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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tikal!cholula!persci!bill
From: bill@persci.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.cpm
Subject: Help needed to acquire public domain software
Message-ID: <124@persci.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 21-Mar-85 12:43:10 EST
Article-I.D.: persci.124
Posted: Thu Mar 21 12:43:10 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 22-Mar-85 03:16:17 EST
Distribution: na
Organization: Personal Scientific, Woodinville WA
Lines: 25

I have seen a lot of news lately about SIMTEL20, which apparently has a LOT
of public domain CP/M software available. Unfortunately, my company is not
on the ARPANET, so I am unable to call up the system.

The question is: How can I get access to this software?  The bulletin boards
in my local calling area (Seattle) that have any amount of Public Domain
software are subscription only. I don't have the money for a lot of long-
distance calls to 'open' boards.

I am extremely reluctant to pay the 'nominal' fees for access to these local
boards for two reasons: I don't know what's on them beforehand, and NONE of
them offer any guarantees as to accessibility. Example: An acquaintance of
mine paid a fee to get a full year's access to one of Seattle's biggest boards.
After he had access to the board for several months, the SYSOP of that board
decided that he didn't want any more 300 baud users on the system, and 
apparently posted a note to that effect. My acquaintance has since had the
unpleasant experience of being hung up everytime he gets on the board. He
has since quit trying. The SYSOP will not return the (pro-rated) fee, and my
acquaintance has decided to let the matter drop, because the amount is so
small compared to the costs of court (but he remains quite bitter). I am
not willing to be defrauded like this person.

-- 
Bill Swan (..uw-beaver!tikal!persci!bill)
...and some days the dragon wins!!