Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!decwrl!limbo!taylor
From: paulg@frith.egr.msu.edu (Gregory R Paul)
Newsgroups: comp.society
Subject: Re: The next 15 years
Message-ID: <1104@limbo.Intuitive.Com>
Date: 15 Aug 90 16:29:55 GMT
Sender: taylor@limbo.Intuitive.Com
Organization: Michigan State University, College of Engineering
Lines: 20
Approved: taylor@Limbo.Intuitive.Com

> The French Telecom provided FOR FREE (!!!!) EVERY (yes) phone customer 
> a little terminal (called minitel). The minitel has a 1200/75 baud 
> modem allowing to connect to:

  Actually, my understanding is that they are still quite in the middle
of providing everyone with said terminals.  Last I heard they were
somewhere around 50% implemented (my sister just returned last week
after spending a year in France).  

  One of the overriding justifications for doing so will be the 
essential elimination of directory/calling assistances.   Also, 
phone books should essentially cease to exist also (I'm unsure of
their exact time table to phase them out).  

  I guess the only thing to remember is to write down those all important 
phone service repair numbers.  Heh, I can just see someone's terminal 
going down and being unable to look up who to call.  (Okay, so maybe it's 
a bit far fetched, but the concept provided a great deal of amusement.)

Greg Paul