Re: AARNet charges - IMPORTANT!!

Alister Air (acair@nospam.wattle.itd.uts.edu.au)
Tue, 13 Dec 1994 11:07:39 +1100 (EST)

I feel compelled to post again regarding the possible charges to AARNet
being borne by students, and especially to the words "user-pays" being
mentioned.

If there is a charge for access, then obviously those who can not afford
such a charge will not access the system. This leads to a distintion in
which the students who can afford to pay for their access will be able to
access more information, and in turn learn more, than those who can not
afford to pay. This could lead to a division of "information-rich" and
"information-poor" (there have been studies done on this).

My position is that the wondrous service known as "the Internet" should
be able to be accessed by anyone. Should access be blocked due to
financial constraints? And what happens when necessary coursework can
not be completed due to the fact that a student could not afford to do
it? It is already expensive enough to come to Uni, and I would not like
to see more charges tacked on.

I do not feel that we have been getting a "free lunch". As has been
mentioned, by "playing around" on the Internet, many people (myself
included) have learnt far, far more than their course allows. If you
were paying timed access, how likely is it that you would be able to
"play around", to get the feel of the Internet?

If you pay for space, then would the mere act of reading this letter, of
subscribing to the ProgSoc mailer, be costing you money? I feel that if
we do not speak to those planning charges, then either ProgSoc's
membership fee wil be much greater, or the club may be forced to close.

Please think about this.

Alister Air

"Be careful of that nasty drop down to the Right..."
"So if you see a strange door to your Left,
Just drop your things and run for it!"

- Things of Stone and Wood - "Wildflowers"