Conference 7.286::digital

>   < Note 761.0 by WR2FOR::BOUCHARD_KE "Ken Bouchard WRO3-2/T7" >
>
>    By listening to a tape,the company can get it's message
>    about safety across and the employee is sort of entertained.(the
>    tape is done in a humorous manner)
    
    Providing you:
    
    	1) Have a company car. 
    	2) Have a cassette player. 
    	3) Listen to it. 
    
    Personally, none of the above apply to me...
    
-Andy

    Since my company car hasn't arrived yet, and it won't have a tape
    player, mine went where all the other junk mail goes.
    
    Also, should we REALLY be listening to something while we are driving
    in traffic?  I put the radio on, but that is only for background
    noise.
    
    Bob

    re: .4
    
>    Also, should we REALLY be listening to something while we are driving
>    in traffic?  I put the radio on, but that is only for background
>    noise.
    
    I listened to about 5-10 minutes worth of the tape.  One of the
    first points that is made is that when you drive, you need to
    concentrate on the road.  Of course, I found that to be a good excuse
    to turn off the tape.   8^}
    
    Actually, I didn't particularly like the part of the tape that I
    heard.  I felt, well... patronized.  I'd much rather deal with a
    10-15 minute corporate core-dump on highway safety than listen to
    a fake radio broadcast covering twice that time.
    
    I have other things that I normally listen to when driving.  As
    I drive a minimum of 2 hours per day, I keep thinking that it should
    be no problem to find time to listen to this tape.  But I find myself
    so turned off by the "fakeness" of it all that I haven't made it
    past those first few minutes.
    
    -- Russ

    Re. .4  
    Hi Bob!  When you're flying, is following the 'traffic' on your
    radio just 'noise' ;'/  
    
    Re. .5
    
    I have to agree with Russ on the "fakeness" of the tapes.  They
    seem more oriented for a customer than someone who is trying to
    learn more about a product introduction... I _rarely_ listen to
    'em anymore (especially since they tend to jam inside my player!).
    
    Nowadays, I play a subliminal tape that has nice easygoing music
    -- it tends to reduce my anxiety in traffic...

    I listened to the whole tape.
    
    The 'Star-Trek' bit on side 2 was the only thing I felt was 'clever'.
    
    My basic feeling of the tape was that while the messages were good,
    the mechanism was certainly below the intellectual level I would
    expect things aimed at DEC 'professionals' to be at.  Way below!
    The 'humor' or attempt at was certainly not sophisticated, subtle
    or intellectual.
    
    	-Barry-

    
    I find it amusing, I can listen to a tape on safety while I
    drive home from an extended outage, 24 hours on site and 2 hours
    each way. For 12 years I have griped about field engineers being
    left to burn on sites with out relief, and now I get a tape on 
    driver safety. 
    
    Sorry for the sarcastic view but I just don't believe anybody
    really cares.
    
    Dick,

     I don't see the original point of view after reading all of the
    replys!!  Cost effective? Whats wrong with a book or possibly
    a seminar?  Yes, I am one of the DEC employees without the LUXURY
    of a company car (talk about cost effective!) .  Sounds like that
    tape is a waste!! What do you think DEC paid for that "tape" program???
    
         Dave 

    I guess strange things amuse me.(maybe I should say "simple things")
    The "star trek" segment was slightly funny but Andy Moroney's
    commentary (an Andy Rooney impressionist) was genuinely
    amuzing,especially the part where he tells you *not* to buckle your
    seatbelt so you can sail through the windshield and land on the
    pavement.

    Probably the reason these tapes continue to proliferate is that
    the Sales and Support folks continue to send in Surveys that say
    they are valuable.  Sorry, but this note doesn't constitute a
    scientific sample of the opinions of the listening community...
    
    I have a *REAL* problem.  I've been collecting these things for
    years!  Now I'm getting a company car next month.  I'm going to
    have to sit out in my car and listen to tapes for about three months 
    to catch up!
    
    8')
    
    Gil  (let's see, is this side 1 or ......)
    

    I liked the "Star Trek" knock-offs on Side Two.  Overall a juvenile
    tape aimed at new drivers.  Sort of a Driver's Ed on wheels ??????

    
    	   I became an involuntary participant in the Audio Cassette
    	Program when I signed on almost two years ago.  I listened to
    	one of the tapes, and found the format intolerable.  I have
    	listened to none since.  One went into my answering machine
    	(after taping over the "write-lock" holes), and the rest have
    	gone straight from my mail box to my trash can unopened.
    
