From ???@??? Tue Aug 01 07:07:52 2000 Date: 1 Aug 2000 01:53:20 -0400 Message-ID: <20000801055320.6455.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #1 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 90ef1312fcf44f1b9c8b6052f8f19883 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Tuesday, August 1 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 001 In this issue: Welcome back to the Telecom Digest ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 1 Aug 2000 01:51:51 -0400 From: John R Levine Subject: Welcome back to the Telecom Digest Welcome back to the long dormant Telecom Digest and comp.dcom.telecom. Pat Townson, the Digest's long-time moderator, is stuck in Illinois without a computer and asked me to robomoderate the Digest until he gets back. I hope to have more info about him soon and will post it when I do. The robomoderator for the Digest is the same one that runs rec.radio.broadcasting and several other groups. To send in a message, mail it to editor@telecom-digest.org. The first time you send in a message, the robomoderator will write back to ask if it was really you, with simple instructions for confirmation. Once you confirm, your message is posted and all future messages will be posted immediately. The mailing list version of the Digest is now run by Majordomo, which can send either individual messages or a daily digest. All existing subscribers are subscribed to the digest version. To subscribe to either, write to majordomo@telecom-digest.org, and put one or both of these in your message: subscribe telecom subscribe telecom-digest To unsubscribe, do the same thing, but put unsubscribe instead. I am archiving all of the messages posted via the robot, and will have a link to the archive up soon. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies", Telecom Digest robot wrangler - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #1 ****************************** From ???@??? Tue Aug 01 07:07:58 2000 Date: 1 Aug 2000 06:15:10 -0400 Message-ID: <20000801101510.3096.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #2 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 8c6fc24c2cc36ea599f06496e3cbdce1 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Tuesday, August 1 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 002 In this issue: Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 1 Aug 2000 02:12:11 -0400 From: Arthur Ross Subject: Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #1 At 22:53 -0700 07/31/2000, Telecom Digest wrote: >Telecom Digest Tuesday, August 1 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 001 > > > >In this issue: > > Welcome back to the Telecom Digest > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Date: 1 Aug 2000 01:51:51 -0400 >From: John R Levine >Subject: Welcome back to the Telecom Digest > >Welcome back to the long dormant Telecom Digest and comp.dcom.telecom. > >Pat Townson, the Digest's long-time moderator, is stuck in Illinois without a >computer and asked me to robomoderate the Digest until he gets back. I hope >to have more info about him soon and will post it when I do. > Glad to see something! Have been very worried that Pat was somehow out of commission, and have very much missed all the usual TD fun ... Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help! -- Best -- Arthur Dr. Arthur H. M. Ross 2325 East Orangewood Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85020-4730 Tel: 602-371-9708 Fax: 602-336-7074 Portable (CDMA, of course!): 602-677-1021 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #2 ****************************** From ???@??? Wed Aug 02 10:37:26 2000 Date: 1 Aug 2000 23:40:24 -0400 Message-ID: <20000802034024.2528.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #3 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 47809b79e907b350a25e743209d22be9 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Tuesday, August 1 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 003 In this issue: ICB HeadsUp Headlines 7/31/00 let's seeeeeee Re: let's seeeeeee 8/1/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES internet domain names.. cybersquatting? WSJ clip RE: internet domain names.. cybersquatting? WSJ clip Police to track mobile phone users Dial 'C' for Confusion As Cell Phone Use Explodes, Debate Over Health Risk Grows McCain Authors Web Data Bill England Set to Pass Snoop Law FTC Studying Profiling Agreement Experts to Eyeball Carnivore IBM throws $1 billion at wireless ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 1 Aug 2000 10:22:34 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: ICB HeadsUp Headlines 7/31/00 Much thanks to John Levine for reviving Telecom Digest pending Pat's return. We have continued sending ICB's daily email headlines to Telecom Digest, and I expect that once the email archive is updated you'll find them at the Digest website. Warm regards to all, Judith Oppenheimer Telecom Digest Sponsor ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - WEEK-IN-REVIEW ISSUES HIGHLIGHTS 7/21 THRU 7/27 - - 866 ROLLOUT HIGHLIGHTS - - OLYMPICBIDS.COM PLEADS ITS DOMAIN CASE - - EMAIL GOES POSTAL - - 1ST NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICE FOR INTERNET DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM - - FOOTHOLD LOSS REGISTERS WITH REGISTER.COM - - ICQ ACPA CASE DISMISSED FROM VIRGINIA COURT - - JONATHAN COHEN LEAVING ICANN BOARD - - ICANN ELECTION IRREGULARITIES - - FCC DELAYS NUMBER USAGE REPORTING ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) Act Now! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. We are accepting classifieds ads for ICB's new FREE classified section, to launch soon. Text only, approximately 75 words, post per approval of editor. Mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: CLASSIFIED AD. ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* WEEK-IN-REVIEW ISSUES HIGHLIGHTS FOR LAST WEEK 7/21 THRU 7/27 800 Issue Highlights P 866 will be released, but DSMI is on notice to provide the court with proof that numbers went out first-come, first-serve. http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4233 P Trademarker's want first dibs on 866's. http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4223 P The FCC is asked to delay rollout of 866. http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4217 P The reward to RespOrgs is compensation not for the 866 number - that would be brokering! - but for the effort and wherewithal to successfully preempt other reservation requests. http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4203 Domain Name Issue Highlights P Will Congress intercede on UDRP-theft victims' behalf? http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4213 P Mr. Myers, the 66 year-old retiree who won, was not represented by counsel. BFS, a $19 billion company - who lost - was represented by the international law firm of Jones, Day, Reavis, and Pogue. http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4206 P [Trademark?] Screening filter, thy name is mine. http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4181 ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR July 31, 2000 P - 866 ROLLOUT HIGHLIGHTS Screen freezes and database lockouts mark the usual mad rush for toll free real estate. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4236 F - OLYMPICBIDS.COM PLEADS ITS DOMAIN CASE TSG has received much acclaim from its readership and subscribers which include the world media, business, athletes, fans, NOC members, and bid committee members from 2008, 2010 and 2012 Olympic bids. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4241 F - EMAIL GOES POSTAL It would link the e-mail and real-world addresses in a Postal Service database in Memphis, Tennessee. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4237 P - 1ST NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICE FOR INTERNET DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM "We're taking an important part of the Internet's infrastructure and making it a carrier-class service." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4235 F - FOOTHOLD LOSS REGISTERS WITH REGISTER.COM ICANN accredited registrar Register.com has "filed with the SEC to launch a new service based on auctioning off domain names." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4234 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. When success is the only option. >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER 75 percent are children under five. Click on the link below to make a free donation of 1 1/2 cups of staple food to a hungry person, donated to the United Nations World Food Programme. http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* WhoSells800.com http://www.whosells800.com >>> where business shops for toll free service and numbers. Are you listed? http://www.whosells800.com/800serpro.cfm ************************************************************************* ICANNwatch ... http://www.icannwatch.org/archives/essays/930604982.shtml ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR July 31, 2000 P - ICQ ACPA CASE DISMISSED FROM VIRGINIA COURT As NSI's relationship with eAsia amounted only to maintaining "two tiny database entries on eAsia's behalf," according to the court, it did not create a significant physical of electronic presence in Virginia. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4242 P - JONATHAN COHEN LEAVING ICANN BOARD Replacement sought. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4240 F - ICANN ELECTION IRREGULARITIES ICANN has limited registrations from the world-wide Internet community to only 200 per hour, resulting in an outcry from Netizens who want to vote, but can't register. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4239 P - FCC DELAYS NUMBER USAGE REPORTING The carriers must file their reports with the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), which will withhold new numbers from noncompliant carriers after the deadline. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4238 ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* The TLD Lobby is an organization for individual and small business domain name holders world-wide, who band together to fight for free enterprise and free speech on the internet. http://www.tldlobby.com/ ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* Carriers World Congress Where the World's bandwidth community does business. The longest established carrier and bandwidth focused conference in Europe. CEO conference panel and Exchange business floor. Unmatched information, networking and business development opportunities for Carriers, ISPs, and ASPs. http://www.carriers-series.com/carrier_euro ************************************************************************* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* convenient, flexible domestic toll-free ... robust, value-added ITFS: MCI WORLDCOM http://www.wcom.com/ 1-888-MCI-WCOM ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* If you like this service, Click Here to Recommend-It(r) http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=118920 .and you could win $10,000! ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Aug 2000 18:52:01 -0400 From: danny burstein Subject: let's seeeeeee _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Aug 2000 19:13:15 -0400 From: stevenl11@aol.com (Steven Lichter) Subject: Re: let's seeeeeee > >The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail >messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > Nice to see it back, now to see some subjects. With the system running the way it is will spam appear? Apple Elite II 909-359-5338. Home of GBBS/LLUCE, support for the Apple II and Macintosh 24 hours 2400/14.4. An OggNet Server. http://www.delphi.com/gbbs The only good spammer is a dead one, have you hunted one down today? (c) - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Aug 2000 19:35:04 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/1/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - CONTROL YOUR OWN TOLLFREE CALL ROUTING VIA THE WEB - - WHO SAYS THERE ARE NO GOOD .COM'S? - - CLINTON OPPOSES E-COMMERCE BILL - - ITS A CASH COMPETITION FOR HOUSE COMMERCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMANSHIP - - ICANN CONCLUDES MEMBERSHIP DRIVE - - WEBSITE MARKETING IS ... - - MAKE ME AN OFFER - - REGISTRAR FOUL PLAY - - DYSON SPEAKS - - THE LIFECYCLE OF THE DOT COM ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) Act Now! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. We are accepting classifieds ads for ICB's new FREE classified section, to launch soon. Text only, approximately 75 words, post per approval of editor. Mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: CLASSIFIED AD. ************************************************************************* ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 1, 2000 P - CONTROL YOUR OWN TOLLFREE CALL ROUTING VIA THE WEB Three-, six-, or 10-digit routing and blocking; - Time-of-Day, Day-of-Week and Day-of-Year Routing; - Percent Call Allocation; - Area Code Blocking; and - Info-Digit Screening. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4247 F - WHO SAYS THERE ARE NO GOOD .COM'S? One site finds hundreds of them, everyday, and spits them out by category. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4246 F - CLINTON OPPOSES E-COMMERCE BILL ... says the bill would allow the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) to overstep its authority. One provision would allow the center to offer guidance to the White House Office of Management and Budget on developing e-commerce policy proposals. "NIST's focus should properly remain on key standards and technology issues, such as computer security and interoperability." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4245 F - ITS A CASH COMPETITION FOR HOUSE COMMERCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMANSHIP Lawmakers are soliciting special interest money, often from industries they oversee. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4244 P - ICANN CONCLUDES MEMBERSHIP DRIVE Dyson "dismayed at the competitive atmosphere that sometimes emerged and the over-hyped expectations of ICANN's role." ICANN claims that only 40 percent of those who received a PIN have actually activated their membership. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4243 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. When success is the only option. >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER 75 percent are children under five. Click on the link below to make a free donation of 1 1/2 cups of staple food to a hungry person, donated to the United Nations World Food Programme. http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* WhoSells800.com http://www.whosells800.com >>> where business shops for toll free service and numbers. Are you listed? http://www.whosells800.com/800serpro.cfm ************************************************************************* ICANNwatch ... http://www.icannwatch.org/archives/essays/930604982.shtml ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 1, 2000 P - WEBSITE MARKETING IS ... "On the Internet, a company's identity, presence and success is determined by its domain name. By mass registering the domain names related to the services we offer, we are providing our prospective customers with a quicker, more direct route to what they are searching for," said Morten Sohlberg, CEO of Sessions.edu. "We know there is tremendous potential for new students out there -- we are simply enabling them to access us more efficiently." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4252 F - MAKE ME AN OFFER "Every domain name, whether it is `officially' for sale or not, has a price tag." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4251 F - REGISTRAR FOUL PLAY Are greedy domain registration companies examining their own logs to see what names customers are searching for, registering them and then trying to sell them back at a huge profit? CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4250 F - DYSON SPEAKS Esther can almost sound credible -- then she utters, "We quickly changed our bylaws to become more open and transparent," and kills the whole thing. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4249 P - THE LIFECYCLE OF THE DOT COM Many domains are purchased and never used actively, having been registered solely for the purpose of protecting trademarks and other competitive intellectual property. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4248 ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* The TLD Lobby is an organization for individual and small business domain name holders world-wide, who band together to fight for free enterprise and free speech on the internet. http://www.tldlobby.com/ ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* Carriers World Congress Where the World's bandwidth community does business. The longest established carrier and bandwidth focused conference in Europe. CEO conference panel and Exchange business floor. Unmatched information, networking and business development opportunities for Carriers, ISPs, and ASPs. http://www.carriers-series.com/carrier_euro ************************************************************************* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* convenient, flexible domestic toll-free ... robust, value-added ITFS: MCI WORLDCOM http://www.wcom.com/ 1-888-MCI-WCOM ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* If you like this service, Click Here to Recommend-It(r) http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=118920 .and you could win $10,000! ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Aug 2000 19:36:15 -0400 From: danny burstein Subject: internet domain names.. cybersquatting? WSJ clip _________________________________________________________________ August 1, 2000 [The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition] _________________________________________________________________ U.N. Rules for Yahoo!, Others In Disputes Over Domain Names Associated Press GENEVA -- United Nations arbitrators decided in favor of Yahoo! Inc., Microsoft Corp., AT&T Corp. and Japan Tobacco Inc. in a series of rulings on "cybersquatting" disputes made public Tuesday. All four companies won cases heard by the U.N.'s World Intellectual Property Organization. (Under the Icann regs, there are a group of official arbitration groups which can be used in cases of suspected, or alleged, cybersquatting, with WIPO being one of them. Complainants can also opt for using traditional court remedies. And yes, there's a _lot_ of handwringing by people on all sides of the question over these procedures.) The article continues by listing the names that were "won" back by the main, for want of a better term, domain name holder. These included name given to campyahoo.com yahoo attmexico.com att att-latinamerica.com att microsoftnetwork microsoft While the above group, to my eyes, looks reasonably straightforward, the decisions seem to be rapidly sliding down a slippery slope. So, for example, we also get: The domain names microsoftnetwork.com, hotmaill.com, homail.com, hotmai.com, otmail.com, hotmailcom.com, activexx.com and linksexchange.com. were ordered transferred to computer giant Microsoft. The justification by WIPO, or rather, by Microsoft and then endorsed by WIPO was that: Microsoft complained that "consumers who arrive at one of respondents Web sites by virtue of a typographical error may believe they have arrived at an official Microsoft Web site" or at a site endorsed by the company. Global Net failed to respond to the complaint. Which brings up, (this being a telecom group), that little incident of "1-800 operator" vs. "1-800-operater"... In all seriousness, it seems to me that the decisions are slipping a bit too far down that slope for comfort. Similarly, there's an AP story from this afternon about Harvard University: BOSTON (AP) -- Harvard University is suing the Internet startup notHarvard.com for trademark violations, saying the online company is unlawfully exploiting the lucrative Ivy League name for financial gain. The suit, filed Monday in federal court, seeks $75,000 in damages from notHarvard.com... Yes. That's "notharvard.com" A listing of the WIPO decisions can be found at: http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Aug 2000 20:08:30 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: RE: internet domain names.. cybersquatting? WSJ clip It gets worse. On June 28, 2000, the Director General of WIPO received a request from 19 of WIPO's member States (lead by Australia and the United States) to initiate a new study of, and to develop recommendations on, these outstanding domain name issues, which it is suggested should include, inter alia, the "bad faith, abusive, misleading or unfair use of: - -- Personal names; - -- International Nonproprietary Names (INNs) for Pharmaceutical Substances; - -- Names of international intergovernmental organizations; - -- Geographical indications, geographical terms, or indications of source; and - -- Tradenames." WIPO 2nd INTERNET DOMAIN NAME PROCESS: THE GLOBALIZATION / PRIVATIZATION OF LAWMAKING aka "WIPO document WIPO RFC-1: Request for Comments On Terms of Reference, Procedures and Timetable for the Second WIPO Internet Domain Name Process" http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4119 * with preface by moi also read: IPC PUSHING FOR EXTRA-LEGAL STATUS: "...The IPC's contentions that trade mark holders are owed a special set of privileges regarding domain names, different from and superior to those worked out in national legislatures, is not something that other users of the Internet need to accept." (http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1499) * by Ross Wm. Rader of Tucows (mentioned Sunrise +20 now discussed as Daybreak, but essence remains the same.) ICANN & DNS: ANTITRUST ISSUE? The trademark lobby is seeking to "own" a string across all TLD space on the Internet, not in a national legislature or through a treaty, but through ICANN's control of the Internet's root.