The good points about Compuserve:
1. They have local (toll-free) telephone numbers in virtually every city
of any size.
2. They still allow DOS access (Arachne) to the internet, unless you use
their proprietary programs, which require windoze.
The bad points about Compuserve:
[Too long to list!!]
Reasons to remain with Compuserve:
1. Procrastination
2. See "Good Points."
Reasons to leave Compuserve:
1. It is expensive!
2. Classic Compuserve permits only 100 messages in mail box.
3. See "Bad Points."
Roger Turk
Tucson, Arizona USA
One of these days, when I get around to it, I am going to become a
procrastinator!
Tom Mueller wrote:
. > in response to Roger Turk on Compuserve:
. > I remember Compuserve. It was a super BBS. I used DOSCIM, which with
. > HMI was more user-friendly than the terminal (ASCII) interface. My modem
. > speed was 2400. Compuserve had Compuserve B+ protocol, in contrast to
. > XMODEM, YMODEM and later ZMODEM found on BBSes. Hilgraeve also had the
. > proprietary Hyperterminal protocol, supported by their HyperAccess
. > communications program and the lite versions for Windows and OS/2.
. > Compuserve developed OS2CIM for a time; I tried it, but it didn't work as
. > well as DOSCIM. In 1996 (?) they developed a NISA forum interface but
. > were very slow converting fora to NISA. I was never able to post a forum
. > message in a NISA (Nasty Interface Stymies Access) forum, and got frequent
. > timed-outs and disconnects in NISA fora such as DCIMSUP and OCIMSUP.
. > Whenever I was "timed out waiting for a response" in Compuserve, it was
. > followed by disconnect, in contrast to the Internet where, if I fail to
. > connect to a server, I am still connected to the Internet. In August 1997
. > I was unable to send outgoing Internet email except in reply to an
. > incoming message, due to a snafu with both DOSCIM and the host computers.
. > One area of customer service seemed aware of the problem, while another
. > area denied it. Then I quit and subsequently went with a real ISP. Good
. > riddance to the DOSCIM/WINCIM proprietary file cabinet formats. I
. > received a few unsolicited Compuserve 2000 CDs in the mail, but no way
. > would I be interested in such a proprietary windoze-only service; same re
. > AOL.
. > I remember there was somebody anxious to write a LINCIM to access
. > Compuserve with HMI from Linux, but he was stymied by management's
. > unwillingness to let him have access to the trade-secret protocols. After
. > a time, I was ready to say Compuserve, take your trade secrets and shove
. > them!