    	   If I want ptoduct information, I'll turn to Notes or Sales
    	Update, or Digital News (especially if I want futures information).
    	
    	   Most of the other software reps I work with do the same thing.
    	The tapes just don't cut it, as far as we're concerned.  Cost
    	effective?  Well, somehow I don't think so.
    
    	   I often think of opting out of the program, but it never seems
    	to make it to the top of my priority list.
    
    	   Sales Update is barely adequate as an information source.
    	The articles often do not contain the information I need, as
    	a techie, and focus too intensely on "How to sell" and "What
    	To Sell" (which is self-explanatory, if the article is written
    	peoperly, which it rarely is).  Cost effective?  Probably not.
    	Most of the people I work with collect them, but few spend
    	much time reading them, except when special needs arise.  Also,
    	since the information is "For Internal Use Only", it makes a
    	lousy reference source when dealing with customers.
    
    	   Digital News, on the other hand, costs me (and Digital)
    	nothing.  The information there is not always 100% accurate
    	(as in the misinformation published about the "Aquarius"
    	project recently), but it is usually more concise and "meaty"
    	than Sales Update articles, and it gives a more objective 
    	analysis of the product as well.  Besides, since it is what
    	the customers read, I *MUST* read it to know what's on their
    	minds.  AND I get up-to-date information on other products
    	as well, which often compliment our own product set.
    
    	   Cost effective?  You bet!  Doesn't cost Digital one red
    	cent, and is far easier to tolerate than either the tapes
    	or Sales Update.  As a company  we crank out some pretty 
    	good handbooks, but our internal information systems are
    	substandard.
    
    	- Greg

	i also enjoyed the car safety tape.  i thought the Star Trek and
	Andy Rooney spoofs were especially creative.
	
	A tip of the hat to the talented writers.
	
	Waiting for my next tape ... 
	
	
	harrY

    Maybe we're hearing negative comments because software people get
    lots of tapes and you just have hit the "saturation point" (I'm
    also including sales types) I,on the other hand,am a F/S support
    type and as such I receive *very* few tapes...in fact,I have received
    exactly *one* so far.

	I have not listened to the car tape yet, but I will admit, I am more
	likely to listen to it in traffic than to read the next Competitive
	Update (you think Sales Update is useless, Greg - ha!).

	I have to agree with Greg, though - the Sales tapes are awful for
	SWS types - you get them after announcement, most of the stuff is
	sales-y (e.g. Electronic Store tape), and it's all competitive stuff.
	Now, give me a tape that contains some content (in lieu of reading
	Sales Update)...that'd be worthwhile, don't you think?

	BTW, I have received one tape I really liked. The Influence tape
	was very interesting and convinced me to put the Influence course
	on my goalsheet this year.

eric

    Re: .13 (Tapes directly to the trash)
    
    Maybe I missed it in your note but I didn't see where you had asked
    for this ineffective tapes to be stopped.  I would certainly hope
    that you have tried to get them stopped.  If not, I would certainly
    urge you to do so.
    
    Many of the people complaining in this note seem to feel that the
    Sales and Software Services tapes are being forced upon them.  It
    doesn't seem that anyone gets these unless they have requested them
    in some way.  Moreover, the people producing them really SEEM
    interested in feedback.
    
    Rather than dumping on these people here and being less than useful
    which seems very anti Digital why not send them feedback via the
    comment card in the tape, send mail to CSTVAX::CASSETTES or Nancy
    Williams @ OGO, or call DTN 276-8945 or 508-493-8945. People who are
    REALLY interested in helping Digital are mature enough to provide
    constructive input where it can do good. 
    
    For what it's worth,
    
    Don

    I'm in field service and received one of those safety tapes and
    managed about half way through side one before my intelligence
    (what little there is) was insulted by the simplicity of the
    presentation that I never bothered to hear the rest and never will.
    Personaly, I think that the tape was a demonstration of the fact
    that DEC has more money than they know what to do with or can control.
    I know of a few other problems they could have spent that same money
    on and made things go better for alot of people. (You know, return
    for your investment). Mean while I'm going to fill out the opinion
    card sent with the tape so the right people get my opinion and
    maybe our money will be used for better things in the future.
    
