This surprises me. And pisses me off. Dean Robb pointed to some SEC filings, a prospectus from NSI which he gave an incorrect URL for -- the correct url is http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1030341/0000950133-97-003381.txt which shows that Network Solutions, Inc. (the InterNIC people, for those of you reading on Freemail who are not familiar with the name) plans to build a database of customer information that "makes proper use of the customer data that the Company collects." Doesn't specifically list selling e-mail addresses, but... Now, Mr. Gomes assures me that the InterNIC has no plans to spam. Maybe this is true. However I will state right here and now that *none* of my e-mail addresses had better be sold to anyone. NSI does not own them. Furthermore, they are used for BUSINESS PURPOSES and I can't just start blithely filtering e-mail. Mr. Gomes has also told me that SAIC is just a shareholder, but this is part of the prospectus: CLASS A COMMON STOCK Of the 3,300,000 shares of Class A Common Stock offered hereby, 2,800,000 are being sold by Network Solutions, Inc. ("NSI" or the "Company") and 500,000 shares are being sold by the Company's parent, Science Applications International Corporation, a Delaware corporation ("SAIC" or the "Selling Stockholder"). (note that SAIC is listed as the PARENT COMPANY of NSI). Now, the second URL. http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1030341/0000950133-98-001406.txt As mentioned by Dean, a bunch of people on NSI's board are also on SAIC's board. I'm giving Chuck the benefit of the doubt, for now, since he has been helpful and (apparently) straightforward, but the prospectus is less than a year old (it's dated 9/26/97), so the information should be current. The proxy statement is dated 4/14/98. It'd be great if Chuck would be willing to subscribe to NANOG and talk to us here. (This is being CC'd to him) -- "You know, I've decided lizards aren't too smart." --Me, to "Junior", one of my iguanas