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Does Scientology still use telex?

I was listening to one of Chris Shelton's YouTube videos and he mentioned that Orgs still use telex because Hubbard decreed its use when it was standard technology in the 1960s.

I found this rather amazing. In my own day job, I'm always stunned when someone asks me to FAX something because FAX was on its way out by the late 1980s. But...telex? It's an ALL CAPS electric typewriter. (I don't think I can post pics yet, but: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telex#/media/File:Telex_machine_ASR-32.jpg )

Just curious if telex machines are still deployed in orgs...would that mean if you walked into any Scientology mission, there would be a telex machine in a back office? Isn't that like a special line from the phone company, or does it use normal phone lines? I'm wondering if various local phone companies roll their eyes and say "ah, must be Scientologists, they're asking for a telex hookup".

I'm kind of surprised CSI hasn't gotten deep into cryptology and encryption, given how pervasive those technologies are on the Internet and their love of security/control.
 

Knows

Gold Meritorious Patron
I was listening to one of Chris Shelton's YouTube videos and he mentioned that Orgs still use telex because Hubbard decreed its use when it was standard technology in the 1960s.

I found this rather amazing. In my own day job, I'm always stunned when someone asks me to FAX something because FAX was on its way out by the late 1980s. But...telex? It's an ALL CAPS electric typewriter. (I don't think I can post pics yet, but: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telex#/media/File:Telex_machine_ASR-32.jpg )

Just curious if telex machines are still deployed in orgs...would that mean if you walked into any Scientology mission, there would be a telex machine in a back office? Isn't that like a special line from the phone company, or does it use normal phone lines? I'm wondering if various local phone companies roll their eyes and say "ah, must be Scientologists, they're asking for a telex hookup".

I'm kind of surprised CSI hasn't gotten deep into cryptology and encryption, given how pervasive those technologies are on the Internet and their love of security/control.

yes survivalist - they still use the "tech" - it has not been audited out but when Miscavige goes Type III and holes himself up in a trailer wearing wigs and swatting off Bee Tees and wants to be electrocuted to death, much like the Eccleastical Leader did - Ole El Ron - Scientologist's around the globe will come to PT and realize they have been stuck in an incident of long duration :eyeroll:
 

lotus

stubborn rebel sheep!
*cough*

It has been reported they have gone a huge step further with technologies

They now use fax...:yes:
 

Dulloldfart

Squirrel Extraordinaire
There really are telex machines still in use? I find that hard to believe. I wouldn't be surprised to see that they still use telex policy (things like one subject per message, must be answered within 24 hours etc), applying it to normal emails. But telex machines?

They use their own network, not regular telephone lines. Since orgs have trouble enough keeping the lights on, paying totally redundant telex costs would be beyond stupid (yeah, yeah, I know).

Paul
 

lotus

stubborn rebel sheep!
I wouldn't be surprised as Computer technologies wouldn't be considered safe
to report the '' planet earth $cientology take over'' stats..

Especially since they are in the best position to know how site and data bases can be hacked :confused2:
 

Operating Wog

Patron with Honors
When I got in in 1984, we still had an actual old school telex machine. Around 1986, this was replaced by a computer. A Commodore 128 to be exact. With a modem. You'd dial in to the CLO's computer and begin a transfer. Up and down. You'd print off copies of all the received telexes and distribute them. People would answer them by writing their responses on them, and the Telex Op would type all the responses back in and send them.

Later in the mid-90s, there was a new standard INCOMM computer system installed for all invoicing and financial stuff. And I believe around that time there was some sort of standard telex computer too. I forget the exact flow, but I recall everyone had a floppy disk. The telex op would collect everyone's disk and copy their telexes to it, then distribute the disks. Then people would read the telexes on their disks and type their own answers. The telex op would collect the disks again and type all the responses. I still recall that hard copy printouts were being done at the time too.

I can't imagine that's the current flow though. The logical move would be some kind of secure email, but who knows.
 