    P.S. Before anyone sugests I drive unsafely they should review my
    driving record. Maybe they should research their target audience
    and send tapes where apropriate.
    

What would be useful are technical tapes on things that are of interest
to Sales, SWS, or FS.  Things like "Introduction to DECwindows programming"
or "Ultrix for VMS people."  or "DECstation 3100: Why RISC?" or
"DECnet Phase V: Revolution or Evolution?".

Tapes that gives facts and information about current products or technologies
that can inform the field.  Not at the level of an self-paced course but 
something that will at least make aware of subject and give you pointers to
get more information.

When I was in the field, I mostly tossed all the tapes I got because they
weren't or didn't seem applicible to me.  Techincal tapes would give the 
average field person a place to start when learning a new subject and just
broaden his knowledge base.

    re: .17
    
    This is the first tape I ever got, and I never asked for it.  As far as
    getting off the list, I don't think I will waste my time. See the other
    notes about people who have tried without success for YEARS to get off
    various mailing lists.  I suspect that my job code got me on the list
    and the only way off the list would be a job code change. 
    
    In the meantime, I'll continue to do with them as I do with other
    unsolicited mail...trash it.
    
    Too bad it doesn't get sent to me at the office...I could just ask
    our department coordinator to route it to the trash for me.  Now
    if I could do the same for the U.S. Field News, and a few other
    things...                                                
    
    Bob

.9�    a seminar?  Yes, I am one of the DEC employees without the LUXURY
.9�    of a company car (talk about cost effective!) .  Sounds like that

    
    Since you think that having a company car is some sort of "goody",let
    me tell you about something called "fringe benefit value".That is
    a term coined by your friends and mine at the IRS that insures that
    we who receive that "goody" pay exactly what it's worth via that
    $30/week charge *and* a sum tacked on to our W-2 at year's end.
    
    
    BTW: If you've already heard of FBV,why are you refering to a co.
    car as a luxury?

I kinda like the cassette tapes.  Yes, even the "drive alive" tape.  I did think
it was corny, but the points it made were good, and I guess I drove a little bit
safer to work today.  I would much rather listen to cassetts on my way to work
than to get all the various sales updates, competitive updates, and other DEC
literature I get.  I can listen carefully, or not listen carefully.  It uses my
commute time which would otherwise go to waste (1.5 - 2.5 hours a day).

I don't feel that my intelligence is insulted by any information they have given
by cassette.  I do agree, however, that some more technical tapes would be
useful.  Like I said, I might as well make use of that commute time.

Karen

    re: .22
    
    I don't have the luxury of listening to cassettes on my commute.
    I switch between 3 or 4 stations every few minutes to get the latest
    traffic report to try and avoid running into the problem on the
    road that will increase my drive time by 50% on any particular day.
    
    I thought the traffic in Calif. were supposed to be worse than here
    in Dallas or in Boston.  Or are they sooo bad that you are stuck
    no matter what and listening to traffic reports wouldn't make a
    difference?
    
    Bob

    Cassette tapes I've received from the "Service in Excellence" seminar
    are valuable; re-inforces my education.
    
    The driver safety tape that was recently sent to everyone who drives
    a fleet vehicle, however, is in my opinion, a total waste.  It's
    only a repeat of the same harp we've been getting from T.V. car
    safety commercials; not one bit of anything new.  Entertaining?
    Another subjective topic.
    

    re .23:
    
    Yes, the design of LA freeways in often such that there is not much
    you can do if you hear about a ten car pileup up ahead. What it
    does give you though, is warning if there is a God-awful, near-nuke
    total blockage condition ahead, in which case it's time to get 
    off the freeway and sidetrack on surface streets or wait it out 
    in a restaurant. In a few places there are two freeways running
    in parallel and there is a choice. Most of the time your alternatives
    are worse than the original path because everyone and his brother
    are also listening to the radio, looking for shortcuts.

    Unlike some places where there are many alternate routes, less than
    five million cars on the road, and its more like a dynamic situation.

    I find the tapes to be tedious listening because they seem to aim
    them at sales reps and make a lot of general positioning statements.
    I want to hear specifics! 

    erik.

        re .-1
        Given the massive emphasis that is growing on CD technology. Why
        are we sticking with dated cassette tapes (Are we trying to sell
        Tu60's still?)
        
        A 3 inch CD would have 20-odd minutes of info (about as much as
        one could handle without brain overload.) What does a walkman CD
        for 3 inch discs costs. Less than US$100.
        
