ROODE@SRI-NIC.ARPA (02/18/84)
I think that bulk mailing lists could be argued to be cheaper, so I think a comparable rate would be $.60 to receive Header-people. I think that MCI Mail is probably already entertaining the notion of providing an interface to a processor of some sort at the user's modem, but I have no specific knowledge. If this service is offered, it should likewise be cheaper. -------
Geoff@SRI-CSL.ARPA (the tty of Geoffrey S. Goodfellow) (02/19/84)
Received: from MIT-MC by SRI-CSL via DDN; 18 Feb 84 16:51:20-PST
Date: Fri, 17-Feb-84 21:10:22-PST
From: vortex!lauren at RAND-UNIX
Subject: $1/message
To: header-people@MC
Or to put it another way, would you be willing to subscribe to
HEADER-PEOPLE if you had to put a dollar into your terminal for
each message received?
--Lauren--
That's cheating, Lauren, since on MCI Mail it costs nothing to
receive a message (nor for that matter to compose one, login,
check for mail, etc), it only costs money when you actually SEND
something. At that price, I think it's pretty cheap, especially
when you consider ancillary benefits like being able to receive
TELEX and TWX's at no cost.
glauren@vortex.uucp (02/19/84)
Well, I can put it another way, would you be willing to SEND a message to header-people if you had to pay $1 for each person who would be RECEIVING it? This is even worse! How likely would people be to contribute their expertise on various subjects if they had to PAY to send that information to the people who would benefit? Few of our large mailing lists would survive under such a scheme. Two specific points about MCI Mail: 1) Their technique of forcing you to use inane and time-consuming menus UNLESS you're willing to pay them money is pretty low are far as I'm concerned. 2) I am convinced that their "free access" policy will not last. I'd be happy to give odds that somewhere not too far down the line, all "free" users will receive a notice telling them that if they want to keep their access, they will have to start paying a monthly fee and/or pay minimum amounts per month. Clearly MCI has the right to do this, but the people who think the service is going to stay free forever are kidding themselves, I suspect. --Lauren--
farber@udel-ee.arpa (Dave Farber) (02/19/84)
While I hate to get involved but ... I have been using a package called TRANSEND for my IBM PC. It allows a reasonable PC-PC mail transefer with "attachments" that can be com files etc. It used the modem7 protocol. Its human interface is very nice and easily learned by simple managers. It can also relay mail though mail systems like the the SOURCE and Ontyme . So I can compose a lot of mail on my PC send some of it via pc-pc communications and some via the source etc. While the mail part is not up to arpanet standards (by a long shot) you would be surprised at how useful it is. Clearly as soon as MCI gets their protocol public, it too will be a vehicle for this type of usage with a lot more flexibilty since I can telex etc. Dave
@RAND-UNIX.ARPA (03/02/84)
Or to put it another way, would you be willing to subscribe to HEADER-PEOPLE if you had to put a dollar into your terminal for each message received? --Lauren--