sichermn@beach.csulb.edu (Jeff Sicherman) (11/26/90)
My offer to forward the Genie Star*Services flyer is still open and the request load has been manageable so far. However, my mailer generally chokes on all UUCP addresses and addresses with ! in them. I really dont have the time to find out why or correct this, even if possible so please provide an alternate address if wither of these cases fit you. I cannot appropriately post it here, I believe, because it is a blatant commercial promotion, even if factual. If you have/want ftp access to it, it has/will be placed in the comp.dcom.telecom archives. I will post more information on this when I have confirmed its presence, if someone doesnt beat me to it. Note that I am not yet a subscriber so please dont solicit any experiences with your request for the flyer. Anybody who has is free to comment although I don't think this is the right newsgroup for it - any suggestions (Maybe there needs to be another alt.bbs.* addition, like alt.bbs.services). However, I did phone their 800 number (in the flyer) and left a voicemail request for info but havent received it yet. This was at least a week ago so they may be flooded, slow, incompetent, or just holiday-distracted. Feel free to cross-post this offer to other *appropriate* groups. Jeff Sicherman
jvj0852@rouge.usl.edu (Joubert John V) (11/27/90)
In article <1990Nov26.072636.12369@beach.csulb.edu> sichermn@beach.csulb.edu (Jeff Sicherman) writes: > > My offer to forward the Genie Star*Services flyer is still open >and the request load has been manageable so far. However, my mailer stuff deleted... > > Note that I am not yet a subscriber so please dont solicit any >experiences with your request for the flyer. Anybody who has is free ...... I am currently a subscriber, and I am thinking of dropping. If you are a heavy e-mail user, Genie is quite a deal. However, access to any of the computer group areas are $6 per hour. I hardly ever use email on GEnie, and the end result now is that I pay an extra $4.50 or so on my bill, on top of my ever present computer group access prices. It's not much money, but it is enough to tick me off and send me looking at other services, e.g. Prodigy. I would rather pay $10 or so a month for a service that let's me play in the computer SIG's without a cost+ charge. Is this the way it works on Prodigy? Can I acess the MS-DOS area at the flat rate? If so, I think I will change. Another thing, the games area that you can access on GEnie in the Star Services area is pretty junky. Single player games, and more on the line of, you guessed it, "adventure." The blast from the past. The newer and better games are cost plus. The news feeds are pretty good, but nothing I can't pick up in a few minutes of CNN, definitely nothing to scream about. It has some financial stuff in Star Services, but it's very basic, yesterday's close, etc. History and info statistics/summaries are cost +. This really is not so bad, except that the salespeople make it sound like I can track the world without the cost+ information, when actually all you can get is less than what you can find the Wall Street Journal. The financials don't have futures anywhere, or at least not in the "cheapie" section. They do have EASY-Sabre for booking your airline flights in Star Services area, that's neat, but it'll be at least 3 more years before I even glance at that (I am still in school). All in all, I don't think GEnie is for me, not if I can get what I need for a flat fee of $10 or so.
russell@spdcc.COM (Tim Russell) (11/27/90)
From article <19363@rouge.usl.edu>, by jvj0852@rouge.usl.edu (Joubert John V): > It's not much money, but it is > enough to tick me off and send me looking at other services, e.g. Prodigy. > I would rather pay $10 or so a month for a service that let's me play in the > computer SIG's without a cost+ charge. Is this the way it works on Prodigy? > Can I acess the MS-DOS area at the flat rate? If so, I think I will change. I hope you're not thinking that Prodigy has file areas with software for downloading, because that's DEFINITELY not the case. The software doesn't even have any provision for downloading anything. As for MS-DOS discussion groups, sure, they exist, but Prodigy is notorious for squelching discussion of things it doesn't like. I've heard of discussions of software and hardware produced by Prodigy advertisers being rejected when the reviews got unfavorable. -- ____ "Mankind must without a doubt be the most conceited race \TR/ Tim Russell in the universe, for who else believes that God has \/ Omaha NE nothing better to do than sit around all day and help russell@spdcc.com him out of tight spots?" -- Alan Dean Foster
6600prao@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Parik Rao) (11/27/90)
"Just do it". GEnie will refund your money if you're not satisfied in the first month (they will refund the $4.95, that is! Not the money you spend in RT's, etc). I find the thing worth it just for the email. heh, sending files and having long discussions is fun. Can't beat usenet tho'. -- Parik Rao, University of California @ Santa Barbara Da Net: 6600prao@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu America Online: AFA Parik GEnie: P.RAO
kraus@motcid (David Kraus) (11/28/90)
