🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Oct7.155740.10460@netcom.com>, rbp@netcom.com (Bob Pasker) writes:
> tp@mccall.com (Terry Poot) writes:
>>DEC routinely posts press releases to the net in biz.dec....
> 
> which is where they belong.  press releases usualy violate NSF
> guildelines, which is why a separate hierarchy was created for them,
> allowing sites who maintain strict adherenece to the guidelines to
> ignore an entire hierarchy.  adding v.a.dec is probably not a problem
> for NIX consotium users and commercial uucp users, but it would most
> likely pose a delemma for those using BARRnet and CERFnet.

I think that it is not quite as clear cut as all that. The NSF Acceptable
Use statement says:


        THE NSFNET BACKBONE SERVICES ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
 
 GENERAL PRINCIPLE:
 
 (1) NSFNET Backbone services are provided to support open research and
     education in and among US research and instructional institutions,
     plus research arms of for-profit firms when engaged in open
     scholarly communication and research.  Use for other purposes is
     not acceptable.
 
 SPECIFICALLY ACCEPTABLE USES:
 
[...] 
 (7) Announcements of new products or services for use in research or
     instruction, but not advertising of any kind.
[...] 
 UNACCEPTABLE USES:
 
 (10) Use for for-profit activities (consulting for pay, sales or
     administration of campus stores, sale of tickets to sports events,
     and so on) or use by for-profit institutions unless covered by the
     General Principle or as a specifically acceptable use.
 
 (11) Extensive use for private or personal business.
 
[End of excerpt]

Press releases would seem to me to be covered under point 7. If Digital,
unsolicited, started dumping press releases into a hierarchy other than
biz, that would be wrong. But, if the users of VMSNet asked, and DEC
responded in a considered manner, then I can't see any problem with it.

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Saul Tannenbaum                         |
Manager, Scientific Computing           |Internet: STANNENB@HNRC.TUFTS.EDU
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