(http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1344) * by James Love of the Center for Study of Responsive Law * all from ICB's Editorials Section "Express Yourself" http://www.icbtollfree.com/editorials.cfm, registration required ICANN PHILOSOPHY TO REMEMBER WHEN DISCUSSING TRADEMARK ENTITLEMENT IN THE DNS: "The trademark lobby must be placated because of its potential ability and inclination to bankrupt new registrars and wreck havoc on their registrant databases," warned Michael Palage, Chair Working Group B [famous marks] & Secretariat Working Group C [new gTLD's], at a January 6, 2000 SBA Office of Advocacy Roundtable on Internet Domain Names. Judith - -----Original Message----- From: owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org [mailto:owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org]On Behalf Of danny burstein Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2000 7:36 PM To: editor@telecom-digest.org Subject: internet domain names.. cybersquatting? WSJ clip _________________________________________________________________ August 1, 2000 [The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition] _________________________________________________________________ U.N. Rules for Yahoo!, Others In Disputes Over Domain Names Associated Press GENEVA -- United Nations arbitrators decided in favor of Yahoo! Inc., Microsoft Corp., AT&T Corp. and Japan Tobacco Inc. in a series of rulings on "cybersquatting" disputes made public Tuesday. All four companies won cases heard by the U.N.'s World Intellectual Property Organization. (Under the Icann regs, there are a group of official arbitration groups which can be used in cases of suspected, or alleged, cybersquatting, with WIPO being one of them. Complainants can also opt for using traditional court remedies. And yes, there's a _lot_ of handwringing by people on all sides of the question over these procedures.) The article continues by listing the names that were "won" back by the main, for want of a better term, domain name holder. These included name given to campyahoo.com yahoo attmexico.com att att-latinamerica.com att microsoftnetwork microsoft While the above group, to my eyes, looks reasonably straightforward, the decisions seem to be rapidly sliding down a slippery slope. So, for example, we also get: The domain names microsoftnetwork.com, hotmaill.com, homail.com, hotmai.com, otmail.com, hotmailcom.com, activexx.com and linksexchange.com. were ordered transferred to computer giant Microsoft. The justification by WIPO, or rather, by Microsoft and then endorsed by WIPO was that: Microsoft complained that "consumers who arrive at one of respondents Web sites by virtue of a typographical error may believe they have arrived at an official Microsoft Web site" or at a site endorsed by the company. Global Net failed to respond to the complaint. Which brings up, (this being a telecom group), that little incident of "1-800 operator" vs. "1-800-operater"... In all seriousness, it seems to me that the decisions are slipping a bit too far down that slope for comfort. Similarly, there's an AP story from this afternon about Harvard University: BOSTON (AP) -- Harvard University is suing the Internet startup notHarvard.com for trademark violations, saying the online company is unlawfully exploiting the lucrative Ivy League name for financial gain. The suit, filed Monday in federal court, seeks $75,000 in damages from notHarvard.com... Yes. That's "notharvard.com" A listing of the WIPO decisions can be found at: http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Aug 2000 23:30:29 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Police to track mobile phone users Excerpt from Computer Privacy Digest V17#004 - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Cyril Disobedient" Date: 30 Jul 2000 12:16:55 +0100 Subject: Police to track mobile phone users http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4045730,00.ht Police to track mobile phone users Antony Barnett, public affairs editor Sunday July 30, 2000 Police are to be given new powers to track people using satellite technology that can pick up signals emitted from mobile phones. In a move denounced as sinister by civil liberties campaigners, software being fitted into the new generation of mobiles will enable police to pinpoint the exact whereabouts of a person whenever the phone is switched on. But privacy campaigners fear the police could use the new phones as homing devices that will allow them to carry out mass surveillance without those targeted knowing about it One campaigner likened it to putting an `electronic tag' on large swathes of the population. The Government and the police say the powers are needed to fight certain crimes, including drug trafficking. They believe the technology will guide paramedics and firefighters to the locations of emergencies. These unprecedented powers are part of the Regulatory of Investigatory Powers Bill which received Royal Assent on Friday. They will allow the security services to intercept private emails. Privacy campaigners and Opposition peers urged the Government to ensure that the read-outs of physical location produced by the new mobile phones should be made available only after a warrant is obtained from a judge. But the appeals were rebuffed. The police will be able to track somebody's movements on the authority of a police superintendent. Caspar Bowden, who runs the Foundation for Information Policy Reseach, the internet policy think-tank which brought these concerns to light, last night expressed alarm over the move. `Anyone using the new phones will be able to be tracked with pinpoint accuracy at the click of a mouse, for very broad purposes,' he said. `It's like putting an electronic tag on most of the population.' John Wadham, of the civil liberties group Liberty, said: `This technology is of great concern, and the legislation is simply not keeping up with it. It is frightening what the police will be able to do without having to go before a judge. Under the Act, the only authority overseeing these capabilities will come from an Interception Commissioner, who does not have to be notified pro-actively of their use, or whether tracking data is passed between government departments once acquired. Currently, police can obtain information about where a call was made from a specific mobile, if they can satisfy telephone operators there is sufficient evidence for their suspicions. Under the RIP Act, the authorities will be able to bypass the phone companies. The mobile phone companies believe these new location facilities in their products will be hugely popular because they will allow users to find the nearest bank or Indian takeaway, and then get precise directions to the restaurant. The companies also believe it will give callers greater security knowing that the emergency services can track them down in a crisis. A spokeswoman for Vodafone said: `It is true that under this new Act the police will not have to get our approval to access this information any more. But we believe the new software in the phones will bring many benefits to our customers and will be warmly welcomed.' The National Criminal Intelligence Service denied that the new technology would mean the age of mass surveillance in this country . A spokeswoman said: `We will not speculate about how police will use technology that does not yet exist. But we will still be governed by Data Protection Act and believe the RIP bill has strengthened the rights of individuals, not weakened it. - -- antony.barnett@observer.co.uk - ------------------------------ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Aug 2000 23:31:19 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Dial 'C' for Confusion Dial 'C' for Confusion By Caroline E. Mayer Washington Post Staff Writer Friday , July 28, 2000 ; A01 For Barbara Goodman, it was the unpleasant discovery that using a Qwest calling card changed her nickel-a-minute long-distance rate to 42 cents a minute. For Frank Martell, it was the inexplicable $42.44 "adjustment to previous billing" that showed up on his local Bell Atlantic bill last month. For Megan Carberry, it was the $21.74 she was charged for a three-minute long-distance call she made from a pay phone last month using a credit card. And for Carl Pierchala, a statistician, it's the sheer inability to figure out how much he's actually paying per minute for long-distance service. Phone bills. http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56255-2000Jul27.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Aug 2000 23:32:45 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: As Cell Phone Use Explodes, Debate Over Health Risk Grows July 27, 2000 As Cell Phone Use Explodes, Debate Over Health Risk Grows By SIMON ROMERO Like many people, Tim Keck, the publisher of two weekly newspapers in the Pacific Northwest, has come to depend on his cell phone. And like many other cell phone users, Mr. Keck has begun to worry about possible health risks connected with its use. http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/07/circuits/articles/27phon.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Aug 2000 23:33:28 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: McCain Authors Web Data Bill McCain Authors Web Data Bill Reuters 3:30 p.m. Jul. 26, 2000 PDT WASHINGTON -- A key senator introduced legislation on Wednesday that would require websites to disclose what they do with personal data collected from visitors, a sign of Congress' growing interest in establishing new consumer protections for the digital era. The bill, introduced by Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain, would not prohibit websites from using visitors' personal data for marketing purposes, but it would require them to tell Web surfers what steps they may take to limit that use. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37810,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Aug 2000 23:33:49 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: England Set to Pass Snoop Law England Set to Pass Snoop Law Reuters 8:30 a.m. Jul. 26, 2000 PDT LONDON -- The British government expects a bill to allow police and security services to trawl private e-mails to become law after it returns to the House of Commons on Wednesday, officials said. "We are not expecting any trouble. It should go through the Commons today and on to the statute book," a Home Office source told Reuters. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37789,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Aug 2000 23:34:02 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: FTC Studying Profiling Agreement FTC Studying Profiling Agreement Reuters 12:20 p.m. Jul. 25, 2000 PDT WASHINGTON -- The Federal Trade Commission may act very soon to endorse a privacy agreement negotiated with industry to protect Web surfers, sources familiar with the situation said Tuesday. If the FTC commissioners do act, they will also send a recommendation to Capitol Hill for legislation to let them set rules on the "profiling" of surfers. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37770,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Aug 2000 23:34:22 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Experts to Eyeball Carnivore Experts to Eyeball Carnivore Reuters 11:40 a.m. Jul. 27, 2000 PDT Attorney General Janet Reno Thursday described a two-step process to review and propose guidelines for a new FBI Internet-wiretap system that has raised privacy concerns. Lawmakers and privacy advocates worry that the system, known as Carnivore, permits widespread surveillance of email. Reno said the first step will be for a group of experts to review Carnivore's source code. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37836,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Aug 2000 23:40:21 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: IBM throws $1 billion at wireless IBM throws $1 billion at wireless By Matthew Broersma, ZDNet (UK) July 26, 2000 12:10 PM PT IBM Corp. said it will spend $1 billion and hire over 2,500 staff in the next two years to strengthen its mobile Internet consultancy arm in Europe. The world's largest computer maker said it will also use the money to invest in acquisitions, partnerships and seed capital. IBM will employ 4,000 staff, two-thirds of whom will be new hires and employees of soon-to-be-acquired companies. One third will be current employees who will be retrained as mobile Internet specialists, such as consultants, integrators, security specialists and hosting experts. http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2607732,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #3 ****************************** From ???@??? Wed Aug 02 10:38:26 2000 Date: 2 Aug 2000 06:15:17 -0400 Message-ID: <20000802101517.9555.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #4 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 925c07e129d38d6615b8be890eff325f Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Wednesday, August 2 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 004 In this issue: FCC Delays Airwave Auction For Wireless Strike Could Affect Verizon Customers CIOs warned of cell phone risks Taking a Bold Step Forward in Privacy Invasion Net marketing firm receiving personal information ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest Re: internet domain names.. cybersquatting? WSJ clip ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 2 Aug 2000 00:15:26 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: FCC Delays Airwave Auction For Wireless FCC Delays Airwave Auction For Wireless (08/01/00, 3:35 p.m. ET) By Mary Mosquera, TechWeb News The Federal Communications Commission postponed a sale of radio spectrum eagerly anticipated by wireless operators to increase capacity and spur high-speed and next generation Internet rollout. http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000801S0009 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 00:16:05 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Strike Could Affect Verizon Customers Strike Could Affect Verizon Customers (08/01/00, 3:03 p.m. ET) By Kim Renay Anderson, TechWeb News A possible strike of 85,000 East Coast telephone workers against Verizon Communications this weekend could affect business and consumer users of its voice and data services. http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000801S0007 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 00:47:19 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: CIOs warned of cell phone risks CIOs warned of cell phone risks Corporate liability an issue, researcher says By Bob Brewin and Jennifer DiSabatino (Jul. 31, 2000) CIOs need to ensure that their companies' employees operate cell phones and other wireless devices in a manner that reduces health risks associated with radiation - or face the legal consequences. http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/Printer_Friendly_Version/frame/0,1212,NAV47_STO47766-,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 00:56:08 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Taking a Bold Step Forward in Privacy Invasion http://www.interhack.net/news/cm-tracking.html FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Taking a Bold Step Forward in Privacy Invasion Interhack Corporation's Internet Privacy Project has yielded shocking results that reveal how marketers' tracking of Internet users has moved well beyond "impersonal" data collection. We reveal how the Coremetrics system can build detailed dossiers of unsuspecting Web surfers that include names, physical addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and other personally-identifiable information. Among the sites that use Coremetrics are four that specifically state that they do not share personal information with third parties, namely Toys "R" Us (NYSE:TOY) sites toysrus.com and babiesrus.com, as well as Lucy.com, and Fusion.com. On today's Internet, aggregation of such data is not only inconvenient, but it can place unsuspecting Web surfers -- including children -- at risk of becoming victims of real-world crimes including stalking and identity theft. Mene Mene Tekel Parsin "Perhaps consumers, the US Federal Trade Commission, and our friends in Europe should be more concerned about what Web-based vendors are actually doing online than what they admit to doing," said Matt Curtin, Interhack's founder. He added, "The industry does not want to be regulated; it wants to do whatever it can get away with. Today we tell the industry that when it comes to invading our privacy, it will get away with nothing." Leaks Not Accidental; Formatted for Database Entry These "leaks" to a third party data collection facility are not accidental or due to bad web site design or implementation. Using JavaScript, web bugs, and cookies in concert, an increasing number of sites are taking information that users report to them during the course of making a purchase and cause the users' browsers to send the information to an Internet-based data collection facility in a standardized format for entry into a database. The data collection facility is part of a service offered by Coremetrics to observe and to track the behavior of users as they use a vendor's Web site. Though Coremetrics' Web site contains a rather complete and lucid description of what they are doing and how users can "opt out" of the system, not all sites inform their users that information expected to be confidential will be reported to Coremetrics. Some of those that do bury the information deep within a bunch of legal gobbledygook. In any case, many users are unknowingly providing all of the details of their Web-based purchases (except for the credit card number used for the purchase) to a third party that saves the information and makes a business of analyzing it. Furthermore, "opt out" systems fail, as we have previously described in the technical reports DoubleClick Opt Out Protocol Failure == Opt In and Opting In, By Accident, available online at http://www.interhack.net/pubs/dc-proto-fail/ and http://www.interhack.n! et/pubs/netscape-doubleclick/, respectively. System Designed To Resist Discovery Several steps to avoid detection have been taken. The information is sent to Coremetrics by using a web bug -- a tiny invisible image that serves no purpose but to track Web surfers. The JavaScript code used to implant the web bugs and to format the data for submission to Coremetrics is obfuscated -- intentionally made difficult to read by human programmers. Finally, in typical cases where personally-identifiable information is being uploaded, the connection to Coremetrics is encrypted, preventing packet sniffers and privacy-defending systems from being able to read what is being sent. System Likely Tracks Children Online Perhaps most alarming of all is that at least one site using this technology is an online toy store. How can such a site tell the difference between an adult browsing the site and a child? The technology itself does not distinguish among users. A parent who makes a purchase on such a Web site will make the Coremetrics database aware of his name, address, and phone number. Subsequent visits to the site -- including visits by children from that same computer (and the same browser) -- will be recorded and associated with the parent's profile. Or if an adult chooses to have a gift shipped directly to a child, entering the child's name and address in the "ship to" field of the order, that information will be sent to Coremetrics. System Tracks Users as They Move from Site to Site This system works such that instead of knowing everything about users and what they do on a particular site, the database can know everything about all users and what they do on every Coremetrics-enabled site. The more sites that use Coremetrics' tracking software, the greater the privacy invasion would become. Whether this is actually taking place, we cannot say -- there is no way to tell the difference between what is technically possible and what is actually happening without examining Coremetrics' data handling practices and auditing the code regularly. Tracking is not limited to purchases. Very detailed profiles are built as users browse Coremetrics-enabled pages, including products examined but not purchased. At the point where a user gives his name to the vendor to make a purchase, that name (as well as how much was spent and other information) is associated with the profile. Sites Using System Violate Their Own Privacy Policies Sites toysrus.com, babiesrus.com, lucy.com, and fusion.com claim not to send information about users to third parties. For example, babiesrus.com displays this text at the bottom of the page during the checkout process: Babiesrus.com keeps your personal information completely confidential. Click here to learn how our site is 100% safe and secure. Following that link will take the user to a page that says: About SSL Encryption The Login, My Account, and Checkout areas of the site are fully secured using a technology called Secure Socket Layer (SSL). SSL Encryption ensures that your credit card number and personal data are always sent over the Internet safely. The information is encoded on your computer before it is sent, and then decoded on the our site's server. Furthermore, all personal data (such as mailing addresses, e-mail and billing information) is stored on a highly secured server within the data center. What it doesn't tell you is that an encrypted connection is also being made to data.coremetrics.com that includes all of that personal data except the credit card number itself. Failing to advise site visitors that Coremetrics is watching them results in visitors having no way to know that the monitoring technology is even being deployed. At the very least, it is interesting to note that the sites that do not reveal their connection with Coremetrics do so against Coremetrics' advice. Coremetrics describes what it does and the principles that guide it on its privacy page at http://www.coremetrics.com/privacy.html. We encourage everyone to take note of this issue and become fully informed by seeing what all parties have to say. It is our belief that every Web user should know exactly what is being done with information about him and use that knowledge to avoid any unnecessary exposure to unpleasant surprises later. Coremetrics and some sites that use its service, namely lucy.com and fusion.com, are licensees of the TRUSTe symbol, used to build consumer confidence! You'll be hearing more from us on this topic. Complete details, including some defense mechanisms, are available in the Interhack Technical Report Getting to Know You (Intimately): Surreptitious Privacy Invasion on the E-Commerce Web, online at http://www.interhack.net/pubs/intimately/. About Interhack Corporation Interhack Corporation is a provider of services and tools for building the Internet with security and privacy in mind. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Interhack serves clients all across North America, helping them to determine compliance to security and privacy policy, in addition to assistance in all aspects of design, development, and deployment of network-based systems. Interhack Corporation can be found on the Web at http://www.interhack.net/. The Interhack Privacy Project page is at http://www.interhack.net/projects/privacy/. Media contact: Matt Curtin, +1 614 206 3413, . ### - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 00:57:53 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Net marketing firm receiving personal information Net marketing firm receiving personal information By The Associated Press Special to CNET News.com July 31, 2000, 10:20 p.m. PT WASHINGTON--An Internet marketing company is secretly receiving names and addresses of customers visiting some popular e-commerce sites, which one privacy group called "unforgivable." A security and privacy firm that does risk assessments for Internet retailers has found that four retailers are forwarding the personally identifiable information of customers to another firm, thereby violating the retailers' stated privacy policies. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-2403836.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 01:09:10 -0400 From: Joseph Singer Subject: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest I do appreciate Judith Oppenheimer's contribution of articles to the digest, but every "free" article that I clicked on in both of her submissions in the latest digest were met with: The page you requested is available only to Registered Users. If you are already registered log in now, if not Register here. User name Password If the article in the digest has an "F" next to it and you have indicated in your article that it is free to view why am I met with the above stuff?? - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joseph Singer Seattle, Washington USA [ICQ pgr] +1 206 405 2052 [voice mail] +1 206 493 0706 [FAX] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 01:23:12 -0400 From: "Peter F. Dubuque" Subject: Re: internet domain names.. cybersquatting? WSJ clip In article , danny burstein wrote: > Similarly, there's an AP story from this afternon about Harvard > University: > BOSTON (AP) -- Harvard University is suing the Internet startup > notHarvard.com for trademark violations, saying the online company is > unlawfully exploiting the lucrative Ivy League name for financial gain. > The suit, filed Monday in federal court, seeks $75,000 in damages from > notHarvard.com... > Yes. That's "notharvard.com" [Disclaimer 1: I am a current employee of Harvard University, but I'm not writing in any official capacity. These are solely my own opinions.] [Disclaimer 2: I am not a lawyer.] Actually, notharvard.com sued Harvard University first, last week, preemptively seeking a ruling that the notharvard.com name didn't infringe upon Harvard's trademark. Apparently, management at notharvard.com felt that the potential for a future lawsuit over the name was hurting relations with prospective affiliates and investors, and wanted a ruling up front before proceeding. Harvard's reaction should be entirely expected, since Harvard has to defend its trademark against such challenges or risk losing it. $75K is a token amount to cover things like legal costs and time spent by counsel...peanuts to a dot.com with tens of millions of dollars in venture capital. I've heard of plenty of cases where nasty big businesses stole domain names away from innocent people under threat of legal force. (Two friends of mine who operated a BBS named after a hundred-year-old comic strip lost their domain name to a small Midwestern chain of furniture stores who wanted to put up a website.) This isn't a case like that; NotHarvard.com deliberately chose to use the name of a 364-year-old world-famous university. Nor does it fall into the xxxsucks.com category of domain names, where a trademark is used in a negative but not competitive way. Instead, NotHarvard.com is a for-profit, commercial venture seeking to do business in the realm of education. The "Not" is a semantic game. I don't know NotHarvard's reasons for choosing the name they did. Perhaps they wish to contrast their free services with Harvard's $30K+ annual tuition. Or perhaps they want to showcase the novelty of their approach while suggesting that what they offer is on a par with one of the world's leading universities. But whatever their motivation, Harvard owns the trademark on its name in the realm of education, and everybody knows it. If a new software company named itself NotMicrosoft, or a new TV network called itself NotCNN, the owners of the original names would sue and win. And rightly so. They say "how can we be infringing on Harvard's trademark if in our very name we say we're not Harvard?" But if they freely admit they're not Harvard, why use Harvard's name at all instead of choosing one that is unequivocally their own? - -- Peter F. Dubuque - peterd@shore.net - Enemy of Reason(TM) O- - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #4 ****************************** From ???