HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: spector@mimsy.umd.edu (Lee Spector)
Newsgroups: misc.int-property
Subject: PhD dissertation copyright and UMI
Date: 13 Apr 92 18:19:27 GMT
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742

My university has an agreement with University Microfilms Inc.
that *seems* to require that I sign an agreement including the
following language when turning in my dissertation:

"I grant UMI the exclusive right to reproduce and distribute my
dissertation for sale in and from microform or electronic format,
along with the right to reproduce and distribute my abstract in
any format in whole or in part."

I said "*seems*" because I have not yet determined if I can get
away without doing so -- the administrators have not been very
clear about it in our conversations to date. In any event, the
copyright would be in my name.

I am trying to figure out the consequences of signing such an
agreement. In particular:

 - Are my rights to publish the dissertation through other
publishers curtailed? The word "exclusive" makes me think so, but
a later sentence in the agreement states "Other publication rights
may be granted as I choose."

 - Assuming that I retain the rights to publish through other
publishers, is it likely that the dissertation would be less
attractive to other publishers if UMI has the right to distribute
it?

 - Does everybody do this?

Any other relevant information would also be appreciated.

Thanks! -Lee Spector (spector@cs.umd.edu)
From: ehill@hprpcd.rose.hp.com (Eric Hill)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: ***WARNING: BE CAREFUL WHEN DEALING WITH ALLSTATE INSURANCE!***
Date: 10 Apr 92 21:06:25 GMT
Organization: HP Roseville Site

Allstate has always had the reputation of taking care of their own 
customer and putting everyone else through the ringer.  
Their pattern is to deny every claim coming from a non Allstate
client.
From: sherman@unx.sas.com (Chris Sherman)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Digital Answering Machines?
Date: 7 Apr 92 07:17:05 GMT
Article-I.D.: foster.sherman.702631025
Distribution: world,local
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.
X-Bytes: 1221

In <30MAR92162556@smaug.hacks.arizona.edu> omf@smaug.hacks.arizona.edu (Oscar Fowler) writes:

>I like the idea of a digital answering machine - not having to mess around
>with cassettes and all that.  I know AT&T has one model.  Does anyone
>have any experience with this machine, or others like it?

I see that you use a computer.

If you happen to have a PC at home, you might want to consider one of the
several cards you can get for your PC that can act like a very programmable
digital answering machine (with the hard drive as a storage medium).

They are expensive, but they do much more than a regular answering machine,
if I understand the ads correctly.  Whip out a Computer Shopper and see
what the latest stuff is.  (Expensive is defined as $200-$500, but maybe
less).

I think you can also get cards that can understand touch tones too, so you
can set up an pseudo-phonemail messaging system "if you want to leave a
message for Bob, hit 1; Sue, hit 2; etc"
-- 
     ____/     /     /     __  /    _  _/    ____/
    /         /     /     /   /      /     /          Chris Sherman
   /         ___   /        _/      /          /
 _____/   __/   __/   __/ _\    _____/   _____/           sherman@unx.sas.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: spetter@ultra.com (Scott Spetter)
Subject: Re: Contact lens: HELP needed !!!
Keywords: Disposable contact lenses
Reply-To: spetter@ultra.com (Scott Spetter)
Organization: Ultra Network Technologies
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 92 22:58:15 GMT

Like Erik, I have used the Johnson and Johnson Acuvue disposable lenese
on a daily basis, and am very pleased.  The only negative experience I
had was in the initial adjustment from extended wear (soft) contacts.
The disposable lenses are considerably thinner and lighter (hence the
greater comfort), but this meant that at first I had a pretty difficult
time learning to insert the lenses.  Fortunately, that period is now
pretty much behind me.

When I first got my extended wear contacts, about 4 years ago, the eye
doctor found that I had astigmatism.  Accordingly, I was prescribed
toric lenses, which do correct this problem, but are considerably
more expensive than normal lenses.  The incredible thing is that
after wearing toric lenses for about 2 years, my astigmatism was
about 99% cured.  My disposable lenses are regular, non-toric, and
I see much better with them (except for in a really dusty or smokey
room) than I do with regular eyeglasses.

