In message , Andy Hall writes
On 2007-05-04 16:39:39 +0100, Graeme said:

Yes, it is.

No. They only "have" to do this because the law is the way that it
is. Laws can be changed or dumped entirely - they are a means to an
end, not a raison d'etre.

You are moving the goal posts - the point of the discussion was the
comparatively excellent service RM provides, in spite of the built in
handicaps which include the requirement to deliver anywhere, for the
same price. A requirement not applicable to the competition. Yes, of
course the law can be changed, but, at the time of writing, it has not
been.

True - but using a directory was faster!

Actually it was pretty good. I've used them a few times.

I didn't use Minitel, but did use Prestel extensively, and although it
was revolutionary at the time, it was S-L-O-W. When was that? 1970s?

Another 10-15 years and I think that paper based mail services will be
largely irrelevant. Put it this way. I might buy more stock in
Fedex. I sure as hell wouldn't buy any in Royal Mail.

I'll archive that post for twenty years :-)

Doubtless there were millions of people alive when buses were
introduced, and equally doubtless a great many of them went to their
graves never having used any form of motorised transport.

Of course. But nobody gave a second thought about introducing
motorised transport.

No-one gave a thought about introducing computers, home PCs, the
Internet, modems or broadband, but that does not mean that everyone is
capable of using them, any more than introducing motorised transport
automatically made everyone capable of driving.

I should have said have access to. Most people have access to, via
a public library, but that does not provide the skill or confidence
to use it.

Once again the mentality that there needs to be some kind of public
sector involvement in provisioning of this kind of thing. All the
time that there are these attempts to spoon feed people rather poorly,
they won't take responsibility for themselves. As soon as they have
to make their own arrangements, they will.

Let us return to your motorised transport theme. You would be happy for
anyone and everyone to have access to such transport, without any form
of training? You would expect anyone to be able to climb behind the
wheel of a vehicle, and intuitively know how to drive? No, you would
not. Ordinary people have no more idea about computers than they have
about driving. Instruction is required - there was no mention of free
instruction, or spoon feeding.

--
Graeme