@??? Thu Aug 03 08:54:29 2000 Date: 3 Aug 2000 06:15:11 -0400 Message-ID: <20000803101511.22598.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #5 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 732091023aaea5030ff4c3f451e29f95 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Thursday, August 3 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 005 In this issue: PTI Communications ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest Re: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest RE: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest Re: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest RE: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest Re: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest RE: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest RE: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest It's time to ante up ... 8/2/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 2 Aug 2000 10:04:48 -0400 From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) Subject: PTI Communications I got an ad in the mail from PTI Communications. It offers exactly what I've wanted, a low rate, no minimums and no extra fees. Anybody have any info, good or bad about them? - -- Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow) shadow@krypton.rain.com <--preferred leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com <--last resort - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 11:01:51 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest The articles coded "F" are free, but registration is required. (Contact information is not sold, leased, rented or in any way shared with anyone.) For articles coded "P" (Premium), a paid subscription is also required. :-) Judith *** Date: 2 Aug 2000 01:09:10 -0400 From: Joseph Singer Subject: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest I do appreciate Judith Oppenheimer's contribution of articles to the digest, but every "free" article that I clicked on in both of her submissions in the latest digest were met with: The page you requested is available only to Registered Users. If you are already registered log in now, if not Register here. User name Password If the article in the digest has an "F" next to it and you have indicated in your article that it is free to view why am I met with the above stuff?? *** Judith Oppenheimer, +1 212 684-7210, 1 800 The Expert Publisher, http://www.icbtollfree.com/testimny.cfm Register for FREE 800/Dot Com Headlines here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm ICB PREMIUM SUMMER SALE - ONLY $99 BUCKS A full 12-month subscription, with full article and web site access - ONLY $99 BUCKS! http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 12:04:17 -0400 From: jlurker@bigfoot.com (Justa Lurker) Subject: Re: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest It was 2 Aug 2000 01:09:10 -0400, and Joseph Singer wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: | I do appreciate Judith Oppenheimer's contribution of articles | to the digest, but every "free" article that I clicked on in | both of her submissions in the latest digest were met with: I appreciate Judith's support of the digest, but do wish that her messages were not so lengthy. Much of it is also repeated in every post! I believe it would be more effective if the posts were pulled down to just a few headlines ('free' ones if possible) and a link to additional headlines. Especially if they are to continue at the rate of 250+ lines a day! Be kind, Judith. If your messages get shorter I and others might actually start reading them again. Too long => Trash. JL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 12:35:06 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: RE: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest For the sake of brevity I will try to cut down on some of the ads, but the news is the news. As for free vs. paid, many Digest subscribers have paid for ICB and then asked to receive their headlines via the Digest versus ICB's own daily email, so it's just not something we can do. That said, we wouldn't want to, either. Much of ICB's premium news, especially in toll-free, is not reported elsewhere. (Often, outside of SNAC its not even *known* elsewhere.) Same for domain name news; outside of ICANN working group circles, you get the usual mainstream press (mostly inaccurate) pablum. Ugh. So to exclude premium headlines would deny the heads-up value (even sans full articles) of the premium content, both to Digest readers who are only free registrants to ICB, and Digest readers who aren't ICB members at all. It would also diminish the compilation value that we're told saves people time etc., as they often look to ICB so they don't have to look at a dozen other sources. Judith - -----Original Message----- From: owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org [mailto:owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org]On Behalf Of Justa Lurker Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 12:04 PM To: editor@telecom-digest.org Subject: Re: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest It was 2 Aug 2000 01:09:10 -0400, and Joseph Singer wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: | I do appreciate Judith Oppenheimer's contribution of articles | to the digest, but every "free" article that I clicked on in | both of her submissions in the latest digest were met with: I appreciate Judith's support of the digest, but do wish that her messages were not so lengthy. Much of it is also repeated in every post! I believe it would be more effective if the posts were pulled down to just a few headlines ('free' ones if possible) and a link to additional headlines. Especially if they are to continue at the rate of 250+ lines a day! Be kind, Judith. If your messages get shorter I and others might actually start reading them again. Too long => Trash. JL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 13:41:12 -0400 From: jlurker@bigfoot.com (Justa Lurker) Subject: Re: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest On 2 Aug 2000 12:35:06 -0400, in comp.dcom.telecom "Judith Oppenheimer" wrote: | For the sake of brevity I will try to cut down on some of | the ads, but the news is the news. When I submitted my article to the Digest I got a response saying: > No advertisements (with the exception of those contained > in standard .signature files) are welcome. I suppose that is John's standard letter, but I agree. | As for free vs. paid, many Digest subscribers have paid | for ICB and then asked to receive their headlines via the | Digest versus ICB's own daily email, Really? I don't have the option NOT to receive the headlines via the digest, short of not receiving the digest at all. I can see why digest readers wouldn't want it all twice. | ... to exclude premium headlines would deny the heads-up | value (even sans full articles) of the premium content, both | to Digest readers who are only free registrants to ICB, and | Digest readers who aren't ICB members at all. Perhaps a better way could be found to advertise your premium content. It is advertisement, and at $549 per year marked down to $99, it is a reasonably expensive product. With only four of the twelve headlines in the last release being free and advertising taking up a good portion of the rest of the post. Perhaps John could set up a 'back door' address where your posts would not be part of the daily Digest but would be sent to the Digest list? Then those who choose not to budget the money for premium content can get on with their lives quicker. In any case, if you could just post the 90 lines of news and headers instead of a 250 line post thick with ads it would be appreciated. | It would also diminish the compilation value that we're told | saves people time etc., as they often look to ICB so they | don't have to look at a dozen other sources. I don't always have time to skim through hundreds of lines from one contributor hoping not to miss the next article in the Digest. JL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 14:13:02 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: RE: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest My sponsorship agreement is with Pat, and includes distribution of ICB Headlines in full. Judith - -----Original Message----- From: owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org [mailto:owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org]On Behalf Of Justa Lurker Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 1:41 PM To: editor@telecom-digest.org Subject: Re: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest On 2 Aug 2000 12:35:06 -0400, in comp.dcom.telecom "Judith Oppenheimer" wrote: | For the sake of brevity I will try to cut down on some of | the ads, but the news is the news. When I submitted my article to the Digest I got a response saying: > No advertisements (with the exception of those contained > in standard .signature files) are welcome. I suppose that is John's standard letter, but I agree. | As for free vs. paid, many Digest subscribers have paid | for ICB and then asked to receive their headlines via the | Digest versus ICB's own daily email, Really? I don't have the option NOT to receive the headlines via the digest, short of not receiving the digest at all. I can see why digest readers wouldn't want it all twice. | ... to exclude premium headlines would deny the heads-up | value (even sans full articles) of the premium content, both | to Digest readers who are only free registrants to ICB, and | Digest readers who aren't ICB members at all. Perhaps a better way could be found to advertise your premium content. It is advertisement, and at $549 per year marked down to $99, it is a reasonably expensive product. With only four of the twelve headlines in the last release being free and advertising taking up a good portion of the rest of the post. Perhaps John could set up a 'back door' address where your posts would not be part of the daily Digest but would be sent to the Digest list? Then those who choose not to budget the money for premium content can get on with their lives quicker. In any case, if you could just post the 90 lines of news and headers instead of a 250 line post thick with ads it would be appreciated. | It would also diminish the compilation value that we're told | saves people time etc., as they often look to ICB so they | don't have to look at a dozen other sources. I don't always have time to skim through hundreds of lines from one contributor hoping not to miss the next article in the Digest. JL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 16:01:09 -0400 From: jlurker@bigfoot.com (Justa Lurker) Subject: Re: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest It was 2 Aug 2000 14:13:02 -0400, and "Judith Oppenheimer" wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: | My sponsorship agreement is with Pat, and includes | distribution of ICB Headlines in full. Well I certainly hope you get your money's worth. It certainly affects the integrity of the Digest when the mailing list is sold to an advertiser. Recognizing sponsors is one thing, but advertising is wrong. I'm glad other 'sponsors' have not taken advantage of the list in the past. Imagine the fun if Microsoft would have posted 250+ lines advertising their products every week when they were sponsors. Perhaps one of the registries would like to post lists of domains for sale? Telecom Digest is the second oldest mailing list on the Internet. Fortunately in the past 21 years several other groups and lists have come forth to take the roll that Telecom Digest once proudly held, to freely share information about telecom. Evidently I'm alone in my opinion. Either that, or all the like minded are just lurking, or gone. I was hoping to find a compromise but alas that little number is not available. I'll shut up now. Have fun in your group. JL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 16:39:38 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: RE: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest JL - *BIG* clarification - the Digest mailing list has NOT been sold to me, nor to any other sponsor that I'm aware of. Rather, ICB is distributed to the list by the Digest, as you receive it. That you perceive news as advertising, I cannot address. But I did offer a compromise - a reduction in the real advertising ICB carries, in the version distributed to the Digest. I'd appreciate if we can put this to rest now - you can of course feel free to email me privately at joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com. Judith - -----Original Message----- From: owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org [mailto:owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org]On Behalf Of Justa Lurker Sent: Wednesday, August 02, 2000 4:01 PM To: editor@telecom-digest.org Subject: Re: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest It was 2 Aug 2000 14:13:02 -0400, and "Judith Oppenheimer" wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: | My sponsorship agreement is with Pat, and includes | distribution of ICB Headlines in full. Well I certainly hope you get your money's worth. It certainly affects the integrity of the Digest when the mailing list is sold to an advertiser. Recognizing sponsors is one thing, but advertising is wrong. I'm glad other 'sponsors' have not taken advantage of the list in the past. Imagine the fun if Microsoft would have posted 250+ lines advertising their products every week when they were sponsors. Perhaps one of the registries would like to post lists of domains for sale? Telecom Digest is the second oldest mailing list on the Internet. Fortunately in the past 21 years several other groups and lists have come forth to take the roll that Telecom Digest once proudly held, to freely share information about telecom. Evidently I'm alone in my opinion. Either that, or all the like minded are just lurking, or gone. I was hoping to find a compromise but alas that little number is not available. I'll shut up now. Have fun in your group. JL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 17:14:25 -0400 From: Justa Lurker Subject: RE: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest At 04:35 PM 8/2/2000 -0400, "Judith Oppenheimer" wrote: >JL - *BIG* clarification - the Digest mailing list has NOT >been sold to me, nor to any other sponsor that I'm aware of. Good. Because in your the post it was written: "My sponsorship agreement is with Pat, and includes distribution of ICB Headlines in full." That made it sound like a special deal that was paid for. >That you perceive news as advertising, I cannot address. The difference is between sharing information or saying come to my site (and possibly pay me) for the information. The web helps, but I hope some discussion comes back here. >But I did offer a compromise - a reduction in the real >advertising ICB carries, in the version distributed to >the Digest. And that is up to you. I hope you follow through. The numbers given in my previous response (90 lines vs 250) were based on removing advertising and keeping paid news links. Without 'real' ads it will be something managable. >I'd appreciate if we can put this to rest now - That's fine. I've had my say. The ball is in your court. JL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 20:12:04 -0400 From: RegrettableError@netscape.net Subject: It's time to ante up ... Fellow netizens, As a longtime Telecom Digest reader, and someone whom has supported the Digest in the past, I'm writing to ask that Digest readers contribute to Pat's support. Pat's recent absence has made it clear - in case it wasn't obvious - that he's been providing what is, IMHO, one of the best services on Usenet. If I had to guess why Pat's been offline, I'd say that he's probably trying to make a living, and I think we should all examine what his stewardship of Telecom Digest & the web site is worth. During the hiatus, I and others debated what to do to get the digest going - but I always came to the same conclusion. Pat Townson *IS* the digest, and we ought to pay him for it. Of course, it's impossible to measure what Pat has done, but he has to eat, and it's only fair that those of us whom benefit from his work pay our share. Let's be frank: few want to pay for what others get for free, and I think there's a way to get around this problem. I propose that an advance email version of the digest be sent only to contributors, a day (or two?) in advance. Of course, it's only a symbolic benefit, but people are funny and it's nice to get *something*, however small, for spending money. I'm sure Pat's needs are modest, although I don't know what housing and food and medical care cost in Chicago. If 5,000 digest readers contribute $10/year, we can support Pat in reasonable style. Surely, there are at least that many readers out there? It's past time we all chipped in. Bill Horne (My real address in bhorne at banet dot net. Replies to netcenter will NOT be read.) - ---------- Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Webmail account today at http://home.netscape.com/webmail/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Aug 2000 23:57:16 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/2/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - 866 UPDATE - - WILL 333 ADD UP TO MORE THAN 1-800? - - ICANN MEMBER NOMINATIONS: RUNNING BLIND - - WEDO.MOO - - CHINA TELCOM OFFERS FREE CALLS ON SUNDAYS - - HARVARD U COUNTERSUES NOTHARVARD.COM - - SEX.COM: OWNERSHIP RULING DUE - - UDRP-SUCKS.COM - - IS THE ANSWER TO TOLL FREE 'BOON', 4TH AND 5TH NUMBER? ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) Act Now! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. We are accepting classifieds ads for ICB's new FREE classified section, to launch soon. Text only, approximately 75 words, post per approval of editor. Mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: CLASSIFIED AD. ************************************************************************* ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 2, 2000 P - 866 UPDATE Was it due to system freezes, or simple lack of interest? CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4253 F - WILL 333 ADD UP TO MORE THAN 1-800? New service lets cellular phone users connect to participating radio and outdoor advertisers by dialing #333. The calls are airtime-free and toll-free for the consumer -- and the pitch is "its better than 800." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4261 F - ICANN MEMBER NOMINATIONS: RUNNING BLIND It is nearly impossible to have an election with a hidden electorate. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4260 F - WEDO.MOO Tucows Inc. has launched an open demonstration environment for its new Tucows OpenXRS (Open Extensible Registry System) registry management solution. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4259 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* WhoSells800.com http://www.whosells800.com >>> where business shops for toll free service and numbers. Are you listed? http://www.whosells800.com/800serpro.cfm ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 2, 2000 F - CHINA TELCOM OFFERS FREE CALLS ON SUNDAYS New T&T, a fixed telecom network operator, is offering free IDD calls to Shenzhen and Shekou, China, every Sunday. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4257 F - HARVARD U COUNTERSUES NOTHARVARD.COM Although NotHarvard.com has not appealed the USPTO denial of their trademark application, notHarvard last week sued Harvard in Texas. The company asked the judge to declare its domain name and trademarks valid and protectable. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4256 F - SEX.COM: OWNERSHIP RULING DUE ``He has strong-armed other Web sites with threatening e-mails, and they simply handed over their domain names.'' CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4254 P - UDRP-SUCKS.COM "Respondent has appended the term "-sucks" to domain names that are, in the absence of that term, confusingly similar to Complainant's mark." Duh ... CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4255 F - IS THE ANSWER TO TOLL FREE 'BOON', 4TH AND 5TH NUMBER? The profusion of new toll-free numbers ends up confusing consumers, and in the long run, the effectiveness of the service. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4258 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER 75 percent are children under five. Click on the link below to make a free donation of 1 1/2 cups of staple food to a hungry person, donated to the United Nations World Food Programme. http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #5 ****************************** From ???@??? Fri Aug 04 11:35:30 2000 Date: 4 Aug 2000 01:47:08 -0400 Message-ID: <20000804054708.6360.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #6 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 6fba5697d633770c020a96b92feaf23b Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Friday, August 4 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 006 In this issue: Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #5 posting to telecom digest *and* other lists Re: PTI Communications. 8/3/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #5 Pat and the Digest EPIC Alert 7.15 Re: EPIC Alert 7.15 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 3 Aug 2000 09:55:58 -0400 From: "Joey Lindstrom" Subject: Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #5 On 3 Aug 2000 06:15:11 -0400, Telecom Digest wrote: >Let's be frank: few want to pay for what others get for free, and I think there's a way to get around this problem. I propose that an advance email version of the digest be sent only to contributors, a day (or two?) in advance. Of course, it's only a symbolic benefit, but people are funny and it's nice to get *something*, however small, for spending money. > >I'm sure Pat's needs are modest, although I don't know what housing and food and medical care cost in Chicago. If 5,000 digest readers contribute $10/year, we can support Pat in reasonable style. Surely, there are at least that many readers out there? > >It's past time we all chipped in. I have an even better idea. Since Judith believes that her sponsorship deal with Pat allows her to do whatever the hell she wants to do, and bollocks to those of us who would dare criticize, let's let her kick in a chunk of the $549/year she charges people to get the pay-articles from her little service. That should more than cover it, I think... Seriously Judith - I can understand your position, but your postings to the Digest are: 1) Way, way too long 2) Far too repetitive (I don't need to see a link to the SAME article in multiple posts) As for kicking in some cash to help Pat, I'd consider it, but unlike with the cable company, here I have a choice. And I choose not to contribute dime one to any endeavour that is ADVERTISER SUPPORTED, which the Digest is. If Pat chooses to make sponsorship deals, fine and dandy - but for me it's one way or the other, not both. Sorry if that sounds heartless, but I simply find the idea of paying to view advertising repugnant... and when you think about it, the same arguments against spam apply here. Oh, and Judith... I don't know just how long you've been on the internet, but here's a little tip. Most people find it offensive when you quote back their ENTIRE message in every reply, particularly when you're replying to a mailing list. Cut it down to just the relevant text, please... / From the messy desktop of Joey Lindstrom / Visit The NuServer! http://www.GaryNumanFan.NU / Visit The Webb! http://webb.GaryNumanFan.NU / / Rush Limbaugh's Updated 35 UNDENIABLE TRUTHS / / NUMBER 3 / / No nation has ever taxed itself into prosperity. ** Tag(s) inserted by Bandit Tagger98 - http://www.gbar.dtu.dk/~c918704 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 3 Aug 2000 10:08:06 -0400 From: Joseph Singer Subject: posting to telecom digest *and* other lists We've been arguing about the ICB posts to telecom digest, but I'd also like to comment on a particular trend that I've seen which is rather irksome and that is what is quoted back text in replies. Thanks in part to the way Microsoft's Outlook and Outlook Express work the standard reply format is for the person making the reply to make their reply and *then* spout back the *entire* original article. Your recipient does *not* need to see the entire article again. Pare it down to some bits of the original so we know what you are making reference to and don't quote back the entire article. It's not needed and not appreciated. Please have some consideration for your reader and only include relevant bits in your quoteback. Thanks! - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 3 Aug 2000 14:29:02 -0400 From: "q'onkh abdullah" Subject: Re: PTI Communications. Do you by any chance mean PT-1 Communications? The 101-6868 people? I used them in the early days as a dial-around, but stopped because of the loud echo on their lines. But after a while they seriously cleaned up their act and for about six months I used them as my primary carrier with no problem. The quality and prices are fine -- no surprises. They are a subsidiary of Star Communications which is a big investor in the transoceanic fibre cable business. Their web site is at http://www.pt-1.com/qa.htm . Their international rates are outstanding. But be aware that they recently raised their intra-state rates in a few states (and lowered them in California) but their web site does not reflect this. (So you can call from Dallas to Hong Kong for 8 cents a minute, but Dallas to Austin for 15 cents.) I finally stopped using them when the 5 cent per minute (and then 4 cpm) plans also with no monthly fees or minimums became readily available. 