Aucbvax.1466 fa.human-nets utzoo!duke!chico!harpo!mhtsa!ucbvax!DERWAY@MIT-ML Sun May 31 20:22:43 1981 HUMAN-NETS Digest V3 #109 HUMAN-NETS AM Digest Monday, 1 Jun 1981 Volume 3 : Issue 109 Today's Topics: FYI - Recent update to CBBS file, Query Replies - CompuFiction & Fiber Optics, Rights of Access to Information - Terminal Eavesdropping & Computerized Cadillacs, Computers and the Handicapped - CBS and Teletext ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 05/31/81 05:20:42 From: W8SDZ@MIT-MC Subject: New list of Public Access Message Systems Those interested in Bill Blue's list of public access message and file transfer systems will find the latest version on MC in CPM;BBSNOS BYNAME Many new systems have been added and some corrections have been made. Thanks to Bill for a fine job! ------------------------------ Date: 26 May 1981 2003-EDT From: Paul A. Karger Subject: Audience Determination of Plot You don't need computers to have the audience determine the flow in a stage play. Ayn Rand's 1933 play, "Night of January 16th" featured a trial in which the jury members were selected from the audience. The jury heard evidence in a murder trial and rendered a verdict on the heroine. As a result, it was never known at any performance how the play would end. (There were two endings written for each possible verdict.) So that I don't generate an SFL-style spoiler, I won't reveal the ratio of guilty to not-guilty verdicts that occured during the play's run in New York. ------------------------------ Date: 05/26/81 10:25:31 From: TRB@MIT-MC Subject: Running lightwave cables from here to there Bell Labs & the Bell System are doing lots of work in lightwave cables. The winter olympics at Lake Placid were served by a switching system which had fiber optic links. I don't recall the specifics, but there will be a connection between Washington, New York and Boston in the mid-80's with something like 600 miles of lightwave cable. ------------------------------ Date: 29 May 1981 2315-EDT (Friday) From: Peter.Lucas at CMU-10A Subject: terminals and privacy The other night I was watching television on a cheap ($60 Admiral) TV while on the other side of the room (~15 feet) my wife was working at a cheap (Perkin-Elmer Bantam) terminal. The picture on the TV was picking up some interference from the terminal and when I adjusted the tuning, I discovered that I was able to tune in a perfectly readable image of the terminal screen. It apparently does not take terribly sophisticated equipment to perform electronic eavesdropping at the terminal end of a data link. Something to think about if you don't get along with the folks in the next apartment. -PAL ------------------------------ Date: 26 May 1981 21:08 PDT From: Frisbie.EOS at PARC-MAXC Subject: Big Brother rides with you! You may not have a plastic Jesus riding on the dashboard of your car, but a silicon Big Brother is riding under the hood if you own a new Cadillac. According to an article in the May 25th issue of Electronic Engineering Times, General Motors has been served with a 22-state class-action suit. The suit deals with problems in the 1981 Cadillac with 4-6-8 cylinder microprocessor control. Problems include indecisive shifting which causes bucking surging, poor fuel economy, and "hunting" of the 4-6-8 cylinder mode. The "Big Brother" aspect came to light when an unnamed Florida video engineer purchased a copy of the service manual for the system. He was amazed at the sophistication of the design which monitored 12 sensors for engine, water and air temperature, fuel flow, throttle demand and so forth. If any faults are discovered, the fault condition and location are stored and a "CHECK ENGINE" dashboard light is lit. If the driver doesn't go to a Cadillac repair center within 30 engine starts of the fault, the computer records the driver as being "negligent". In addition, if the car is ever driven over 85 mph, this fact is recorded! I could be persuaded to excuse the first on grounds that it is needed for warranty purposes, but only if the owner is told that he is being "watched", and how. The recording of speeds over 85 mph, however, strikes me as nothing less than an invasion of privacy. How long will it be before this becomes standard equipment on all new cars, complete with recording of time, odometer reading and speed? And how long before the police are equipped with devices that plug into your car's computer and extract this information? Never before have I felt the presence of Big Brother quite so close to me. As one who makes a good living with computer technology, I welcomed the use of computers in cars, but now I'm not so sure. Keeping watch over my car's engine is one thing, keeping watch over my personal habits is quite another. Alan Frisbie (Yes, I have been known to drive over 55 mph, but I don't recall going over 70 in the last two years, at least.) ------------------------------ Date: 27 May 1981 1734-PDT (Wednesday) From: Lauren at UCLA-SECURITY (Lauren Weinstein) Subject: The Cadillac Lemon A recent issue of "Electronic Engineering Times" had an interesting article regarding the much touted "4-6-8" model Cadillac -- the super- computerized version which automatically changes the number of cylinders in use according to "need". According to the article, the thing is a REAL lemon. Many, many buyers of this vehicle have suffered numerous problems related to the computer-controlled fuel and ignition system. The cars "cycle" through cylinder changes at random times, frequently stall at bad times (even during motion), and get worse gas mileage than a straight 8 cylinder Caddie. Buyers have been horrified to see the bills for "repair" (which usually doesn't work) would be costing them thousands of dollars if they were not under warrently. Frequently the whole computer system