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Operating Wog

Patron with Honors
There really are telex machines still in use? I find that hard to believe. I wouldn't be surprised to see that they still use telex policy (things like one subject per message, must be answered within 24 hours etc), applying it to normal emails. But telex machines?

They use their own network, not regular telephone lines. Since orgs have trouble enough keeping the lights on, paying totally redundant telex costs would be beyond stupid (yeah, yeah, I know).

Paul

The telex machines when I started in 1984 used the phone lines. Probably more accurately it was some kind of teletype machine. I'm not totally up on the differences in those ancient technologies. It looked like a typewriter with a ribbon and paper feed. No screen or monitor of any kind. As you typed, it would type, just like a normal typewriter, but what you typed would also go into an electronic buffer. When the buffer was full, you'd get a message telling you so. It didn't hold that much, generally enough for a few pages of text, but generally you'd have to type a bunch, send, clear the buffer, type some more, send, etc. The machine had a built in phone modem. You'd dial the CLO and connect and then have an actual chat session. You'd identify yourself and they'd set their machine up to receive and you'd hit a key combo that would send the buffer.

To receive, you'd hit another key combo that would put your machine into receive mode. They'd send and it would all go into your buffer. Then you'd print it out, make copies, distribute. Again, because the buffer was so small, it would often take more than one receive to get all the traffic. It was a serious pain in the neck.

I took over the telex line around 1986 when the previous Dir Comm left. Our telex machine died within a couple of months though. It was ancient even at that time. The CLO sent us a Commodore 128 to replace it. That was a lot easier, as you could save many, many times more telexes on a single 5.25" floppy disk than you could in that buffer. So you could get away with sending and receiving a single time no matter how much traffic there was.
 

strativarius

Inveterate gnashnab & snoutband
<snip>The telex machines when I started in 1984 used the phone lines. Probably more accurately it was some kind of teletype machine. I'm not totally up on the differences in those ancient technologies. It looked like a typewriter with a ribbon and paper feed. No screen or monitor of any kind.<snip>

I might be wrong, but I seem to remember that the Telex machine at London org had a sort of punched paper tape system, where as you typed the message it would punch holes in a strip of paper about one inch wide or thereabouts, and then you would set the machine to transmit and run the pre-prepared tape through the reader. Or maybe I'm just imagining it, after all, it was fifty fucking years ago. Lol.
 

uncover

Gold Meritorious Patron
I might be wrong, but I seem to remember that the Telex machine at London org had a sort of punched paper tape system, where as you typed the message it would punch holes in a strip of paper about one inch wide or thereabouts, and then you would set the machine to transmit and run the pre-prepared tape through the reader. .....
Exactly - you can see it on the left:

t100_cover_006.jpg



The text was pre-typed offline for two reasons:
1.) you could edit typos
2.) to save money (online-time, no flatrate) because pre-typed messages would be sent full speed wheras instant typing was slower. More informations:

http://francokok.com/collection_rtty/my_collection_rtty_en.html
 

guanoloco

As-Wased
What's so stupid and escapes the obvious is why aren't there OTs that can theta comm?

All the whack jobs running around getting "in comm" with all the sundry disembodied thetans and no one can communicate with a living human being?

I recall all the times a Scieno would be moving into a "new space" and perceiving bad things and having their favorite OT come over only to discover that a confused or evil thetan was hanging around who was duly dispatched by the vanquishing OT getting in comm with it and directing it to the nearest hospital to pick up a body.

Anyone else recall those days?
 
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Hypatia

Pagan
Telexes got a bit modernized before everyone stopped using them- going from the old punch tape model to one with a crt display. Wonder what kind da cherch uses?
 
Lbhe zrffntr jnf va ebg 18 abg ebg 8 nf sne nf V pna gryy z8. :yes:

Edit: Wp, Q omb qb. Qb itbmzvibma jmbemmv 8 ivl 18 aqvkm 8 xtca 18 = 26. Kwwt!

atWhay ethay ellhay idday youyay itewray?

OR!

chaq tlhIngan rur SoH Dunmo'?

Or better yet -

ishish yer allayafi dothraki?

What languages do you think those last two are?

Mimsey
 
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