Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!spool.mu.edu!uunet!ogicse!intelhf!agora!trifid
From: trifid@agora.rain.com (Roadster Racewerks)
Newsgroups: comp.society.development
Subject: Re: Who is on the net?
Message-ID: <1991Jun3.100523.17917@agora.rain.com>
Date: 3 Jun 91 10:05:23 GMT
Article-I.D.: agora.1991Jun3.100523.17917
References: <1578@ucl-cs.uucp>
Organization: Open Communications Forum
Lines: 31


Ah, Gordon, I see you're one of those "the glass is half empty" people. 
I didn't say it would be *easy*. My point was that it is *not* easy for me, but 
I've found a way to *do* something about it, using obsolete machinery I got
cheap...used. The US is swimming in very *good* obsolete machines, now that IBM
has everybody brainwashed, and I suspect that terminals going for $50 here in
Portland could give some "third world" site access for years to come. I realize
that reliable power and telephone systems are a problem, but I suspect if more
people sat down and figured "how we *can* do this" rather than "why we *can't*",
there would be a lot more places heard from a lot sooner.

A $50 used terminal, a small solar-cell setup, and a phone line reliable for 3
hours a day would be all many places would need for years. (The last is a
serious problem. Let's see what we can do to get the Ham-patch made legal. Our
phone was wiped out in a storm last Friday, and a Ham friend just happened by
with his handset, and I was *very* impressed by the quality of the transmission.
And that was just with a hand set.) My boyfriend runs an Amstrad PCW. Excellent
machine, he got it complete with printer for $140, because it wasn't the "clone"
model, and nobody knew what to do with it. These are machines that make the 
first room-size jobs look silly, but they're just so much garbage now. 1200baud
modems now run about $35 used because everyone wants 9600, but they were the
"hot" standard just a couple years ago when everybody had 300baud.

I maintain it *can* be done...and if the people knew what it would mean to them
to be able to talk with others in their field on a daily basis, they'd be
clamoring for it. Never forget  how much harder it is to hate "those guys" once
you've been exchanging ideas on a personal level, either. I think peace might
even break out some day....

Suze Hammond
trifid@agora.rain.com