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The Twit Filter: The Professional Amateur
by Dave Bealer
FidoNet has been the largest amateur e-mail network in the world
practically since its inception. USENET has been the largest public
research/educational network for many years. Both of these networks
were founded with, and have operated for years with, strict non-
profit policies. In the early days compliance was not a problem.
Years ago only bit-headed PC communications experts could cobble
together a working FidoNet system from the dizzying array of
allegedly compatible utilities available. Those who had passed this
initiation were unlikely to simply pass the information on, intact,
to someone who didn't "belong." While friendlier Fido sysops would
lend assistance and advice to newcomers, the newbies were still
required to complete the FidoNet utility scavenger hunt before their
system was complete.
Early USENET systems ran on UNIX mainframes which could only be
afforded by Universities, government agencies, and large companies.
Most of the early USENET users were therefore students, scientists,
and military/intelligence workers. Not the kind of group that would
try to conduct big business in the newsgroups.
Today it seems everyone is trying to cash in on the Internet. An
"Internet Business Journal" recently started up to pander to the
suits who are invading jeans and t-shirt territory and trying to tame
the UNIX command line with their evil GUIs. The Clinton regime
hijacked the Internet and has offered it up as the core of their
fabulous solve-all-our-problems "Information Superhighway." In the
face of all the money being thrown at the Internet, the "professional
amateurs" howl piteously about how their precious "free" Internet is
being used for evil profit. Apparently these characters never
realized that *somebody* was paying for the UNIX mainframes they were
using all these years. As Heinlein would say, "TANSTAAFL."
The most avid professional amateurs inhabit FidoNet (sometimes it
seems as though the people most avid about *everything* inhabit
FidoNet). "Back in the 'good' old days, I used to pay $5,000/month
in phone bills to import the echoes for me and my three buddies. Now
these damned cost sharing plans and satellite feeds are taking the
glory out of it." Sure, paying $50/month for an entire message and
file feed may be efficient, but it's just not sexy enough. These
guys should go to Las Vegas. With that extra $4,950/month they could
buy all the ego, glory, and sex they could ever need or want. The
trouble is that what they really need is common sense, which is not
something you can buy.
The worst professional amateurs are disgruntled sysops who previously
tried to go commercial and failed miserably. Since these guys tried
to turn professional and couldn't hack it, they delight in leading
witch hunts to root out any evil commercialization of their "beloved"
FidoNet. They're as bad as ex-smokers. Eventually all the real pros
will venture forth into the Internet and beyond. FidoNet will be
left with the true hobbyists, who never had any commercial desires.
Also hanging around will be the pitiful professional amateurs, whom
the hobbyists will have in their twit filters. {RAH}