------------------------------ From: Alex Gross and Steven W. Grabhorn Subject: Two Comments on Prodigy Date: November 29, 1990 ******************************************************************** *** CuD #2.14: File 6 of 8: More on Prodigy *** ******************************************************************** {Prodigy has been receiving considerable criticism in the past few weeks because of its policies on e-mail, alleged censorship, and other problems that some users identify. There has been a lively discussion in Pat Townson's TELECOM DIGEST (available from the internet or by dropping a note to: TELECOM@EECS.NWU.EDU). The following typify the kinds of issues underlying Prodigy's policies -- moderators} From: Alex Gross <71071.1520@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: more on prodigy and censorship Date: 27 Nov 90 01:05:43 EST Tales of censorship on Prodigy have been ringing a great big bell with me, and I think you'll see why from the following message which I wrote as an answer to a query about the French Minitele service two years ago. It was first posted on CompuServe's FLEFO (Foreign Language Education Forum) and then got its life prolonged by being included in a Minitele info file that is still posted there. I guess the point is that a lot of people everywhere are still quite frightened by the idea of free speech. Also, what about the free flow of information across boundaries (or even inside boundaries telecom was supposed to bring--how free is it really going to turn out to be, and for whom? It's really sounding like Prodigy is Minitele revisited. I've added translations of some of the French words into English, but otherwise it's as I wrote it then. "My own experiences with Minitele are limited to the CTL branch between Feb & June of 1988, & I don't know how applicable my observations will be to Minitele as a whole or to what may have happened since. But I fear the worst. First of all, it is expensive, $25 per hour from what I hear. This wasn't true with CTL at the beginning. For close to a year, it was absolutely free to North Americans--this was because they were trying to drum up sub- scribers over here. Another version went that they were running big ads in France to get people to sign up for the CTL branch there (they have competitive companies over there running pieces of it) on the premise that they would be able to "talk directly with America." I came in on the end of this & had about 6 weeks of free service which then went to $4 per hour to $10 & presumably to $25. I quit at the $4 level. "There really wasn't an awful lot to do on this branch. You could go into "Le Bar" & bavarder/taper (talk/type) 1 on 1 in real-time with the French. You cd engage in something very remotely resembling free public discussion on some- thing called Le Forum. Or you cd try some of the other "entertainments," mostly limited or dumb in one way or another. I'll take each of the three in order. "Conversations in "Le Bar" were I think on the whole worse than those you might have on a BBS here using the CHAT option. Let's compare it to going to a party where you really had no idea who the guests might be, and they all turned out to have little in common. I had one or two pleasant chats, but most of them were of the "Et quelle heure est-il a New York?" variety ("What time is it in NYC?"). Many of the US-niks spoke only English, & a lot of the French seemed happy to reply this way. I found at least 2 bilingual Parisian secretaries there. Some of the talk was sex-oriented. Many had "PSEUDOs" (handles) like Cuddles or Fondles or BIG-T*TS. Oh yes, we all had PSEUDO's--mine was FRANGLAIS, which was generally appreciated. (Franglais is the kind of French no one is supposed to speak, but almost everyone does--it is a combo of French with lots of English words, FRANcais & anGLAIS.) Some will no doubt call me a snob, but not too much really got said. "Oh yes, some of the French affect an abbreviated slang, a la Metal Hurlant, (Heavy Metal, originally a French mag) something like "k'veute feravekma, magoss?" which wd not be too helpful for language-learning. ("Whatchawanna doowidmebabee?") Also, some of them don't even like computers & seemed surprised when I told them Minitele counted as one--so user-friendly is the interface that they really think they're on a typewriter or a tele- phone. All conversations in Le Bar, by the way, are private between those in them. "So much for Le Bar. As for "Le Forum," that was simply terrible. They practised rigorous censorship, & msgs cd take as long as 10 days to appear on the Bd while someone performed "Validation des Textes" ("text accredita- tion," I guess, but it sounds worse in French). At that time many of the msgs posted in this "public" part were in English, but about a third were in French. There were repeated anti-american msgs such as "All Americans are stupid cowboys" or "Les americains sont tous des barbares" ("americains are all barbarians") & such ilk. I have French cousins & have been hearing this for 35 years, but I was sad to see it still going on. Also, some of them have convinced themselves that France now leads the world technologically, & I saw one msg claiming that the computer was invented by those two great Frenchmen Pascal & Babbage (!) (to many French, any name ending in "-age" can sound French.) The best thing we had from it all was a party of 30 NYC area minitelistes, & afterwards I posted a msg stating in French that our group had awarded the PRIX DERRIDA for total stupidity to the Babbagehead and the PRIX ETIEMBLE for some other sottise (stupidity). (Explanation: the French go for literary prizes with names like PRIX THIS & PRIX THAT--Derrida is the name of a