        Greg Robert... Where are you...
        
        
        q
         :-)
        

    i gave it up as "not worth suffering through" about 2/3 through
    side one.
    
    several previous replies reflect my opinion:
    less than well done.
    patronizing.
    
    I certainly wouldn't show it off to a non-dec employee as "this
    is what our company does for us".
    
    tony	who_is_about_to_lose_the_DECwreck_anyway

Gee, I guess I'm in a minority on this one.

I enjoyed the tape - even though it might be construed as "talking down" to the
audience.  

The justification for the expenditure was stated early on - if it prevents just
two (2) accidents in the fleet, it will have paid for itself.  Well, I'd like
to think that at least two people out here might hear something new or perhaps
hear something again that they'd forgotten and drive a little better.

They took something rather "boring" and tried to present it in an interesting
fashion.  "Patronizing?"  I don't think so.  I think they did a good job.  

Was it money well spent?  Judging from the majority of replies here, no,
because we open-minded people [ :-( ] canned it before listening, or we feel
we're "above average" in our driving skills (like the other 80% of the folks
who think they're "above average" mentioned on the tape).  I'm not wild about
the expenditure, but someone obviously was tasked with improving the
performance of the fleet, and I think they did a good job at a thankless task.

Beside, the "Star Trek" piece on side 2 (which it sounds like most folks never
got to) was pretty amusing!

Steve

    
    �The justification for the expenditure was stated early on - if it prevents just
    �two (2) accidents in the fleet, it will have paid for itself.
    
    I personally never have the in car entertainment switched on. It
    makes enough noise to prevent my hearing other cars' horn warning,
    I cannot accurately hear the engine note of my car, and frankly
    it distracts me from concentrating on my driving. This is doubly
    true if the system is delivering a lecture.
    
    I know you don't have to listen to the tape in the car, but I'd
    offer a small wager that a fair number of people do: the fact that
    apparently you have to have a cassette deck in your car to get it
    is suggestive that other people think the same way.
    
    In the circumstances I would be more inclined to think that it would
    cause two accidents rather than prvent them...
             
    If the company wants to prevent accidents then a corporate wide
    scheme of lessons similar to the British "Drive & Survive" program
    is an infintiely better idea.
    
    /. Ian .\

    re: .29
    
    You may be a little confused about how things are on this side of
    the pond.  Some people have company owned cars with cassette decks.
    This is mostly sales and sales support folks.  These peoples cars
    come standard with tape decks.  From that one must assume that one
    is expected to listen to tapes while driving.  Those of us in PSS
    that have company-owned cars, must pay for the cassette deck as
    an option if we want it.  From that I must assume that I am not
    expected to listen to tapes while driving and maybe not at all since
    many people have CD players rather than tape decks at home.
    
    Then, those of us who do not have company-paid cars are often paid
    a fixed amount per month + mileage to use the car for company business.
    Once again, the sales folks are required to have a cassette deck
    in their car, PSS folks are not required to, and I don't know about
    the sales support folks.
    
    I am not on the company-owned car plan, yet I received a tape with
    no way for Digital to know whether I have a tape deck in my car
    or not.
    
    Tell us more about the British "Drive & Survive" program.
    
    Bob

re: < Note 761.26 by BUNYIP::QUODLING "Apologies for what Doug Mulray said..." >


>        What does a walkman CD for 3 inch discs costs. Less than US$100.

		Where? The Sony is a *lot* more expensive than that (not sure,
		but I think it's over $200)

        
        
        re .-1
        
        Not if you buy several thousand...
        
        
        q
        

re: .26

I'm here, but declined to step into this one.  Somehow the idea of
informing the field with recorded talks just doesn't grab me ...
I think I'd prefer the funds be spent on better PIDs, demos, and
other tools.

But I'm not a field person so I can't really say.

- greg

	I like the cassette program. Whether dry or wet, they give me
	information I need. I always find that I can give feedback on
	the tape when needed. If you don't like them, give them a
	critique on how it would be better. My problem is that I
	am not on the distribution list for the sales tapes even 
	though I am in Sales Support and keep borrowing my office
	mate's copies.

