HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jmalloy@itsmail1.hamilton.edu (Joseph T. Malloy)
Subject: Re: PRODIGY New and improved STILL SUCKS, HORRIBLE as before
Organization: Hamilton College - Clinton, NY
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 03:32:35 GMT

In article <1992Dec17.075003.3502@news.acns.nwu.edu> alasnik@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Adam Lasnik) writes:

[allegation that Prodigy "reads your hard drive" deleted]
>
>I think the people who first accused Prodigy of that are very embarrassed.
>Leading compu-wizards have since disproven the silly allegations.
>
>The perception, in part, was caused by dos-idiots noticing "pieces of their
>text files" embedded in a cache file created by Prodigy.  The "pieces of info"
>were just deleted text segments that DOS took over when a new file was
>created.  Forgive me for my inelegant response.  I'm paying long distance
>costs to access this, so I'm not gonna try to go into more detail.
>
>Knowledgeable net people, help me out.  Every reputable source I've read says
>the accusations are a crock... Any one else wanna jump in on this one?
>
>--ADAM "KEYS" LASNIK
>
>P.S. Methinks Imran holds stock in Compu$erve.
>
>Prodigy has:
>---stronger and more utilized bulletin boards
>--More services offered for a flat fee
>--A $2 a MONTH surcharge for 9600 baud, which would get you about 10 minutes
>of use on Compu$erve at the same speed.
>--Plans to open an internet connection within 3 months.
>--A computer bulletin board INCLUDED in flat rate service (HA!)
>--More national members than Compu$erve.
>--a more diverse user base (that's my subjective opinion, however)

To each his/her own, but Prodigy also has lots of advertisements, few
9600 bps nodes, and a pretty ugly interface.  But that doesn't mean it
worthless, just that it's not my taste.>

>In my opinion, Compu$erve is highly overrated, ridiculously overpriced, and
>terribly unfriendly.  So there.

One thing that you can count on Compuserve for: support.  An awful lot
of the major PC players (software and hardware) have support forums on
Compuserve and they post updated drivers, patch files and upgrades even
there, usually before you can find such things elsewhere.

The support was particularly impressive as far as I'm concerned. When I
first got Ami Pro 2.0, I found it caused some video problems on my
Windows system.  I logged on to Compuserve, read a few of their forum's
messages, and found that my old video board's drivers were the problem.
Lotus had already posted updated drivers, which fixed the problem.  The
whole thing took less than a half an hour on a Saturday afternoon -- I
probably couldn't have gotten through to technical support that quickly
at any point!

Compuserve is indeed expensive (I try to use it judiciously), but I find
it to be fare more useful to me than Prodigy was.  (BIX/WIX is also a
good place for technical questions, answers, and (less so than
Compuserve) software driver support.)

My two cents...

jmalloy@hamilton.edu


Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: O1EVERT@VM1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Tom Evert)
Subject: Marlboro promotion
Organization: The University of Akron
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 02:09:33 GMT

Phillip Morris started printing Marlboro packs with "Adventure Team" and
5 miles above the UPC.  I called their 1-800 number and the person said
this was for a promotion of certain items that would be announced soon.
He didn't know what would be offered and said to save the UPC's.
 
2 weeks later and I haven't seen anything any place.  Has anyone
seen any announcements for this promotion?  Thanks!
Newsgroups: misc.consumers,soc.culture.japan,sci.electronics,alt.sex,soc.culture.african.american,misc.education,misc.entrepreneurs,soc.culture.usa
From: hubcap@hubcap.clemson.edu (System Janitor)
Subject: Re: DOES AMERICA SAY YES TO JAPAN? - Off track!!
Organization: Clemson University
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 17:07:40 GMT

edsverk@ed4000-2.lerc.nasa.gov (Kenneth Lee Atchinson) writes:


>I think you are missing the point.  No, I do not think the Japanese want to
>ruin this country.  Their economic policies are setup to kill the competition.
>Putting people out of work here is a "side-effect" of killing the competition.

I think, in general (I haven't followed all of this thread), that
the Japanese business policys are largly based on the strategies they
learned from Edwards Demming, and that they are set up to continuously
improve their products and make the customer first. This may have a 
side effect of killing the competition.

