"Donald E. Kimberlin" <0004133373@mcimail.com> (08/05/90)
It's often touted that modern telecommunications is a
springboard to global democracy. We all know how the broadcast media
frustrated mainland China's totalitarian government with suitcase-
transportable satellite uplinks and how students sneaked mountains of
faxes through the PSTN during the Tienamen Square riots.
Now, an American small businessman, Steve McGrover, is raising
his own fax campaign to show corporate television sponsors that a
large proportion of the public is offended by TV personality Roseanne
Barr, particularly over her public performance of the National Anthem
at a San Diego Padres baseball game recently.
Mc Grover has offered free use of his fax machine at (800)
468-0344 (overseas callers can dial +1 813 733 0344) to receive and
collect fax messages that he will forward to the sponsors of Barr's TV
program to show how much public indignation Barr has caused.
Hundreds of fax messages indicating personal boycotts of
Barr's TV sponsors' products as well as personal offense have already
been received at McGrover's home office, and it appears there may well
be thousands more, as publicity spreads.
I spoke with McGrover today, and he indicates he fully expects
and understands he's liable to run up a huge AT&T Readyline WATS bill
in addition to rolls and rolls of fax paper. But, in our conversation,
he indicated he's willing to have anyone EXCEPT televison network
interviewers publicize his effort.
I showed him how computer operators may well originate faxes
from keyboards, and he seems to be willing to accept those as well,
with the one qualifier that messages with real names and addresses are
most valid for his campaign.
So, please feel free to spread the word, not only to friends
associates, but any media people you feel worthy. Tell them the very
best way to contact him is by a fax message to his number above,
telling him how to reach them by both phone and fax. His personal
schedule is already getting busy with talk radio interviews as this is
being written.
McGrover asked on limitation on cost: No international or
reversed telephone charges to his fax number, please.
While I would like to know how much circulation this message
gets, let's not clog up this line with it. Rather, make some mention
(clippable off the bottom) of how you heard of this "electronic
movement by the people" on the bottom of your faxes to McGrover. Or,
if you choose to message me on MCIMail 413-3373 of any particular
local group actions, I will be pleased to summarize in a week or so to
the forum.
One last aside for students of telecommunications sociology:
McGrover's voice phone number is non-list, but not non-pub. He so far
has received about three times as many phone calls from people who do
not have fax machines but would pay for Directory Assistance to get
his voice number in order to telephone their opinion. He regrets not
being able to maintain a log of those calls. And, his 800 number rings
with many people who try to talk to the fax machine. That's some
indication of where the general population is with regard to Group III
fax. And, to try providing these people a voice, McGrover suggests
that "spreading the word" to local businesses that will let the
"un-faxed masses" send their messages is also welcomed.
--------------------
[Moderator's Note: I called Mr. McGrover Sunday afternoon and
confirmed his desire to receive Fax messages on this subject. By using
the 813-733-0344 routing, you pay for the Fax instead if you prefer.
