I wrote: | Indeed, one would have to be VERY uncharitable to MERIT and this in fact is true, but mostly because a source has indicated that it is ISI's responsibility to keep the RSes functioning. I also wrote about the RA's committment to MAE-WEST, indicating that I believed the RA had no formal responsiblity to offer an RS and support at MAE-WEST. I have found an EOWG (or is it FEPG?) document stating that: Currently there is one route server located at MAE-W/FIX-W. This is independent of the route servers at the NAPs. Ames has committed to having the RA service available at MAE-West and will recover the costs from the attached networks. All the agency networks have indicated that their organizations are willing to compensate Ames for operating the interconnection point on a cost recovery basis. ["Proposal for the Continued Interconnection of the Federal Agency Networks", December 11, 1995 Version 1.0] Which seems to confirm my belief. I wonder how many of the people who were cut off from the MAE-WEST RS and suffered as a consequence have paid NASA for their portion of the costs? Maybe this _isn't_ a requirement under the Space Act, but then again, maybe people using the RS at MAE-WEST are paying, or maybe nobody realized that the RS paid for by NASA Ames is being used by commercial entities (presumably both those that are NASA Ames tenants and those that are NOT tenants) making profit from that use? Sean. (account compromised by cook@cookreport.com?)