Edited Edupage, 9 May 1996

[E. ALLEN SMITH]

From:	IN%"educom at elanor.oit.unc.edu"  9-MAY-1996 22:01:14.77

>REGIONAL BELLS WANT RATE HIKES FOR WIRING SCHOOLS
>The United States Telephone Association would like to raise the average U.S.
>monthly phone bill by about $10 over the next five years to pay for wiring
>schools and libraries with new lines for phones and computers, and to
>subsidize poor and rural customers.  The proposal assumes an $11 billion
>cost for wiring schools and libraries, with local phone companies paying
>about a third to a half of that.  The rest would come from a surcharge on
>other services, such as cellular.  "No single industry should be held
>responsible for fulfilling this major goal," says USTA's president.  "Each
>has a role and should make a significant contribution to the national
>education technology mandate."  (Investor's Business Daily 8 May 96 A7)

	The "subsidize poor and rural customers" line makes me glad I don't
have a phone line.

>ALLIANCE SEEKS ELECTRONIC SECURITY
>An alliance of software companies has established the Electronic Licensing
>and Security Initiative to develop a system that uses electronic tokens
>linked to a software package to securely track software rentals, licenses
>and purchases.  The group also plans to develop an electronic clearinghouse
>to provide and track licenses.  Several major software producers, including
>Microsoft, IBM and AT&T have said they will support the Initiative's
>technology.  (Wall Street Journal 6 May 96 B6)

	Anyone know how this is supposed to work? It sounds like a
non-anonymous digital cash system, in essence.

>IBM'S INFOMARKET TOLL BOOTH
>IBM has persuaded some 30 companies, including Eastman Kodak, Xerox,
>Reuters, America Online and Yahoo!, to use its new infoMarket
>electronic-content clearinghouse for displaying and distributing their
>wares.  The infoMarket concept requires customers to pay for only what they
>use, with the content providers controlling the information and setting
>their own prices.  "Charging only for what you want is a very attractive
>scheme," says one electronic database provider.  The system is based on
>"Cryptolopes" -- secure electronic packaging that, when opened, bind the
>user to a contractual agreement regarding the use of the content.  If the
>content is distributed beyond that agreement, the technology can track its
>usage and bill the original purchaser for subsequent viewings.  "It's a
>complete break from all other ways information has been published on the Net
>to date," says an industry consultant.  "It turns pass-along from a business
>threat to a business opportunity."  (Business Week 13 May 96 p114)

	Again, it's not clear how this is supposed to work. It does remind me
of that information-network thing that was promoted on the Extropian lists,
except that didn't have any provisions on reuse.
	-Allen


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