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From: roy@phri.nyu.edu (Roy Smith)
Subject: Re: An informal survey
Message-ID: <1991May6.234845.24268@phri.nyu.edu>
Sender: news@phri.nyu.edu (News System)
Organization: Public Health Research Institute, New York City
References: <9104182050.AA07838@desktalk.com> <5634@eastapps.East.Sun.COM> <50764@olivea.atc.olivetti.com>
Date: Mon, 6 May 91 23:48:45 GMT

jerry@olivey.ATC.Olivetti.Com (Jerry Aguirre) writes:
> Screws are not perfect either.  When was the last time you removed a
> cable and had the barrel nut come out with it?

	Some screws are better than others.  The problem you are referring
to is again the fault of stupid designers who use screws to attach the
mounting sockets for the connector screws; i.e. an implementation problem,
not a concept problem.  I remember the lowly ADM-3/3a/5 terminals which had
moulded-in screw sockets.  I've never had one of those come off with the
cable when I unscrewed the hold-down screws.

	The after-the-fact fix to connectors which have screwed-on-sockets
is a dab of epoxy on the inner nut to keep it from comming off.  We've got
lots of terminals/printers/etc with dabs of epoxy inside, but people
shouldn't have to resort to such antics to keep a cable connected.

	And, the answer to not having a screwdriver handy, is to make
cables with thumbscrews, like Apple used to use for the old-style LocalTalk
connectors (Mac-512 and LaserWriter).
--
Roy Smith, Public Health Research Institute
455 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016
roy@alanine.phri.nyu.edu -OR- {att,cmcl2,rutgers,hombre}!phri!roy
"Arcane?  Did you say arcane?  It wouldn't be Unix if it wasn't arcane!"