	Personally, I thought the the Star Trek parody was great as
	it brought back memories of "A Piece of the Action" episode
	which I enjoy watching. I did comment that we needed more
	from "Uhura" and "Sulu" in the next tape.

    i'm in field service...and i drive a DEC automobile.
    
    i have received exactly ONE audio cassette...about safer driving
    habits.
    
    does this constitute a *PROGRAM*???
    
    tony	who_thought_they_were_trying_something_NEW
    

    
    I know its a while back but I don't follow this daily...
    
    .30 � ...  Some people have company owned cars with cassette decks.
        � ...  These peoples cars come standard with tape decks.  From 
        �      that one must assume that one is expected to listen to 
        �      tapes while driving. 
    
    No more than I assume from the presence of a cigar lighter that
    one is expected to smoke whilst driving.
    
    If Digital (or any other company) issued company car drivers with
    a daily ration of cigars I would expect an outcry on the basis that
    it was a practice hazardous to the employees health that was being
    encouraged by the company.
    
    Listening to material with an information content whilst driving
    is dangerous. That these tapes are sent [only] to people with cars 
    implies to me that some hypothetical 'they' expects employees to listen
    whilst driving. 
    
    /. Ian .\

re: .36

Maybe you are just using the wrong example, but for Sales, the cassette deck
is standard. i.e., no cost to the employee.  For others, the cassette deck
is an option that the employee must pay cash for up front.  Since the cassette
deck is an extra cost option, company-paid,for some employees, and not others,
it is logical to assume that Digital buys the cassette deck for for those it
wishes to listen to cassettes while driving.

Since it is impossible (to the best of my knowledge), to purchase a car in
the U.S. without a cigar lighter, no assumption can be made about whether
Digital wants employees to smoke cigars, based upon the presence of the cigar
lighter.

Bob

    Digital provides a cigar lighter standard with all cars to power
    your sales persons' radar detectors!  :+)
    
    -George

.37�Maybe you are just using the wrong example, but for Sales, the cassette deck
.37�is standard. i.e., no cost to the employee.  For others, the cassette deck
.37�is an option that the employee must pay cash for up front.  Since the cassette
 
    Not so.

    
    I smoke cigars - but not whilst driving (it's dangerous, not least
    because you occasionally have to take a hand off the wheel to remove
    ash from the cigar).
    
    I have a radio, and occasionally a CB radio and a 2m Ham radio in
    the car (which is what I use the cigar lighter for), but I don't
    use any of these when driving: the transmitters require my hands
    and are distracting, and the radio I don't use because the spoken
    words attract my attention away from driving which is dangerous.
    
    I have a casette deck - it came as standard with my DECmobile, because
    that's how Renault sell 'em. I use it to play tapes that contain
    nothing but music, because it is soothing and relaxing and helps
    me to drive safely - though I switch it off on narrow country lanes
    so I can hear audible alarms from other cars coming round blind
    bends.
    
    I wouldn't have a cellular phone in the car, let alone use one,
    because it is dangerous - imagine the distraction if the **** thing
    rang at 70 mph...
    
    No my objection to the tapes is simple: THEY REQUIRE YOU TO CONCENTRATE
    ON THEM TO HEAR THE MESSAGE and as such they are dangerous if used
    in a car.
    
    If the company wants you to listen it should provide a cheap walkman
    style player and headphones, preferably attached to your desk, or
    better still a conference-type room with a decent audio setup.
                                                                 
    /. Ian .\
    

re: .36, .40

I'm not sure now whether we are disagreeing over whether it is good/bad to
listen to informational cassettes while driving, or whether certain employees
are expected to listen to cassette tapes while driving since Digital has
chosen to equip their cars with cassette decks at no cost to the employee.

Bob

re: .39

    > Not so.

Could you please elaborate as to what is incorrect about my statement in .37

Bob

.42�< Note 761.42 by THEPIC::AINSLEY "Less than 150 kts. is TOO slow!" >
.42�                              -< Please explain >-
.42�
.42�re: .39
.42�
.42�    > Not so.
.42�

    
    Every DECmobile from '87 on,(except FS wagons) comes with a cassette
    deck at no charge.(with the possible exception of emergency orders,in
    that case,you take whatever car the dealer has on the lot)

When I put my order in last month, the paperwork I was given describing the
options on the Chevy (currently the only car available), AM/FM radio was
standard.  In the options list was an AM/FM Stereo cassette with a "*" next
to it.  At the bottom, the "*" said something like, "Standard for all
Sales codes".  I'll see if I can dig up the documentation next week.

