🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <FAIGIN.92Aug6114151@soldan.aero.org> faigin@aero.org (Daniel P. Faigin) writes:
>On 6 Aug 92 18:01:58 GMT, michaelb@cse.fau.edu (Michael Rogero Brown) said:
>> One thing I think ACM also needs to do is understand what email is all about.
>
>> What I mean is that I emailed ACM about a couple of publications I wanted
>> that where not listed in the Publications catalog.  Instead of giving my
>> message to the correct person(s), I got a message back to call the order
>> department.  
>
>This, IMHO, is a valid complaint. Drop a note to Joe DeBlasi
>(deblasi@acmvm.bitnet), with a copy to Mark Mandelbaum (markm@acmvm.bitnet),
>director of the office of publications.
>

Ah, yes, but what isn't apparent to the user via the e-mail channel that would
be immediately visible if they tried to call is that the addressing schemes
are different. Not only are the schemes different, but the information
contained within them give you some very interesting insights into he got the
answer he did.  Here's why:

The e-mail address used was probably something like acmhelp@acmvm.bitnet.
That points you towards the e-mail receiver for the mail, which happens to be
an IBM machine (thus the bitnet connection) which happens to be in New York.

Now, if you were to call ACM headquarters, you'd dial +1-212-869-7440. That
would ring through to the receptionist on the 17th floor, who is also in New
York. Now, if you follow the instructions given for dialing the ACM Order
department, the phone number is +1-800-somethingorother OR +1-301-528-4261.
AHA! The astute user of the phone system has just deciphered :-) using the
standard phone schema that they are no longer in Kansas, ToTo, and that this
phone number won't ring through to New York.  In fact, it reaches the ACM
Order Dept. in Maryland.

So there may be a very good reason for the e-mail reply suggesting checking
with the ACM Order Dept.

Regards,
	Bill Hefley
	Editor, SIGCHI Bulletin
	CoChair, 1993 International Workshop on Intelligent User Interfaces

-- 
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Bill Hefley, SEI-2218, Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213  U.S.A. 
Office: (412) 268-7793 , Fax: (412) 268-5758, internet: weh@sei.cmu.edu
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Bill Hefley, SEI-2218, Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213  U.S.A. 
Office: (412) 268-7793 , Fax: (412) 268-5758, internet: weh@sei.cmu.edu