🚀 go-pugleaf

 john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) writes:

   In article <ELI.94Jun2003407@wheat.cisco.com> eli@cisco.com (Steve Elias) writes:
   >giving internet access to Joe on the Street or Joe in the Slammer or
   >the Single Welfare Mom needn't be a negative situation like our
   >current welfare setup is.

   Do we actually want Joe in the Slammer's drivel adding to the noise
   level on the net? 

we'll probably get joe's drivel whether we want it or not, at some point.

   >John! *you* could do this too with all your telecom resources
   >yet another way to save taxpayer money for other tasks or less
   >taxes.  are you spending any of your own time or money helping any
   >schools in your area with computer/network/telecom expertise? will
   >you wait for the govt to throw in some $$ before you step in as a
   >consultant perhaps?!!!  ;) 

   What makes you think that I do not already? 

actually i had an inkling you did support local schools and 
was baiting you - sorry about that.

   In addition to supplying
   news and mail to a number of BBSes in the area and actively
   contributing resources to a community network, I supply connections to
   a school district in the central valley, plus carry all of the traffic
   to and from a high desert learning center complex fully AT MY EXPENSE.
   I provide the resources and I pay the phone bills. The government gets
   no bows for any of it.

a case in point.  govt $ need not be spent on connectivity.
of course, plenty has already been spent, for many years.

   I don't suppose that those who are all for this "network populi"
   approach to the ISH have ever considered that what the government
   funds, the government controls--no exceptions.

you know it isn't quite that simple, but point taken!

   In many schools, like the ones that I provide service to, international
   pen pals are common.

that's the way it ought to be, and imho it is very gnu of you.
good work providing the connectivity, John.

/eli