> I don't think my mistrust is irrational. After all, Tucows introduced 
> e-mail service over exactly the same kind of objections, 
> after originally 
> saying that they had no intention of offering services that 
> compete with 
> their original target market (the small-to-medium technically 
> knowledgeable ISP who needs things like domain registration, secure 
> certificates, payment gateway services, etc.).

There's just so far one can grow a business solely on that maket.  Do you
think they have some obligation to honor a blood oath in perpetuity here, to
stop growing or disband so as not to interfere with you?

Newsflash: *ALL* companies develop channel conflict if they grow to a decent
size.

> The introduction of turnkey e-mail, and the future introduction of 
> Blogware, are a fairly clear move towards providing services that are 
> traditionally offered at a retail level, being sold by Tucows (as I 
> mentioned) by what amounts to little more an affiliate program.

No, it amounts to a service provider program.  The service is customer
service, though, not bit-moving.

> (If Tucows would say that they will never offer Web hosting 
> services to 
> resellers, I'll gladly shut up about it forever and apologize for 
> impugning their motives.)

That's the point: they should NEVER say "never" about anything.

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