zben@umcp-cs.UUCP (10/26/83)
[From the virtual flamethrower of ZBEN] Yes, the standard states that the modem shall have a female connector. It says nothing about the gender at the terminal. I suppose you could build a cheap terminal like my cheap casette deck. There are no connectors at the back panel, four cables are *attached* from the rear of the unit and terminate in the standard RCA plugs. One of the standards used in connector design is that if possible the connector that has power should be female. Examine a home extension cord. Note that the plug is mail and the socket is female. Now consider what would happen if the cord had two males. When one end is plugged in and the other is not it becomes quite a hazard. A secondary consideration is preventing damage to the equipment should the exposed male pins contact a shorting substance such as metal. Note also that all hot plates and other cooking equipment with removable cords use the same standard, albeit with a non-compatable (usually round pin) connector. In the case of RS232 both could have power, so the argument weakens. But the DB25 has a protective rim around the pins, so the problem should be much less important. The only way I could explain the brain-damaged current state of things is that perhaps cabinet mounted males were thought to be more fragile, as the pins could be bent or broken off while moving the equipment. zben