higher.
>
>Iridium satellites are due to start launching this year, and
>the competition is likely to be even cheaper.

I envy your "pioneer faith" ... the belief that there'll always be a new
frontier to escape into when the old one gets fenced in.

How much spectrum is available to LEO satellites, as a class?  If there are
hundreds of them are flying about, doesn't their band begin to fill up?
Don't LEO, packet rado, cable, spread-spectrum, etc., all require licenses?
If the telco/media companies monopolize the primary communications
infrastructure, don't you think they can manage to take over the rest as
well?  Can't you see the "EXON 2001" headlines already: "Porn satellite
flies daily over Catholic girls' school! -- must be stopped!" ?

I'm sorry, but if you're ready to concede loss of the open internet on the
main communications infrastructure, then I think you're grasping at straws
to pursue satellites.  If you're not ready to concede that loss, then I'd
like to see the argument.

-rkm

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@



 ~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~--~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~
 Posted by Richard K. Moore (•••@••.•••) Wexford, Ireland
   Cyber-Rights:   http://www.cpsr.org/cpsr/nii/cyber-rights/
   CyberLib:       http://www.internet-eireann.ie/cyberlib
 Materials may be reposted in their entirety for non-commercial use.
 ~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~--~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~