🚀 go-pugleaf

In <2socgv$2h0@network.ucsd.edu> triley@weber.ucsd.edu (Tristan Riley) writes:
>In article <1994Jun3.133306.13118@zygot.ati.com> john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) writes:
>>Do we actually want Joe in the Slammer's drivel adding to the noise
>>level on the net? It is not just a matter of cost, but a matter of
>>overall value of the traffic.
>
>I find it only remotely possible that what "Joe in the Slammer"
>might have to offer in the way of items for useful discussion would
>be even the least bit more "noisy" than the material the numerous
>"Joes/Janes in their first year of college" contribute at present.  What

Just for "devil's advocate" sake, let me take the elitist position here.
College freshman, for all their faults, have at least completed high school.
They have also gained admission to a college, demonstrating at least some
drive and some level of ability.  While some prisoners will of course have
these qualifications, many (perhaps most?) will not.  Thus making the point
that "Joe in the Slammer" need not be allowed on the net just because some
freshmen are.

>is it you imagine prisoners are going to want to talk about which is
>so readily classifiable as "drivel"?  And how does this "drivel"
>stack up against e.g., the proliferation of alt.sports,
>alt.tvsitcom, alt.rushlimbaugh, alt.collegelife, etc.? 

Arguably, stereotypical freshmen aren't the most capable of intelligent
debate and discourse.  Prisoners (and indeed general society) are even less
so.  Carrying forward the elitist argument for the moment, I think even the
most broad-minded net.oldies yearn for the good ol' days when the net was
populated by graduate students in CS and people at high-tech companies.

My personal feeling is that adding people to the net isn't so bad since the
stupid ones (be they from a university or a prison) will naturally gravitate
toward alt.* and leave comp.* alone.  And the stupid ones who like comp.*
will tend toward the *.advocacy groups, leaving the technical meat to the
people who generate/consume it.  The biggest purpose of the alt hierarchy
these days is to act as a 'bozo drain' for the rest of the net.

>Most importantly, I think, who is the "we" you speak of in your
>first sentence above?

It's obviously those who are partaking in this thread.  Taken broadly,
it would probably be "society in general."

Rob
--
Rob Knauerhase   [knauer@ibeam.intel.com]   Intel Mobile Software Lab
  "Always listen to experts.  They'll tell you what can't be done, and why.
   Then do it."   -- Robert Heinlein (Lazarus Long)