All in favor say, "I agree"



Stan Sieler wrote:

> Re:
>
> > OK, to the naysayers, fencesitters, and even advocates.  I have spent
> > considerable time during the week with the folks from Client
> > Systems/3kworld.com on various issues.  Allow me to interject with some
> ...
>
> > 1.  3kworld.com is the brainchild and put together by Client Systems.  Yes,
> > Client Systems is a "for profit" entity, as is 3kworld.com.  One cannot operate
> ...
> > 2.  It is just like any other portal - it is funded by advertisers.  WRQ, HP,
> ...
>
> I've said nothing publically about 3kworld.com until now (I wasn't a naysayer,
> fencesitter, or advocate...simply oblivious :), but I would like
> to point out one pair of facts and one obvious caution:
>
>    3kworld.com is owned by Client Systems.
>
>    Client Systems is the only official HP 3000 distributor for the US (and Canada?).
>
> The caution:
>
>    This means that HP could, *in theory*, have a big lever to use in a *possible*
>    attempt to control a group of users.
>
> I'm not saying that I think anything "bad" has happened, will happen,
> or is likely to happen! ...just that we need to be observant (more so
> than 75% of Interex members are), and we need to keep HP3000-L independant.
>
> "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance" ... that applies to user groups as
> well as to countries.
>
> [Aside: it's interesting trying to find accurate quote attributions on the web.
> I find one site claiming that John Stuart Mills said "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance",
> another saying that abolitionist Wendell Phillips (1811-1844) said
> "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty" (which in turn was paraphrased from
> John Philpot Curran (see http://www.freedom.simplenet.com/vigil.htm).  Another site
> simply said "from the Jefferson memorial".]
>
> SS