In article <19363@rouge.usl.edu>, jvj0852@rouge.usl.edu (Joubert John V) writes: [re: Genie] > I am currently a subscriber, and I am thinking of dropping. If you are > a heavy e-mail user, Genie is quite a deal. However, access to any of the > computer group areas are $6 per hour. I hardly ever use email on GEnie, and > the end result now is that I pay an extra $4.50 or so on my bill, on top of my > ever present computer group access prices. It's not much money, but it is > enough to tick me off and send me looking at other services, e.g. Prodigy. > I would rather pay $10 or so a month for a service that let's me play in the > computer SIG's without a cost+ charge. Is this the way it works on Prodigy? > Can I acess the MS-DOS area at the flat rate? If so, I think I will > change. First of all, Prodigy access went up to $12.95/month as of 1 October(?). I was on a free month right about then, was considering keeping it for $9.95, but the increase was enough for me to drop for the second time. It MIGHT be worth $10/month, but not $13, especially when I have access to USENET and FidoNet conferences. The discussion groups seemed a bit lame. More specific info on the other nets I have access to. Keep in mind that the groups are HEAVILY moderated (not censored), so that may stifle some of the information value, especially re: IBM products and direct competitors. As far as I know, the discussions/most everything is at the flat rate. Not sure about Eaasy Sabre, as I didn't sign up for that, but I think that's included as well. > Another thing, the games area that you can access on GEnie in the > Star Services area is pretty junky. Single player games, and more on the line > of, you guessed it, "adventure." The blast from the past. The newer and better > games are cost plus. The news feeds are pretty good, but nothing I can't The games on Prodigy are so-so as well. The whole system is designed around single-user access, so you have no idea who else is on when you are. Games are single player, of course, but there's a bit of variety. And you do compete against other users, just not head-to-head. > pick up in a few minutes of CNN, definitely nothing to scream about. It has > some financial stuff in Star Services, but it's very basic, yesterday's > close, Prodigy news isn't too bad. I foud it a bit useful, since I usually don't get home from work in time to really watch the news. I found myself using the weather maps a lot, since I don't get a chance to see weather reports too often either. (I'm one of the few who doesn't have cable...) The news reports are UPI style - short paragraphs of 1 or 2 sentences, good for quick scanning. The one thing about it that is nice is the 'hypertextish' approach they use for traversing keywords and topics in the stories. Not a cross-reference to the history of the world, mind you, but you can get information related in ways you never thought of. All in all it's not AWFUL, just slowish on the graphics interface, moderated discussion groups, a news service of marginal quality, etc. Like I said, for me it MIGHT have been worth $10/month, but the extra 3 now isn't worth it. -- Dave Kraus UUCP: ...!uunet!motcid!kraus Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Division FidoNet: 1:115/934.5 Disclaimer: My employer's views and my views may necessarily differ. Quote: "PARDON me, am I speaking ENGLISH?" - Zippy
wales@valeria.cs.ucla.edu (Rich Wales) (11/29/90)
In article <19363@rouge.usl.edu> jvj0852@usl.edu (Joubert John V) writes: I am currently a subscriber, and I am thinking of dropping. If you are a heavy e-mail user, Genie is quite a deal. However, access to any of the computer group areas are $6 per hour. I hardly ever use email on GEnie, and the end result now is that I pay an extra $4.50 or so on my bill, on top of my ever present computer group access prices. I agree. Since I have access to USENET and the Internet, I have never felt any pressing need to use GEnie's electronic mail. I did, however, use GEnie (and CompuServe) on occasion to access the software libraries. When GEnie announced Star*Services, I sent them mail announcing my intention to abandon my GEnie account rather than accept the Star*Serv- ices rate plan. I have not used my GEnie account since September; nor do I plan to. I still have my CompuServe account, and I mentioned this to the GEnie folks in my "farewell" letter. -- Rich Wales <wales@CS.UCLA.EDU> // UCLA Computer Science Department 3531 Boelter Hall // Los Angeles, CA 90024-1596 // +1 (213) 825-5683 "This is yet another example of how our actions have random results."
schuster@cup.portal.com (Michael Alan Schuster) (11/29/90)
>I am currently a subscriber, and I am thinking of dropping. If >you are a heavy e-mail user, Genie is quite a deal. However, >access to any of the computer group areas are $6 per hour. I >hardly ever use email on GEnie, and the end result now is that >I pay an extra $4.50 or so on my bill, on top of my ever >present computer group access prices. > >I agree. Since I have access to USENET and the Internet, I have never >felt any pressing need to use GEnie's electronic mail. I did, however, >use GEnie (and CompuServe) on occasion to access the software libraries. > >When GEnie announced Star*Services, I sent them mail announcing my >intention to abandon my GEnie account rather than accept the Star*Serv- >ices rate plan. I have not used my GEnie account since September; nor >do I plan to. When GEnie announced Star*Services, I left a long message to FEEDBACK expresisng the same sentiments noted here. It was answered by a form letter that described the many benefits of the new pricing structure. So I called Customer Service. I told them that I used GEnie for the express and sole purpose of accessing the computer forums and downloading files therefrom. I told them that I was distressed by the monthly mimimum charge that, in effect, they had just created. I said I was not going to pay $4.50 a month to look at airline schedules or check the weather in Zanzibar. I told them that my choices in online service subscriptions were based on many factors - but that the ability to use (and pay for) each service for as little - or as much I found necessary (including NOT AT ALL) per month was paramount. I was politely told that the choice was mine. The rep reminded me that along with the "flat rate" (he =refused= to use the word "monthly minimum" even after my repeated prodding) there was also a drop in the connect rates to half price. So, basically, at 2400 bps I would break even if I called GEnie for an hour of more per month. [I'm not sure that I do, anymore] Anyway, I yelled back something like "if you're trying to turn GEnie into the new Prodigy you're going to lose half your users" and hung up. I haven't cancelled yet .... but I'm thaaaaaaat close.