On Thu, 11 Feb 1993 09:29:31 EST Matthew Simpson <054340@UOTTAWA> said: >However, please realize that there are some people faced with a lack of >knowledge about systems that requires 2 years to bring one up to speed >(if not just to keep pace). That's why we have this list on which you can ask QUESTIONS about things you don't understand. You are however expected not to make STATEMENTS about things you don't understand, as they in turn may lead others to make decisions based on inaccurate information. >Eric, I would love to play the CD's forever and ever. However, I have >been notified by the electrical company that the new frequencies, >through which AC electrical current will be provided, will sometime this >summer come into effect, furthermore creating harmonic distortion in >CD-player controls that dis-allows the listeners to program the player. No, you have read in a magazine about golf that there are rumours that CD's will stop working soon. If you have any statement from CREN that says BITNET will be terminated this summer, I would like to see it. If you meant your university is leaving BITNET, I don't see how that affects you. The LISTSERV's will still be there and you will still be able to send mail to them. The BITNET subscribers are a minority nowadays, you know. >Now here is where the big quandary comes into effect. I am noticing that >electrical companies all around the world are adopting these new >frequencies as part of their systems. Oh yes, they offer both the new >and the old frequencies. But for how long? It is irrelevant since appliances working on DC couldn't care less whether the original frequency was 50Hz or 60Hz. But since you aren't an electrical engineer you can't know that, and instead of asking someone who understands these things you write to the local music club and state that all CD's will stop working when the frequency is changed and that there will be no way to repair them, and ask around what they are going to do about their CD's. You create a certain amount of panick, but then a knowledgeable CD owner shows that you don't know what you are talking about and you make a fool of yourself. But then instead of dropping the argument, you make up a case to try to convince the engineers that there really IS going to be a major problems for CD's when the frequency is changed to 50Hz and it won't be possible to solve it without developing a special, fuzzy-logic, microprocessor-driven filter like these new japanese heaters you saw in the last issue of your local baseball magazine, and wonder why it is they aren't working on that. The engineers shake their heads in amazement and keep laughing while you mutter in your corner. That's what happened. Eric