-Mike
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: gaubfb@sun330 (Brian Bishop)
Subject: Re: Legal Tender???
Organization: Fannie Mae
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 17:09:56 GMT

Henry Mensch (henry@ADS.COM) wrote:
: a sorta-related issue: why are usans so squirrely about
: large-denomination banknotes?  if you read other newsgroups then you
: know i travel the world; i've only seen this sort of braindeath in the
: usa ... i have a hundred-guilder note from the netherlands in my billfold,
: and if i go to a dutch newsstand and buy a three-guilder newspaper the
: merchant will make change cheerfully, will not fret and fuss over the
: denomination, and i'll be on my way in minutes.


  A recent NOVA special on counterfeiting pointed out that USA money is one of
the least protected against counterfeiting of the major world currencies. 
Recently they have added a few protections on the higher denominations (mainly
to foil good color copiers, which are increasingly common), such as: the
border around the portrait is now micro-printing "United States of America" 
instead of a solid line, and they have a nylon thread vertically about 1/3 
from the left edge that reads USA and the denominmation. This stuff is visible
to the eye on newer 100's (not sure about 50's). Hold the bill up to the light 
to see the embedded thread.

  On a related note, the special also mentioned a performance artist who would
make artwork that looked like a US bill, then convince merchants to barter the 
artwork for real goods and services (he would insist on the actual change also).
Then collecters would get the receipt and the change, hunt down the merchant 
and BUY the artwork. Then all three, change receipt and 'money', would be framed
together as the finished work. Unusual, but apparently it was actually working.
Anyhow, I read in the Washington Post recently that the police arrested him
for counterfeiting.  I find this very interesting, since his 'artworks'
pretty clearly would not fool anyone as being real. The article mentioned that
he was about to start a new series of 'pieces' where he would encourage other
people to start circulating his bills beyoned the original purchase.
Maybe this is what finally ticked off the government.....


--

    Brian Bishop ... gaubfb@fnma.com <=- (work) OR (play) -=> brian@grebyn.com

"Check beneath your fingernails, and in between your toes /
  Right between your earlobes, darling, that's where culture grows." - T. Dolby
From: egreen@East.Sun.COM (Ed Green - Pixel Cruncher)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: TRW Credit Reports
Date: 15 Dec 1992 15:42:20 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, RTP, NC
Distribution: world
Reply-To: egreen@East.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: laser.east.sun.com

In article 2860@itsmail1.hamilton.edu, jmalloy@itsmail1.hamilton.edu (Joseph T. Malloy) writes:
>I mean, the [AmEx] gold card is expensive
>enough, thank you very much (but it provides one very useful service for
>me and my taxes: they send you an annual breakdown categorized and by
>month for all purchases made the previous calendar year).

BFD.

My MBNA MasterCard does that, and it's free (upon request, and even
their normal fee is less than half AmEx's).

---
Ed Green, former Ninjaite |I was drinking last night with a biker,
  Ed.Green@East.Sun.COM   |and I showed him a picture of you.  I said,
DoD #0111  (919)460-8302  |"Go on, get to know her, you'll like her!"
 (The Grateful Dead) -->  |It seemed like the least I could do...
From: smithkl@cpva.saic.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Insurance impossible for out-of-state vehicle purchase?
Date: 11 Dec 92 12:10:47 PST
Organization: Science Applications Int'l Corp./San Diego

In article <1992Dec11.162546.8580@nimbus.com>, jimiii@nimbus.com (Jim Warford) writes:
> In article <217@cnmhnet.UUCP> keithg@cnmhnet.UUCP (keith garrard) writes:
>>>I'm planning to buy a pickup in Missouri and drive it back to California where
There is also a CA law that says you have to register your vehicle in CA
within a certain period of time (a week to two weeks...I think) ONCE you
DECLARE CA residency.  Now you may circumvent that by not declaring residency,
but then income taxes come into it, then if you are stopped by a peace officer,
they will want address information and perhaps could make it difficult for
you.  

Kevin Smith
smithkl@cpva.saic.com

Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: ash@sumex-aim.stanford.edu (David Ash)
Subject: Cover Charge for Restaurant?
Summary: is it acceptable if restaurant is part bar?
Originator: dash@Xenon.Stanford.EDU
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University.
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 08:09:24 GMT

I was somewhat annoyed this evening by something, but maybe I had no
justification to be;  I want the opinion of you guys.  I'm a *very*
regular customer of a particular local restaurant which recently expanded
to be both a restaurant and a bar.  However, I'm still only interested in
going there for the restaurant, not the niteclub, aspect of the place.  I
should mention that there are clearly separate restaurant and bar areas
to the place, although they do serve food in the bar area.

