ietf-822
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Re: SNPP - A Clarification

1993-09-03 17:10:01
Marshall Rose writes:

So, I think we are back to: why do we need another protocol (and
associated infrastructure), when we already have a widespread SMTP
infrastructure...

  I guess I don't understand what this sudden rush to implement a paging
  protocol is all about. I already have a paging protocol, had it for 
  years. The applications build on top of it are really Hot as well. This
  is how my current pagind set-up works:

  I sit on my terminal and all of a sudden I hear a <beep>. I then look
  around to see that is wrong, when all of a sudden I notice that this
  little window in the bottom of my screen is now colored white on black
  (rather than the default black on white). The window also has a picture
  on it, mine has a picture of a mailbox on it, and the little lever on
  the mailbox is upright (default position is downright). Other people
  around here have similar pagers, some people have these little windows
  that speak to them whereas mine just goes <beep>. I have also seen 
  other pagers that also go <beep> but at the same time they show a 
  picture of the person paging them. 

  Since my pager isn't smart enough to show my who is paging me I need 
  to find out for myself. I normally do this by typing "elm" on the 
  UNIX command line. Other people around here invoke "mail" or other such
  paging acknowledgement utilities. Anyway, I then find out who had 
  paged me - I also get a message from the person. Sometimes just the
  subject line has a message, but other times the person leaves me a
  page that takes screenfulls of reading. <BTW: normally by this time
  the little window in the corner of my screen is the default color and 
  the little lever has settled down>.

  Another Hot thing about my pager is that recently I can also be paged
  via groovy multimedia pages - these pages are my favorite.  

  I can also page someone if I really wanted to. I have access to many
  networks (UUCP, BITNET, COMPUSERVE, PRODIGY, etc etc etc). The thing
  that bums me about paging someone is that is might take a few minutes
  to page him. When I am so impatient and can't wait a few minutes for
  a page to go through I use a different form of pager. This new pager
  goes <ring ring> and forces me to dial some numbers. The bad thing 
  about this pager is that I have to "pay" for it:-(. The good thing
  about this pager is that if the person I am paging is not next to a
  computer, and he is wearing a little box on his belt, I can still
  make contact.

  Anyway, I guess what I am saying, is that unless SNPP can provide me
  with something I don't already have, a "paging" protocol will only serve
  to confuse me (do I really need another little window in the corner of
  my terminal? - I don't think so). What I do need so for a way to be
  paged when I am not next to a computer, or a phone, or carrying a pager
  with me. (putting a longer string around 2 tin cans is cheating).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neophytos Iacovou 
Honeywell Systems & Research Center                
iacovou(_at_)src(_dot_)honeywell(_dot_)com
Minneapolis, Mn, 55418 

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