- From: Le Roy Sebastien <100450.3457@compuserve.com>
- Date: 03 Sep 95 09:51:11 EDT
- To: j regnier <jregnier@merlin.enssat.fr>, SATAN <majordomo@wzv.win.tue.nl>, www <www-lib@www10.w3.org>
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Common Knowledge Publishing, Inc. Le Roy Sebastien Lannarch 29530 LANDELEAU FRANCE tel (33) 98 93 82 70 INTERNET:100450.3457@compuserve.com Sorry it's taken me so long to respond. I've been away from my keyboard. Dear Common Knowledge Seeker: Now I can take check in livre pound L see below the price list Thank you for your interest in DiscNet(tm), which gives subscribers all the Usenet discussion groups we can find, and all of the postings to those groups that are intended for worldwide distribution, on compact disc (CD-ROM) for around $10 per disc. Discs are produced mounthly, or more often as the volume of information requires. I have enclosed a list of frequently asked questions that will give you lots of details about us. I have also enclosed a subscription form which will give us lots of details about you. Thanks again for your interest in us. I look forward to seeing you on the net. Sincerely, Le Roy Seabastien Frequently Asked Questions about DiscNet(tm) -------------------------------------------- What is DiscNet(tm)? ------------------- DiscNet(tm) is a service of Common Knowledge Publishing, Inc, which seeks to make the practical benefits of the Internet affordable to average users, by distributing "the heart and soul of the Internet", the Usenet discussion groups, on CD, as well as to distribute the most useful of the information made publicly available on the net. CKP also provides free UUCP access to subscribers. UUCP is a program which runs on IBM compatible PC's, Macintoshes, and UNIX systems, and lets them transfer electronic mail and Usenet postings to and from CKP. What is the Internet? -------------------- The Internet refers to a large collection of computer systems around the world that interact with each other using the internet protocol, typically over leased telephone lines. The ability of large segments of the academic and research communities to communicate using this network has given birth to a broad range of discussions, and large archives of useful information. Access to the Internet has historically been for the rich only -- large well funded universities, government entities, and major high tech companies. This has begun to change, but it is still the case for most people that useful access is prohibitively expensive. It is this cost barrier that DiscNet(tm) attempts to bridge. Why have Usenet on CD? --------------------- Convenience, bandwidth, archives, privacy , censorship, and cost, are all great reasons. Handling a newsfeed is a pain, and backing it up is both troublesome and expensive. CD is a cheap medium for storing large volumes of information, and convenient to use. While you can't use all of the information on the CD, you often don't know what you will need until after you've already lost it. This gives you a permanent archive you can use at your leisure without racking up connect time charges or worrying about expiration. How often do discs come out? --------------------------- Whenever one is full! At current rates, we expect to produce between 1 and 2 a mounth How stale is the disc by the time I get it? ------------------------------------------ Each disc will have several days worth of material, and producing and shipping the disc takes about 5 days. What newsgroups are included? ---------------------------- We include all of the newsgroups we can find, that are intended for worldwide distribution. We do not do any editing, nor does any other network provider. We reserve the right, of course, to comply with whatever the law turns out to be. What is the cost? ---------------- We charge $10 per disc. Subscriptions for 12 discs and 24discs are available. A postage surcharge is assessed outside the US, and for PA residents, there is a 6% sales tax. Can I get a sample? ------------------ For $30, you can order a 2 disc sample set; the first disc is the software, and the second is a typical installment. Will it work on a Mac, PC, Unix system, Amiga, etc? -------------------------------------------------- I recommend all of the freely redistributable news servers on cd. Yes, all of the commonly available news groups are included. Regarding the ASCII, yes, but that's subject to change. In the future changes will be made and appropriate software will be available. 1) all of the freely redistributable news clients and servers will be included on the first disc. Choices are a matter of taste, but gnus and dxrn are probably good ones. 2) we do not edit the newsfeed. we try to obtain the most complete feed we can. we work hard to comply with the author's wishes, by including postings where the author has requested worldwide distribution. 