7.9 cents no longer seemed such a bargain. Then I finally got hooked on bigzoo.com. (Warning: their access number is busy in the evening, but with persistance you can get through. You have to be willing to suffer a bit.) If I may add a word of unsolicited advice: rather than waiting for a direct mail marketer to find you, go out and look for a bargain yourself. My favorite references are: http://www.1010phonerates.com http://www.abelltolls.com - --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 3 Aug 2000 21:45:32 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/3/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - ICANN TLD DELAY READS LIKE A SKIT FROM SEINFELD - - HONG KONG TO ALLOW COMPANIES MULTIPLE DOMAIN NAMES - - ICANN SUCCUMBS TO TM'ERS ON NEW TLDS - - INTERNIC IS RETIRED - - ATIS TO SERVE AS IFAST SPONSOR AND SECRETARIAT - - ICANN DEFENDS BOARD NOMINEES - - "EARTH", "USA" & "Z" SERVER BREAKS 1M HITS PER MONTH BARRIER - - BULKREGISTER.COM AND AT&T IN CO-MARKETING DEAL ************************************************************************* NOTABLE QUOTE "Time is a magazine. So what? Does that mean that no clockmaker gets time.biz, just because the dictionary word is also a registered trademark?" SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4262 ************************************************************************* ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 3, 2000 P - ICANN TLD DELAY READS LIKE A SKIT FROM SEINFELD After silently missing its scheduled August 1 date for opening the new TLD application process -- and just one day after ICANN Chief Financial Officer Andrew McLaughlin told Newsbytes' David McGuire that the application forms would be posted today -- ICANN has posted an announcement on its website announcing a delay of at least one month. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4263 F - HONG KONG TO ALLOW COMPANIES MULTIPLE DOMAIN NAMES Previously, any company wanting a ".hk" Internet address could register only a single domain name and that had to relate to the actual name or nature of the business, said taskforce chairman Professor Charles Kao Kuen. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4264 F - ICANN SUCCUMBS TO TM'ERS ON NEW TLDS ICANN's resolution mandates that all potential TLD operators must establish policies to deal with intellectual property rights in the initiation and operation of their registries. Yet "Time is a magazine. So what? Does that mean that no clockmaker gets time.biz, just because the dictionary word is also a registered trademark?" CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4262 F - INTERNIC IS RETIRED Announced today: By directive of The Department of Commerce, Network Solutions is retiring most of "internic.net". CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4272 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* WhoSells800.com http://www.whosells800.com >>> where business shops for toll free service and numbers. Are you listed? http://www.whosells800.com/800serpro.cfm ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER 75 percent are children under five. Click on the link below to make a free donation of 1 1/2 cups of staple food to a hungry person, donated to the United Nations World Food Programme. http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 3, 2000 P - ATIS TO SERVE AS IFAST SPONSOR AND SECRETARIAT IFAST facilitates interoperation of wireless systems around the world using the ANSI-41 (Analog, NAMPS, CDMA, TDMA) interworking protocol. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4271 F - ICANN DEFENDS BOARD NOMINEES States, "ICANN is not a political debating society." But critics charge, "experience in the ICANN trenches was no credit and may have been, as folks have suggested, a detriment." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4270 P - "EARTH", "USA" & "Z" SERVER BREAKS 1M HITS PER MONTH BARRIER "The Alternative Root Server concept is starting to get noticed, and the visibility will just snowball", Palmer said. "People don't want an unfair, bureaucracy running the internet, a bureaucracy controlled by special interests like WIPO, a bureaucracy that try's to deny domain name holders access to the courts to resolve their disputes". CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4269 P - BULKREGISTER.COM AND AT&T IN CO-MARKETING DEAL The AT&T Ecosystem program provides a foundation for Application Service Providers (ASPs) to deliver high-performing and reliable network-based applications to business customers. Under this umbrella, BulkRegister.com will participate in a network services platform with a comprehensive co-marketing, co-branding and distribution program. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4268 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* Carriers World Congress Where the World's bandwidth community does business. The longest established carrier and bandwidth focused conference in Europe. CEO conference panel and Exchange business floor. Unmatched information, networking and business development opportunities for Carriers, ISPs, and ASPs. http://www.carriers-series.com/carrier_euro ************************************************************************* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* DONT MISS OUT! ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) Act Now! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 3 Aug 2000 21:57:11 -0400 From: "Mike Pollock" Subject: Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #5 I believe you're referring to PT-1 communications. If so, here's their website: http://www.pt-1.com/home2.htm - --Mike - ----- Original Message ----- > Date: 2 Aug 2000 10:04:48 -0400 > From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) > Subject: PTI Communications > > I got an ad in the mail from PTI Communications. It offers exactly what > I've wanted, a low rate, no minimums and no extra fees. > > Anybody have any info, good or bad about them? - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 3 Aug 2000 23:10:53 -0400 From: Paul Hrisko Subject: Pat and the Digest Hate to say it, but I've been one of those lurkers for about 10 years now (wow, is it really that long?) sending in a question every year or so. Answers were usually quick and on the mark, due to the quality of the people on the list. I also feel I've learned a lot for the same reason - the quality of the people. I feel this list is like public television - It's User Supported; it needs cash to stay alive. If the users don't support it, it still needs funding to exist and Pat made the decision to get the dollars through sponsorship. Pat had this problem - he needed to make a living. His bad. (yes, heavy sarcasm). I've sent money to Pat on occasion - when I remember and had the checkbook near me. Hopefully others have done the same. We can pretty much blame ourselves for where it stands now that he's unable to keep up his part of the bargain. It seems we didn't keep up ours. Personally I'd rather drop $20 to him rather than pay $129/year for some trade paper that has 1/10th of the usable info I've found in past postings. Now the question returns: How do we get back to where we were? Can we make it worth our while to continue the list or is it going to be a footnote? Damn, just fell off that soapbox... - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 01:25:12 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EPIC Alert 7.15 ============================================================== @@@@ @@@@ @@@ @@@@ @ @ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @@@@ @@@ @ @ @@@@@ @ @@@ @@@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @@@@ @ @@@ @@@@ @ @ @@@@ @@@@ @ @ @ ============================================================== Volume 7.15 August 3, 2000 -------------------------------------------------------------- Published by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Washington, D.C. http://www.epic.org/alert/EPIC_Alert_7.15.html ======================================================================= Table of Contents ======================================================================= [1] Federal Judge Orders Fast FBI Action on Carnivore Material [2] Flashback: It's the Clipper Chip All Over Again [3] Report on Online Profiling Analyzes Recent FTC Agreement [4] NGOs to Hold Public Voice Meeting on Emerging Privacy Issues [5] Study Examines Children's Privacy and "Free" Internet Access [6] Administration Seeks Public Comment on Privacy and Bankruptcy [7] EPIC Bookstore - Privacy in the Information Age [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events ======================================================================= [1] Federal Judge Orders Fast FBI Action on Carnivore Material ======================================================================= In response to a lawsuit filed by EPIC, a federal judge in Washington has ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation to establish a timetable for the expedited release of information about the "Carnivore" system no later than August 16. The ruling came during an emergency hearing convened by U.S. District Judge James Robertson on August 2, only hours after EPIC filed an application for the immediate public disclosure of information concerning the FBI's controversial surveillance system. EPIC's lawsuit charges that the Department of Justice and the FBI have violated the law by failing to act on a request to expedite the processing of a Freedom of Information Act request EPIC submitted to the FBI on July 12. The Carnivore system monitors traffic at the facilities of Internet service providers (ISPs) in order to intercept information contained in the electronic mail of criminal suspects. Carnivore can reportedly scan millions of e-mails each second and is capable of providing law enforcement agents the ability to intercept all of an ISP's customers' digital communications. Serious questions have been raised in Congress, in the media and in the privacy community concerning the legality of Carnivore and its potential for abuse. In response to the public uproar over Carnivore, Attorney General Janet Reno announced on July 27 that the technical specifications of the system would be disclosed to a "group of experts" to allay public concerns. But according to EPIC General Counsel David L. Sobel, "There is no substitute for a full and open public review of the Carnivore system. The only way that the privacy questions can be resolved is for the FBI to release all relevant information, both legal and technical." EPIC's FOIA request, which is the subject of the federal court order, seeks the disclosure of "all records" concerning Carnivore, including the underlying software and legal analyses addressing the limitations, if any, that have been placed on the use of the system. A similar request for access to Carnivore material was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. In a detailed submission to the Justice Department shortly after it transmitted its request to the FBI, EPIC asserted that its Carnivore request concerns "a matter of widespread and exceptional media interest in which there exist possible questions about the government's integrity which affect public confidence" -- one of the legal standards that qualifies a request for "expedited processing." Despite a ten-day time limit to answer requests for accelerated processing, the Department failed to respond to EPIC's request until a little more than an hour before the emergency court hearing. In a fax sent to EPIC, the FBI finally conceded that the Carnivore request requires expedited treatment. EPIC is a frequent FOIA requester and litigant, and previously sought the disclosure of information from the FBI on the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) and from the National Security Agency on the Clipper Chip (see below) and U.S. encryption policy, among other subjects. The legal memorandum in support of EPIC's motion for a temporary restraining order is available in HTML at: http://www.techlawjournal.com/courts/epicvdoj/20000802mem.asp and in PDF at: http://www.epic.org/privacy/litigation/carnivore_TRO.pdf ======================================================================= [2] Flashback: It's the Clipper Chip All Over Again ======================================================================= Longtime readers of the EPIC Alert might feel a sense of deja vu when they read about the current controversy over the FBI's Carnivore surveillance system. That's probably because official statements on the matter bear a striking resemblance to statements made in the early days of the Clipper Chip controversy. The Clipper Chip used classified technology developed by the National Security Agency that, according to the initial White House announcement on April 16, 1993, "preserves the ability of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to intercept lawfully the phone conversations of criminals." Clipper was an encryption system that deposited a spare decryption key with the federal government. Not surprisingly, the proposal was met with a great deal of public mistrust and concern about potential abuse. In an effort to address the public concerns over the Clipper Chip, the White House announced that "respected experts from outside the government will be offered access to the confidential details of the algorithm to assess its capabilities and publicly report their findings." Although the reviewers eventually stated their satisfaction with the technical specifications, the secrecy surrounding the Clipper Chip was never lifted. In fact, EPIC went to court seeking the release of the underlying SKIPJACK algorithm, and lost. Today, the FBI steadfastly refuses to disclose the source code or technical specifications of Carnivore. Attorney General Reno addressed the issue on July 27 and announced the Justice Department's plan: The first step will be to have an individual expert or a group of experts, probably from an academic community, conduct a detailed review of the source code. Those experts will report their findings to a panel of interested parties, people from the telecommunications and computer industries, as well as privacy experts. . . . I think it's a matter of explaining and trying to bring in experts that will give people additional confidence . . . The Clipper Chip experience suggests that there's no real substitute for full public disclosure. While keeping the actual details under wraps, various agencies posted reassuring statements and "Frequently Asked Questions" files. After several years of unsuccessfully trying to promote the technology, the government eventually dropped the initiative. Today, a search for "Clipper Chip" at the Justice Department's website yields a "no records" response. For more background information on the Clipper Chip see: http://www.epic.org/crypto/clipper/ ======================================================================= [3] Report on Online Profiling Analyzes Recent FTC Agreement ======================================================================= On July 28, EPIC, in conjunction with Junkbusters, released a report on the recent agreement between the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) on a set of self-regulatory guidelines. The NAI is a consortium of Internet advertising companies representing roughly ninety percent of the growing industry and includes companies such as DoubleClick and Engage. Entitled "Network Advertising Initiative: Principles not Privacy," the report examines the year-long controversy of online profiling, the shortcomings of the NAI guidelines, and proposes principles that would offer an adequate level of privacy protection. Online profiling, currently a common practice of Internet advertisers, entails the collection of information about Internet behavior for the creation of a profile or a representation about an Internet user's interests and preferences. Recent controversies have erupted around not only the practice of online profiling, but also the linking of these profiles to personal data. The report argues that the self-regulatory guidelines endorsed by the FTC and negotiated without significant involvement from consumer and privacy groups, do not provide an adequate level of privacy protection. The guidelines will allow companies to collect online profiling data on the basis of notice and opt-out, which provides no assurances that consumers will know that their behavior is being tracked and recorded. The principles will also permit companies to link online profiling data with personal data on the basis of a "robust" notice and opt-out with little guidance as to what "robust" procedures will be. Similarly, provisions about access, the ability to view and edit information collected, and the transfer of personal data to third parties are vague and indeterminate. In light of the inadequacy of the FTC-NAI agreement, the report recommends that legislation built on Fair Information Practices will better protect privacy and conform to the standards that consumers prefer. Such legal standards would also spur the development of more innovative Internet advertising practices that do not rely on the tracking of Internet users. "Network Advertising Initiative: Principles not Privacy": http://www.epic.org/privacy/internet/NAI_analysis.html The recommendation of the Federal Trade Commission and materials related to the Network Advertising Initiative guidelines: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2000/07/onlineprofiling.htm ======================================================================= [4] NGOs to Hold Public Voice Meeting on Emerging Privacy Issues ======================================================================= On September 27, EPIC and Privacy International will host a conference, "The Public Voice in Privacy Policy," in Venice, Italy. The meeting will be held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners to take place on September 28. The conference will bring together leading academic experts, NGO leaders, and privacy officials from around the world to explore current issues in privacy protection. Panel discussions will focus on the globalization of surveillance; copyright protection and privacy; the EU-US negotiations on transborder data flows (Safe Harbor); and the need for an international convention on data protection. The first of these conferences was organized by Privacy International and held in Sydney in 1992. Subsequent meetings have taken place in Manchester (1993), The Hague (1994), Copenhagen (1995), Ottawa (1996), Brussels (1997), and Hong Kong (1999). For program and registration details see: http://www.epic.org/events/publicvoice_venice/ For details on the Data Protection Commissioner's conference visit the homepage of the Italian Data Protection Commission: http://www.dataprotection.org/ ======================================================================= [5] Study Examines Children's Privacy and "Free" Internet Access ======================================================================= The Center for Advanced Technology at the University of Oregon has produced a study, "Capturing the Eyeballs and E-Wallets of Captive Kids in School: Dot.com Invades Dot.edu," examining companies that offer "free" Internet access to schools in exchange for the collection of marketing information from their students. Schools faced with an increasing amount of pressure to provide Internet access to students are being lured into these deals by companies like Zapme! and HiFusion. Companies looking for an opportunity to reach younger audiences have found that by offering free or reduced prices for computer equipment or Internet access, they can start creating online profiles - information about their interests and preferences - of children while they are at school. Some of these companies collect personal information as well as information about Internet surfing behavior. The study goes on to say that far too often, school administrators approve partnerships with such companies without being fully aware of the invasive practices of these companies. In addition, parents who trust the judgment of school officials are easily persuaded to consent these practices. Most importantly, the study argues that allowing online profiling companies to begin collecting information on younger kids will likely mold the expectation of privacy they may have as they become older. If this practice becomes widespread, in the future, many children may have a diminished sense of the proper boundaries of personal privacy. "Capturing the Eyeballs and E-Wallets of Captive Kids in School: Dot.com Invades Dot.edu" is available at: http://netizen.uoregon.edu/documents/eyeballs.html ======================================================================= [6] Administration Seeks Public Comment on Privacy and Bankruptcy ======================================================================= Following up on a proposal made earlier this year by the Clinton Administration, the Department of Justice, the Department of the Treasury and the Office of Management and Budget, in conjunction with the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, will be conducting a study on the privacy of financial information disclosed to the public through bankruptcy filings. The agencies are currently soliciting public comments on the issue. The study will also discuss other controversial issues such as the ability to sell personal information or customer lists as assets when companies go bankrupt. Recently, bankrupt online retailer Toysmart.com has drawn criticism for attempting to sell its customer lists to the highest bidder (see EPIC Alert 7.13). The public comment period will end on September 8, 2000. For more information on the study or to submit comments: http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/privacy/privacy-study.htm ======================================================================= [7] EPIC Bookstore - Privacy in the Information Age ======================================================================= Privacy in the Information Age (Library in a Book) by Harry Henderson http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0816038708/electronicprivacA Privacy in the Information Age examines the growing controversy of diminishing privacy as advancements in computer technology facilitate the monitoring and collection of information from people's daily lives. Everything from medical records to e-mail correspondence and financial statements can be reviewed by other people without the knowledge or consent of those whose information it is. These records can also be stored in database files. Eventually, all aspects of an individual's life may be gathered in a single computer file. While this could be a powerful and useful tool, it raises many questions. Who has the right to this information? How can one control what sort of information is being collected and whether or not that information is accurate? Author Harry Henderson examines the history of how technology has created this dilemma and discusses the current status of privacy laws. ================================ EPIC Publications: "Cryptography and Liberty 2000: An International Survey of Encryption Policy," Wayne Madsen and David Banisar, editors, (EPIC 2000). Price: $20. http://www.epic.org/crypto&/ EPIC's third survey of encryption policies around the world. The results indicate that the efforts to reduce export controls on strong encryption products have largely succeeded, although several governments are gaining new powers to combat the perceived threats of encryption to law enforcement. ================================ "The Privacy Law Sourcebook: United States