9 Feb
2002
9 Feb
'02
3:59 p.m.
On 9 Feb 2002, R. D. Davis wrote:
It would be nice, as well as sensible, to, once again,
have a network
only for hackers, scientists, etc., where e-mail can be exchanged
without SPAM or limitations on freedom of speech. While the source is
still with us, why not use it to make life better? :-)
And THAT is probably the most compelling reason to pursue this beyond it
being an idle hobby. Sure, you can achieve all that without using
UUCP, but there are a couple of things that could give this project a
really nice dynamic.
For one, most of the people here remember what the 'Net' was like before
it was overrun with commercial traffic. Probably 95-99% of the people
using the internet and Usenet now have no clue that it used to be at
least somewhat more useful. Stupidity always existed for sure, but the
S/N ratio was at least a lot better than 0.5. Now it's probably more
like 0.001. Given the historical insight we possess, can we not create
something better, based on that insight, than what currently exists?
Secondly, we're a fairly technically savvy group and we're actually
capably of building something like this. We've got plenty of spare
computing power. Some of us have fast reliable network connections.
And others have the experience and know-how to do it.
And lastly, the bit probably most relevant to ClassicCmp, is that we can
enlist the aid of our old systems in such a project. Hell, why not
combine some other hobbies while you're at it? Take that idle PDP-11
with two dozen serial interfaces and build a packet-radio gateway to
this network.
-brian.