Tonight I was out with friends and we wanted seating in the restaurant
area for dinner (fri night).  They wanted a $5 cover charge.  We refused
and left.  I'm thinking of not going back since as I pointed out to the
guy (who knows I am a regular) that there should be some reward for
customer loyalty, and he refused to listen.

So my question is am I right to be miffed?  I feel I am because:
1. cover charges help defray the expense of customers who order maybe
one drink (or water) and occupy a seat for hours--a dinner customer isn't
going to freeload in this way
2. cover charges may be a reasonable fee for their live entertainment--but
then should be charged only in the bar area where one can benefit from the
entertainment
3. regardless of policy, they should be willing to make an exception for
regular customers.  it's not like we wanted free dinners.

What do people think?  I should mention that I rarely go out to niteclubs
but often to restaurants so from my perspective this was a case of a
restaurant charging a cover charge--a highly irregular practice.  But maybe
I'm not looking at it from their perspective.
-- 
David W. Ash               | "What profits a man if he keeps his eternal soul
ash@sumex-aim.stanford.edu |  when he could have lived life to the full and
HOME: (415) 497-1629       |  been forgiven at the end of it all anyway?"
WORK: (415) 725-3859       |         --David Merritt, a.k.a. THE RED SHARK
From: tubis@cs.purdue.edu (Charlotte I. Tubis)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: snow tires
Date: 14 Dec 1992 14:08:10 -0500
Organization: Purdue University Department of Computer Sciences
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: gareth.cs.purdue.edu


What are traction cables and where do you buy them?
I called
many places for snow tires, and no one carried them for my
type of car.
Charltote
From: lou@hpkslx.mayfield.HP.COM (Lou Kvitek)
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 19:17:57 GMT
Subject: Better radio reception inside office?
Organization: HP in Mt View, CA
Newsgroups: misc.consumers


I am trying to use a Sony walkman inside my office building, I get
a lot of static and changing the position of the unit only makes
a slight difference.

Does anyone know of any way to improve radio reception inside a
large office building?

Lou
From: staggers@cup.hp.com (Ken Staggers)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: US Postal Service Moves In Mysterious Ways
Date: 15 Dec 92 18:48:12 GMT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8.1]

Just a commentary about the US Postal Service.  I think recently I heard
that they (finally) had a budget surplus and the price of postage is 
secured for another few years.  I was also pleasantly surprised to see that
they are now using laser printed stamps when you have a letter/pkg weighed
at the post office and a stamp is generated.  Now, if they will only put
one of the machines in the customer area, attach a credit card or debit card
machine to it, I would be *very happy*.

But I wanted to comment on sending a package to Asia.  This summer, I sent
to myself a package of food (about 15-18 lbs) from Chicago to Tokyo.  I had
a choice of surface (by boat, they said) or air.  Air was abou 3 times more
expensive so I sent it by surface.  They said it would get there in 30-45
days.  No problem.  It was July 7th (I think) at the time.  I was scheduled
to arrive in Tokyo on Aug 20th.  To make a long story short, the package
didn't arrive until Sept 15th, a few days before I left Tokyo (and finding
the post office was another adventure :)

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I sent a magazine to a friend in Tokyo
by air (about $8) and a box (about 5 lbs) to China.  I chose surface for
the box to China.  I figured it would get there in late January.  Yesterday,
I got a card from my friend in China thanking me for sending him a present.
Yesterday was December 15th.  I think the card was mailed out on December
9th.  It took at most 2 weeks for the package to go by surface from San Jose
to Shanghai.  I am glad I didnt pay for it via airmail.

The post office moves in mysterious ways.

--Ken
From: davel@booboo.SanDiego.NCR.COM (David Lord)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: OK..why shouldnt I get an extended car warranty?
Date: 18 Dec 92 19:04:35 GMT
Reply-To: davel@booboo.SanDiego.NCR.COM (David Lord)
Distribution: na
Organization: NCR Corporation, Rancho Bernardo

In article <1992Dec18.000358.4596@donner.SanDiego.NCR.COM> davel@booboo.SanDiego.NCR.COM (me) writes:
>
>Well I'm still hoping I don't get my money's worth from my EW. I have
>an 89 Toyota truck with 62,000 miles. (The warantee goes for 75,000
>with a $50 deductable.) In the last 5000 miles I've had to have the
>radiator and the front crankshaft seal replaced so they've covered
>about $250 so far. Of course if it wasn't for the EW I'd be going
>somewhere other than the dealer for these repairs.