Law, International Law, and Recent Developments," Marc Rotenberg, editor (EPIC 1999). Price: $50. http://www.epic.org/pls/ The "Physicians Desk Reference of the privacy world." An invaluable resource for students, attorneys, researchers and journalists who need an up-to-date collection of U.S. and International privacy law, as well as a comprehensive listing of privacy resources. ================================ "Filters and Freedom - Free Speech Perspectives on Internet Content Controls," David Sobel, editor (EPIC 1999). Price: $20. http://www.epic.org/filters&freedom/ A collection of essays, studies, and critiques of Internet content filtering. These papers are instrumental in explaining why filtering threatens free expression. ================================ "Privacy and Human Rights 1999: An International Survey of Privacy Laws and Developments," David Banisar, Simon Davies, editors, (EPIC 1999). Price: $15. http://www.epic.org/privacy&humanrights99/ An international survey of the privacy and data protection laws found in 50 countries around the globe. This report outlines the constitutional and legal conditions of privacy protection, and summarizes important issues and events relating to privacy and surveillance. ================================ Additional titles on privacy, open government, free expression, computer security, and crypto, as well as films and DVDs can be ordered through the EPIC Bookstore: http://www.epic.org/bookstore/ ======================================================================= [8] Upcoming Conferences and Events ======================================================================= CPSR Meeting on Privacy & Security. August 15, 2000. Toronto Cypherpunks/Webgrrls. Toronto, Canada. For more information: http://toronto.cypherpunks.ca/ First International Hackers Forum. The Green Planet. August 18-20, 2000. Zaporozhye, Ukraine. For more information: http://www.geocities.com/hack_forum Surveillance Expo 2000. August 28-30, 2000. Arlington, VA. For more information: http://www.surveillance-expo.com Financial Privacy: Guaranteeing the Integrity of Your Customers Information. International Communications for Management. September 7-8, 2000. New York, NY. For more information: http://www.icmworldwide.com/EventIndex.asp?EventID=973 Health Information Privacy: A Dialogue with the Stakeholders. September 21, 2000. Westin Hotel. Ottawa, Canada. For more information: http://www.rileyis.com/seminars KnowRight 2000 - InfoEthics Europe. Austrian Computer Society and UNESCO. September 26-29, 2000. Vienna, Austria. For more information: http://www.ocg.at/KR-IE2000.html The Public Voice in Privacy Policy. EPIC and Privacy International. September 27, 2000. Venice, Italy. For more information: http://www.epic.org/events/publicvoice_venice/ One World, One Privacy: 22nd Annual International Conference on Privacy and Personal Data Protection. September 28-30, 2000. Venice, Italy. For more information: http://www.dataprotection.org/ Drawing the Blinds: Reconstructing Privacy in the Information Age. CPSR's Annual Conference and Wiener Award Dinner. October 14, 2000. Philadelphia, PA. For more information: http://www.cpsr.org. Privacy: A Social Research Conference. New School University. October 5-7, 2000. New York, NY. For more information: http://www.newschool.edu/centers/socres/privacy/ Privacy2000: Information and Security in the Digital Age. October 31- November 1, 2000. Columbus, Ohio. Adam's Mark Hotel. For more information: http://www.privacy2000.org ======================================================================= Subscription Information ======================================================================= The EPIC Alert is a free biweekly publication of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. A Web-based form is available for subscribing or unsubscribing at: http://www.epic.org/alert/subscribe.html To subscribe or unsubscribe using email, send email to epic-news@epic.org with the subject: "subscribe" (no quotes) or "unsubscribe". Back issues are available at: http://www.epic.org/alert/ ======================================================================= About EPIC ======================================================================= The Electronic Privacy Information Center is a public interest research center in Washington, DC. It was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging privacy issues such as the Clipper Chip, the Digital Telephony proposal, national ID cards, medical record privacy, and the collection and sale of personal information. EPIC is sponsored by the Fund for Constitutional Government, a non-profit organization established in 1974 to protect civil liberties and constitutional rights. EPIC publishes the EPIC Alert, pursues Freedom of Information Act litigation, and conducts policy research. For more information, e-mail info@epic.org, http://www.epic.org or write EPIC, 1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009. +1 202 483 1140 (tel), +1 202 483 1248 (fax). If you'd like to support the work of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, contributions are welcome and fully tax-deductible. Checks should be made out to "The Fund for Constitutional Government" and sent to EPIC, 1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009. Your contributions will help support Freedom of Information Act and First Amendment litigation, strong and effective advocacy for the right of privacy and efforts to oppose government regulation of encryption and expanding wiretapping powers. Thank you for your support. ======================================================================= Privacy Policy ======================================================================= The EPIC Alert mailing list is used only to mail the EPIC Alert and to send notices about EPIC activities. We do not sell, rent or share our mailing list. We also intend to challenge any subpoena or other legal process seeking access to our mailing list. We do not enhance (link to other databases) our mailing list or require your actual name. In the event you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe your email address from this list, please follow the above instructions under "subscription information". Please contact info@epic.org if you have any other questions. ---------------------- END EPIC Alert 7.15 ----------------------- . - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 01:47:06 -0400 From: Subject: Re: EPIC Alert 7.15 In comp.dcom.telecom Monty forwarded: > @@@@ @@@@ @@@ @@@@ @ @ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@@ > @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ > @@@@ @@@ @ @ @@@@@ @ @@@ @@@ @ > @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ > @@@@ @ @@@ @@@@ @ @ @@@@ @@@@ @ @ @ [big snip] Please, I request, do NOT send 490 line messages to the list. A short summary plus a url for further info is much more civilized. I thank you. My screen thanks you. My ISP's "news" drive thanks you. My phone bill thanks you. - -- _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #6 ****************************** From ???@??? Fri Aug 04 11:35:47 2000 Date: 4 Aug 2000 06:15:12 -0400 Message-ID: <20000804101512.1854.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #7 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 2854dd6dc1e14c3402c9b35262fd3f38 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Friday, August 4 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 007 In this issue: ICB HeadsUp Headlines Re: ICB HeadsUp Headlines Further to this ICB Toll Free issue I must have missed this back in April testifying before COPA panel tomorrow ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 4 Aug 2000 01:54:43 -0400 From: "Peter Hope-Tindall" Subject: ICB HeadsUp Headlines I don't mind the ICB headlines - but can we lose the advertising. I felt that this was borderline inappropriate with a live moderator - but I think we may be on a slippery slope with an automated system. Sooner or later everyone will start disguising their advertising as news! Regards, Peter Hope-Tindall peter@hope-tindall.com http://www.hope-tindall.com/peter (416) 410-0240 Voice (416) 410-2820 Facsimile - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 01:54:44 -0400 From: "Peter Hope-Tindall" Subject: Re: ICB HeadsUp Headlines I don't mind the ICB headlines - but can we lose the advertising. I felt that this was borderline inappropriate with a live moderator - but I think we may be on a slippery slope with an automated system. Sooner or later everyone will start disguising their advertising as news! Regards, Peter Hope-Tindall peter@hope-tindall.com *** http://www.hope-tindall.com/peter (416) 410-0240 Voice *** (416) 410-2820 Facsimile - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 02:46:12 -0400 From: "Peter Hope-Tindall" Subject: Further to this ICB Toll Free issue I notice that the ICB Toll Free web site extols the Telecom Digest as an opt-in marketing partner: http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm "emailed daily to opt-in list of ICB Toll Free News subscribers and opt- in list of ICB-marketing partner Telecom Digest." Well - I didn't opt-in at all for this ICB advertising. Please - if you want to send the news; that's OK - please don't send the ad's - or if you wish merely post a url to link to that has both news and ad's. Peter Hope-Tindall peter@hope-tindall.com http://www.hope-tindall.com/peter (416) 410-0240 Voice (416) 410-2820 Facsimile - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 03:01:43 -0400 From: "Peter Hope-Tindall" Subject: I must have missed this back in April I still think this should be news only - zero ads, merely credit for ICB! - ------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 01:04:44 EDT From: TELECOM Digest Editor Subject: ICB Toll Free Consultancy and TELECOM Digest Forge Alliance The Internet's premier 800 and Domain Name Consultancy/News Service, and the Internet's oldest continuing e-journal about telecommunications, team up in content and distribution pact. NEW YORK, April 4, 2000 -- ICB Toll Free, premier source of toll free 800 and dot com industry intelligence, analysis and news, today announced an alliance with TELECOM Digest, the oldest continuing e-journal about telecommunications on the Internet. ICB partially replaces International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as primary Digest underwriter, and will distribute its daily HeadsUp Headlines to the Digest's 2,500+ email subscribers and 8,000+ daily web site visitors, as well as Usenet comp.dcom.telecom. ICB Toll Free News covers 800 and dot com politics and news, delivering competitive intelligence to a business leadership of corporate and industry giants, as well as small business owners and entrepreneurs. "ICB keeps us up on the changing marketplace," says Emil G. Michael, Director of Business Development, Tellme Networks, Inc., "providing intelligence we consider a critical driver of our business. "ICB is our eyes and ears," agrees Richard Sapio, CEO of MUTUALS.COM. "With the convergence of communications occurring so rapidly, ICB helps me to run on 'Internet Time'," adds Custis F. Dunn, Executive Director, Telecom Institute. "We are honored to be a key sponsor of TELECOM Digest, the granddaddy of telecom journals on the Internet," says Judith Oppenheimer, President and Publisher of ICB. "Throughout its almost twenty year history on the net it has maintained the highest standards of editorial integrity, thanks to Editor Pat Townson, who moderates with wisdom, discretion, and good humor. TELECOM Digest remains to this day, a key news and analysis resource for industry leaders and watchers alike, worldwide." Patrick Townson, Digest Editor notes, "ICB's Judith Oppenheimer is a frequent and valued contributor to TELECOM Digest. The addition of ICB's daily HeadsUp Headlines, with its unique spotlight on toll free 800 and domain name issues, puts critical content on the front burner for Digest readers. Its a win-win relationship, and we're very pleased to have ICB on board." ABOUT ICB ICB Toll Free News (http://icbtollfree.com), premier source of 800 and dot com industry news, is owned by ICB Inc., a consulting practice (http://1800TheExpert.com) founded in 1993 and publisher of the WhoSells800.com Toll Free Service Provider Directory (http://whosells800.com). ICB is an industry leader in toll free and domain name intelligence, advising business owners, corporate marketers and the telecom industries since 1993. ABOUT TELECOM DIGEST TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of networks such as Compuserve and America On Line, and other forums. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. The Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecommunications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and published continuously since then, and is possibly the second oldest e-zine on the internet in any category. Archives are available for review and research at http://telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 04:05:32 -0400 From: Bennett Haselton Subject: testifying before COPA panel tomorrow [sent to journalists on Peacefire's press contacts list] I'll be testifying at the Congressionally appointed COPA panel tomorrow, at Commission's third and final hearing on blocking software, starting at 9:00 a.m. at San Jose State University. The last hearing was the one in Richmond, VA on July 20-21 -- a Peacefire representative attended that hearring with a copy of our reports showing the sites blocked by ClickSafe and BAIR, two of the companies that had sent representatives to testify at that hearing. At the August 3-4 hearing, I'll be testifying about the problem of "overblocking" in general, i.e. blocking software accidentally or deliberately blocking non-pornographic sites. So far the COPA Commission has actually been good about acknowledging our side of the story; several of our reports on blocking software were added to their list of "submitted papers" at: http://www.copacommission.org/papers/ including two reports (the ClickSafe and BAIR reports) that were published basically to embarrass people who were testifying before the COPA Commission on the same day :) Naturally, we're against the COPA law (Child Online Protection Act -- see CopaCommission.org for more information), so for the past few months I was snickering about the fact that the commission ran out of money less than halfway through the hearings and was now basically bankrupt. Now I'm the one they're calling and telling that they can't reimburse for the plane ticket and the hotel because they have no money, so it's not funny any more!! I'll be checking voice mail back home while I'm on the road, so you can still leave messages for me at (425) 649 9024. -Bennett bennett@peacefire.org http://www.peacefire.org (425) 649 9024 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #7 ****************************** From ???@??? Sun Aug 06 01:28:48 2000 Date: 5 Aug 2000 06:15:12 -0400 Message-ID: <20000805101512.12729.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #8 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: f16cc3af293122a4d34c16fdbc3a79e4 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Saturday, August 5 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 008 In this issue: BigZoo (was: PTI Communications) Another comparison service Any experience with DirectONE long distance? how the testifying went (more embarrassing reports) International country code news, questions Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL Re: how the testifying went (more embarrassing reports) Online-payment service PayPal shifts policy in battle on fraud Fact Sheet on Export Control on Computers Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Wireless PDAs to Toon In Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL Registrar Sues for Whois Spam The Heat's on Cellphone Driving Court to Address DeCSS T-Shirt Spectrum Auction Still on Horizon Seven Deadly Email Thoughts Re: Bigzoo ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 4 Aug 2000 12:12:02 -0400 From: "John E. Bartley" Subject: BigZoo (was: PTI Communications) On 3 Aug 2000 14:29:02 -0400, "q'onkh abdullah" wrote: >Then I finally got hooked on bigzoo.com. (Warning: their access >number is busy in the evening, but with persistance you can get through. You have >to be willing to suffer a bit.) Bigzoo? Here's what I found so far.... It's a cardless calling card service. You account is established via an SSL session on their website. US inter- and intra-state costs $0.039/min (except in selected portions of (201), (248), (253), (313), (415), (425), (510) , (626) , (858), (908) and (973), where a local access number lowers the ppm to $0.036/min. Calling BC costs $0.078/min., and other international calling from the States is permitted (although Bigzoo does not yet support calling from outside the States). There's a $0.75/mo. service charge. The card cancels itself unless you add more $$ every six months, and the minimum input is $5. BigZoo.com, Corp 624 S. Grand Ave. #2900 Los Angeles, CA 90068 USA 213-426-6503 213-426-6535 Fax- 213-452-7026 is related to VERTEX GROUP, INC. 624 S. Grand Ave. Suite 2900 Los Angeles, CA 90017 USA PRODUCT(S) CARRIED: Talking NT Enterprise SQL CONTACT: Jim Chiu PHONE: (213) 426-6535 FAX: (213) 452-7050 EMAIL: Fmeng@[[microsoft's web based email service]].com WEB SITE: www.vertextelecom.com http://www.bbbsouthland.org/howtoreport.html reported Vertex started business on 1995-11-01 and their file w/ BBB was opened 1999-09-30. "Based on our standards, we rate this company as having a satisfactory business record. To be rated satisfactory, we must first have company background information. The company must also have been established long enough for us to gain a clear understanding of the nature of its business to determine that it is not a marketplace problem. Finally, the company must have given proper consideration to any matters we may have referred to it. Our complaint history for this company shows that this business has a clear record. To date, no customer complaints have come to our attention. This company is a member of the Better Business Bureau and has agreed to the Bureau's membership standards, which include a commitment to ethical business practices. A Better Business Bureau report is based on our file information and experience with an individual company over the past three years. The Bureau does not endorse, recommend, or disapprove of any company, product or service.". Who else uses them? Experience, please? Thank you in advance. BTW, didja ever notice you can enter a phone number into Google and get a better reverse directory than most reverse directories? - -- John Bartley, PC sysadmin, Portland OR Views expressed are mine own. "We should call this Day One of Year One." RAH to Walter Cronkhite, 1969-07-20 - --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 12:12:04 -0400 From: "John E. Bartley" Subject: Another comparison service Another LD rate comparison website which also compares cellular services is available at . Add it to >http://www.abelltolls.com> - -- John Bartley, PC sysadmin, Portland OR Views expressed are mine own. "We should call this Day One of Year One." RAH to Walter Cronkhite, 1969-07-20 - --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 12:12:03 -0400 From: "John E. Bartley" Subject: Any experience with DirectONE long distance? DirectONE is touting "four free round-trip plane tickets" (Air Slobbovovia?) for their plan also including two hours of weekend domestic calls per month and four voice mail boxes and an 800 number, with "No sign-up charges, contracts, or commitments, and no risk" (!!) www.freelotto.com in turn is listed in SamSpade.org as: PlasmaNet FreeLotto 420 Lexington Ave., Suite 2025 New York , NY 10170 US 212-931-6760 Fax- 212-931-6761 The NYC BBB notes the FreeLotto CEO is a Mr. Aronin, reports a satisfactory rating, and adds "This firm has received 1 complaint (s) in the last 36 months. 1 of those 1 complaint(s) were received in the last 12 months...This company has responded to the one complaint brought to its attention by the Bureau." has no listing for this company. Now that I've deluged you with this info, anyone have any experience with these companies? - --- John Bartley, PC sysadmin, Portland OR Views expressed are mine own. "We should call this Day One of Year One." RAH to Walter Cronkhite, 1969-07-20 - --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 13:44:37 -0400 From: Bennett Haselton Subject: how the testifying went (more embarrassing reports) [sent to journalists on Peacefire's press contacts list] Yesterday morning I testified at the COPA Commission's third and final hearing on blocking software, in San Jose. There were several informative speakers who brought statistics about teens' versus adults' poll responses, or opinion gaps between Americans and Europeans, but nobody else really talking about flaws in the blocking programs. During the first panel, several speakers commented that they thought there should be an "independent review board" to look at the quality of different blocking programs ("Maybe FamilyPC or somebody"), so I thought that was a nice lead-in to Peacefire's presentation :) The first new report we presented was on SurfWatch. We collected a list of the first 1,000 working .com domains in an alphabetical listing, and checked them against SurfWatch's "Sexually Explicit" category. Of the 51 domains that were blocked, 42 were obvious errors, and only 9 were pornographic. Since we started with a representative cross-section of all .com domains, this means for every one pornographic site blocked by SurfWatch, about four non-pornographic sites are blocked! A VP from SurfWatch, who testified before I did, said at the time that he hoped more independent groups would evaluate their software. (That's why I like going last.) That report is at: http://www.peacefire.org/censorware/SurfWatch/first-1000-com-domains.html We also submitted two reports on FamilyClick and Cyber Sentinel, which we chose because they both claimed high rates of accuracy in not blocking non-pornographic content, and they both had representatives sitting on the Commission (i.e. *they* were supposed to be the ones grilling *me*). Those reports are at: http://peacefire.org/censorware/FamilyClick/familyclick-blocked.html http://peacefire.org/censorware/Cyber_Sentinel/cyber-sentinel-blocked.html Sites blocked by FamilyClick included a report on the AIDS problem in China, a report on the gambling problem in Washington state, and a page of dietary advice for victims of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Sites blocked by Cyber Sentinel included bios of two COPA Commission members, all of CNN.com, and searches on Wired.com, News.com, Time.com and USAToday.com for "COPA". (This might seem overbroad, but remember that here we're not talking about industry leaders like SurfWatch who have been around for five years and have managed to get their error rate almost all the way down to 80%.) The representative from Cyber Sentinel did acknowledge that overblocking with their program had been widely reported and would be fixed in their next version. (Of course, if the overblocking was so easy to discover in independent tests, why didn't they find and fix the problem before they released the original program three years ago?) Donna Rice Hughes was unfortunately not attending in her "official" capacity as a FamilyClick consultant so there wasn't much she could say about our report, although the mistakes are not really FamilyClick's fault anyway since they use the third-party I-Gear program. So, I was pleasantly surprised that the COPA Commission invited Peacefire to begin with (it takes some guts to recognize us at all, since we have the censorware-hacking instructions on our page), and I was glad that, judging from the questions afterwards, many of the Commission members really took in what our reports were saying. Of course, we can't measure their open-mindedness for certain until their final report comes out in November, but in the meantime we were glad for a chance to get our findings into the official record. -Bennett bennett@peacefire.org http://www.peacefire.org (425) 649 9024 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 21:49:55 -0400 From: Linc Madison Subject: International country code news, questions A few bits of relatively recent news: All of the officially announced +99X codes for former Soviet republics in Asia are now active. That leaves only Russia and Kazakhstan sharing the old Soviet +7 code. There has been speculation that Kazakhstan might separate into its own code, possibly +997, but there is no word on any official plan to do so. All of the +37X codes in Europe are now active, EXCEPT +379 for Vatican City. There is no word on when +379 might be implemented. I would think that the end of this year would be a good time, since their numbers will be changing anyway with the next phase of the Italian renumbering. The +423 code for Liechtenstein is active, but there are still some countries not yet routing to it, so the old +41 75 code remains in parallel running for the time being. LTN hopes to make an announcement soon of a disconnect date for +41 75, possibly in the first half of 2001, depending on progress in resolving the remaining issues with routing to +423. East Timor has been assigned +670, formerly used for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI, now +1 670). The implementation date and other details are not yet set. The telecom infrastructure in East Timor is in serious disrepair due to the years of armed conflict there. At present, the interim government is reached via a switchboard in Darwin, Australia. SUMMARY: +370 Lithuania +371 Latvia +372 Estonia +373 Moldova +374 Armenia +375 Belarus +376 Andorra +377 Monaco +378 San Marino +379 Vatican City (Assigned, but not active; use +39 06 6988.xxxx. As of 12/31/2000, use +39 46 6988.xxxx.) +420 Czech Republic +421 Slovakia +423 Liechtenstein (+41 75 in parallel use, to be discont'd 2001?) +670 East Timor (Assigned, but not active; hoping for service in 2001. Temporarily using +672 9 for some services. The U.N. Temporary Administration (UNTAET) is reached by a switchboard in Darwin, Australia, +61 8.) (former +670 = CNMI is now mandatory +1 670) +7 Russia, Kazakhstan (only, although some former Soviet republics might still have parallel running with their old +7 codes) +992 Tajikistan +993 Turkmenistan +994 Azerbaijan +995 Georgia +996 Kyrgyz Republic +998 Uzbekistan QUESTIONS: 1. Does the Vatican have any plans to implement +379? If so, when? How many digits of the current number in Rome will be used? So far as I can tell, Vatican numbers have only four significant digits, which coincides with the minimum length for the national portion of a properly formatted international number. 