Abstract:

The experiment proposed by Direction Generale des Telecommunication to 180 advertising companies ended in January 1983. Such a first experiment is heralding others more or less ambitious of the same kind, which is why it is now interesting to draw some conclusions from the points of view, reactions and criticism of the users who had accepted to explore and consult the proposed services. The conclusions one may draw are interesting first because of the varied research techniques involved and also because of the existing previous studies which allowed to measure the differences between what the users were honing for and what they got. It is possible to see that if some expectations were disappointed entailing the abandonment of the system in many households, most users were really interested, according to the kind of services they used and depending on their being easily reached, quickly and clearly executed. So the precise and concrete lessons we can learn will then in the following experiments allow us the better to place Videotex, to improve the performances which were already well received, create new ones, and, with the help of professional communications people, search for some different ways of using this new medium.