Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!killer!vector!telecom-gateway From: bet@orion.mc.duke.edu (Bennett Todd) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Consumer Opts For POTS Message-ID: Date: 23 Jun 89 20:24:10 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: Diagnostic Physics, Radiology, DUMC Lines: 43 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 211, message 6 of 7 In article , decvax!decwrl!apple! zygot!john@ucbvax (John Higdon) writes: >In article , bet@bent (Bennett Todd) >writes: >> Our old electromechanical system worked vastly better. > >Please, please, no yearning for the good old days of electo-mechanical! >[describes various line-quality deficiencies, maintenance troubles] > Any CO upgrading costs are quickly recovered, not >only from these charges, but from the reduced maintenance and plant >staff required. > >Now tell me who is paying for it! I'm paying for it. I get to pay more and more for service that is less and less reliable, to the point where I finally decided to shut the danged thing off (which has turned out to be *wonderful* -- I'd never get it switched back on, even if they reduced their rates and got their service stabilized and reliable). And I'm paying for it. Our new super-spiffy AT&T digital PBX has amazing features -- when it works. Half the time my phone won't ring when callers try to reach me, and I have to get the guy who is attempting to administrate this system to re-initialize my line, since its parameters are getting hosed somehow. If they could have maintained as reliable and straightforward a level of service, while adding new features and improving maintainability, then I'd be delighted. As it is, they are adding new features and improving their maintainability, at the expense of reliability and simplicity of use. However, I am enjoying the chance to learn that I don't need to be so dependant on a telephone; it is wonderful not having one at home, and at work I can walk down the hall, or across campus, or (if it is long distance) walk to a local mini-mart and use their pay phone. It's a good thing they are recovering more money from the folks who enjoy exploiting the features; they are certainly losing POTS-lovers as they leave in disgust. -Bennett, still unrepentant for his heresy bet@orion.mc.duke.edu