Bob

re .36:

>    Listening to material with an information content whilst driving
>    is dangerous. That these tapes are sent [only] to people with cars 
>    implies to me that some hypothetical 'they' expects employees to listen
>    whilst driving.

Ian, this strikes me as arguable.

(1) Your first point, that listening to material with an information content
    while driving is dangerous, may well be true. Nonetheless, an awful lot
    of people indulge in it. The fact that most cars come with radios seems
    to imply an assumption that people will use them, and although a lot of
    them are listening to music, Radio 1, Radio 2, local radio, etc., there
    are some stations which still broadcast information.

    Listening to the spoken word is presumably a mainly left-brain operation.
    Driving, I submit, is mainly right-brain - except when you have to read
    road signs. I find it possible to listen to the radio, or to AudioDEC
    sales training tapes, with enjoyment and benefit while I drive. While
    this may make me prone to lapses of concentration, I doubt if they are
    any more frequent than those that would be caused by sheer boredom if I
    didn't listen.

    Actually, the bandwidth of the AudioDEC tapes is so low on average, it
    doesn't hamper my driving at all. For some years I have nourished a plan
    "some day" to copy the interesting and useful parts of the 12 tapes a
    year I have received onto one tape. It might take both sides though :-)

(2) When you think about it, the distribution of tapes to those with cars
    does not necessarily mean that they are intended for use IN the cars.
    Possibly both car-users and tape-recipients fall into some orthogonal
    class (such as "sales and sales support people").

I never realized we were in the same building. Drop by some time and have some
coffee or lunch. Think how much more arguing we can do face to face :-)

--Tom

    re:-1
    
    That must be a new rule.Every new car has/had a tape deck (including
    mine and I'm in F/S)

    Casette #1 from fleet admin. called:"drive alive",was definitely
    better than #2 which I just got.If the next tape is like this one,not
    many people (including me) will be listening!
    What do you all think?

    
    .0> ... If the next tape is like this one, not many people (including
    .0> me) will be listening!
    
       I'm one step ahead of you.  The first one was so educational (for me
    at least) that I didn't bother listening to the second one.
    
       Hmmm...  Isn't corporate looking for cost-cutting measures? I think
    I know of one.  :-)
    
    
    Frank
    

    re: .2
    
    This probably should be in the "Are cassettes worthwhile" or whatever
    it was called topic that discussed the cassettes sent to everyone on
    Car Plan A or B.
    
    Bob

    A number of replies that were previously in a new topic have been
    moved here to take advantage of the previous discussions and context.

    		Alfred - co-moderator

    Don't complain about the cassettes.  My daughters loves them.  Put a 
    little tape over the holes and she can record her music on them.
    

    I try (and usually succeed) to listen to all of these tapes, including
    the Sales/Support ones because I have an hour's drive to/from the
    office and most customer sites.  Lots are boring, but I also remember a
    graduate school seminar series that we called the "Mickey Mouse Club"
    we were required to attend.  My conclusion was that no matter how you
    made your choices, only about 1 in 10 were worth it.  The lesson
    learned was that you had to go to the other nine to get the good one. 
    Any parallels here to this note series?

    BTW, about six months ago I discovered the local public library
    had lots of books on tape, many very good ones.  Sometimes I now
    walk out to the car in the morning to start the drive with a little
    more enthusiasm.  Try 'em.
    
    Fred 

re: .53

I don't have time to listen to anything on the radio/cassette player other than
traffic reports.  I heard about the wreck that had I-35 shutdown in both
directions this morning and was able to take an alternate route and arrive only
10 minutes later than I expected.

Bob

    Hmmm,
    
    My cut on the last situation would be to not listen to the traffic
    reports, get into the jam, recognize it for what is was, pull over to
    the side until it cleared up, listen to the rest of the tape(s), read a
    book or take a nap.  There are still some excuses even KO would accept!
    Kinda like a holding pattern, not much you can do about it except
    conserve as much gas as possible, both real and emotional, until the
    system can serve you again. (gee whiz, a MUTEX?). 
    
    Fred

.48�    .0> ... If the next tape is like this one, not many people (including
.48�    .0> me) will be listening!

    How did you do that?
    You were actually quoting .47 where I said that tape #2 wasn't too
    good,instead,it looks like you quoted .0 where I actually said that
    I liked tape #1.
    Everyone thoroughly confused?