failed directions

[Bonnie Fulmer <GBF1%MARISTB.BITNET@suvm.acs.syr.edu>]

Dear Netters,
     I want to register a vote of empathy for Jane's recent note of
annoyance.  It seems I often cannot get connected to recommended
sources of information.  A while back someone posted his five top
Internet resources; I failed on 3 out of the five.  Just recently
I tried telnetting to a recommended source for film and video
information at thorplus.lib.purdue.edu and got the message "I don't
understand your terminal type." (I'm an average VT100).  I've often
gotten stuck in endless loops at ERIC.  As a novice user,
I simply got in the habit of assuming the fault was always mine.
It's comforting to know experts have these problems, too, and it's
NOT always me.
     On the other hand, I'm sure thorplus works just fine for the
person who suggested it.  And how is SHE supposed to know all the
possible combinations and permutations of situations when it WON'T
work for an individual user?  That's impossible.  I think cyberspace
is very volatile; what works for me won't for you, and what works for
me today may not work for me tomorrow.  We can't let our frustrations
get in the way, and I'd rather people posted good things to the rest
of us, rather than holding back in fear they won't work for everybody.
     So in spite of the frustrations, please keep those messages
about the good stuff out there coming!
                                 Bonnie Fulmer
                                 gbf1@maristb.marist.edu