building my own relay computer

[Brent Hilpert]

On 2015-Feb-14, at 4:30 PM, Peter Corlett wrote:
> On Sun, Feb 15, 2015 at 09:38:31AM +1000, Tom Sparks wrote:
> [...]
>> in my "What If" world the postal office network owned the telegraph network
> 
> In the UK, that was indeed the case. In a fine bit of legal wrangling, it was
> argued that the GPO's monopoly on the postal service extended to the other
> peer-to-peer communications systems such as the telegraph and telephone as they
> were invented.
> 
> Had the GPO not had the telephone service rebranded BT and privatised in the
> 1980s, it would no doubt be claiming monopoly rights over Internet access as
> well. As it is, BT still pretty much control the market.

I have a recollection from the 1980's when I was 'on the inside' working on email R&D, as email started to appear on the horizon to those outside computing, Canada Post - seeing the writing on the wall - tried to get some legislation passed that would give it a monopoly.
The legislation was worded so broadly it would have covered two people speaking to each other.