[Coco] A nostalgic Coco BBS message

Thu Sep 10 17:16:06 EDT 2015

My introduction to CompuServe was probably a bit earlier than yours, since
I got an offer that included a few free usage hours anywhere on CI$.  But I
was indignant to learn a few weeks later that they billed in 2-3 different
categories, only one of which was considered "usage".  I called and
complained, and they credited me with half of what they scammed me out of.
Later there was a class action suit filed against them on this, though I
don't remember how it turned out.

Still, I spent many happy hours on the CI$ CoCo SIG, and learned a great
deal about the CoCo there, so I don't really begrudge them the extra $5-10
dollars that that little deception cost me.  (Plus, eventually they gave me
a free flag for time spent in the CoCo SIG, which helped a lot.)

Art

On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 4:29 PM, Kandur <k at qdv.pw> wrote:

> Bill,
> do you remember of the sealed envelop, that came with your brand new Coco
> in the 80's?
> It contained a User ID Number and a Password, with an introductory usage
> credit of $15 that let you use the Free Practice Forum?
> See the short lines, suitable for the 40 column Coco!
> -----------------------------------------
> CompuServe Information Service
>  14:30 PDT Saturday 23-Sep-89
>
>      Copyright (c) 1989
>    CompuServe Incorporated
>      All Rights Reserved
>
> CONNECT RATES (per connect hour)
>
>            Prime/      Standard/
>            Daytime     Evening
>  BAUD      $/Hour      $/Hour
>  -------------------------------
>  up to 300 $6.00      $ 6.00
>  450*      $6.00      $ 6.00
>  1200      $12.50      $12.50
>  2400*     $12.50      $12.50
>  4800**    $32.50      $29.00
>  9600**    $47.50      $44.00
>
>  * Not available from all locations
>  ** Requires hardwired network connection
> and is not available from all locations.
>
> COMMUNICATIONS SURCHARGES
>  (per connect hour)
>  1 CompuServe Network
>  2 Telenet
>  3 TYMNET
>  4 DataPac
>  5 Computer Sciences Corporation
>  6 LATA Networks
>
> Your User ID Number is:
> 73040,1213
> Please write your User ID Number down
> Press <CR> for more !
> Your Confidential Password is:
> POSSUM.DRILL
> Please write your Password down
> Press <CR> for more !
> Please verify that you have
> copied the User ID number and
> password down correctly by
> entering them at the following
> prompts.
> User ID Number: 73040,1213
> Password: ****************
> That is correct. Please store
> your User ID number and password
> in separate and secure
> locations. You are responsible
> for all usage made under this
> newly created User ID number.
> As part of processing your
> member registration, we are
> creating a new password to be
> effective on a future date.
> (Your User ID number will remain
> the same and will not be mailed
> to you). The new password and
> its effective date will be
> mailed to you at the address you
> entered. Until you receive this
> Press <CR> for more !
> second password and it is in
> effect, you will be subject to
> our account limitations for new members.
>
> You may now log on the Service
> and begin using your
> introductory usage credit of $15.
> At the next User ID number and
> password prompts, enter the new
> permanent User ID number and
> temporary password which you
> have just obtained. Note that
> your password does not print out
> Press <CR> for more !
> as you enter it - this is a
> security precaution for your
> protection.
> User ID: 73040,1213
> Password: **************
> CompuServe Information Service
>  14:30 PDT Saturday 23-Sep-89
>      Copyright (c) 1989
>    CompuServe Incorporated
>      All Rights Reserved
> Thank you for becoming a member of CompuServe.
> CompuServe (FREE) TOUR
> Press <CR> !
> Welcome to The Free Practice Forum, V. 4D(104)
>      Mike Schoenbach
>      (Primary Sysop)
>
> Kandur
>
> Thursday, September 10, 2015, 11:27:38 AM, you wrote:
> > Art, in "hindsight", I am glad I could never afford "CompuServe" or
> > "Delphi"(I didn't even have a checking account in those days) as I
> would've
> > probably ended up divorced and in the poor house LMAO
> > My wife truely understood the term "Computer Widow".
>
> > I did have a friend who had accounts with both CI$ and Delphi and I would
> > load up my Coco system, take it to his house and we would do
> "all-nighters"
> > downloading stuff and copying it to disk. He would be downloading to his
> > Ken-Ton system, copy it over to floppy, I would then make copies with my
> Coco
> > while he started the next download. We "consumed mass quantities" of
> beer and pizza on those nights :-)
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Bill Pierce
> > "Charlie stole the handle, and the train it won't stop going, no way to
> slow down!" - Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull
>
>
>
> > My Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3
> > https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/
> > Co-Contributor, Co-Editor for CocoPedia
> > http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
> > Global Moderator for TRS-80/Tandy Color Computer Forums
> > http://www.tandycoco.com/forum/
>
> > ooogalapasooo at aol.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Arthur Flexser <flexser at fiu.edu>
> > To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> > Sent: Thu, Sep 10, 2015 1:31 pm
> > Subject: Re: [Coco] A nostalgic Coco BBS message
>
>
> > Your wife should be thankful you weren't addicted to CompuServe, where
> the
> > bills
>
>
> > Art
>
> > On
> > Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 1:27 PM, Bill Pierce via Coco
> > <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> > wrote:
>
>
>
> > hour I spent on a BBS... and
> >> all the money back that I spent on "long
> > distance" calls to "out-of-town"
> >> BBS's. When my wife would see me at the Coco
> > and the familiar "comm"
> >> program running (whichever I was using at the time),
> > she would ask "how
> >> much is this one gonna cost us?"
> >> In the last years of my
> > 1st Coco 3 (lost in the flooding of hurricane
> >> Floyd in '99), I had a 2nd
> > telephone line just for my computers. I would
> >> still tie up the house line as I
> > would have my PC on AOL (pre-internet) on
> >> one line and my Coco on a BBS on the
> > other. My wife threatened to get her
> >> own "private line" just so she could use
> > the phone!
>
>
>
>
> >> Bill Pierce
> >> "Charlie stole the handle, and the train it
> > won't stop going, no way to
> >> slow down!" - Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull
>
>
>
>
> > My Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3
>
> > https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/
> >> Co-Contributor, Co-Editor for
> > CocoPedia
> >> http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
> >> Global Moderator
> > for TRS-80/Tandy Color Computer Forums
> >> http://www.tandycoco.com/forum/
>
>
> > ooogalapasooo at aol.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >> --
> >> Coco mailing list
>
> > Coco at maltedmedia.com
> >> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
>
>
> > --
>
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> > list
> > Coco at maltedmedia.com
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>
>
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