Good luck,

Scott




-- 
********************************************************************************
*** Scott J. Spetter   UltraNet Technolgies: Billions Served - Every Second! ***
* 101 Daggett Drive, San Jose, CA 95134 USA               (408) 922-0100 X-143 *
********************************************************************************
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,alt.privacy
From: rudoff@mdd.comm.mot.com (Doug Rudoff)
Subject: Re: capturing caller id data
Organization: Motorola, Mobile Data Division - Seattle, WA
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 00:30:49 GMT

In article <8bYf02a7c0uY00@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> jsp@pls.amdahl.com writes:
>So let's try an experiment.  Here is how I will use CID:  If I recognize
>the incoming number, I will decide whether or not I want to talk to the
>persons or persons associated with that number and act accordingly.  If
>I don't recognize the number, I will either take the chance and answer 
>it anyway or I will ignore it, depending on my mood at the time.  If that
>means I miss an urgent call, then that's just too bad for me.  It was my
>choice, and I'm willing to live with the consequences.

There's one thing you forgot here: Most people have more than one
phone in the house and I imagine most people would only have one
device to display the caller id.

Your above scenario works if you are sitting in the room with the CID
device.

What if you're in another room of the house? You'd have to run to the
room with the CID device to see if you want to answer the call.

Wouldn't it just be less of a hassle to pick up the phone in the room
you're in?

(Of course, I'm only saying this because I work for John Gilbert and
I'm want him to give me a big raise :-)
-- 
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Doug Rudoff          Motorola, Seattle    INTERNET:rudoff@mdd.comm.mot.com
                                            USENET:uunet!mdisea!rudoff   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: rubin@watson.ibm.com (Bill Rubin)
Subject: Re: AirMiles: Any members out there?
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 17:22:26 GMT
Distribution: usa
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center

Air Miles just started on 4/2, and they are estimating 4-6 weeks to receive
membership information, so I doubt anyone has experience with them.  I
strongly doubt that it will be 1 mile per dollar spent, given their award
schedules.

On the other hand, membership is free, so it can't hurt to sign up.

-- Bill rubin@watson.ibm.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: robger@intellistor.com (Robert Gerovski)
Subject: Re: How to end unwanted phonecalls
Organization: Intellistor, Longmont, CO
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 92 14:18:13 GMT

In article <1992Apr8.142715.17792@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov> smjeff@lerc05.lerc.nasa.gov (Jeff Miller) writes:
>
>Someone (one of us?) should start a database of people who would
>never buy anything over the phone.  This list can be sold or given
>to the telemarketers.  I'm sure they would appreciate getting this
>information since it would make their operation more efficient.
>They don't want to call people who are not interested in their
>products.

I found an easier way purely by accident. When I was buying my house
I heard from friends that as soon as you hook up your phone you get
inundated with calls from telemarketers. For reasons not related to
this I had my phone number "unlisted, unpublished." The phone company
told my that the first takes you out of the phone book, and the second
takes you out of the lists for directory information. In the last 2
years I have only received 3 phone calls from telemarketers, and all 3
were from people dialing random numbers.
 _____________________________________________________________________
| Robert Gerovski    | E-mail:  robger@intellistor.com                |
| Intellistor Inc.   | UUCP:    ...!csn!arrayb!robger                 |
| (303) 682-6646     | US Mail: 2402 Clover Basin Drive               |
| (303) 682-6401 FAX |          Longmont, CO  80503                   |
|_____________________________________________________________________|
| "It's not enough that you succeed, your friends must also fail."    |
|                                                      -- Dick Cavett |
| "Don't let ethics get in the way!"                                  |
|                              -- Robert Gerovski                     |
|_____________________________________________________________________|
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:10197 rec.autos:10927
From: bphdarcy@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (SJ Roc D'Arcy, MBP)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.autos
Subject: Re: Attempted cheating by Sears Auto
Date: 8 Apr 92 13:15:00 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Apr7.210315.25966@cci632.cci.com>, jvz@cci632.cci.com (John V. Zambito) writes...
> 
> (SJ Roc D'Arcy, MBP) writes:
>> andy@b17d.ingr.com (Andrew Brezinski) writes...

