Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!cica!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!husc6!m2c!wpi!dseah
From: dseah@wpi.wpi.edu (David I Seah)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: AppleLink
Message-ID: <4492@wpi.wpi.edu>
Date: 3 Oct 89 19:39:54 GMT
References: <8910031017.AA08495@trout.nosc.mil>
Reply-To: dseah@wpi.wpi.edu (David I Seah)
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA. USA
Lines: 36

In article <8910031017.AA08495@trout.nosc.mil> sschneider@pro-exchange.cts.com (The RainForest BBS) writes:
>Comment to message from: m2c!wpi!dseah@husc6.harvard.edu (David I Seah)
>
>HARRUMPFFF... AppleLINK sucks... After I ordered my "free" T-Shirt a few
>months ago, my account was suddenly "no good" <probably because I wasn't
>calling but maybe an hour a month or so> and I never did get that damned shirt
><which -really- pisses me off>... I don't like AppleLINK, I never did and I
>certainly wouldn't waste one thin dime on it under any name! AppleLINK is good
>for the freeloaders that have privileges, but a BUST for people that have to
>pay for access. <This is only my personal opinion and may differ with
>AppleLINK's lawyers and if they sue me I will disavow I actually said anything
>at all>

You know, I never got my free T-shirt either.  I did get one for some other
reason, but not the one for signing up.  I got this card in the mail that said
to go to the "Free T-Shirt Area", but it wouldn't accept my zip code + 4. 
After I found out how to get by it, it disapeared.  *grumble*

Is it the software interface that pisses you off?  While it's relatively easy
to learn for new users, it can add a lot of expensive overhead.  I'm not sure
if slowdowns are primarily the fault of the telnet or tymnet nodes, or
Quantum's computers.  

Before I became a "freeloader", I was a paying member for six months.  *I* got
a lot out of it, despite the slowness of the interface.  I suppose you get
what you put into it.  For me, living in an area that is devoid of Apple
bulletin boards and user groups, AppleLink was a godsend.  The interactivity
of the system is fun, but a command line interface like that of GEnie or
CompuServe would help cut out the dead time associated with using the message
bases.  Allegedly, improvements are "in the works".  As services go, 5 bucks
for 2400 baud access ain't bad.  Perhaps it isn't as good if you have local
bulletin board where you can leech what others have uploaded, or have
comp.sys.apple access.
-- 
Dave Seah | O M N I D Y N E  S Y S T E M S - M |   Internet: dseah@wpi.wpi.edu 
          |   User Friendly Killing Machines   |   America Online: AFC DaveS
   "MY GOD! I HAVE POCKETS!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! I HAVE POCKETS!!" - Tick