PressRelease - PSI And Canter & Siegel Neogiate Agreement On Future..

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

Date: Thu, 23 Jun 1994 18:19:47 -0400
From: "Martin Lee Schoffstall" <schoff () us psi com>


I'm sure this will provide for stimulating discussion...


Marty
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                              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE




    PSI AND CANTER & SIEGEL NEGOTIATE AGREEMENT ON FUTURE INTERNET ACCESS


June 23, 1994 - Herndon, VA - Performance Systems International, Inc.
(PSI), of Herndon Virginia, which provides Internet connection services
to more people and organizations than all other providers, today disclosed
that an interim agreement had been reached with Canter & Siegel (C&S), of
Phoenix, Arizona regarding the controversial C&S advertising over the
Internet and USENET.


Both firms concur that the continuing orderly evolution of the commercial
Internet must be preserved, and to that end, Canter & Siegel and PSI have
agreed to the following:


a) C&S will refrain from mass electronic postings of any unsolicited,
   non-contextual, non-topic advertisements to the USENET discussion group
   bulletin board system;


b) C&S will refrain from mass postings of any unsolicited, non-contextual,
   non-topic advertisements using electronic mail or other TCP/IP Internet
   applications.


The worldwide Internet and USENET response to Canter & Siegel's activities
have been very strong. Many of the actions have been particularly virulent,
including the sending of "mail bombs". PSI has had first hand experience
where the actions in response to C&S were damaging to third parties. PSI
took a number of steps to remove these damaging situations as they occurred.
While the actions of C&S have been considered by many to be completely
inappropriate, the same is now being said about the actions in response to
C&S. Clearly, the ENTIRE situation needs to be amended and will take many
months, if not years, to settle out.


Better education will be key to Internet evolution with books like "NET
Etiquette" and the Internet Business Association (IBA) of Washington, DC
facilitating those changes. In addition, mediation and discussion instead
of unilateral confrontation, threats, and disconnection will be required
to develop the general framework for operating on the Internet as it continues
to evolve.  Several other application-oriented Internet service providers
have taken this approach successfully with C&S and others in parallel with PSI.


                                   ###


PSI's headquarters are located at 510 Huntmar Park Drive, Herndon, VA 22070.
Canter & Siegel is located at 3333 East Camelback Road, Suite 250,
Phoenix, AZ  85260.


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