Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!unmvax!pprg.unm.edu!hc!lll-winken!lll-lcc!pyramid!csg From: csg@pyramid.pyramid.com (Carl S. Gutekunst) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems Subject: Re: HST Package for USENET Keywords: HST USENET Message-ID: <62642@pyramid.pyramid.com> Date: 15 Mar 89 10:29:08 GMT References: <18612@mcdchg.chi.il.us> Organization: Pyramid Technology Corp., Mountain View, CA Lines: 43 In article <18612@mcdchg.chi.il.us> kowals@studsys.mu.edu (kowalski) writes: >[I apologize to any offended by its nature. -mod] Offended? No. Puzzled, certainly. Amused, too. >USENET NODES.... >As a USENET node, I'm sure you are interested in reduced board time.... Node? Board time? Is that something like MTBF? >Now authorized USENET nodes can upgrade their boards.... Boards? Those are what I plug into my card cage. >U.S. Robotics-- the leader in high speed modems to the sysop community.... Sysop? Is that something like system call? Or pseudo op? I hate to publically belittle a vendor, but it is pretty obvious that USR took their generic BBS offer, and did a global-search-and replace from "Fidonet" or whatever to "Usenet." How can I expect USR to respond to my needs when they won't even bother to investigate Usenet enough to get the terminology right? Usenet is not a BBS, but apparently USR doesn't understand that. The entire premise of this article is that Telebit offers only a proprietary non-standard modem, and USR is offering standard modems. This neatly neglects to mention that USR has been selling "proprietary non-standard" modems for years, and of course also neglects the fact that Telebit is also now selling true V.32 modems. Even the name "Dual Standard" is terribly pompous, since it suggests that the HST proprietary protocol somehow became a "standard." Well, yes, maybe to the BBS community. But I'm a Usenet "node," what do I care about BBS standards that I cannot use? I *do* care about the "dual standard" Telebit T2500; I can use *both* of its "standards." For that matter, even today true V.32 modems are not exactly falling off the trees. This will change over the next year or two, but I'm sure not throwing my TrailBlazer away yet. Telebit has proven they will bend over backwards to meet my needs. USR has proven only that they can make an inexpensive modem. The new USR modem may be a terrific product. But this announcement turns me off something awful.