response 75 of 164:

Aug 5 07:54 UTC 1997

Too late, it's linked and there are going to be a whole bunch of forgets and
pipe interrupts.

response 77 of 164:

Aug 5 11:30 UTC 1997

I'm not taking the time to read *all* of the 76 prior responses.  I'll say
that I oppose this motion because if I had not had e-mail capabilities beyond
the confines of Grex, I never would have become a member, and I most assuredly
would have choosen a different server.  There was a time when I (as vidar)
*only* used Grex for e-mail, because I didn't see any point in using its
other capabilities.

response 79 of 164:

Aug 5 18:01 UTC 1997

   But Grex *has* supported itself during its six year life.  We haven't
done badly.  In fact, the staff is struggling to 'keep up' on things,
like the Sun-4/670 that the Grex populace bought.  We're doing OK.
Now, you are right that if every user paid up we'd have a lot more
money, but with a lot more money comes difficulties managing it, and
arguning over how to spend it, etc.
   Right now, Grex is this unusual place where all sorts of things
are going on, running on a budget that is fantastically small.  If
we had a budget of $84,000/yr, I'm not at all sure we wouldn't be
changed for the worse.

response 81 of 164:

Aug 5 21:43 UTC 1997

re: linking...why cant an item like this be linked to agora as 
*read only*, with it plainly saying that you want to post in 
this item you have to bring it up in coop.  Is it possible for 
an item to be linked as read-only in one or more confs without 
freezing it in its conf of origination?

response 83 of 164:

Aug 5 23:14 UTC 1997

I know, personally, if one has to pay to get email, I would stop
sending my yearly contributions. I'd lose a lot of friends that way whom
only have email on this system. I use grex for the confrences and party,
have my mail forwarded, but alot of my friends don't pay and I'd lose
friendships that way, and quite frankly, it would suck.
Also,(I don't know if anyone mentioned it) a lot of people don't have
money to spare(give, only $6.00 a month..), some kids here are paying for
college and car payments and barely making it.
Oh well, just my .02

response 85 of 164:

Aug 6 01:11 UTC 1997

        sorry, I gave up read this *new* item after #34, so I will
ask also:  In the week plus this has been discussed, has the 
newuser program been updated (zero dollars, less than two hours
donated time)?
        Has the mail machine been collected and assembled yet?  Do 
the townfolk have to mob the florist shop?

        If just outbound E-mail from those logged in thru a telnet
port (*NOT* a dial-in or any sort) is restricted, I would find that
logical.  Just send out a message, 'please use your ISP for outbound
E-mail' to those that log in from some place they DO pay money to 
get service (or get it as a company/university perk).

        I can agree that a *very good mission* of GREX (and even
M-net) is to provide an e-mail address and service to guests who
dial in.  These just may be those without an Internet Service 
Provider, the one's who would gain from sending out resume's by
e-mail and having a receving spot.  These are the one who may
not have spent $2,000 to buy a machine so they can get free e-mail,
just so the sender does not have to spend 32 cents on the delivery.
(?Do you know it takes me less time to open and close my snail-mail
box than my e-mail box??).

        Again apologies for not reading 35-84 if this problem 
was solved since 7/31/1997.

response 87 of 164:

Aug 6 21:36 UTC 1997

There are a fair number of people who telnet here from public libraries, 
university computer labs, and offices.  Many of them don't have access 
from there to any sort of e-mail.  We'd be doing some of our poorest 
"citizens" a disservice by restricting e-mail to those who dial in.

If e-mail has to be restricted in any way, I'd prefer to see it done 
universally.  

response 89 of 164:

Aug 7 09:50 UTC 1997

Re 88: what Misti just said.

response 91 of 164:

Aug 8 04:32 UTC 1997

I fit right in to the second paragraph of gull's response. And for me, it's
not so much a privacy issue, but that I can't get into my parents' email
without their password, which I'm not allowed to have. So then, in order to
send or recieve any email, I have to find a time when they're not busy, and
can run through and enter the password. It's a decided pain in the butt, and
I'd hate to see this proposal go through. If I become a member (which I'm
more then likely to do at some point...like when I actually have any money),
I don't want to do it knowing that I'm being motivated by whether or not I
get email.

response 93 of 164:

Aug 8 21:02 UTC 1997

I'm not ready to finalize the proposal yet.  But, interestingly enough,
estimates of how the vote will go among the members are frequently *way*
off the mark.  I've been repeatedly gulled into thinking something
will pass or fail because of posted comments, only to have the opposite
happen.  So it goes.

response 95 of 164:

Aug 9 15:45 UTC 1997

I'm joining this discussion kind of late, and haven't read the whole thing.
Forgive me if I'm repeating points already made, but...
There must be a better way of weeding out users who are using grex only for
free e-mail.  I'm not a member of grex, and can't really afford to be one.
I spend most of my time in the conferences, but I have several friends who
my only communication with is via e-mail.  
I agree with you that more members is a good thing, and that less of a load
on grex is a good thing, and that fewer non-participating users is a good
thing.  I just think that this proposal would inconvenience a lot of other
people as well.

response 97 of 164:

Aug 10 06:06 UTC 1997

Thanks for asking about how to support Grex.  Although you don't have to pay
to use Grex, our users pay all the bills.  If the users don't support Grex,
it may go away.
 
The best way to support Grex is to become a member.  Members get to:
   - vote in Grex elections (if you've paid for three months or more)
   - receive the 'Wizards In Training' Manual free (again with 3 months)
   - use our Internet link (send a personal check or a copy of some ID)

Plus, you also get the warm and fuzzy feeling of having helped out a
valuable community resource.
 
Memberships cost $6/month or $60/year (US currency).  Send cash, checks,
or money orders to:

Cyberspace Communications, Inc.
P.O. Box 4432
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-4432
 
Non-membership contributions are welcome, too.  If you're interested in
making such a donation (monetary or otherwise), please send mail to aruba
for more info.   THANKS!

response 99 of 164:

Aug 10 09:12 UTC 1997

It has been so hard for me to get into grex as of late that I have gotten
another email address. That is in addition to sending in a three month
menbership to grex. I got another service for email and will use grex as a
confrencing bbs. Hopefully, I wouldn't have to wait a week to get back on,
as I tend to be off work at 5:00 am and it is quite busy here at that time,
or so it seems.