Woah, I just looked at the bills again and they've paid out $420
so far... the radiator cost more than I thought. I paid $520 for
the warantee in 1989 and I've still got 12000 miles of coverage
left on it so maybe it hasn't been THAT bad of a deal, though if
I'd been paying for the repairs myself I would have had the old
radiator rebuilt rather than buying a new $378 one from Toyota.

By the way, my EW is from a third party (General Warantee Corp.).
I've been lucky so far and have not had any of the problems other
people have described with third party warantees. My dealer has
handled everything related to the warantee, although the first time
they did complain that the company was hard to get a hold of.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond)
Subject: Re: Tell me about electric blankets
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 92 08:16:12 GMT
Organization: Dixie Communications Public Access.  The Mouth of the South.
Distribution: na

cab@col.hp.com (Chris Best) writes:

>> BART runs on direct current, as do virtually all electric train
>> systems. So much for science.

>Lionel and Tyco, maybe.

Lionel, at least, runs on either.  Older transformers were AC.  newer 
ones are probably PWM DC. I have little interest in new model trains
so I don't know.

>Better check your facts.  Read rec.railroad for a little while, and you'll
>find out differently.  Those are the people who actually drive the trains.
>I think it was mentioned that NYC subways run on 25 Hz.

Believe john said "virtually all electric trains" which leaves plenty
of room for anomolies such as NYC.  MARTA in Atlanta, the only subway
I hope to ever get close enough to to care, uses DC on the rail with
PWM modulated speed controllers in the cars.

>So much for superior knowledge.

Indeed.

John
-- 
John De Armond, WD4OQC               |Interested in high performance mobility?  
Performance Engineering Magazine(TM) | Interested in high tech and computers? 
Marietta, Ga                         | Send ur snail-mail address to 
jgd@dixie.com                        | perform@dixie.com for a free sample mag
Need Usenet public Access in Atlanta?  Write Me for info on Dixie.com.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: giand@opencon.com (Deepak S. Gianchandani)
Subject: Re:   Very old account - can still collect?
Followup-To: misc.consumers
Organization: OpenCon Systems, Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 15:51:21 GMT

In article <1992Dec10.143255.666@nynexst.com> smierch@fun.com writes:
>In article 24449@penet.fi, an1804@anon.penet.fi () writes:
>>I have a legal question, based on what I was told by a friend recently,
>>and now am facing this situation.  Situation: I used to have a major
>>credit card, had a good relationship with the issuer, made payments on
>>time, etc.  Then was faced with some circumstances (medical bills, loss
>>of spouses income, etc) and could not make payments anymore, leaving a
>>lealthy 4-digit balance.  After some time, the duns letters stopped
>>coming, and it just kind of faded away.
>>
>>As of this point in time, there has been no correspondence from the
>>issuer or collection agencies in a couple years.  There has been NO (and
>>this is the legal kicker, I think) activity on the account, either debits
>>or credits, for over *FOUR* years.
>>
>>Now the issuer has hired a legal firm to try to collect.  I was told that
>>there is a law that states that if there is NO activity on an account for
>>a number of years (where 'number' varies by state, usually 3-5 years), that
>>the account is erased, and the consumer is no longer liable.  Presumably,
>>this is to 'penalize' the creditor because they were not 'persevering' in
>>collections or trying to work out a payment plan.
>
>You owe what you owe until you've paid it.  Laws that state that the consumer 
>is no longer liable after X years of inactivity mean only that the issuer,
>in the absence of any other information, should consider the account closed
>(they are never erased) to future activity.  Any future activity is then no
>longer the responsibility of the consumer. 
>
>You are, however, still liable for the balance.
>
>---
>
	Plus the interest for the four years. So it would be best in
your interest to stell the account and pay it off (an
opinion). You could even have it paid off in monthly
payments. (there is a non profit agency (or so they say) in
New Jersey which helps people with this, there might be one in
your state). 
	The other possibility is change your identity, get a new
name, SS number, so forth, etc.

	Good Luck.

-- 
____________________   .    .   __         .       | Deepak S. Gianchandani
\___________________|) .____.--"--"---._____       | E-mail:giand@opencon.com
     .      ||       /_____/  NCC_1701  __/ .  . . |   To Boldly Go Where 
.       .   ||      /--/--._________.----/   .     | No One Has Gone BEFORE
From: jxs18@po.CWRU.Edu (Jerry Sy)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Financial software
Date: 16 Dec 1992 04:54:43 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: jxs18@po.CWRU.Edu (Jerry Sy)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, jimh@pacdata.uucp (Jim Harkins) says:

>In article <DOUGLIS.92Dec14143749@chimay.MITL.COM> douglis@chimay.MITL.COM (Fred Douglis) writes:
>>So all in all I don't think price is the right reason to skip MYM.
>
>I posted the original question, email indicates MYM is better than quicken
>but costs twice as much.  At my local Egghead Quicken is around $40, MYM is
>$45.  Price isn't a factor....
>

why not call Meca Software directly at 1-800-937-2045 and order your copy
for only $29.95 ?

