Date   : Mon, 07 Oct 1985 17:29:50 GMT
From   : Eric Hestenes <hestenes%sdcsla.uucp@BRL.ARPA>
Subject: Re: Classified ads

> Eric - Since I started the discussion, I'd like to reply to your comments.

> information between interested parties.  I, for one, would like to know that
> if you buy a product from XYZ for either employment/research or 
> personal-related work, the kind of support you might get from the vendor.

I don't know what you mean here. 

> The ARPANET was not intended for use as an advertising medium for either
> commercial concerns or individuals to sell goods and/or services.  

I agree. However, part of the problems being encountered stem from the
fact that arpanet people want to share *extensively* with non-arpa people.
This implicitly implies an exchange of information that goes beyond purely
military activities. If you throw out many ads, you're throwing the clothes
out with the bathwater. Essentially, I agree that ads, under the proclaimed
goals of arpa, are against the rules. However, banning some ads will
certainly harm the goals of arpa, namely, increased, effective interaction
with the defense support community ( note, not only the dod itself, since if 
this were the goal they could cut the lines or use the darpa ( not arpa )
network. )

When I post an ad to a non-arpa newsgroup, is it my fault that someone
automatically forwards it to every defense site? No, as long as i am not
violating the rules of the local newsgroup, i can't be to blame. Rather,
it is the group of arpa folks who crave and subcribe to this newsgroup that
have asked for extra baloney. 

Of course, when the ads violate non-arpa standards, then the poster is to
blame. But that debate also belongs to the users of the lan, not the
incidental subscribers from the arpanet. 

I hope i haven't infuriated to many generals by writing this stuff, since
it is fairly political by nature. Can we agree to disagree? I still think that
no matter what, one must abide by the rules of the community of users, and
that there is a place for compromise for mutually benefitting parties. 



Eric Hestenes
arpanet: hestenes@nprdc.ARPA
other: ucbvax!sdcsvax!sdcsla!hestenes or hestenes@sdcsla.UUCP
[ all opinions are my own and are not related to those of my employer ]