3) yes, ascii. This may change in the future, with gzip compression used to save space. If so, we will include software to make that transparent. The discs themselves are ISO 9660 format, which will work with everything. Software is included in the first disc of the subscription which enables subscribers to use the information on a wide range of platforms. If you have a particularly unusual system, talk to us. What is Common Knowledge Publishing, Inc.? ----------------------------------------- Common Knowledge Publishing, Inc., was formed to provide the DiscNet(tm) service, and to perform other services intended to make as much information as possible as widely and cheaply available as possible. What about Copyrights? --------------------- We include in DiscNet(tm) items intended by their authors for worldwide distribution. Network traffic travels over many physical layers, ranging from fiber optic lines to satellite links to copper wire to coaxial cable, as well as 4mm tape, 8mm tape, and countless other physical media. Now, also, CD is an option. Some of the people who have placed information on the net have restricted its use. We believe our efforts are in harmony with their goals, and are confident we can convince them to allow us to make their work more widely available. We will make every effort to comply with the law, and require our customers to agree to comply with the law, as well, including respecting copyrights. We explicitly disclaim any compilation copyrights to any DiscNet(tm) products. Our goal is to see the information as widely available as possible. What about commercializing the Net? Why should Common Knowledge Publishing, Inc, profit from the collective efforts of members of the Internet community? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This question is a valid one, and deserves several layers of answer. The most basic response is that we are providing a service that costs money, carries risk, and involves full time effort. In addition, please note that ANS, Uunet, and Netcom, not to mention MCI and Sprint are all profitable organizations, wildly more profitable than we. Moreover, we do not charge for the information on the disc. If we were selling dog beds with the same production and distribution costs, the price would be the same. Our purpose is to reach people that don't have a personal T1 connection, and provide as much of the Internet benefits as widely and as cheaply as we can. Businesses can't break even; ventures that don't make money, lose money instead. The only way to provide this or any other expensive service on a long term basis is by making it profitable. Will the Federal Register, the Congressional Register, and other government documents be included? -------------------------------- Not yet. The government has so far chosen to charge a ludicrous amount of money for access to what should be public domain material. There are indications that Newt Gingrich will change this, so stay tuned. How can I pay? ------------- We can take cash, money orders, and checks. Corporate and Government Purchase orders are acceptable with appropriate credit references. Sorry, we can't take plastic yet.We accept French FRANCS and US DOLLAR and english money L. How do I get more information? ----------------------------- The quickest way to get information is via email, and fax. We have recently put in place the software we need to be able to turn around information requests most promptly when they come in those forms. Please feel free to call or write, however. Subscription Form There are two possible subscriptions: 1) A 12 disc subscription,, at the rate of $10 per disc, plus tax in PA, and a postage surcharge outside the USA, for a total of $132 in the US, and elsewhere it's $144. 2) A sample set for $30 L, consisting of the first two discs of the regular subscription.include 2 $ for postage in usa and elsewhere it's 4 $. In each case the first disc sent will include lots of useful software, including software for posting messages back to Usenet, and for sending and receiving mail over UUCP. We provide free to subscribers, on a best effort basis, UUCP connections to Common Knowledge Publishing, and thus to the Internet. The second disc contains Usenet. Type of subscription ordered:__________ Amount enclosed in or Francs or dollars or L :__________ Name:__________ Company:__________ Address:__________ City:__________ State:__________ Zip:__________ Email(if any):__________ Phone(if any):__________ Fax(if any):__________ Corporations and Government groups may submit purchase orders with approved credit: Invoice Contact Name:__________ Invoice Company:__________ Invoice Address:__________ Invoice City:__________ Invoice State:__________ Invoice Zip:__________ Invoice Phone:__________ Invoice Fax:__________ Purchase Order Number:_________ Credit reference #1:__________ Credit reference #2:__________ Credit reference #3:__________ All Invoices will be Mail out the day the purchase order is received. Please Mail purchase orders to 100450.3457@compuserve.com or send a letter. Invoices are due, net receipt of invoice. DiscNet(tm) is offered to provide an inexpensive Usenet physical layer. As a subscriber or user of DiscNet(tm), you represent that no laws would be violated by Common Knowledge Publishing in providing this network connection to you, and agree to use any information they contain in only lawful ways. Common Knowledge Publishing, Inc, reserves the right to make any changes to the DiscNet(tm) product that may be or become necessary in order to ensure compliance with any applicable laws. Any conditions that may become necessary will be included in a file called OFFER, and all such conditions become a part of this agreement. No unreasonable conditions will be made, unless the law requires it. Signature:__________ Date:__________ Common Knowledge Publishing, Inc. Le Roy Sebastien Lannarch 29530 LANDELEAU FRANCE INTERNET: 100450.3457@compuserve.com FAX (33) 98 99 13 06 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6 iQBVAwUBMC+wCHynuL1gkffFAQHW0AH9EqanqDbE70gLDdnzSYch7BjDx8r2oFpO FSqHGw2DQDbJJLzqcVSy/Zl8uYP4IZMaZohA0EIEmfy68DTW06X0SA=3D=3D =3DZSbr -----END
Received on Sunday, 3 September 1995 09:58:51 UTC