🚀 go-pugleaf

A recent posting passed on a message from Peter Tierney, Vice President 
of Marketing for Relational Technology, to the effect that:
 
>> Relational Technology does not feel that Usenet is the proper vehicle for
>> commercial messages.  Anyone wishing accurate information regarding
>> performance of INGRES, or any other INGRES related information, should
>> feel free to contact Relational Technology at 1-800-4-INGRES.
 
Russell Holden of Computer Corporation of America responded:

> Excuse me?   This clearly belongs in net.jokes.  
> 
> I don't think this newsgroup is the proper place for commercial
> messages either.  However, the discussion of performance of various
> systems by USERS, whether accurate or not, certaily does belong here.
> I certainly hope the Mr. Tierney is not suggesting that people stop
> talking about INGRES in this newsgroup.

Oh, come on!  The RTI message clearly labels Usenet as an improper place
for "commercial" messages.  It did *not* say anything about user discussion,
or any kind of discussion.  I think RTI should be applauded for their
restraint in not cluttering up the net with more vendor propaganda.  Even
if their motives are less altruistic (they may have seen the responses to
some recent statements from an Oracle representative, or they might just
prefer that you get your Ingres info from one of their sales people instead
of your neighbor), I don't think anything in the posting suggests any
attempt to stifle free discussion throughout the net. 

[If that *was* what they wanted, they'd have to change their name to 
Egress :-). Maybe this discussion belongs in net.jokes after all.]
-- 
 Richard Hoffman                | 
 Schlumberger Well Services     | "With insanity, as with vomit, it is the
 hoffman%hdsvx1@slb-doll.csnet  | passerby who receives the inconvenience."
 PO Box 2175, Houston, TX 77252 |                             -- JOE ORTON