4 ms·
The Wikipedia page for Minitel is fascinating: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel It also answers the question of why
by camtarn 8y ago
The Wikipedia page for Minitel is fascinating:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel
It also answers the question of why '3615 SM' - 3615 was the code to dial to access Minitel, and Minitel services were often advertised as '3615 [service name]'.
- wazoox 8y agoIn the 80s and 90s, walls everywhere in France were covered with posters advertising for minitel services (mostly sex/porn related, so called "minitel rose"). It was a really big industry... 3611 was the yellow pages, free for the first few minutes. the numbers 3614, 3615 (up to 3619 IIRC) were actually defining the price. All 3615 servers cost the same; 3614 was cheaper, and 3616 more expensive. Some services were accessible through several prices, for instance 3614 AIRFRANCE and 3615 AIRFRANCE: you dialed the 3614 first, and if there was no line available, tried the more expensive (but otherwise identical) 3615...
- agumonkey 8y agoanother common one was 3617.. can't recall if it was business only or tariffed anything though. ps: I'd love to try a slow / low res internet with cute devices like a minitel. Maybe with slightly increased specs and slightly better interfaces (functionally, not ~aesthetically). Remember when things used to take time ?
- wazoox 8y agoYup, 3617 was common for more expensive services. I don't remember the exact price but it was really high. Usually professional stuff, like "3617 INFOGREFFE" (to get legal information about registered companies), etc.