2. Which, if any, of the +37X and +99X countries are still in parallel running with their former codes? 3. Is there any official word regarding the future of Kazakhstan? Is it going to remain in +7? - -- For faster replies, use Telecom # LincMad * com, substituting punctuation - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 21:49:54 -0400 From: Linc Madison Subject: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL I was just browsing through the August 2000 NNAG document from Telcordia TRA, and I noticed something astonishing. Within a one-month period (8/18 to 9/18/2000), a single operating company is activating TWENTY prefixes in the Peoria, Illinois, rate center. The company is McLeod USA Telco of Illinois. The prefixes appear in the NNAG as brand new, not as existing prefixes being changed to a different OCN. ACTIVATING 8/18/2000: (309) 201 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 ACTIVATING 9/18/2000: (309) 401 413 415 418 420 425 431 435 437 439 The other data for all the prefixes is the same: EOC N PEORILTC5MD DS 7393 368 PEORIA 06362 03592 That's an AWFULLY big chunk of numbers at one time for a CLEC in a town of fewer than 200,000 people. Essentially what McLeod is saying is that they are going to sign up every single man, woman, and child in Peoria and outlying areas in the blink of an eye. I'd say this block of requests should be referred to the ICC for investigation, because it sure looks like this CLEC is biting off far more than it has any cause to. - -- For faster replies, use Telecom # LincMad * com, substituting punctuation - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 21:57:01 -0400 From: Roy Smith Subject: Re: how the testifying went (more embarrassing reports) Bennett Haselton wrote: > The first new report we presented was on SurfWatch. We collected a > list of the first 1,000 working .com domains in an alphabetical > listing, and checked them against SurfWatch's "Sexually Explicit" > category. Of the 51 domains that were blocked, 42 were obvious > errors, and only 9 were pornographic. Not long ago, we hired a consulting firm to build an on-line sexual harrassement training seminar for us. They hosted it on their own web site, and we published the URL for our employees to take the course. The day after it went on line, people in one of our affiliated hospitals were suddenly unable to connect to the site anymore. Seems the automated porno filters in their firewall were triggered by some of the words in the training material and they closed the site down! - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 22:20:15 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Online-payment service PayPal shifts policy in battle on fraud Online-payment service PayPal shifts policy in battle on fraud By Stacy Forster THE WALL STREET JOURNAL August 1 - Sam Johnson isn't yet a satisfied customer of PayPal. In early July, when he bought seven hard drives on the Yahoo! Inc. auction site, he paid $418 through PayPal, a system that transfers money from online-payment accounts directly to another person or to a company. http://www.msnbc.com/news/440155.asp?cp1=1 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 22:24:43 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Fact Sheet on Export Control on Computers THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary ________________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release August 3, 2000 FACT SHEET EXPORT CONTROLS ON COMPUTERS President Clinton today announced an update of U.S. export controls on computers that will promote our national security, enhance the effectiveness of our export control system, and ease unnecessary regulatory burdens on both government and industry. Today's announcement is the fifth revision to U.S. export control parameters since 1993. This action reflects the Clinton Administration's efforts to ensure effective controls on militarily sensitive technology while taking into account the increased availability of commodity products, such as servers and workstations, of which millions are manufactured and sold worldwide every year. http://www.pub.whitehouse.gov/uri-res/I2R?urn:pdi://oma.eop.gov.us/2000/8/4/4.text.1 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 23:09:57 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? (Business 3:00 a.m. PDT) http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,38013,00.html?tw=wn20000804 Cellphone manufacturers post radiation information on their packages while maintaining their products are safe. This in the same week a neurologist blames cellphones for brain cancer. By Elisa Batista. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 23:10:58 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Wireless PDAs to Toon In Wireless PDAs to Toon In (Culture 3:00 a.m. PDT) http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,37925,00.html?tw=wn20000804 Warner Brothers and Sony Pictures are experimenting with distributing Net video to handhelds and PDAs. Trailers for Hollow Man and cartoons featuring Looney Tunes characters are close at hand. By Andy Patrizio. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 23:11:01 -0400 From: "Michael G. Koerner" Subject: Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL Linc Madison wrote: > > I was just browsing through the August 2000 NNAG document from > Telcordia TRA, and I noticed something astonishing. Within a one-month > period (8/18 to 9/18/2000), a single operating company is activating > TWENTY prefixes in the Peoria, Illinois, rate center. The company is > McLeod USA Telco of Illinois. The prefixes appear in the NNAG as brand > new, not as existing prefixes being changed to a different OCN. Check the April, 2000 issue: ACTIVATING(ED) 2000-04-16: (309) 210 213 214 215 216 218 273 276 279 285 294 296 412 414 416 417 419 422 423 424 ALL for company 7393 (McLeod USA Telco of Illinois), same CLLI as below. > ACTIVATING 8/18/2000: > (309) 201 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 > > ACTIVATING 9/18/2000: > (309) 401 413 415 418 420 425 431 435 437 439 > > The other data for all the prefixes is the same: > EOC N PEORILTC5MD DS 7393 368 PEORIA 06362 03592 > > That's an AWFULLY big chunk of numbers at one time for a CLEC in a town > of fewer than 200,000 people. Essentially what McLeod is saying is that > they are going to sign up every single man, woman, and child in Peoria > and outlying areas in the blink of an eye. > > I'd say this block of requests should be referred to the ICC for > investigation, because it sure looks like this CLEC is biting off far > more than it has any cause to. The *ONLY* thing I can think of is that they are getting an NNX for every rate center in 309 and they somehow all got assigned to 'Peoria'. The same thing happened in 906 a year or two ago when a paging company (#6695, 'Range Telecom') got a BUNCH of NXXs, one for each of a large number of the rate centers in Michigan's sparsely populated Upper Peninsula. They ALL originally showed as being assigned to 'BARAGA (Michigan)', a place with just over 1200 residents, but were correctly attributed in a later check of a 'complete' list from an NANPA download. BARAGA was the first place name on the list and it 'carried through' to the rest of the list in the NNAG. I would also send a note to the ICC about this, though. - -- ____________________________________________________________________________ Regards, Michael G. Koerner Appleton, WI ____________________________________________________________________________ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 23:11:41 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Registrar Sues for Whois Spam Registrar Sues for Whois Spam (Politics Thursday) http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,38014,00.html?tw=wn20000804 Register.com files suit against Web hosting firm Verio, claiming the company used contact information from its database of registered domain names in a spam and telemarketing campaign. By Joanna Glasner. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 23:11:56 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: The Heat's on Cellphone Driving The Heat's on Cellphone Driving (Politics 3:00 a.m. PDT) http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37830,00.html?tw=wn20000803 Everyone's got anecdotal evidence of the horrors of driving while yakking on a cellphone, but is that enough to warrant legislation? By Elisa Batista. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 23:13:10 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Court to Address DeCSS T-Shirt Court to Address DeCSS T-Shirt (Technology 3:00 a.m. PDT) http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,37941,00.html?tw=wn20000802 The DVD Copy Control Association names apparel-maker Copyleft as a defendant in its copyright lawsuit. The group says wearing the source- code shirt is a bit too revealing. By Farhad Manjoo. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 23:16:59 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Spectrum Auction Still on Horizon Spectrum Auction Still on Horizon (Politics Tuesday) http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37944,00.html?tw=wn20000802 Wireless companies express uniform relief at the Federal Communications Commission's decision to delay the auction for 3G radio spectrum. By Elisa Batista. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Aug 2000 23:17:42 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Seven Deadly Email Thoughts Seven Deadly Email Thoughts by Chris Oakes 3:00 a.m. Aug. 4, 2000 PDT Should you worry about someone reading your private email? Although there may not be much motivation for hiding your thank-you note to your sister-in-law, email certainly has its dangers. http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,38007,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 5 Aug 2000 04:02:29 -0400 From: "q'onkh abdullah" Subject: Re: Bigzoo What you've described is the new, enhanced Bigzoo. This is new as of just a few days ago. The enhancements included the local access numbers and two additional toll free national access numbers to help relieve the previous access problems. They also include the 75 cent monthly fee. The enhancements are optional for current accounts, but mandatory for new accounts. So any experiences you may hear from current users may not be representative of the new ehanced Bigzoo. Sounds like you are exploring your options? Check out http://www.bigredwire.com I'd really like to know if anyone has experience with that. ======================================== >Bigzoo? Here's what I found so far.... >It's a cardless calling card service. >You account is established via an SSL >session on their website. >US inter- and intra-state costs >$0.039/min (except in selected portions >of (201), (248), (253), (313), (415), >(425), (510) , (626) , (858), (908) and >(973), where a local access number >lowers the ppm to $0.036/min. >Calling BC costs $0.078/min., and other >international calling from the States is >permitted (although Bigzoo does not yet >support calling from outside the >States). >There's a $0.75/mo. service charge. The >card cancels itself unless you add more >$$ every six months, and the minimum >input is $5. - --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #8 ****************************** From ???@??? Sun Aug 06 06:20:38 2000 Date: 6 Aug 2000 06:15:11 -0400 Message-ID: <20000806101511.21763.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #9 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 5bbb5f475924db4cae5a68b8f776c599 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Sunday, August 6 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 009 In this issue: Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL Fujitsu OC-48 Mux Web chat at 01:00Z Tower reaches out and bugs someone ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2000 10:50:58 -0500 From: Daniel Seagraves Subject: Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL On 4 Aug 2000, Linc Madison wrote: > I was just browsing through the August 2000 NNAG document from > Telcordia TRA, and I noticed something astonishing. Within a one-month > period (8/18 to 9/18/2000), a single operating company is activating > TWENTY prefixes in the Peoria, Illinois, rate center. The company is > McLeod USA Telco of Illinois. The prefixes appear in the NNAG as brand > new, not as existing prefixes being changed to a different OCN. These guys have already talked to us. I'm in Peoria, and I work for a computer training center that's getting pretty heavily screwed by Ameritech. (They're reselling our DIDs to dial customers, then charging us for the DID, the dial customer's access, and the dial customer's long distance. We've been arguing with them over it for a few months now) Anyway, they're supposed to be running all these from one 5ESS. "Confuse, annoy, and DEE-STROY!" -- Jet Wolf | "Nothing Happens." -- ADVENT "You'd be surprised what you can live through..." -- Anonymous "...A man can pass his family and his name down through his sons, but it's his honour that gets passed through his daughters. He can see the best and worst of life in his girls. A daughter is something far too precious, and he'll do anything to protect her." -- Reichsfuehrer Siegfried Koenig, _Matrose_Mond_, David Oliver ------------------------------ Date: 5 Aug 2000 11:53:16 -0400 From: "Jerry Ockwig" Subject: Fujitsu OC-48 Mux Anyone know where I can get a tutorial or student guide on the Flexr or Fujitsu multiplexer? - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 5 Aug 2000 20:34:20 -0400 From: RegrettableError@netscape.net Subject: Web chat at 01:00Z I'm starting a web chat at 9:00 PM Eastern (01:00 Zulu), at the Digest's web chat page: http://massis.lcs.mit.edu/cgi-bin/nph-client#anchor1 Please come join in. Bill Horne - ---------- Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Webmail account today at http://home.netscape.com/webmail/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 5 Aug 2000 22:03:16 -0400 From: "Mike Pollock" Subject: Tower reaches out and bugs someone Tower reaches out and bugs someone Calls go to the wrong folks when Van Buren's water-level alarm dials 9 first. http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf?/newsstories/northwest/20000805_rncal ls.html - --Mike - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #9 ****************************** From ???@??? Mon Aug 07 07:52:33 2000 Date: 7 Aug 2000 06:15:10 -0400 Message-ID: <20000807101510.7357.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #10 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: f9281ed1079931cf2b7e6888115f21da Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Monday, August 7 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 010 In this issue: Number portability D O E S N O T W O R K ! ! ! ! Verizon workers on strike EFFector 13.06: Carnivore, New EFFers, Join via PayPal, DVD Updates Registration PAT at Storemont-Vail Carnivore and RIP ICB spam Pittsburgh re: ICB Spam AT&T Wireless ill-prepared for rollout of 866 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 6 Aug 2000 11:26:55 -0400 From: wdg@hal-pc.org (Bubba) Subject: Number portability D O E S N O T W O R K ! ! ! ! Number portability D O E S N O T W O R K ! Last Tuesday, August 1, 2000, Southwestern Bell ported 500 numbers for me (in contiguous 100-number blocks) between two adjacent SWB central offices, HSTNTXNADSO and HSTNTXSUDSO. In both offices the facilities were PRI ISDN. The numbers were moved from NAtional to SUnset. Although the actual porting of the numbers took considerably longer than expected (some 4 hours), the initial observation was that at the end of the 4 hours it was working. - or so I thought. Just one problem: While local callers inside the Houston LATA had no trouble reaching the newly ported numbers, many long distance callers were encountering 'out-of-service' intercept messages. Worse, two high profile 800 numbers which are translated to a couple of the ported numbers also no longer work. Today is Sunday the 6th., 5 days after the number porting occurred. The two inbound 800 numbers STILL do not work and I'm still getting sporadic reports from around the countryside that the block of 500 ported numbers are still unreachable. Callers are receiving an intercept recording stating that the numbers have been disconnected. The LEC tells me the problem lies in propagation time for the various IXCs and CLECs, etc. to pick up the database changes. Mother of God! Can someone help me understand WHY this happened and moreover how long it's going to take for these various and sundry CLECS, IXCs and LECs to pick up the changes? Just an observation here, it would seem to me that this number portability thing does not work. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Aug 2000 13:19:06 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon workers on strike Talks continue at Verizon 85,000 employees on strike; talks continue in hope of quick settlement August 6, 2000: 1:01 p.m. ET NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Negotiations between Verizon Communications and the unions representing some 85,000 of its workers continued Sunday after the company's telephone operators and line technicians officially walked off the job without a new contract. Two major unions, representing about 33 percent of Verizon's work force, said the company made a last-minute contract offer that responded to many of workers' concerns about more money and benefits, improved job security and restrictions on the amount of forced-overtime employees must work. http://cnnfn.cnn.com/2000/08/05/news/verizon_strike/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Aug 2000 13:22:57 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EFFector 13.06: Carnivore, New EFFers, Join via PayPal, DVD Updates EFFector Vol. 13, No. 6 Aug. 4, 2000 editor@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 IN THE 154th ISSUE OF EFFECTOR (now with over 24,600 subscribers!): * EFF Position on FBI "Carnivore" Snooping System + EFF's House Judiciary Committee Testimony on Carnivore + Carnivore FAQ * EFF Welcomes New Board and Staff Members: + Prof. Pamela Samuelson, Boardmember + Cindy Cohen, Legal Director + Lee Tien, Senior Staff Attorney + John Marttila, Administrative Assistant * EFF Now Accepts PayPal Transactions for Memberships * DVD Update Bulletins Available on CAFE-News * Administrivia For more information on EFF activities & alerts: http://www.eff.org _________________________________________________________________ http://www.eff.org/effector/HTML/effect13.06.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Aug 2000 14:07:25 -0400 From: Jay Hennigan Subject: Registration Please allow posting. - -- Jay Hennigan - Network Administration - jay@west.net NetLojix Communications, Inc. NASDAQ: NETX - http://www.netlojix.com/ WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Aug 2000 16:10:52 -0400 From: "Tad Cook" Subject: PAT at Storemont-Vail I was at a family reunion in Eugene, Oregon last weekend. It was for descendents of my great-grandparents on my father's mother's side, who are from the Topeka, Kansas area. I ran into a woman who is a friend of one of my dad's cousins, and it turns out she is night PBX operator at Stormont-Vail Regional Medical Center in Topeka, where our moderator Patrick Townsend first stayed before he moved to Kansas Rehabilitation Hospital. She remembers his name, and remarked that she received quite a number of calls for him. I told her about his previous hospital stays in Illinois, and how he would eventually seek out the PBX room and report back to the digest about how the phone system worked. She said that she has had quite a number of telephone people who were patients come down to the phone room to check things out over the years. I then found out that the hospital is built on the site of my grandmother's old home, which was torn down in the 1960s for the hospital. Tad Cook tad@aa.net Seattle, WA - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Aug 2000 17:13:13 -0400 From: "Steve Hayes" Subject: Carnivore and RIP Hi everyone, Glad to see that the Digest is back, even with the robo-moderation. I hope that Pat is able to get his life sorted out. Of course he can do a better job than the robot but I'm not sure that it is worth all the aggro involved so let's all be glad that the robot exists. I would remind those who have benefitted from the Digest all these years without making any financial contribution that they ought to send something to Pat for all his work. Anyway, in V2000, #6, we had a copy of EPIC ALERT Volume 7.15 forwarded by Monty Solomon. Yes, it was big but it was also very interesting. In particular, the information about the FBI's proposed Carnivore system for intercepting communications at ISPs. There has been quite a bit of controversy here in the UK regarding the proposals in the "Regulation of Investigatory Powers" (RIP) bill. This would require ISPs to install "black boxes" which would be connected to secret government facilities, supposedly to allow interception of communications by the usual "terrorists and drug lords". US and UK spooks have a long history of moving in lockstep and we can see that Carnivore and RIP are again one and the same thing. What makes these "black boxes" particularly alarming is that they sound like they will allow any or all communications to be intercepted with no-one outside the government agencies knowing which ones or able to check that the appropriate warrants have been obtained. Another contentious clause in the RIP bill relates to encrypted communications. It allows the authorities to require someone to hand over either decryption keys or decrypted versions of any communication on request. The burden of proof is reversed - you would have to prove that you did not have the key and how do you do that? Furthermore, there are very severe penalties if you reveal to anyone that you have been made to hand over any of this information! A number of countries have explicitly rejected this type of law, e.g. the Irish Republic. One way I can see to bust this whole racket is to use a version of Virtual Private Networking or similar to connect to an ISP in one of these countries (via a local ISP - no international calls needed). When you connected to your offshore ISP, your computer would generate a session key. This would be sent to the offshore ISP after encryption with their public key and would then be used to encrypt all communications in both directions. At the end of the session, the session key would be automatically destroyed. When the plods come knocking, you can easily demonstrate that the session key exists no more. The only way to get it is with the ISPs private key but they are beyond the jurisdiction. RIP RIP. There are probably dozens of other ways to thwart these systems. As a law-abiding person, I am quite prepared to live with a system where my e-mails can be intercepted (or my phone tapped) subject to the usual safeguards of warrants, etc. However, I am not at all happy if governments can scan all communications looking for any tasty tidbits of information that they or their associates can use to their advantage. Most people will probably feel the same way. If Carnivore and RIP don't have good, rat-proof safeguards built in, I can see a situation developing where all communications will end up beyond the reach of the authorities with or without warrants - and it'll be their own stupid fault! Steve Hayes (please reply to stevehayes@compuserve.com) South Wales, U.K. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Aug 2000 17:46:41 -0400 From: Jay Hennigan Subject: ICB spam Can we do something to lose this spam? These repetitive "newsletters" are essentially advertisements for a paid subscription web site. Spam is the same thing over and over again, and the message "Visit this URL, pay money, and see what's there" is what is being said over and over again. Spam is not about content. The message of "Visit this URL and pay to view something" is every bit as much spam whether the website being spamvertized is telecom related or a porn site. If it's really news, and it's really on-topic and telecom related, then let the ICB people simply post each item separately with an appropriate subject line for that item. If they don't want to share information freely and simply want to lure people to a paid website, they are spammers and should be banned. Repetitive postings with teasers and lists of pay-for URLs aren't on topic, don't have appropriate subject lines, and don't belong on a moderated (or robo-moderated) newsgroup. - -- Jay Hennigan - Network Administration - jay@west.net NetLojix Communications, Inc. NASDAQ: NETX - http://www.netlojix.com/ WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323 - -- Jay Hennigan - Network Administration - jay@west.net NetLojix Communications, Inc. NASDAQ: NETX - http://www.netlojix.com/ WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Aug 2000 18:04:26 -0400 From: "Ralph Sprang" Subject: Pittsburgh Would anyone who is familiar with telecom related companies in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania please email me. Thanks. Ralph decolores9@yahoo.com CCNmail for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.ccnmail.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Aug 2000 18:39:17 -0400 From: "Peter Hope-Tindall" Subject: re: ICB Spam I agree in substance with you. However, some of the ICB content is certainly useful in this case. As I said in my previous posts, I think a single (or even a couple) of tasteful links are appropriate for a sponsor (just like the ITU and/or Microsoft used to get credit). Third party ads are another matter. I complained a little last week (although, without realizing that this was formally announced in April). The response I was given by the individual at ICB and the acting robo- admin was that this person goes back a long way with Pat and pays a sponsorship fee for the privilege of doing this. I don't agree with it, but I guess this digest (and comp.dcom.telecom news group) is not a democracy. In many respects we have nobody to blame but ourselves if Pat has to turn to third party sponsorship to finance his moderation. If there is a group inclination here, possibly we could find out how much Judith contributes to the digest and replace those funds with subscriptions. (the put-up-or-shut-up approach). Comments anyone? Peter Hope-Tindall peter@hope-tindall.com "Jay Hennigan" wrote in message news:Pine.SO4.4.05.10008061443211.24770-100000@slowpoke.sb.west.net... > Can we do something to lose this spam? > > Spam is not about content. The message of "Visit this URL and pay to > view something" is every bit as much spam whether the website being > spamvertized is telecom related or a porn site. If it's really news, > and it's really on-topic and telecom related, then let the ICB people > simply post each item separately with an appropriate subject line for > that item. If they don't want to share information freely and simply > want to lure people to a paid website, they are spammers and should be > banned. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Aug 2000 22:37:29 -0400 From: "Jeffrey J. Carpenter" Subject: AT&T Wireless ill-prepared for rollout of 866 Apparently having over a year to prepare for the rollout of 866 was not sufficient for AT&T Wireless. I received my 866 number early last week (yes, Judith, I was able to get my vanity number in 866) from AT&T Long Distance. I currently have this 866 number forwarded to my Sprint PCS wireless phone. It has worked from everywhere I have tried: land lines, pay phones, Sprint PCS wireless, except AT&T Wireless (multiple phones). Late last week from Pittsburgh and St. Louis, I was getting a ringing forever, but it was not my Sprint PCS phone that was ringing. In Cleveland today, I received a "your call cannot be completed as dialled" message. Tonight in Pittsburgh, I am getting a fast busy. After spending 3 hours on the phone with AT&T Wireless on Friday, I was finally able to convince a customer service representative to *request* a trouble ticket be filed with the assistance of an representative from AT&T Long Distance repair conferenced into the call. The repair rep was able to convince the reluctant AT&T Wireless person that this was *Wireless's* problem. The person refused to give me a trouble ticket number, so who knows what actually was filed, if anything. Some of the more amusing/sad things I was told: * "oh, you are calling Sprint PCS voicemail, you cannot do that from AT&T Wireless" (my Sprint phone was turned off) * "who is it you are trying to call?" (what business is it of theirs?) * "you are calling a prepaid wireless phone, you cannot do that(!!!!)" * "866 had been delayed and is not yet available" * "866 does not work yet, try it again in another month and it should work" * and, of course, "what is 866?" You would think for a company as large as AT&T that they would actually have some of their technical staff on some of these numbering committees and they might be clued in on the rollout of something like "866". But, I guess not... jeff - -- Jeffrey J. Carpenter P.O. Box 471 Glenshaw, PA 15116-0471 Phone: +1 218 837-6000 Fax: +1 310 914-1716 Email: jjc@pobox.com Web: http://pobox.com/~jjc/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #10 ******************************* From ???@??? Tue Aug 08 10:01:18 2000 Date: 8 Aug 2000 06:15:14 -0400 Message-ID: <20000808101514.24951.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #11 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 5feede2bd7a2019c827870542b48a2fa Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Tuesday, August 8 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 011 In this issue: Will Caller ID Become Mandatory? When? AT&T Wireless ill-prepared for rollout of 866 Brown Orifice reveals major holes in Java, Netscape Re: ICB spam Re: ICB Spam Re: ICB spam getting listed in Gale's Telecommunications Directory Yahoo! Finance Story - Yahoo - Verizon Provides Tips for Consumers During Strike strategy vs. entitlement Re: Further to this ICB Toll Free issue Re: ICB spam Re: Number portability D O E S N O T W O R K ! ! ! ! Re: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest Re: It's time to ante up ... Re: Number portability D O E S N O T W O R K ! ! ! ! Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL AOL, NTT DoCoMo Near Cellular Pact Wild About Wireless? Court Approves Massive Hong Kong Telecom Merger Privacy Report Criticizes 'Infomediaries' EPIC to FBI: While We're Still Young, Please MSNBC on 411 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 7 Aug 2000 07:22:52 -0400 From: Fred Atkinson Subject: Will Caller ID Become Mandatory? When? I received a minor complaint from a friend of mine in the South Carolina area. He dodges calls from numbers that are unidentified on caller ID so that he can avoid telemarketers. It appears that my number comes through that way when I use my long distance carrier to call his number. After this occurred several times, I called my carrier (CTI) to ask them about this. They confirmed that they did *not* handle caller ID on their lines. I asked them when they projected that they would transport caller ID information. She said that as far as she knew there were no plans for CTI to carry it. For some reason, I was under the impression that caller ID was going to be mandatory on the long distance callers. Was I mistaken? If I wasn't, is there a deadline when the long distance carriers are required to have caller ID installed on their lines? Thanks for the information. Fred - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 07:22:50 -0400 From: Fred Atkinson Subject: AT&T Wireless ill-prepared for rollout of 866 At my recent job, my employer required me to get an AT&T wireless portable telephone. I ordered one from AT&T. I had a number of problems getting them to post my payment. Additionally, after I had had the service for less than two months, I developed a problem with the unit that required calling upon them to honor the warranty. They transfered me to the person who handled that. She asked me to read a code on the back of the phone. When I read it to her, she put me on hold for the longest time. When she came back, she told me that the code on the telephone indicated that it was four years old and therefore there was no warranty to honor. I explained to her that I had purchased the phone from them new less than two months before by credit card. She told me that her 'hands were tied' and there was nothing she could do unless I had the receipt with me. I pointed out that they should have a record of what they had sold me. But, it didn't seem to matter. Needless to say I was quite angry. I called the AT&T wireless customer service and tried to get a resolution. I could find no one to help me resolve this problem. So, I canceled the service. I demanded that they waive the cancelation fee in view of all the problems I had had while I was their customer (and there was more than this). After a little arguing, they agreed to do this. I got my credit card company involved and they managed to get my money back for the telephone. I used it to pay for the rest of the service for which I was being charged. My experience with them was less than acceptable. I will likely not do business with them again. Fred - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 07:34:07 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Brown Orifice reveals major holes in Java, Netscape http://www.tbtf.com/blog/2000-07-30.html#4 ____________________________________ Friday, 2000-08-04 ++ Brown Orifice reveals major holes in Java, Netscape 10:52:18 pm Dan Brumleve, the perpetrator of the delicately named Cache-Cow [1] Netscape security exploit of nearly two years ago, is at it again. He has discovered two new ways to make Java misbehave, one residing in the Java core and the other in Netscape's implementation of Java. He calls the new vulnerabilities Brown Orifice [2] (playing off the infamous Back Orifice [3], [4] trojan from the Cult of the Dead Cow). Brumleve writes on the BrO page [2]: > The first [vulnerability] allows Java to open a server which > can be accessed by arbitrary clients. The second... allows Java > to access arbitrary URLs, including local files. > As a demonstration, I've written Brown Orifice HTTPD for Net- > scape Communicator. BOHTTPD is a browser-resident web server > and file-sharing tool that demonstrates these two problems in > Netscape Communicator. BOHTTPD will serve files from a > directory of your choice, and will also act as an HTTP/FTP > proxy server. Brumleve has verified that the exploit works on Netscape 4.{5-7} running on Linux and assorted flavors of Windows. He has seen it work behind a firewall that was doing network address translation, and also fail with a mysterious message when a browser was con- figured to use a proxy. You can download the Java applet in various forms here [5]. I was unable to experience this security hole firsthand, as my firewall blocks incoming HTTP requests. [1] http://tbtf.com/archive/1998-10-12.html#s03 [2] http://www.brumleve.com/BrownOrifice/ [3] http://tbtf.com/archive/1998-07-27.html [4] http://tbtf.com/archive/1998-08-10.html [6] http://www.brumleve.com/BrownOrifice/BOHTTPD_download.cgi ____________________________________ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 08:46:08 -0400 From: Peter Morgan Subject: Re: ICB spam In comp.dcom.telecom I saw that on 6 Aug 2000 17:46:41 -0400 Jay Hennigan wrote: >If they don't want to share information freely and simply want to >lure people to a paid website, they are spammers ... If there's sponsorship coming from this source for things to keep going, then I think it is a case of "live with it", or put your hand in your pocket everyone. I am in the UK, so might argue it "doesn't matter" but in the past have sent the odd cheque to Pat and rang him when he was in hospital, to wish him well. I hope the list keeps going, and if this source of revenue is something which keeps it alive, so be it. Peter Morgan, UK. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 08:54:13 -0400 From: Alistair@caribsurf.com (Alistair Gale) Subject: Re: ICB Spam On 6 Aug 2000 18:39:17 -0400, Peter Hope-Tindall wrote: >I agree in substance with you. However, some of the ICB content is >certainly useful in this case. As I said in my previous posts, I think >a single (or even a couple) of tasteful links are appropriate for a >sponsor (just like the ITU and/or Microsoft used to get credit). Third >party ads are another matter. > >I complained a little last week (although, without realizing that this >was formally announced in April). > >The response I was given by the individual at ICB and the acting robo- >admin was that this person goes back a long way with Pat and pays a >sponsorship fee for the privilege of doing this. > >I don't agree with it, but I guess this digest (and comp.dcom.telecom >news group) is not a democracy. > >In many respects we have nobody to blame but ourselves if Pat has to >turn to third party sponsorship to finance his moderation. > >If there is a group inclination here, possibly we could find out how >much Judith contributes to the digest and replace those funds with >subscriptions. (the put-up-or-shut-up approach). > >Comments anyone? > > >Peter Hope-Tindall >peter@hope-tindall.com > > >"Jay Hennigan" wrote in message >news:Pine.SO4.4.05.10008061443211.24770-100000@slowpoke.sb.west.net... >> Can we do something to lose this spam? >> >> Spam is not about content. The message of "Visit this URL and pay to >> view something" is every bit as much spam whether the website being >> spamvertized is telecom related or a porn site. If it's really news, >> and it's really on-topic and telecom related, then let the ICB people >> simply post each item separately with an appropriate subject line for >> that item. If they don't want to share information freely and simply >> want to lure people to a paid website, they are spammers and should >be >> banned. >-- I have no problem with Judith's posts, however I think its amusing that she is against Mega Corp registering all permutations of their trademarks on the web, because for the last few years she was ruining the expanded toll-free numbering space by trying to get clients to buy 1-800-crap-1234 1-888-crap-1234 1-877-crap-1234 when 800-crap-1234 was adequate. Hypocrisy? - -- alistair Ah, Blackadder. Started talking to yourself, I see. Yes...it's the only way I can be assured of intelligent conversation. -- Melchett and Edmund : Potato - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 09:19:59 -0400 From: jlurker@bigfoot.com (Justa Lurker) Subject: Re: ICB spam It was 6 Aug 2000 17:46:41 -0400, and Jay Hennigan wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: | Can we do something to lose this spam? | | These repetitive "newsletters" are essentially advertisements | for a paid subscription web site. | | Spam is the same thing over and over again, and the message | "Visit this URL, pay money, and see what's there" is what is | being said over and over again. I'd rather not use the definition of spam for this. Spam is such a badly redefined word and there are better terms. UCE - Unsolicited Commercial Email seems to come closest, although in essence the email was kinda solicited by our esteemed and currently absent moderator. It does run against the admonation of 'no advertising' that is sent out by the robot. Evidently that text does not apply to comp.dcom.telecom or there is a special case. The digest has suffered greatly from the absense of an active moderator, and we really got no chance to discuss this particular sponsor when the posts began to flood the group. Perhaps when Pat returns something can be worked out. Otherwise I'd feel free to openly advertise my telecom services here, and send Pat a commission check. If it is OK for one sponsor it should be OK for all. | If it's really news, and it's really on-topic and telecom | related, then let the ICB people simply post each item | separately with an appropriate subject line for that item. I am looking forward to comp.dcom.telecom becoming a discussion forum again, and not a write only medium. Hopefully we will not have to pay to hear ICB's response to the 866 issue, or register at the site to see them free. Only time will tell. JL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 10:02:31 -0400 From: Nigel Allen Subject: getting listed in Gale's Telecommunications Directory Telecommunications carriers and consultants might find it useful to be listed in the Telecommunications Directory so that journalists, researchers and potential customers could get in touch with you more easily. There is no charge to be listed. Here is a description of the directory: A Detroit-area publishing company, The Gale Group, is preparing a new edition of its {Telecommunications Directory}, which it describes as "an international descriptive guide to telecommunications companies, services, systems, and related organizations in the field." The editors would like to include a comprehensive listing of companies in the telecommunications industry. There is no charge to be listed in the directory. All that you have to do is to complete a questionnaire. If you would like your company to be listed in the directory, you can obtain a questionnaire that you can complete at http://www.interlog.com/~ndallen/tdq.html If this is inconvenient, I would be happy to send you the questionnaire by e-mail. Alternatively, you could send an information package about your company and the telecommunications services that it provides to: Telecommunications Directory The Gale Group 27500 Drake Rd. Farmington Hills, MI 48331-3535 U.S.A. fax to +1 248 699-8069 The Editor, Jackie Mueckenheim, may be contacted directly: Telephone: +1 248 699-4253 ext. 1515 or 800-347-4253, ext. 1515 in Canada and the U.S. E-mail: Jackie.Mueckenheim@galegroup.com - -- Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ndallen@interlog.com http://www.interlog.com/~ndallen/telecom.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 10:39:21 -0400 From: Mike Pollock Subject: Yahoo! Finance Story - Yahoo - Verizon Provides Tips for Consumers During Strike Verizon Communications customers are unlikely to have problems during the strike making calls or surfing the Internet because the company's phone network is fully automated. However, they could experience delays with directory assistance and repairs. Here are some tips for consumers from Verizon... Yahoo - Verizon Provides Tips for Consumers During Strike http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/000807/dc_verizon.html - --Mike __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Kick off your party with Yahoo! Invites. http://invites.yahoo.com/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 11:03:07 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: strategy vs. entitlement I have no problem with Judith's posts, however I think its amusing that she is against Mega Corp registering all permutations of their trademarks on the web, because for the last few years she was ruining the expanded toll-free numbering space by trying to get clients to buy 1-800-crap-1234 1-888-crap-1234 1-877-crap-1234 when 800-crap-1234 was adequate. Hypocrisy? ************** (a) Adequate for whom? If new 877 number holder is losing revenue (and phone number expense dollars), to misdials going to the matching 800 number, then the 877 number is indeed INadquate, to say the least. BTW, this impacts new and small businesses to a much greater degree, than big corps with easier access to their 800 needs. (Read the SBA's comments to the FCC on this issue.) That said, I am not opposed to any corp registering all permutations of their domain names. In fact, I recommend it, BUT as a marketing strategy, not a legal entitlement. Same with toll free numbers. I am opposed to anyone having entitlement to the domain name space - sunrise or first dibs or whatever you call it. Corp domain name entitlement - control of the DNS - boils down to control of the Internet, the real TM objective to begin with. But I do think corps should have the same first-come first-serve opportunity at domain names to protect or expand their franchises, as others have for their purposes (non-tm-infringing speculation; parody; non-profit and personal or hobby use; etc.) Judith Judith Oppenheimer, +1 212 684-7210, 1 800 The Expert Publisher, http://www.icbtollfree.com/testimny.cfm Register for FREE 800/Dot Com Headlines here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 13:16:29 -0400 From: phr@netcom.com (Paul Rubin) Subject: Re: Further to this ICB Toll Free issue In article , Peter Hope-Tindall wrote: >I notice that the ICB Toll Free web site extols the Telecom Digest as >an opt-in marketing partner:... >Well - I didn't opt-in at all for this ICB advertising. Please - if you >want to send the news; that's OK - please don't send the ad's - or if >you wish merely post a url to link to that has both news and ad's. I agree, this ICB spam is annoying and detracts from the noncommercial feeling of Telecom Digest that we've enjoyed for so long. If Pat really intentionally let this kind of advertising in when he took on ICB as a sponsor, I'm disappointed. The ICB posts prior to the recent newsletter were informative and interesting and didn't have all those ads. I don't mind a signature blurb with a URL promoting the ICB site, but the repeated, interspersed ads are just spam and I'd rather lose the ICB posts altogether than put up with them. ICB can run the articles and the ads on its own web site. