Date   : Wed, 25 Sep 1985 22:41:00 EDT (Wed)
From   : Jeff Edelheit <edelheit@MITRE.ARPA>
Subject: Re: want ads in mailing lists

Jack - I really agree with you and have raised the issue with Dave Towson
(the super-helpful administrator of info-cpm).  

The bottom line is this:  virtually all of these advertisements are coming
from the USENET side of the internet, not the ARPA/MILNET side.  It appears
that not only does usenet approve of this activity, but they even have a
specialized distribution list just for selling stuff.  I applaud the 
restraint of the ARPA/MILNET users have shown in not abusing the net with
advertisements of their own.  (I would really hate to see "our" side of the
net affected by some whistle-blower complaining about the mis-use of 
DoD facilites, etc.)  

They only way to stop these messages would be to drop the gateway between
USENET and ARPA/MILNET.  I, for one, feel that the help and information
I receive from our USENET friends is worth the trouble of the for sale
notes.  My opinion is based on seeing only a few for sale notes every
week; if we really started getting a bunch of them, then I might have
to rethink my stand.

One possible approach is that if USENET has a specialized distribution
list just for advertisements, then they somehow try to insure that all
adverts appear just on that list and not on info-cpm or any of the
other lists.

Anyone else have an opinion on the subject?

Jeff Edelheit
(edelheit@mitre.arpa)