Re: AdaNET (was Re: Electronic copy of LRM)

[cis.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wu]

In article <SRCTRAN.93May3125357@world.std.com> srctran@world.std.com (Gregory 
Aharonian) writes:
>
>>  AdaNET is not accessible by anonymous ftp.  This is a research project,
>>  and our contract states that we must track usage of the repository.
>
>   What do you mean by usage?  If it just means tracking who is acquiring
>components, that capability is already built into anonymous-ftp, since
>people usually have to identify themselves to access an anonymous ftp site.
Not quite, Greg. Anonymous ftp _asks_ for your login ID as a password,
but in fact you can type anything; most folks just use "guest".

>Some of these excuses for locking up access to federally funded repositories
>are starting to sound pretty lame.
Well, here I'll come to AdaNET's defense. It's easy and free to get an
account, and there is none of the bureaucracy and off-putting language
associated with ASSET. I don't know if AdaNET has switched to allowing you
to sign up completely electronically; if not, they should. But I wouldn't
hold it againast them for asking you to get an account. It really is
better for them to track the number of distinct users rather than just the
number of times an anonymous user grabs a file. I don't have a problem
with that, Greg.

Is a brief AdaNET blurb part of the FAQ these days? It oughta be.

Mike Feldman