Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Minitel – The Rise and Fall of a National Tech Treasure [video]

youtube.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–68 of 68 posts

Re: Minitel – The Rise and Fall of a National Tech Treasure [video]

#61

Post by candiodari »

digi_owl wrote: post #52
candiodari wrote: post #2

Minitel: what should have been a cautionary tale. Allowing "service providers" to charge money for every last little thing anyone does on a service results in, first a race to the bottom, as prices are compared. Second, a rush to ways to generate extra revenue through various irritating and scammy ways (the Yellow pages were full, and I do mean to the brim, of scams, same for the "porn" (mostly text or chat based, so…

The early days of European internet was similarly metered. Very few nations had anything like the US system of local calls being free. Only with the advent of DSL etc did flat fee net connections become "common".

But minitel was different, the charge depended on the site you were on, and to some extent the charge was shared with the site.

All sites on minitel were like premium-rate phone numbers, differently priced ones.

Re: Minitel – The Rise and Fall of a National Tech Treasure [video]

#62

Post by digi_owl »

candiodari wrote: post #61
digi_owl wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The early days of European internet was similarly metered. Very few nations had anything like the US system of local calls being free. Only with the advent of DSL etc did flat fee net connections become "common".

But minitel was different, the charge depended on the site you were on, and to some extent the charge was shared with the site. All sites on minitel were like premium-rate phone numbers, differently priced ones.

So something akin to BBSs with a central registry?

Re: Minitel – The Rise and Fall of a National Tech Treasure [video]

#63

Post by buserror »

candiodari wrote: post #60
buserror wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The company I worked for was filthy rich with Minitel. I don't know where you heard there wasn't money in it, but even with Transpac charges it was making a scary bundle for the operators... Of course there might have been an economy of scale in our case, but it was scary. They were bringing Ruinart champagne /by the pallet/ for employees to enjoy. Basically you could throw a party any day (for anything! like "I've j…

Okay, and what happened to that company past, say, 1998-2000 ?

Went into service, eventually became Atos origin. I doubt any of the original benefits survived!

Re: Minitel – The Rise and Fall of a National Tech Treasure [video]

#64

Post by TeddyBear060 »

Narishma wrote: post #45
TeddyBear060 wrote: post #3

For those who are interesting in "Minitel revival", a guy did some great job recreating a Minitel server ! https://www.jelora.fr/post/2017/08/27/Serveur-Minitel.html

It's featured extensively in the video.

You're right. I just listen to the first 4 minutes and it remains me this wonderful post.

Re: Minitel – The Rise and Fall of a National Tech Treasure [video]

#65

Post by candiodari »

digi_owl wrote: post #62
candiodari wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But minitel was different, the charge depended on the site you were on, and to some extent the charge was shared with the site. All sites on minitel were like premium-rate phone numbers, differently priced ones.

So something akin to BBSs with a central registry?

Something like the BBSes on premium numbers.

Re: Minitel – The Rise and Fall of a National Tech Treasure [video]

#66

Post by amiga-workbench »

hazeii wrote: post #57
amiga-workbench wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

http://pila.fr/wordpress/?p=361 Sure, I used this guide. http://millevaches.hydraule.org/info/minitel/specs/ Here is some information on the character codes too.

Just had a look in the library; I seem to have about half a dozen minitel manuals in there. Minitel terminal specs, "Specifications de la fonction decodage Videotex des Minitels" plus X25 stuff like "Specifications Techniques d'Utilisation du Reroutage TELETEL" and "Specifications Techniques d'Utilisation du Point d'Acess Videotex". Any use?

Those sound quite helpful. I'd love get a setup where I could talk to my minitel directly over its POTS line rather than having to enter the hotkey for serial terminal every time I power it on.

Re: Minitel – The Rise and Fall of a National Tech Treasure [video]

#67

Post by Jaruzel »

hazeii wrote: post #53
Jaruzel wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looking at your HN username, I am guessing you are referring to Shades? Hello there, Arch-Wiz! ;) I lost 1000s of hours playing Prestel Shades... endlessly typing 'ret ls' at everyone and everything... ah those were the days. Hmm, I think I still owe my father a ton of money for all those MASSIVE phone bills!

That'd be 'coder' to you, Sir! Sorry about the bills - I always felt bad about them.

Ah yeah, 'Hazeii the Coder' - I'm old, my memory is not what it was!

Do you have anything to do with the Shades that runs at games.world.co.uk ?

Re: Minitel – The Rise and Fall of a National Tech Treasure [video]

#68

Post by hazeii »

Jaruzel wrote: post #67
hazeii wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That'd be 'coder' to you, Sir! Sorry about the bills - I always felt bad about them.

Ah yeah, 'Hazeii the Coder' - I'm old, my memory is not what it was! Do you have anything to do with the Shades that runs at games.world.co.uk ?

Yes, Perialaga hosts it and I look in from time to time. Write a message on the chattrack if you make it back there!
Post reply on HN