Re: The un-BBS

[tcmay@netcom.com (Timothy C. May)]

> > There are some interesting issues here, which I'll just list:
> > 
> > * since the FidoNet is not subsidized by others the way the Internet
> > is, operators of FidoNet nodes (I don't know the exact term) often end
> > up subsidizing the costs themselves.
> 
> Most systems/people on the Internet are not subsidized.  This is well known.
> The critical mass of users has obviated the need for it.

The subsidies are as follows:

- universities that provide "free" access to students, faculty,
researchers, etc. (all those ".edu" accounts)

- corporations that provide similar access to some or all of their
employees

- government labs, offices, etc.

The number of Internet users who are going through commercial services
like Netcom, Panix, Portal, etc., or through services like CompuServe
and Prodigy, is currently a small fraction of the overall total. This
will grow, but for the present discussion, most Internet users are not
paying their own bills for their usage of the Net (let alone paying to
ship NetNews around the world).

And even the commercial service providers cross-subsidize in various
ways (Netcom, for example, is reported to be making real money in its
T1 links...).

My point was not at all that FidoNet is a superior service (it isn't).
What I said was that the Internet is subsidized--I didn't elaborate on
by whom, and I certainly wasn't saying ARPA or NSF pays for it
all--and that this accounts for much of its explosive growth.

--Tim May


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