This message is presented for its news value, with no opinion by
myself pro or con. Direct follow-ups to Mr. Kimberlin. PT] peter da silva <peter@ficc.ferranti.com> (08/06/90)
So who do you call to express support for Roseanne Barr? If she can't sing, she shouldn't have tried... but that's a minor error of judgement. I've caught bits of her show from time to time, and it's one of the few that actually shows signs of real humor and creativity in a wasteland of lookalikes. (I note that this article was posted by an MCI Mail employee... MCI is likely to be one of the companies benefiting from this campaign, both from MCI Mail FAX and MCI long distance service) Peter da Silva. `-_-' +1 713 274 5180. 'U` <peter@ficc.ferranti.com>
John Higdon <john@bovine.ati.com> (08/09/90)
"Donald E. Kimberlin" <0004133373@mcimail.com> writes: > Regrettably, the replies have instead been from people who > indicate by their very comment that they would NOT aid the spread of > debate. In doing so, these individuals indicate themselves to be > guilty of their own form of the same narrowmindedness they so loudly > protest in this forum, some of them daily. > To straighten out some of the trivialities that have now ^^^^^^^^^^^^ > been published and correct some of the outright errors: As one of those who did respond "off the air" and as one to whom you are undoubtedly referring, let me reiterate my position. The key word is "trivial". Who on earth really cares if Roseanne Barr exhibited bad taste at a Padres game? What difference does it make in any of our daily lives? Who of us will suffer or profit as a result? Such an incident can hardly be compared to the Craig Neidorf case, or the Chinese massacre, or even the arrest of musicians performing allegedly obscene material. If you're going to test the waters of Americans rising to anything, at least pick something substantial for a seed. Hopefully Americans aren't so stupid that they will, in mass numbers, clog communications networks over something as supremely silly as the Roseanne Barr non-event. If I'm missing the grand significance to mankind here, I invite your persuasions via e-mail. (Somehow, I put whether my cat pees in the flower bed a couple of notches above this "issue".) John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@bovine.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o ! [Moderator's Note: However, John, 'trivial' is a relative term, and depends on who is using it. To *us*, Craig N's case was important; yet how much or little of it have you seen mentioned in the papers? Roseanne Barr is a household name to millions of people. Very few folks outside our circle have ever heard of Craig. PT]
James Deibele <jamesd@techbook.com> (08/12/90)
In article <10481@accuvax.nwu.edu> 0004133373@mcimail.com (Donald E. Kimberlin) writes: >Mc Grover has offered free use of his fax machine at (800) >468-0344 (overseas callers can dial +1 813 733 0344) to receive and >collect fax messages that he will forward to the sponsors of Barr's TV >program to show how much public indignation Barr has caused. And next month, when his phone bill arrives, Mc Grover will turn around and sell all those phone numbers to someone compiling a directory of fax numbers. Or he'll publish it himself. He'll have your fax number, your name, and probably other information too (the handiest pieces of paper probably being company stationery). jamesd@techbook.COM ...!{tektronix!nosun,uunet}!techbook!jamesd Public Access UNIX at (503) 644-8135 (1200/2400) Voice: +1 503 646-8257 Technical books mailing list --- mail "techbook!tbj-request" [Moderator's Note: You are being cynical. He would not have to wait until next month 'when the phone bill comes'. Most incoming fax messages contain (a) a cover sheet saying who is writing, with their voice and/or fax numbers, and (b) the name and fax number of the sender printed on the top or bottom line of each page of paper, sent automatically by the sending machine. And if a fax directory which gives all the above information can be purchased for $19.95 from one of several directory publishers, why should he tie up his fax machine and waste all his paper to get the same information? Try not to have ugly thoughts about motives every time someone starts a grass roots campaign of some sort, regardless of how ill-advised you may consider the movement. The same motives you attribute to McGrover could be applied to (for example) any organized effort to send telegrams, mailgrams or fax messages to members of Congress, etc. PAT]
Robert.Savery@f666.n285.z1.fidonet.org (Robert Savery) (08/13/90)
In a message of <08 Aug 90 22:38:20>, John Higdon (1:30102/2) writes:
JH>Hopefully Americans aren't so stupid that they will, in mass numbers,
JH>clog communications networks over something as supremely silly as the
JH>Roseanne Barr non-event.
Ah, but they are!! Look at all the money the 900/976 rip-off artists
are raking in!!
JH>(Somehow, I put whether my cat pees in the flower bed a couple of notches
JH>above this "issue".)
I was thinking about printing all this out and lining my bird cage
with it. I'm still trying to figure out just what all this has to do
with telecom stuff!
See Ya!!
Bob
[1:285/666.5@fidonet] Trebor's Castle, Lavista Ne.
--- Through FidoNet gateway node 1:16/390
Robert.Savery@f666.n285.z1.fidonet.org
[Moderator's Note: Actually, the telecom connection is growing rather
thin on the topic, which should be closed at this time, so far as
TELECOM Digest is concerned. Thanks. PAT]