Re: Use of net by pbm companies [was: Cheap commercial games]

From: skrenta@shadow.com (Rich Skrenta)

Date: Mon, 11 Apr 1994 12:47:43 +0000

marting@rhino.qpsx.oz.au (Martin Gregory) writes:
> I this legal, world-wide?  It certainly is not in Australia: net
> access is given on the strict condition that it not be used for
> commercial purposes (whatever that means).

In the US, a group of service providers got together to form a commercial
Internet, so that companies could avoid the Acceptable Use Policy of the
NSFnet, which prohibits commercial use.

It's not really this straightforward, though.  The commercial Internet
and the NSFnet appear (at least to me) to be seamlessly connected, so
nothing really prevents traffic from flowing across the boundary.
I also heard a rumor that the NSFnet will be dropping its AUP soon.

Even if not true, this seems likely to happen anyway with all the hoopla
about the "Information Superhighway" coming out of Washington.

> Will this be accepted by the Internet community: using the Internet
> for a commercial service?

Well, the fact is that I count more and more new commercial uses of net
each time I fire up my newsreader.  I'm not saying this is good or bad,
just that the notion that the Net is non-commercial is rapidly vanishing.

I know of several PBM companies that are already operating on the net.

If anyone is stuck on a network which does not allow commercial use, I
can suggest alternate service providers.  All of the biggies except
Prodigy are on the Internet now (Compuserve, Delphi, America Online,
Genie).  There are scores of smaller providers too.  Check the Nixpub
and Pdial lists.

> Just interested - if is is acceptable, you can be sure that Rich
> Skrenta will not be the the only person doing it.  What I can't
> understand is why, if it is legal, it is not being done already?

Many PBM companies seem strangely resistant to email.  Witness the
recent letters to the editor in Flagship suggesting that they not
even cover PBEM games, since they're not "true" PBM.  There's also
currently a thread on Compuserve about PBM vs. PBEM.

Email is just so much better, it's clear this is where the future of
the hobby is.

--
Rich Skrenta <skrenta@shadow.com>

References

Use of net by pbm companies [was: Cheap commercial games]
marting@rhino.qpsx.oz.au (Martin Gregory)
Mon, 11 Apr 1994 05:38:27 +0000