>>Really.  I got a Craftsman drill for x-mas and the second time I used
>>it, it failed.  Sears gave me one hell of a hassle trying to return it.  
>>...  They now have moved most of their efforts into
>>cheap telemarketing ploys (they hassle me all the time).  Sad.  This used
>>to be one of the best chains in America.
>>
>>SJRD

I'm going to try to repsond to two post in one here.  First, I was not 
referring to hand tools when I set forth the drill example.  I should have 
put the times in a little more accurate.  The x-mas was this past x-mas 
(four months ago) and the second use was about three weeks after x-mas.
The example was mainly to show what Sears has become.  My father had
a Sears drill from 1970 that lived through hell (left outside, dropped off
the roof, etc.) and still works fine today.  Mine cost twice as much 
(inflation isn't that great) and couldn't survive three weeks.  The 
engineering design was pretty week too.



>Two points here:
> 
>They only guarantee their hand tools for life, not power tools. How long
>did you have the drill before you used it the second time? They are
>guaranteed for at least 90 days or is that one year.

>They did call me last night about some roadside guarantee. That sucked.
>I have an unlisted number so I don't get calls like that.

They call just about everyone I know and telehassle them about some cheap
scheme.  In my area older people who used to swear by them (I live in a
rural area), refuse to even consider buying from them due to their
new rip-off quick attitude.

I called the corporate offices of Sears a couple of times.  They seem
to be in lagging financial shape.  Of course when you hire a bunch of
rich kids with MBAs strange things happen....

SJRD
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: jchen@ftrooper.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Jason Chen)
Subject: Re: Discrimination at Mitsubishi
Reply-To: jchen@ctt.bellcore.com
Organization: Bell Communications Research
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 92 14:57:41 GMT

In article <1992Apr14.132055.1987@crd.ge.com>, kornfein@azores.crd.ge.com (Mark M. Kornfein) writes:
|> 
|> While there is never a reason for Vulgarity and harassment it seems to me 
|> your actions were not in my opinion 100% ethical either. You bought a car
|> at the lowest price skipping your local dealer and just 3 weeks later brought
|> it to a competing dealer. I think most people would return to the dealer
|> they bought it from for service even if it was a bit farther. Warrenty work is
|> for the most part not a money maker for a dealer but a cost of doing buisness.
|> 
|> If I was the Nashua dealer I would be upset also, but they clearly should 
|> have taken care of you.
|> 
|> 
That is a lot of bull.  It is his right to shop for the lowest price.  The 
orginal poster did give a chance to his local dealer for the business. But his 
local dealer refused to match the competitor's price. 

Performing the warranty service is not a charity, not even a freedom of choice
for the dealer.  Any Mitsubishi dealer has the obligation to do it, as part of
the agreements that the consumer has with Mitsubishi and its dealers.  Refusing
to perform the service can be consider a malicious breach of contract.

-- 

C. Jason Chen                 
**************E-Mail: jchen@ctt.bellcore.com
**************V-Mail: (908)699-6993
**************P-Mail: 444 Hoes Lane, 1E229, Piscataway, NJ
From: fleckens@plains.NoDak.edu (Clint Fleckenstein)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: ***WARNING: BE CAREFUL WHEN DEALING WITH ALLSTATE INSURANCE!***
Summary: me too
Date: 9 Apr 92 18:49:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: plains.16586
Distribution: usa
Organization: North Dakota Higher Ed Computing Network

I had a similar situation with Allstate.  Their insured backed into my
legally parked vehicle and dented the door.  I went to two loca body 
shops for my estimate to have the door skin replaced, as the dent was
quite deep and I've only owned the car for a short time.  I then went
to the Claims Office as directed by a phone call from their reginal 
office.

I gave my estimates to the adjuster and told him that I wished to have
the body panel replaced, as the dent was a deep one and the body shop
manager had agreed that it was a prudent decision.  The adjuster would
hear none of it, and flatly told me that he would pay to have the door
pounded and puttied, giving me a big speech about how he used to work
in a body shop, and it'd be undetectable, etc. I told him we had nothing
more to talk about (based on his flat refusal to deal with me) and left.

I wrote a letter to the adjuster stating that the responsibility of his
company is to restore my vehicle to its condition before the claim.  I
left three phone numbers at which I could be reached and asked him to 
call when he had considered my letter.  No call came.  I called the 
claims office and got a recording, so I left my number.  He returned
my call some days later and stated that, as far as he was concerned,
the door was 'repairable'.  I thanked him and we hung up.

