∂28-DEC-74  1247		network site AI
 Date: 28 DEC 1974 1546-EST
 From: RJL at MIT-AI
 To: JMC at SU-AI
 
 HI. YOUR "HOME COMPUTER CLUB" SOUNDS LIKE AN INTERESTING PROPSAL,
 ALTHOUGH IT'S BEYOND MY BUDGET, EVEN IF I COULD PARTICIPATE FROM THIS
 COAST. HOWEVER, I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT
 I EXPECT TO HAVE RUNNING FAIRLY SHORTLY A FAIRLY REASONABLE TIMESHARING
 SYTEM FOR AN 11/45. IT SEEMS THAT THAT WOULD BE ABOUT THE SCALE OF
 MACHINE YOU WOULD WANT FOR THIS HACK, ALTHOUGH OF COURSE IT WOULD
 BE NICER TO HAVE A 10. I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HEARING MORE
 ABOUT THIS HACK
 	RON LEBEL (RJL@MIT-AI)
 


∂27-DEC-74  1257		1,TK @ AI
 I am impressed by your plan for home terminal systems, and only
 wish there was a way to participate from the east coast.
 Arpa net? Surely some method could be worked out...

∂27-DEC-74  1045		CHS,REF
 
 
 Re HOME-TERMINAL proposal ...
 1.	Idea in itself sounds good.  One could say, in fact, inevitable.  However,
 as suggested, it's just going to be too expensive, especially for the sevices offer-
 ed.  I don't think the set of people who a) have a spare $100 a month to spend and
 b) could use a service like that as anything more than a novelty and c) don't al-
 ready work here (or someplace similiar) and have most of those services now, is 
 very large.
 2.	Possible cost-cutting suggestions:
 	a)	I don't really understand your arguement as to why no-one
 will subsidize it as research.  If not the government, then maybe some private
 firm.
 	b)	Large living groups (i.e. dorms) could probably afford and use
 a service like this.
 3.	Drawback that occurs to me.
 	a)	Since this is to be an online service, some times (perhaps
 early evening) will be the busiest.  This means that a computer large enough
 to handle the maximum load will need to be available full time (or some other
 deal will have to be worked out).  This could be somewhat gotten around if the
 computer used was designed to transfer many files to output devices (terminals)
 without going through the CPU, simultaneously.  Knowing very little about hardware
 design, I'm not sure if any machine currently can do this.  Though, then again,
 knowing as little as I do, it doesn't sound to hard.
 
 I'm interested in hearing more about the subject, however.
 					Bob

∂27-DEC-74  1036		network site NIC
 Date: 27 DEC 1974 1036-PST
 From: ENGELBART at SRI-ARC
 Subject: To McCarthy re Prospectus for Home Terminal Club
 To:   jmc at SU-AI
 cc:   dek at SU-AI, minsky at MIT-AI, taylor at PARC-MAXC,
 cc:   coles at SRI-AI, engelbart
 
  John:  I just received your message regarding a "home-service 
 time-sharing club" (my ref -- MDEC74, L27-0550'McCarthy) -- and have 
 been struggling with FTP.  (Wander a bit out of one's own familiar 
 domain, and the stumbling starts.  I had to call for a tutoring job by 
 one of my young experts.)
 
  I like what I read; it sounds well-conceived, perhaps a bit ambitious,
 but would be really a significant accomplishment to create.  I'll post 
 the message and the file printouts, and let you know about any interest
 it stirs hereabouts.
 
  What it seems on the face of it is that this Bay Area Home Terminal 
 Club would in many respects be very much like what we've been building 
 toward in our Augmeted Knowledge Workshop Utility.  We took the head-on
 approach regarding high costs of doing things by paid professionals, 
 and our services are indeed priced beyond what individuals can afford. 
 Our assumption is that much can be learned about how to develop and 
 support high-value services by going ahead and doing it the expensive 
 way, gaining experience, and enlisting a growing number of participants
 in sharing the cost and effort of simultaneously extending the services
 and bringing down the costs.  It is a not-for-profit activity, entirely
 customer supported; it is aimed to become a true co-operative if/when 
 it reaches appropriate size and stability. 
 
   For my own part, I'll be too engrossed in pushing our own "Community"
 effort to have the time to participate in the BAHT Club.  Wish you 
 luck, though.  If there arises any opportunity for the two clubs to 
 collaborate, I'd very much like to look into it.
 
  Best regards,  Doug
 
 -------

∂27-DEC-74  0822		1,SGK
 Interested in helping form and operate club.