virtually unreadable literary critic, Etiemble wrote the book first condemning the use of "Franglais." The message finally got posted. Where criticism is concerned, the French can dish it out, but they really can't take it. I also (FINALLY) provoked them into posting a msg complaining about the censorship, but even this was censored. Le Forum was the only part of of Minitele I saw remotely comparable to CIS forums like FLEFO. "As for the other services, how often do you need to know Air France times or read Agence France Presse bulletins or consult a French astrologer? And even if the real Minitele is more complete, do you really need to know the names & addresses of all the dry cleaners in Marseilles? Hope this helps. Salut! Alex" And like it said then, Greetings! Alex +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ From: "Steven W. Grabhorn" Subject: Prodigy "Protesters" Respond Date: 27 Nov 90 05:33:19 GMT I know we've seen quite a bit of discussion about Prodigy in the last several weeks, however, I'd like to pass along an article I received from some of the Prodigy members involved in the "protest." Prodigy certainly does own its own service and it seems like they can do what they see fit with it. However, I thought it might be a good idea to forward some thoughts from the other side of the fence. Although I use Prodigy occasionally, the thoughts below may or may not reflect my own feelings, and the usual disclaimers about myself and my employer apply. ----------Begin Article------------ NEW PRODIGY GUIDELINES RESTRICT USE OF PRIVATE E-MAIL FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, NOVEMBER 24, 1990: Prodigy Service, the IBM/Sears owned home computer service, has taken another unprecedented step in its clampdown on private electronic communication. In what appears to be a direct response to the growing strength and visibility of Prodigy members who are protesting Prodigy's abandonment of its much publicized "flat fee" billing structure and proposed e-mail charges, the service has very quietly issued a new set of "messaging guidelines" (see attached) [not included ?? -sg].] Imposition of these guidelines will restrict the private exchange of information on Prodigy in ways never before attempted on a commercial online service. Russ Singer, a protest coordinator remarks, "Obviously Prodigy feels an informed membership is not in their best interest." Six days after being issued, existence of the new regulations is unknown to most Prodigy users. The guidelines have not been announced on the "Highlights" screen members encounter when logging on to the service. Among the guidelines, which take effect immediately, are prohibitions on: Contacting Prodigy's online merchants and advertisers for any reason other than to "purchase goods and services" and to "communicate about specific orders placed online"; "A mailing with a request to recipients to continue distribution to others," which Prodigy describes as "chain letters". Use of "automated message distribution programs (other than those provided by Prodigy); and the threat of termination of users who fail to provide a credit card number but who continue to send a large number of messages . The guidelines are vague and raise disturbing questions about free speech and the sanctity of private communication. These issues have aroused the concern of the ACLU and other legislative and consumer groups. Although issued universally, the intent of the guidelines seems aimed at stemming the protest. Says Henry Niman, another protest coordinator, "These guidelines don't make sense from a monetary standpoint. If Prodigy goes ahead with e-mail charges, in only five weeks these rules will be unnecessary." Although $.25 per message would afford Prodigy a bloated profit margin, most users on the service would find the cost prohibitive. Adds Niman, "These regulations do nothing more than create confusion and intimidation. What purpose is served by requiring, under threat of termina- tion, a credit card number from members who have already established a billing arrangement with the service?" Should e-mail charges be imposed, Prodigy, which is believed to be 80% advertiser supported, will have created an electronic marketplace in which merchants cannot benefit from customer to customer referrals. With the addition of Prodigy's latest guidelines, merchants will be denied customer feedback on the condition of that marketplace. Many protesters are asking, "Don't advertisers have an interest in knowing what management is doing?" Singer adds, "If what Prodigy wants to be is a shopping mall then it should advertise itself that way, not as a flat rate interactive service. Restricting users to submitting posts to Prodigy's public bulletin boards makes Prodigy no more 'interactive' than a letter to the editor in a newspaper." Prodigy's campaign to silence dissent on the service began on October 30th when Prodigy expelled ten of the most visible members of the protest group (The Cooperative Defense Committee). An hour later discussion of e-mail charges was prohibited on the only PUBLIC forum provided for member feedback . Fifteen days later, Prodigy targeted four more protesters by sending them newly devised "warning" notices informing them that private "mass mailings" might be used as grounds for termination. If Prodigy's new "guidelines" applied universally, you would not be getting this FAX. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: PENELOPE HAY (213) 472 0443 ******************************************************************** >> END OF THIS FILE << *************************************************************************** Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253 12yrs+