🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <45ij8a$jpf@elxr.jpl.nasa.gov> 
	dave@elxr.jpl.nasa.gov (Dave Hayes) writes:
>Russ Allbery <rra@cs.stanford.edu> writes:
>>Which is quite understandable, given people like Cat who think they own the
>>Internet and have a God-given right to use other people's computers.
>
>Why do you think this is?
>
>Like it or not, the net is about communication. When someone's
>communication is blocked, that person tends to get a little testy.

Well, that's an overreaction, and is a bit immature, IMHO.  USENET isn't a
magical free speech medium.  A lot of hardworking sysadmins are behind it.
Many of them contribute extra time to the 'Net out of their own good will.
You are ignoring practical considerations that these sysadmins have to deal
with, such as dealing with snotty, clueless users who think the world (and
the Internet) owes them something.  

>You can't provide a service ("millions of people communicating
>many-to-many"), selectively restrict that service based on some
>arbitrary standard, and still call yourself providing a service.

Fletcher wasn't offering a *public service*.  It was an unadvertised,
unsupported "feature".  He could have cut off everyone outside of utexas,
and it would have been his prerogative.  Who are you to say?

>This is why I keep saying you people don't understand free speech.

And you didn't understand this situation.

>>Perhaps people should use the service they're paying for rather than trying
>>to mooch off other people, then.
>
>Do you realize just how controlling the "those who have money make the
>rules" paradigm is?

An argument entirely "ungermane" to the issue at hand.  I suppose you would
ask the TV stations for free airtime?  Of course, you don't have to pay
them anything, because hey, they're the ones with all the money and the
broadcasting stations, they owe it to you, right?

I must say your point of view got me a bit exasperated.  I honestly just
don't understand your point.  The reality of the situation is that some
Internet services will always be limited.  If you have trouble using one
service, try another.  It's the way of the net.  Noone is trying to censor
your free speach, since there's always another avenue.

Cheers,
Doug