-=> On 27 Dec 95  18:00:14 Jonathan de Boyne Pollard said to George White <=-

 GW>
 > Getting slightly on topic (sorry Peter) this is a sore point with me
 > (and Andrew) because IBM EMEA DAP have moved completely to the Internet.
 > and have shut down their BBS. I have currently got no access to the DAP
 > except for specific messages to and from them (which I get through this
 > BBS which is Internet connected). So my main access to OS/2 programming
 > expertise is throgh this echo (and my thanks to all of you who help out
 > in answering the queries here, I'm learning by lurking).
 GW>

 JdBP> I find that extremely annoying too.  Fortunately, I can get onto the
 JdBP> DAP site from work.

 JdBP> The *only* justification that I ever heard for it was that it is
 JdBP> cheaper for Europeans to make a long distance telephone calls to
 JdBP> their IP providers than it is for them to make international
 JdBP> telephone calls to the BBS.

 JdBP> It was never explained why, since the BBS was running Maximus, it
 JdBP> couldn't be arranged to have a secondary BBS in the IBM HQ in each
 JdBP> country, taking an echomail and filebone feed from the main one.
 JdBP> But there you go.

But there are IBM BBBSs in every major European country anyway.

My suggesion was to use restricted access areas on these BBSs
(by using Keys in Maximus or barricades) thus providing local dial-up
without the need to have a specific DAP BBS. There could infact be a
DAPnet, using Fido technology. OR it could be piggybacked as restricted
areas on ibmNET.

Now I'm not at VideoLogic I can say boldly:

Most of the places Ive ever worked wont let their staff use internet, because
they feel it will be abused, either to download porn, or just by the
staff consuming a disproportionate amount of their time reading mail,
or because those staff who don't have access get insanely jelous,
and it disrupts their ability to function as human beings.

If I were employing people, I would adopt this approach myself, for the
very same reasons.

VideoLogic allow permanent staff to access internet, but not contractors
- I suspect this approach may be common as well.

When I worked at Storage Techniques, anyone using a modem was always
supervised (over his shoulder) by someone else! They were mainly concerned
about the phone bills (I'm sure the directors there were not opposed to
dowmloading porn - so long as they didn't have to pay for it!)

I have had internet - Its insecure, and it leads to scary phone bills.
I don't have these problems with Fidonet.

I don't know why the DAP program ditched its BBS access, but I have heard
roumours that it was personal prejudice of a specific member of the
Basingstoke staff. I can't name him, cos I don't know who, and it
may not be true.

I think its DAFT, as I suspect the number of companies withdrawing internet
accss from staff is likely to grow very rapidy in the future. Incidentally,
in the program 'Nightmare at Canary Warf' Janet Street-Porter had to do it
to one of her tech staff (This was a DOCUMENTARY).

Andrew



... Do infants have as much fun in infancy as adults do in adultery?
--- Blue Wave/Max v2.12 OS/2 [NR]