I took a complaint to the State Insurance Commission with copies of my
letter and the estimates.  Upon hearing my argument the person I dealt
with at the Ins. Comm. evidently agreed, as I got them to convince 
Allstate to give me the money to have my door panel replaced, plus a
rental car.

The body shop also informed me that it was odd to see me win out in
such a case with Allstate, as they usually convince people to settle
for smaller amounts. 

This is not an argument over fault, but it is another example of the
horror of dealing with Allstate.

My insurance company, State Farm, has been very helpful in settling
claims but offered no help in this one..

Clint


+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Clint Fleckenstein  <fleckens@plains.nodak.edu>,  <fleckens@NDSUVM1>  |
|               <fleckens@next210.ndsu.nodak.edu> <fleckens@milo.uucp>  |
| Master Control/Operations, KFYR TV 5 / KQCD TV 7        .5k EX Pilot  |
| My login and conduct don't belong to Meyer Broadcasting.   DoD #5150  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
From: kaplan@sol1.lrsm.upenn.edu (Peter Kaplan -Yodh)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Complaining about a hospital billMy son recently had some very minor surgery, he was a little tongue tied
Date: 10 Apr 92 16:59:29 GMT
Organization: Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter, University of Pennsylvania

In article <1992Apr9.143913.25421@hubcap.clemson.edu> turnera@hubcap.clemson.edu (Allen Turner) writes:

  [ story about child's hospitalization and billing]

>The long and the short of it all is the hospital was willing to accept
>roughly 60% of their usual billing rate because my insurance had prenegotiated
>costs with them. 
 ...
> Of course the hospital, knowing full well
>about the actual billing rate quoted me the $17,000 which caused me pay
>the full $1500.  At $9,000 my $1500 maximum would not have been met but
>they took the full $1500 anyway.  

This is, IMHO, immoral.  I believe that one of the evening news magazines
(Prime Time?)  did a story about abusive practices including this one.

If the actual cost is $9,000 then your deductable should be determined
based on $9,000.  The $17,000 charge is essentially a made up number
like the 'compare at' prices we see in discount stores.

If your insurance company engages in this practice, then you should 
consider repricing health insurance.

Basically, the policy (pay deductable then x% up to $y) is lying if
they are asking you to pay the deductable then x% of 1.67 times the bill.
It should read 'pay deductable then 1.67x% of the bill'.

Policies should be compared on this basis.  Of course, you have no
way of knowing what the correction factor is.  They aren't going to
tell you.  It might depend on impossibly unknowable things.

Demand an adjustment from the insurance company!


Peter

--kaplan@sol1.lrsm.upenn.edu
From: douglis@MITL.COM (Fred Douglis)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Great American auto insurance
Date: 14 Apr 92 21:43:49 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Matsushita Information Technology Laboratory

chapman@cbnewsc.cb.att.com (ralph.s.chapman) writes:

>Does anyone have any recommendation for or against Great American auto
>insurance?  Any satisfied policyholders out there?  Any dissatisfied
>policyholders?

I am with this company right now and have not had any claims, so it's
hard to say.  However, I can tell you of two experiences I've had with
them in trying to set up my policy.  First of all, they spelled my name
incorrectly and proceeded to continue to misspell it despite multiple
requests from my agent to correct the name.  They took several months
to add the lienholder for one of my cars to their records.  And they
initially agreed to a higher liability limit, then informed my agent
that they no longer took limits higher than $100K/$300K, then issued
the policy with the higher limit anyway, then issued a replacement
policy with the lower limit.

Basically, I think these guys don't know what they're doing, and I hope
I don't have occasion to file a claim with them before I can switch to
another company.  (I recently saw a request from someone asking about
NJ Manufacturer's Insurance, and this is the company I'm trying to get
a quote from to switch.)
-- 
Fred Douglis
Matsushita Information Technology Laboratory  | Email: douglis@mitl.com
182 Nassau Street			      | Phone: +1 609 497-4600
Princeton, NJ 08542 USA 		      | Fax:   +1 609 497-4013
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: kh43543@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Ford Prefect)
Subject: Question to formerly or currently Allstate insured
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 15:58:17 GMT

Has anyone that used to be or are currently insured with Allstate
Auto Insurance recently received a refund check from them for
safety discounts on your car that they may have overseen previously?

