Rudy, I'm either not understanding what you are saying, or if I do understand it, I disagree. Most of the information passed on TechNet is in the public domain; it is stuff we learn from tech articles and seminars and stuff that "everyone knows" who has been around awhile. I don't think anyone is passing on intellectual property via tech net, no matter where they come from. Did you mean to imply that other cultures (other than American?) are more open and sharing ?? ..... There are a lot of American technetters that give a lot to this and the other forums. The actually percentage of participation by "culture", since it is a self-selecting group, can't be used as a barometer. For instance, if you proportioned the participation by dollars-shipped per country, that would change the percentage participation as a function of dollars per technetter, to show higher participation by Americans ... Did I totally not "get it" - what you were trying to convey? Valerie R Sedlak <[log in to unmask]> 10/06/2005 06:19 PM To: TechNet E-Mail Forum <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask] cc: Subject: Fabricators and information passage In fact, the amount of information passed around on Technet is slightly astonishing, that it is done so easily, and freely.... I find it telling that the participation on Technet does not reflect the national distribution of PCB production... that is to say, the majority of the participants on Technet come from cultures that are more open, and sharing... Rudy Sedlak RD Chemical Company Yahoo! for Good Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 -----------------------------------------------------