Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: Tad Cook Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: TDD Long Distance Discount Message-ID: <8451@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 30 May 90 06:03:45 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Organization: very little Lines: 60 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 399, Message 3 of 9 In article <8374@accuvax.nwu.edu>, gnu@toad.com (John Gilmore) writes: > Not only do deaf people burn up more time on the lines than the > average subscriber, but they get charged less for it? Why don't they > get surcharged instead, like BBS systems in some places? Because the idea is to try to DECREASE the isolation of deaf folks, not increase it! Besides, a really SMART network should be able to handle LOTS of 45 baud TDD calls over the same bandwidth as one voice call. > Besides the general public being ripped off to pay the phone bills of > the deaf, there is also the topic of TDD design itself. Years ago, a RIPPED OFF??? Yeah, "screw all the deaf folks ... let the 'free market determine their fate!" > few companies made combination TDD's with 300-baud modems as well as > Weitbrecht modems built in. Most deaf people didn't buy them. That's > why they are now stuck with 45 baud modems -- they didn't buy faster > ones when they were offerred. Nowadays you could get 1200 or 2400 for > the same price (it's all in one chip) but still they buy 45's. This is bullshit. Most of the TDDs today have both 45 baud Baudot and 300 baud ASCII. From a practical standpoint, most people don't type faster than 45 baud (60 WPM) anyway. > I already object to their forcing me to subsidize deaf people as a > class, but if I chose myself to subsidize any deaf people, I'd at > least give them a decent modem, or a fax machine, not this trash. You are just plain selfish. These people are incredibly isolated, and now that a little bit is FINALLY being done to help, YOU CAN"T STAND IT! > Oh yeah, while I'm ranting about bills, [various rants about the > California Relay Service, a "free" service that lets deaf people TDD > to the service which reads their message to hearing people and vice > verse. By "free" I mean "you and I pay for it, not its users".] > Why isn't there a free relay service for email users to send to and > receive from fax machines? I mean, we are at a severe disadvantage > when *everybody* has a fax machine except us! Or howabout a Go buy a fax machine then! Don't bellyache about the deaf! > Personally I think helping people should be voluntary. I don't like > the kind of "help" the government gives. Well, I have been doing voluntary work to help hearing impaired folks for quite some time now, and the volunteer efforts alone haven't cut it! If you object to the rest of us getting the government involved, what have YOU been doing to help?? Tad Cook Seattle, WA Packet: KT7H @ N7HFZ.WA.USA.NA Phone: 206/527-4089 MCI Mail: 3288544 Telex: 6503288544 MCI UW USENET:...uw-beaver!sumax!amc-gw!ssc!tad or, tad@ssc.UUCP