For example: if your car has an airbag, which qualifies for discount,
             and they didn't give you a discount originally, has Allstate
             even been known to check their records years ago to give
             give you a discount even if you don't ask for it?

I'm wondering because my Aunt recently received a check from them for 
something like that I think.... The reason I'm suspicious is that she's
no longer insured with Allstate. She switched to State Farm years ago.
And recently I barrowed a car from her and got into an accident with
a person that was insured by Allstate and they've been trying to weasel
out of paying the claim (that's another long story). After threatening
them with lawyers, they sent my aunt this check for $5.17. Enclosed with
the check is a short notice that says:

     "The enclosed check represents your refund, including interest, for
applicable past policy periods during which your vehicle(s) qualified for
one or more of the discounts Allstate provides for certain safety equipment.
We recently discovered that we failed to provide these discounts to some
customers who qualified.
     We apologize for any inconveniences this oversight may have caused
you. If you have any questions about the refund, please contact your agent
or broker. "

The only one of her cars that could have qualified for discounts is a
1987 Mercedes 260E for the airbag and anti-lock brakes. I was wondering if 
anyone else had a similar refund recently or is this just another way
Allstate is trying to weasel out of paying the claim. I'm suspicious
because my Aunt has not been insured with them for years and it's not
like an insurance co. (or any other co.) that would give out money without
someone demanding it from them.

If anyone has similar refunds recently or had the same thing happen to
them when they made a claim against them, please let me know. Thanks..

--Kwun
  kh43543@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
-- 
(*  Conserve network bandwidth, reduce your signature size. :-)    --Kwun Ho  *)
(*  Internet: kh43543@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu    Home phone: (217) 398-6280          *)
Xref: sparky misc.consumers:10200 rec.autos:10934
From: koziarz@halibut.nosc.mil (Walter A. Koziarz)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,rec.autos
Subject: Re: Attempted cheating by Sears Auto
Date: 8 Apr 92 13:02:10 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego

In article <1992Apr8.121628.823@acsu.buffalo.edu> bphdarcy@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (SJ Roc D'Arcy, MBP) writes:
>>>Really.  I got a Craftsman drill for x-mas and the second time I used
>>>it, it failed.  Sears gave me one hell of a hassle trying to return it.  

>I'm going to try to repsond to two post in one here.  First, I was not 
>referring to hand tools when I set forth the drill example.  I should have 
>put the times in a little more accurate.  The x-mas was this past x-mas 
>(four months ago) and the second use was about three weeks after x-mas.
>The example was mainly to show what Sears has become.  My father had
>a Sears drill from 1970 that lived through hell (left outside, dropped off
>the roof, etc.) and still works fine today.  Mine cost twice as much 
>(inflation isn't that great) and couldn't survive three weeks.  The 
>engineering design was pretty week too.

well, you do, i hope, realize that the 'purchased in 1970-ish' drill was
manufactured for Sears by Emerson Electric Corp. and that current Sears power
tools are products of Ryobi...

recall -- Emerson is an American company and that Ryobi is Japanese

draw your own conclusions from this factual observation combined with the above
anecdote...

walt k.

p.s. -- please don't take the above comment as an invitation to embark on
another 'Japan-bashing' ritual... i tried to be calm and reasonable in
presenting my comments (yes, this is an attempt at saying "don't blame me if
another feud breaks out")
From: 154s@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Mona Hatfield)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Read books/40k yr ?????????
Date: 15 Apr 92 17:03:45 GMT
Reply-To: 154s@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Mona Hatfield)
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In misc.consumers, mac9167@tamsun.tamu.edu (Matthew Allen Costanza) writes:
>I was looking though the local trade paper and I have some questions on some of
>the jobs that were listed.
>First, what is the catch with reading books and TV scrips for 40K a year?
>Second, what is the catch with assembling products at home for $500/week?
>Anyone care to spread a little light on what these jobs are really about?

These are outfits that for a fee $30 - $50 will send you names and addresses
and other outfits that might utilize these services.  "Can you say rip-off
boys and girls?"

Good luck
Mona Hatfield
Newsgroups: misc.consumers