🚀 go-pugleaf

> /...I am a little surprised by the connect hour fee versus
> /the GenBank On-line Service (GOS).  GOS has a higher initial up front
> /charge but the connect hour charges are about half of BioTechNET's.
> 
> /                                Dave Kristofferson
> /                                GenBank On-line Service Manager
> 
>         As I recall, it wasn't very long ago that there was a discussion on
> one (or more) of the biosci newslists regarding what commercial companies
> can and can't say on academic networks. I don't agree with the hard
> line that was taken, but I think if such a position is to be taken, it should
> be evenly applied. Dave, your statement appears to be a plug for an
> Intelligenetics service. Please accept my apologies in advance if IG derives
> no financial benefit, direct or indirect, from GOS.
> 
> 
> Steve Clark
> 
> clark@mshri.utoronto.ca  (Internet)
> clark@utoroci            (Netnorth/Bitnet)
> 


Steve,

	Surely I would not violate the rules so blatantly 8-)!!  GOS
is not an "IntelliGenetics service" but a service funded by the NIH
and user fees and operated by IntelliGenetics (IG).  The fee that I
referred to above for GOS goes to cover the cost of providing the
service to the users and does not include a profit for
IntelliGenetics.  

	The NIH has also made it clear that it wants us to announce
the availability of GOS to the users since the service represents your
tax dollars at work.  In fact I have sent out announcements for GOS in
the past, just as, e.g., EMBL makes postings about their services.
Our funding situation on GOS is such that the NIH expects us to cover
part of the costs from GOS users and thus we must charge a fee.  Other
operations such as BioTechNET are wholely commercial, and thus fall
into a different category.  

	You probably recall that the Government initially set up the
ARPANET and provided access to commercial companies doing research for
DARPA.  As we are cooperating with the government to provide a service
at the government's request, I do not see a problem here.  To be even
more specific, I would even go so far as to say that jobs specifically
for the GenBank effort at IntelliGenetics would probably also be
acceptable postings on the EMPLOYMENT bulletin board.  I actively
discourage, however, use of the bulletin boards for commercial IG
postings.

	I hope this sharpens the levels of gray to some extent!
-- 
				Sincerely,

				Dave Kristofferson
				GenBank On-line Service Manager

				kristoff@genbank.bio.net