has to be replaced, and even that doesn't fix the problems for long. Cadillac dealers have begun to "suggest" that owners disconnect the computer's fault sensor circuits -- they point out the plug to pull, but of course will not do it themselves. The vehicle has a very sophisticated diagnostic system that can be plugged into a dealer's computer for all sorts of nifty readouts -- but the only indication to the owner that ANYTHING is wrong is a simple "check" light on the dash -- there is no indication of seriousness, and the check light seems to be lighting up all the time! This car, by the way, is the first that has NO direct physical connection between accelerator pedal and fuel system -- some engineers are beginning to wonder if the computer could "crash" in ways that would "jam" the pedal down, so to speak! An engineer who had bought the car, and was disgusted with the problems, decided to delve into it himself. He managed to get hold of the service manual and learned all sorts of interesting goodies. For example, by pushing the turn signal, pressing the brake pedal, and actuating a climate control switch at the same time, he could get the car's computer to display internal readouts on the digital speedometer display, just as if he were using the dealer diagnostic computer! Seems there are some interesting little tidbits that the computer keeps track of for the dealer! For example, if you fail to bring the car to the dealer within thirty engine starts of the "check" light coming on, this fact is noted. If you EVER drive over 85 mph, THIS fact is noted. [This reminds me of a series of radio commercials I heard many years ago here in L.A. The idea was that this car dealership had every car attached to a workbench in the service department by BIG rubber bands. Whenever it was time for regular service, the rubber band would SNAP the car back!] It is very unfortunate that the first fullscale "computerization" of a commericial passenger vehicle seems to be such a disaster. Hopefully these problems will work out with time, but it still certainly is not good publicity for Cadillac OR the computer industry. Gee, I wonder if the car keeps track of radio stations you listen to, or how many times you use the lighter, or whether you use seat belts? Next, there will be a plug that the highway patrol can attach their computer to! Retroactive traffic tickets. Big Brother is here, and he is a Caddie!? --Lauren-- ------- ------------------------------ From: ljs at DNGC Date: Tue, 26 May 81 07:30-EDT Subject: CBS and Teletext On Tuesday, May 19, 1981, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) together with B'nai B'rith International, friends, parents of deaf children, consumers and other supporters carried a day of boycott of programs telecast by the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). For one year now, deaf people have had access to television through a closed captioning system known as Line 21. Programs and commericals on ABC, NBC, and PBS are captioned and thus available to deaf people on their TV screens by means of a special decoder. These decoders are known as "Telecaption" and are available nationwide through the Sears, Roebuck and Company chain stores for approximately $250. CBS has steadfastly refused to allow its programs to be captioned for deaf viewers...instead, it is pursuing experimental work with another system which is referred to as Teletext. The CBS Teletext system is not compatible with the decoders that deaf people currently have available to them. The still-experimental Teletext system will not be available for for purchase for an undetermined number of years...perhaps ten or more. When it eventually reaches the market, the Teletext system will require that deaf people invest in still more expensive special equipment in order to have access to the CBS programs. All attempts by the deaf community, advocates, and supporters to reason with CBS officials for nearly ten years have been in vain. CBS, in fact, has even removed captions from already prepared commercials before airing them. On May 19, 1981, the NAD and other national organizations conducted demonstrations in over 12 major cities around the country which have important CBS stations, including New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Chicago, and Los Angeles. LJ's additional info: BBC (Great Britian) sells CEEFAX for over $1000 to its country TV viewers and France sells ANITOPE twice that amount to French viewers. It is assumed that the cost of Teletext here in USA might cost in this price range ($1000-$2000) approximately in ten years from now. Those 14 million hearing impaired population in United States cannot afford that unusually expensive price in order to have the access to TV. The reason for saying "10 years" is that the CBS is filing at FCC for standarization of teletext signals. Its time length is stretched when the BBC eventually applied for same , but better standarization with the possiblity of being compatible with Line 21. Recently the CNA (Canada TV Broadcasting Company, I think) joined those two stations in filing for same reason, but Canada's is already compatible to Line 21. So those three filings will make long and long processings and hearings with FCC. If you are interested in these matters, you may write to: Mr. Edward C. Carney, Public Information Director, National Association of the Deaf, 814 Thayer Avenue, Silver Spring, Md. 20910. ------------------------------ End of HUMAN-NETS Digest ************************ ----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/ This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided: 1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles. 2. The following notice remains appended to each copy: The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.