[news.misc] Bell Labs Star Trek Club

greg@mind.UUCP (greg Nowak) (09/02/88)

In article <1040@mtund.ATT.COM> newton@mtund.ATT.COM (Newton Lee) writes:
}
}Sorry folks, but the following message is ONLY for AT&T Bell Labs
}employees who do not read netnews "att.wanted" and cannot otherwise
}be reached:
}
}	A proposal has been made to establish a new
}	Bell Labs "Star Trek & the 20th Century" Club.
}	For more exciting information, please read netnews
}	"att.wanted" or send e-mail to mtund!newton.
}
}Thank you.
}
}Newton Lee
}AT&T Bell Laboratories
}
}NB: The above message is being distributed ONLY in New Jersey.
[but I'm expanding the distribution because I think it's worth
discussing] 

Just what we'd expect from the new att, eh? First, they don't pass on
third party email, and now this "overgrown leaf node" decides that
since the att groups don't reach everyone they want to, they'll waste
space on non-att machines to get the word out ONLY to att people. 
Cross-posted to soc.singles,soc.women,rec.arts.sf-lovers,rec.arts.tv,
and rec.arts.movies, no less. 


I've had it. Any company this twisted doesn't need my business. I'm
switching to MCI.


(and will somebody please crosspost this to att.general or wherever
for me so they can see it?)

Thanks.-- 


                                greg

newton@mtund.ATT.COM (Newton Lee) (09/03/88)

In article <2826@mind.UUCP>, greg@mind.UUCP (greg Nowak) writes:
> Just what we'd expect from the new att, eh? First, they don't pass on
> third party email, and now this "overgrown leaf node" decides that
> since the att groups don't reach everyone they want to, they'll waste
> space on non-att machines to get the word out ONLY to att people. 
> Cross-posted to soc.singles,soc.women,rec.arts.sf-lovers,rec.arts.tv,
> and rec.arts.movies, no less.  I've had it. Any company this twisted
> doesn't need my business. I'm switching to MCI.
> (and will somebody please crosspost this to att.general or wherever
> for me so they can see it?)

Mr. Greg Nowak:

I am sorry to have annoyed you. However, cross-posting to soc.singles,
soc.women, rec.arts.sf-lovers, rec.arts.tv, and rec.arts.movies seems to
be a logical way to reach Bell Labs people (singles, women, science
fiction fans, tv and movies lovers) who do not read att.wanted regularly.
Moreover, I specified the message to be restricted to the New Jersey
area when I used the UNIX command "postnews".  By the way, when the
Star Trek Club is officially formed, outsiders (non-AT&T's) may be allowed
to join the Club.

It seems illogical to select a long-distance phone company based on
netnews.  I would do business with a company based on its service and
cost of goods.  If you insist on switching to MCI, you're welcome to.
However, let me remind you that Bell Labs has always been making a lot
of contributions to the society for the past 100 years.  Your business
with AT&T would mean providing us some little money to help continue
our mission.

Newton Lee

ddski@mhuhk.UUCP (Don Dennis) (09/03/88)

In article <2826@mind.UUCP> greg@mind.UUCP (greg Nowak) writes:
>In article <1040@mtund.ATT.COM> newton@mtund.ATT.COM (Newton Lee) writes:
>}
>}Sorry folks, but the following message is ONLY for AT&T Bell Labs
>}employees who do not read netnews "att.wanted" and cannot otherwise
>}be reached:
...
>}Newton Lee
>}AT&T Bell Laboratories
>}
>}NB: The above message is being distributed ONLY in New Jersey.
>[but I'm expanding the distribution because I think it's worth
>discussing] 
>
>Just what we'd expect from the new att, eh? First, they don't pass on
>third party email, and now this "overgrown leaf node" decides that
>since the att groups don't reach everyone they want to, they'll waste
>space on non-att machines to get the word out ONLY to att people. 
>Cross-posted to soc.singles,soc.women,rec.arts.sf-lovers,rec.arts.tv,
>and rec.arts.movies, no less. 
...
>Thanks.-- 
>                                greg


Greg,

	Please don't fault all of AT&T for the actions of a few
individuals.  I am not a system administrator, nor a person with
enough power to make policy changes; just a simple user.
But I can assure you that the company has been making a great
effort to get people to clean up their act when posting to the net.

	In the last few months there have been numerous postings to
AT&T newsgroups warning employees about cross postings, and about
the bad reputation AT&T has aquired in this regard.  The company
(at least Bell Laboratories) has even circulated desk to desk
memos outlining netnews guidelines.

	Word will get around to users in the AT&T community about
these transgressions, but remember, we're not a machine, just people
trying the best we can and sometimes even making mistakes.
-- 
 _____________________________________________________________________
| The only perfect science |         Don Dennis                       |
| is hind-sight.           |      att!mhuhk!ddski      (201) 582-7035 |
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------

weemba@garnet.berkeley.edu (Obnoxious Math Grad Student) (09/04/88)

In article <1043@mtund.ATT.COM>, newton@mtund (Newton Lee) writes:
>I am sorry to have annoyed you. However, cross-posting to soc.singles,
>soc.women, rec.arts.sf-lovers, rec.arts.tv, and rec.arts.movies seems to
>be a logical

Uh oh.  This guy *really* is a serious Trekkie!  Watch out folks...

>	      way to reach Bell Labs people (singles, women, science
>fiction fans, tv and movies lovers)

It would seem logical that the people who *are* already interested in
being potential Bell Lab Trekkies already *read* rec.arts.startrek.
Therefore, your posting could only annoy Bell Labs or non-Bell Labs
people (singles, women, science fiction fans, tv and movies lovers)
who are not interested.

If you really believed your words were logical, you would also be
posting to talk.religion.newage, to get hold of Bell Labs Shirley
MacLaine fans, comp.org.usenix, to get hold of Bell Labs Usenix
members, rec.humor, to get hold of Bell Labs employees with a
ten-year-old's sense of humor, misc.legal, to get hold of Bell
Labs lawyers, etc etc.

Beam that between your pointy ears.

>				     who do not read att.wanted regularly.

Why don't you use other att.* groups?  Don't they have an att.general?
att.newsgroups?  att.dimwits?  Internal memos?  Telephones, maybe?

>Moreover, I specified the message to be restricted to the New Jersey
>area when I used the UNIX command "postnews".

(UNIX is a registered Trademark of AT&T, btw.)

Perhaps a restriction to att would have been more appropriate: Greg's
complaint is that AT&T, having made itself the number-one biggest leaf
node on USENET in order to save on phone bills, is now in the practice
of running up other people's phone bills: your posting is just typical
of such.

So try restricting distribution to "att" next time: sure it will bug
people in AT&T far from New Jersey, but at least you could all argue
it out amongst yourselves.

>                                               By the way, when the
>Star Trek Club is officially formed, outsiders (non-AT&T's) may be
>allowed to join the Club.

May?  That's might generous of you.  Let me guess.  In line with your
company's no third party e-mail policy, outside membership will be
restricted to relatives of AT&T employees?

>It seems illogical

Uh oh.  This guy *really* is a serious Trekkie!  Watch out folks...

>		    to select a long-distance phone company based on
>netnews.  I would do business with a company based on its service and
>cost of goods.

However, if word gets around that there are lots and lots of natural
idiots at the given company--inspired perhaps by USENET--people might
look down on the company.

(Me?  I don't have a telephone.  I'm thus neutral on the question.)

ucbvax!garnet!weemba	Matthew P Wiener/Brahms Gang/Berkeley CA 94720