US/ND-4: Re: Free Email
Re: Free Email
Travis Thompson (etechojt@juno.com)
Mon, 16 Sep 1996 12:12:22 EDT
On Mon, 16 Sep 1996 07:38:28 -0400 (EDT) Ronda Hauben
<rh120@columbia.edu> writes:
>
>So people's phone bills are being asked to subsidize
>a business promoting advertising and to invite this advertising
>into public schools and public libraries?
>
I suppose your scepticism is natural, since there is usually a catch
somewhere in the small print. Juno has nothing to do with your phone
bill. Juno is similar to the free computer and other newspapers that are
totally advertiser supported.
Also in regards to advertiser support the most important consideration is
probably what advertisers schools should allow to endorse, sponsor and/or
contribute to schools. As you are probably aware many school programs and
even the presence of computers would not exist if not for corporate
contributions made for the free advertising received in return.
>The Internet was developed in a way that strictly limited advertising
>via an Acceptible Use Policy and that helped to make possible
>the important communication resource that was developed.
>
The Internet was developed as a military defense system and is based on
individual collaboration and cooperation. Juno is an excellent example of
how individuals can continue to control access and development of the
Internet by supporting advertisers that sponsor services such as Juno
that provide universal access to the majority of us the are not so
fortunate to have free academic access to email.
>And there was a reason for this, among which is that there is a
>reason not to use tax money to subsidize advertising for companies.
>
There is no tax money involved in the development or use of Juno.
>It is to abandon the lessons and strength of this history to promote
>advertising and to say that to read email one has to be willing to
>put up with advertising, and then to call this "universal service".
>
All commercial services AOL, Compuserve, and most ISPs advertise and
promote something on their networks so most of us are paying for our
email and still expose to advertisements. Apparently, you have not tried
Juno - if you investigate the service you may come away with a more
informed opinion.
>To encourage subsidizing such advertising by promoting its use
>and recommending advertising be put into schools and libraries
>shows the problems that develop when there aren't public principles
>guiding public policy.
>
I do not understand who you think is subsidizing what? Lastly, you seem
to be totally over looking the big picture in terms of it being a rare
opportunity for students to have free utilization of commercial software
such as Juno and MS Internet Explorer for training and entrepreneurship.
Do you propose that students continue to use Netscape software that is
provided freely to schools to (advertising) promote sales?
>
>Ronda
>rh120@columbia.edu
>
Travis