levitt@zorro9.fidonet.org (Ken Levitt) (12/18/89)
The following is reprinted from the FidoNet Consulting echo.
===========================================================================
From: Jim Westbrook
To: All Modem Users
Subj: International Pulse Dial Month
12-14-89 JANUARY IS INTERNATIONAL PULSE DIAL MONTH!
The Central Texas Sysop Association has initiated a grass-roots
experiment of one method of containing the costs of running a BBS.
As many of you are already aware, SWBT (the phone company) is
involved in a Public Utilities Commission proceeding with several
sysops from the Houston area. The outcome of this proceeding may
affect the expense of BBS operation by classing all BBS operations
as non-residential customers.
One of the peripheral expenses accompanying such a change would be
an increase in the cost of optional services. In the instance of
tone dialing, the differential is approximately ten-fold (from
approx. 50 cents/month to approx. $5/month). Over the course of a
year, discontinuing tone dial would offset approximately two months
of the basic non-residential service. This makes it worthwhile to
determine the impact on BBS operations if pulse dialing were adopted
as "normal operations" for both BBS's and users.
The experiment does not involve actual termination of tone dialing
service, although that may prove to be a viable option. All that is
necessary to participate in the experiment is to change your modem
dialing string to use pulse dialing instead of tone dialing. In the
case of Hayes-compatible modems this is simply to change from "ATDT"
to "ATDP" as the dialing prefix command for your software.
Please help us examine this alternative to taking our BBS's off line
should they be re-interpreted to be non-residential. Again, here's
when and how to participate:
START: 00:01:00 January 1, 1990
FINISH: 23:59:00 January 31, 1990
CHANGE: dialing prefix to use Pulse Dial
(ATDT to ATDP for Hayes-types)
Thanks in advance for your assistance in this cost containment
experiment.
Jim Westbrook
President - CTSA
Vice-President - COSUARD
Ken Levitt - On FidoNet gateway node 1:16/390
UUCP: zorro9!levitt
INTERNET: levitt%zorro9.uucp@talcott.harvard.edu
[Moderator's Note: I can't help but wonder if there is something else
this experiment is intended to communicate to SW Bell.....:) PT]eric@egsner.cirr.com (Eric Schnoebelen) (12/23/89)
In article <2344@accuvax.nwu.edu> it is written:
- The following is reprinted from the FidoNet Consulting echo.
- ===========================================================================
- From: Jim Westbrook
- To: All Modem Users
- Subj: International Pulse Dial Month
-
- 12-14-89 JANUARY IS INTERNATIONAL PULSE DIAL MONTH!
-
- One of the peripheral expenses accompanying such a change would be
- an increase in the cost of optional services. In the instance of
- tone dialing, the differential is approximately ten-fold (from
- approx. 50 cents/month to approx. $5/month). Over the course of a
- year, discontinuing tone dial would offset approximately two months
- of the basic non-residential service. This makes it worthwhile to
- determine the impact on BBS operations if pulse dialing were adopted
- as "normal operations" for both BBS's and users.
I don't see what the big deal is. I have never had or used
tone dial services on egsner or my voice lines. (I rather refuse to
pay for some thing, such as touch tone service, that doesn't cost the
phone company, and that I don't use.)
Egsner communicates just fine with it's neighbors in Dallas/Ft
Worth using pulse dialing. I have never had a dialing problem, and
the slight delay caused by pulse dialing is hardly noticeable.
As a side note: When I ordered service for my new home, I
ordered two lines. The service rep asked if I wanted tone service to
which I replied no. They then asked (paraphrased) "Doesn't the
computer, since that is what you are planning to use on your second
line, need tone service to dial?", to which I replied (again,
paraphrased) "no, I have never used tone on any of my modems" I could
hear the disbelief over the phone..
Eric Schnoebelen eric@egsner.cirr.com schnoebe@convex.com
"/bin/sh: Bourne in the USA"