>Looks like I'll be getting MYM this weekend.  Thanks for all the comments.
>
>jim
>
>ObGloat:  Once I buy MYM I'm done xmas shopping.  Nyah nyah nyah.
>

Newsgroups: misc.consumers,misc.misc
Subject: Re: PRODIGY New and improved STILL SUCKS, HORRIBLE as before
From: rmk@rmkhome.UUCP (Rick Kelly)
Organization: The Man With Ten Cats
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 05:30:07 GMT
Reply-To: rmk@rmkhome.UUCP (Rick Kelly)

In article <zkessin.724555976@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu> zkessin@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Zach, the Lego Maniac) writes:
>jdavis@ssf-sys.DHL.COM (Jim Davis) writes:
>
>>In article <1992Dec16.060755.6327@panix.com> imran@panix.com (Imran Anwar) writes:
>>>
>>>If you are considering joining Prodigy as a new member, or left and are
>>>considering rejoining with their "come back" mailing efforts, or are
>>>just thinking Prodigy is the service you should use - just several
>>>pairs of two words:  STAY AWAY!  IT SUCKS!  BAD MOVE!
>>>
>>>Imran Anwar
>>>
>>>PS I love internet and Compuserve if you wanted to know :-)
>
>>I chopped out most of this but you get the idea Imran doesn't like Prodigy.
>>Well I feel obliged to respond.  I've used Prodigy for a couple of years and
>>like it very much.  I tried Compuserve and think it SUCKS!  So there you are!
>>What do they say, "different strokes for different folks, etc"?
>
>DON'T use Prodigy, well not unless you dont care that other people may
>be snooping on *YOUR* files. I just read on alt.comp.acad-freedom.talk
>something about Prodigy uploading stuff from peoples HD's. I think the
>EFF has more info.
>
>just a warning.

It's also bullshit.  When a file is deleted on a MSDOS machine, the file
pointer is just freed up to allow another file.  The data is still on the
disk.  The prodigy allocates a large file on the hard disk to act as a
buffer for downloading screens of stuff to your computer.  There is always
a good chance there will be data in the file that is left over from old
deleted files.  And no, they don't upload it.

What is true, is that everything that is posted to Prodigy is read by
censors.  If they don't like it, they delete it.

I wouldn't take Prodigy for free.  It's a toy network.

-- 

Rick Kelly	rmk@rmkhome.UUCP	unixland!rmkhome!rmk	rmk@frog.UUCP
From: tgreen@daisy.WichitaKS.NCR.COM (Tim Green)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
Subject: Motorola Cellular Phone Opinions WANTED
Date: 9 Dec 92 15:31:06 GMT
Reply-To: tgreen@daisy.WichitaKS.NCR.COM (Tim Green)
Distribution: usa
Organization: NCR Corporation, Wichita KS

I am getting ready to purchase a cellular phone and was wondering if anyone
had experience with either the Motorola 8000 or Motorola 750 phones.  One shop
has the 8000 for $88 and a different shop has the 750 for $99.  Neither shop
carries the other model, and they both claim that the one they carry is the
best (surprise, surprise!!).  Any comments, or suggestions of better phones in
this price range would be appreciated.  I am planning to buy within the week. 
Please email responses.  Thanks!!

Tim
-- 
Tim Green - Applications Engr.| INTERNET: Tim.Green@WichitaKS.NCR.COM
Product Marketing Services    | PHONE: (316)-636-8553   FAX: (316)-636-8889
NCR Peripheral Products Div.  |        VP 654-8553           VP 654-8889
Newsgroups: misc.consumers
From: royg@netcom.com (Roy H. Gordon)
Subject: rechargeable batteries
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 08:25:07 GMT

This must be a FAQ.

Having just purchased a portable CD player that runs on 4 AA batteries,
I now want to acquire rechargeables.

Preferably, I'd like those that don't have a memory, that you don't have
to wait until they're nearly drained to recharge them.

Is this possible?  Can I use any type of rechargeables?  What are my
choices and what is recommended?

Thanks in advance.

				-- Roy
Newsgroups: misc.consumers