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 14:08:11 -0400 From: Jay Hennigan Subject: Re: ICB spam On 7 Aug 2000 09:19:59 -0400, Justa Lurker wrote: :It was 6 Aug 2000 17:46:41 -0400, and Jay Hennigan :wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: :| Can we do something to lose this spam? :| :| These repetitive "newsletters" are essentially advertisements :| for a paid subscription web site. :| :| Spam is the same thing over and over again, and the message :| "Visit this URL, pay money, and see what's there" is what is :| being said over and over again. : :I'd rather not use the definition of spam for this. Spam :is such a badly redefined word and there are better terms : :UCE - Unsolicited Commercial Email seems to come closest, :although in essence the email was kinda solicited by our :esteemed and currently absent moderator. It does run :against the admonation of 'no advertising' that is sent :out by the robot. Evidently that text does not apply to :comp.dcom.telecom or there is a special case. Actually, the term "spam" was applied to Usenet long before UCE became an issue. :The digest has suffered greatly from the absense of an :active moderator, and we really got no chance to discuss :this particular sponsor when the posts began to flood the :group. Perhaps when Pat returns something can be worked :out. : :Otherwise I'd feel free to openly advertise my telecom :services here, and send Pat a commission check. If it :is OK for one sponsor it should be OK for all. Precisely, and this is why it doesn't scale. That might work for the short term, but the value of this newsgroup is the *absence* of commercial clutter and spam. If sending money to Pat becomes a license for a 200-odd line daily commercial, then the value of the newsgroup becomes nil, as thousands of people will do just that. I, too, have sent money to support the newsgroup, and did so without any concept that doing so granted a license to pollute it with daily, "Come see my pay site" advertisements. :I am looking forward to comp.dcom.telecom becoming a :discussion forum again, and not a write only medium. :Hopefully we will not have to pay to hear ICB's response :to the 866 issue, or register at the site to see them free. And the concept of reading a teaser here with little useful telecom news that directs one to a site where you have to jump through hoops and give personal information to "register" also flies in the face of the spirit of the newsgroup. Pat vehemently objects to this technique when the New York Times uses it, yet endorses the so-called "ICB News" commercial which contains little if any real information, just links to pay and register-so-we-can-track-you sites? Hello? Sure hope they paid you well, Pat. - -- Jay Hennigan - Network Administration - jay@west.net NetLojix Communications, Inc. NASDAQ: NETX - http://www.netlojix.com/ WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 15:02:59 -0400 From: "Wineburgh, Joseph \(Exchange\)" Subject: Re: Number portability D O E S N O T W O R K ! ! ! ! Sounds like it IS working - kinda. Who is the resporg for the toll-free numbers? I would approach them with the expectation that they fix at least that portion of the problem, even if they have to re-route to POTS lines or something... W. Joseph Wineburgh Bear Stearns & Co., Inc. Carrier Services Engineering +1 973-793-6058 *********************************************************************** Bear Stearns is not responsible for any recommendation, solicitation, offer or agreement or any information about any transaction, customer account or account activity contained in this communication. *********************************************************************** - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 15:58:04 -0400 From: Jay Hennigan Subject: Re: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest On 2 Aug 2000 01:09:10 -0400, Joseph Singer wrote: :I do appreciate Judith Oppenheimer's contribution of articles to the :digest, but every "free" article that I clicked on in both of her :submissions in the latest digest were met with: : :The page you requested is available only to Registered Users. : :If you are already registered log in now, if not Register here. : : User name : Password : :If the article in the digest has an "F" next to it and you have indicated :in your article that it is free to view why am I met with the above stuff?? It is the same technique used by the New York Times, to which Pat has strongly objected. When you register you're required to give personal information such as industry affiliation, etc. The "free" articles are peppered with advertisements. With the registry information, the sites (NYT or ICB, etc.) can either target the ads to the demographics of the viewer, justify higher prices to the advertisers with claims of more "quality" viewers, or if the site is truly greedy sell the data itself to junk mailers, junk faxers, and telemarketers. I'm not saying that ICP or NYT do this now, but when you put marketers and that type of database in close proximity it is always a possibility. For a mild example, see: http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,16718,00.html Such sites are, in my opinion, inherently evil. Nobody in their right mind who has been the vicitm of spammers and telesleaze provides correct information to them. - -- Jay Hennigan - Network Administration - jay@west.net NetLojix Communications, Inc. NASDAQ: NETX - http://www.netlojix.com/ WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 16:13:22 -0400 From: Jay Hennigan Subject: Re: It's time to ante up ... On 2 Aug 2000 20:12:04 -0400, RegrettableError@netscape.net wrote: :Fellow netizens, : :As a longtime Telecom Digest reader, and someone whom has supported the :Digest in the past, I'm writing to ask that Digest readers contribute to :Pat's support. I have also supported it in the past, and would be willing to contribute in the future, *if* at least the newsgroup is kept free of commercial spam. Apparently Pat has migrated from his stance supporting the free open exchange of information which has been the hallmark of comp.dcom.telecom for several years. If what others are saying is true, Pat will, for a fee, permit the posting of lengthy commercial advertisements for pay-for-access and register-for-access websites. This shifts the focus of the newsgroup from a discussion forum to an advertising medium. I'm not sure that I want to make a donation to further someone else's paid advertising. Until this issue is resolved, I'm keeping my wallet in my pocket. - -- Jay Hennigan - Network Administration - jay@west.net NetLojix Communications, Inc. NASDAQ: NETX - http://www.netlojix.com/ WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 16:50:00 -0400 From: "W.D. \"Bill\" Garfield" Subject: Re: Number portability D O E S N O T W O R K ! ! ! ! On 7 Aug 2000 15:02:59 -0400, in comp.dcom.telecom you wrote: >Sounds like it IS working - kinda. Who is the resporg for the toll-free >numbers? I would approach them with the expectation that they fix at = least >that portion of the problem, even if they have to re-route to POTS lines= or >something... Resporg is QWEST and they have been contacted and trouble tickets opened. The 800 service still does not work. A satellite office of mine in Oklahoma (also with Qwest as their carrier) also cannot reach any of the ported numbers. Sounds like a conspiracy to me. However, the burned child fears the fire. Lesson learned. I'm getting ready to move an entire trading floor later this year or early next. =46rom the experience gained here it would appear that we should forget number porting and in lieu thereof simply have the new PRI trunks backhauled into the present host CO. Hang the cost, those numbers simply must work. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 19:17:16 -0400 From: John McHarry Subject: Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL On 4 Aug 2000 23:11:01 -0400, "Michael G. Koerner" wrote: >Linc Madison wrote: >> >> I was just browsing through the August 2000 NNAG document from >> Telcordia TRA, and I noticed something astonishing. Within a one-month >> period (8/18 to 9/18/2000), a single operating company is activating >> TWENTY prefixes in the Peoria, Illinois, rate center... >Check the April, 2000 issue: > >ACTIVATING(ED) 2000-04-16: >(309) 210 213 214 215 216 218 273 276 279 285 294 296 412 414 416 417 >419 422 423 424 > >ALL for company 7393 (McLeod USA Telco of Illinois), same CLLI as below. >... >The *ONLY* thing I can think of is that they are getting an NNX for >every rate center in 309 and they somehow all got assigned to 'Peoria'. > Could be. There are a lot of tiny rate centers in 309. My father lives in one that includes two NXXs and maybe 5000 total population, not phones. They get charged 5 cents per local call and toll for everything else. McLeod could reasonably hope to take a large chunk of such an area. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 21:25:57 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: AOL, NTT DoCoMo Near Cellular Pact July 26, 2000 AOL, NTT DoCoMo Near Cellular Pact The deal would add content from the world's largest ISP to the Internet services available by cell phone. By Martyn Williams TOKYO - Japan's largest cellular telephone carrier, NTT DoCoMo, and America Online are close to a deal that would allow customers of cellular Internet services to access AOL content on their telephone handsets, according to two local media reports Wednesday. http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,17115,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 21:29:58 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Wild About Wireless? July 31, 2000 Wild About Wireless? Europe stumbles on its way to unplugging the Internet amid lagging sales of Web-enabled phones. By Sally Whittle Europeans are generally regarded as pioneers in wireless technology. But figures released recently by two companies indicate that people on the Continent have been slow to embrace the wireless Internet. http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,17166,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 21:56:09 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Court Approves Massive Hong Kong Telecom Merger August 01, 2000 Court Approves Massive Hong Kong Telecom Merger Hong Kong's High Court gives the go ahead for the $27 billion deal between Cable & Wireless HKT and Internet start-up Pacific Century Cyberworks. By Stephen Lawson HONG KONG - A Hong Kong court approved Tuesday the merger of Cable & Wireless HKT Ltd. (C&W HKT) and Pacific Century CyberWorks Ltd. (PCCW), removing the final hurdle to a $27 billion deal that will put the territory's dominant telecommunications carrier in the hands of an ambitious local Internet startup. http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/1,1151,17282,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 22:08:37 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Privacy Report Criticizes 'Infomediaries' August 02, 2000 Privacy Report Criticizes 'Infomediaries' It says Toysrus.com and others may violate privacy standards by not telling customers about contracts with a data-collection firm. By Elinor Abreu A new report released by Internet security firm Interhack, based in Columbus, Ohio, warns that the practice of outsourcing data collection on the activities of Web site visitors creates significant potential for privacy breaches. http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/1,1151,17328,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Aug 2000 22:10:10 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: EPIC to FBI: While We're Still Young, Please EPIC to FBI: While We're Still Young, Please The Electronic Privacy Information Center wants the juicy details of Carnivore, and it wants them now. EPIC came a step closer to viewing the Carnivore X-ray Wednesday when a federal judge put the Feds on a schedule. The government now has 10 working days, until Aug. 16, to set a date for disclosing how Carnivore works - not 10 days to actually reveal anything. http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,17360,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2000 04:12:07 -0400 From: "Tad Cook" Subject: MSNBC on 411 http://www.msnbc.com/news/442864.asp By Pete Williams NBC NEWS Aug. 7 - At about a dollar a pop, you expect to get what you're looking for when you dial directory assistance. But how good is it? More and more, consumer groups say, that dollar is wasted. "YOU COULD EXPECT at least one out of three times to get the wrong number, if not more frequently, even from the long-distance companies," says consumer advocate Sam Simon. Those companies say they do much better and are wrong only about 15 percent of the time. But even at that rate, that's costing customers $300 million a year, consumer groups estimate. And the most recent test of long-distance information, by a reporter in Chicago, found the picture even worse. The Chicago Sun-Times made nearly 400 calls. AT&T got the best score, but it was wrong 29 percent of the time. MCI was wrong 39 percent of the time. "In the most obvious numbers - like Yellowstone Park, Comiskey Park, the FCC, things like that - that we would think they definitely know. And what we found was, that wasn't always the case," says Shu Shin Luh of the Chicago Sun-Times. Why? Industry analysts say operators, expected to work fast, just pass on the first number that pops up. And when you call long distance to ask for a number in Chicago, your phone company's operators might be in Portland. And we discovered what consumer groups say may be a growing problem - suppose the number isn't listed at all? Bob Witeck, a partner in a Washington, D.C., public relations firm, depends heavily on his business phone lines. But when we called directory assistance several times to ask for his number, all we got was: "Sorry. Checking that spelling. There's nothing listed in the D.C. or surrounding area as a business listing." It turns out his number vanished four months ago, when he switched phone companies, dropping Verizon. "I always turned on the tap, and water came out. Whenever I dialed 411, I always got the answer to my question. Not so right now," says Witeck. Deregulation was supposed to make this easy. But his old carrier, Verizon, says it's his new phone company's fault, that it forgot to put in an order to list his number. That new company, Net 2000, blames Verizon for making the process overly difficult, rejecting orders if, for example, they're typed in all capital letters. After we started asking questions, Bob Witeck's business number suddenly appeared in the directory listings. So it's there now - if the operators can find it. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #11 ******************************* From ???@??? Wed Aug 09 06:59:49 2000 Date: 9 Aug 2000 06:15:12 -0400 Message-ID: <20000809101512.14856.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #12 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: a577b9dfd5cb7d2dde2115fdc26d3528 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Wednesday, August 9 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 012 In this issue: Re: It's time to ante up ... Re: ICB spam Re: strategy vs. entitlement Re: Brown Orifice reveals major holes in Java, Netscape ICB Issue Re: Yahoo! Finance Story - Yahoo - Verizon Provides Tips for Directory assistance disconnect Telecom Digest V2000 #11 Directory Assistance Errors (Was Re: MSNBC on 411) Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #10 Directory assitance, was: Re: Yahoo! .. verizon strike Re: Directory assitance, was: Re: Yahoo! .. verizon strike ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 8 Aug 2000 06:52:13 -0400 From: "Joey Lindstrom" Subject: Re: It's time to ante up ... On 8 Aug 2000 06:15:14 -0400, Jay Hennigan wrote: >I have also supported it in the past, and would be willing to contribute >in the future, *if* at least the newsgroup is kept free of commercial spam. > >Apparently Pat has migrated from his stance supporting the free open >exchange of information which has been the hallmark of comp.dcom.telecom >for several years. If what others are saying is true, Pat will, for a >fee, permit the posting of lengthy commercial advertisements for >pay-for-access and register-for-access websites. This shifts the focus >of the newsgroup from a discussion forum to an advertising medium. I'm >not sure that I want to make a donation to further someone else's paid >advertising. Until this issue is resolved, I'm keeping my wallet in my >pocket. Take care, Jay. Your position (identical with my own) is not popular with some. In fact, after posting my own message on this topic, I received the following e-mail. === Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 02:04:31 -0400 From: Gene Gaines Organization: Gaines Associates, Sterling, Virginia USA To: Joey Lindstrom CC: Judith Oppenheimer Subject: Arrogant bastard Reply-To: ggaines@generation.net Lindstrom, I read your email to the Telecom Digest dated 3 Aug 2000 09:55:58 -0400. You are arrogant and offensive -- I find your remarks to be completely uncaring about Pat and the years he has put in to make his newsletter available to people like you. And you spit on his work. Judith tries to help Pat. So you spit on her. Please go away and don't come back. After this one comment, you do not ever want to meet me in business or in any other dealings. Ever. Gene Gaines gene.gaines@attglobal.net === Keep it in mind, Jay. Mr. Gaines apparently feels that it's arrogant for us to not wish to underwrite somebody else's paid advertising... and that such a position spits upon Pat and his work. Therefore, if we ever attempt to do business with him (Gene Gaines, not Pat)... well, he didn't get specific, but it's certainly something we don't ever want to do. Sounds vaguely threatening, if ya ask me. I forward this as a warning to all the other arrogant bastards, such as ourselves, in this group in the remote event that they should ever wish to do business with Mr. Gaines or with Gaines Associates down there in Sterling, Virginia. Since you do not wish to support spam, your trade is not welcome. / From the messy desktop of Joey Lindstrom / Visit The NuServer! http://www.GaryNumanFan.NU / Visit The Webb! http://webb.GaryNumanFan.NU / / While I was gone, somebody rearranged on the furniture in my bedroom. / They put it in exactly the same place it was. When I told my roommate, / he said: "Do I know you?" / --Steven Wright ** Tag(s) inserted by Bandit Tagger98 - http://www.gbar.dtu.dk/~c918704 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2000 09:51:06 -0400 From: jlurker@bigfoot.com (Justa Lurker) Subject: Re: ICB spam It was 7 Aug 2000 14:08:11 -0400, and Jay Hennigan wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: | Actually, the term "spam" was applied to Usenet long | before UCE became an issue. As "too much, unwanted, bland stuff" - a charactatization that Hormel does not appreciate. :-) Blame it on on Python (Monty). | I, too, have sent money to support the newsgroup, and | did so without any concept that doing so granted a | license to pollute it with daily, "Come see my pay site" | advertisements. Most sponsors have left their adverts off of the group. Pat would put something reasonable in the EMail version, and offer links on the TD website. But most sponsors did not 'take advantage' of their sponsorships. No post for Monday. Hopefully this will continue. JL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2000 10:08:07 -0400 From: jlurker@bigfoot.com (Justa Lurker) Subject: Re: strategy vs. entitlement It was 7 Aug 2000 11:03:07 -0400, and "Judith Oppenheimer" wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: | That said, I am not opposed to any corp registering all | permutations of their domain names. In fact, I recommend | it, BUT as a marketing strategy, not a legal entitlement. | Same with toll free numbers. So you recommend that all toll free numbering space be eaten up as quickly as possible. All this leads to more confusion and more misdials, and according to you that is a valid excuse for duplication! While the world is trying to figure out number conservation and efficient numbering systems you recommend number duplication and redundancy. Oh well. | I am opposed to anyone having entitlement to the domain | name space - sunrise or first dibs or whatever you call it. Including numbering domains? | But I do think corps should have the same first-come | first-serve opportunity at domain names to protect or | expand their franchises, as others have for their | purposes (non-tm-infringing speculation; parody; | non-profit and personal or hobby use; etc.) Wake up Judith. TM owners overrule all others, and you are pushing that into the telephone number domain with your encouragement of branding over numbering. You would keep me from having the same digits spell something else because of misdials and confusion. And what would you say if I registered 1-888-videxpe(rt). Too close to a (TM) name? Shame TMs only apply on competing marketplaces. JL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2000 11:08:54 -0400 From: Fred Goldstein Subject: Re: Brown Orifice reveals major holes in Java, Netscape At 06:15 AM 8/8/00 -0400, Monty Solomon wrote: > > As a demonstration, I've written Brown Orifice HTTPD for Net- > > scape Communicator. BOHTTPD is a browser-resident web server > > and file-sharing tool that demonstrates these two problems in > > Netscape Communicator. BOHTTPD will serve files from a > > directory of your choice, and will also act as an HTTP/FTP > > proxy server. > > Brumleve has verified that the exploit works on Netscape 4.{5-7} > running on Linux and assorted flavors of Windows. He has seen it > work behind a firewall that was doing network address translation, > and also fail with a mysterious message when a browser was con- > figured to use a proxy. I tested this and indeed it works. It lets you specify a single directory that you wish to "serve". It defaults to, I think, C:\program files, but just for grins & chuckles I tested it pointing to the "music" directory I keep a handful of mp3s in. After all, everybody wants to share those, right? Hmmm, sharing files via the web on a peer-to-peer basis? Sounds a little like, uh, gnutella or napster, minus the directory service. But if there were a scour-like scooter that volunteer file-sharers signed up for... Hey, this guy just came up with Yet Another Model of what Napster et al do! This time it's a trivial java applet which, presumably, could also notify a selected server or three of the user's presence, so other clients could... oh, I'm sure you get the drift. What's missing is the way to turn this off -- what make BrO so dangerous is that it runs until Netscape is shut down, with no other off switch. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2000 11:29:46 -0400 From: jlurker@bigfoot.com (Justa Lurker) Subject: ICB Issue Aparently I have annoyed Ms Oppenheimer enough that she has complained about my posts here. Let me remind the group of the restraint that I use when discussing ICB and Ms Oppenheimer's involvement here. As Ms Oppenheimer has complained specifically about my presence here, in the sense that I don't belong and she, as a paying sponsor with a deal does belong, I would like to be more specific in my request. Until Pat or another human moderator returns to the group I believe that all posters should be treated equal. While Pat would appreciate gifts to support him for his past and possibly future efforts, it is obvious that those gifts do not constitute support for the group itself. This in no way should cause Ms Oppenheimer or anyone else to cease supporting Pat as a friend and as one who provided such great service to the Internet community. Please, continue to support Pat, we do owe him a debt of gratitude. If that translates into a few checks sent to him, that is good. But as far as our group, the one that we are currently active in and supporting with discussion, all posters are equal. Pat tried to be fair in his selection of posts for the digest, including those that didn't agree with a sponsor. That spirit of openness should continue. There have been a few people (regulars) complaining about not being able to get their posts through. I believe that most eventually got their hello messages, responded and are now on the list. I cannot believe that anyone's inability to get a post to this group is intentional by the robot. Please check your settings. As for me personally, check the archives and you will find that Justa Lurker existed and had posts approved to the list by Pat. If my name was good enough for Pat, it should still be good. JL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2000 11:46:40 -0400 From: Fred Atkinson Subject: Re: Yahoo! Finance Story - Yahoo - Verizon Provides Tips for Being a Verizon customer, you're incorrect when you say they may have difficulty reaching directory assistance. I've tried several times in the last twenty-four hours and I have been *unable* to reach them. I always seems to get a recording blaming the work stoppage for their inable to answer my inquiry. Fred - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2000 16:19:19 -0400 From: Mike Pollock Subject: Directory assistance disconnect Directory assistance disconnect At about a dollar a pop, you expect to get what you’re looking for when you dial directory assistance. But how good is it? More and more, consumer groups say, that dollar is wasted. By NBC’s Pete Williams. http://www.msnbc.com/news/442864.asp - --Mike __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Kick off your party with Yahoo! Invites. http://invites.yahoo.com/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2000 17:27:37 -0400 From: Louis Jahn Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #11 In Reference to the posting in V2000#11 by Tad Cook covering "MSNBC on 411" This shows you how "BAD NEWS" sells newspapers but also gets misdirected follow-on attention! My firm provides access to National Directory Assistance listings for man= y = telephone companies and the service has been frequently measured (mostly by customers) as being accurate in the mid to high 90% in accuracy! In fact one of my Customers spent about 30 minutes being interviewed by S= hu Shin Luh of the Chicago Sun Times and related their experience with our accuracy. He= claims to have mentioned our name to the reporter at least 10 times; however, we were never contacted to see what accuracy we offer nor how well our customers are doing in providing accurate numbers to their Callers. Simply put- "Good News" is not welcome in the news industry! Unfortunately, none of the three firms compared utilize our NDA service;however, many other extremely large RBOCs and LECs are now satisfactorily using our service. They all report accuracies in our NDA service often equal to their own internal local DA systems. It simply takes the = investment of money to assure daily updated records (some days reaching well over 500,000 updates) backed by experts in Directory Assistance systems going back to its creation around 1975 (the = computerized versions not simply DA). So don't despair! Don't panic! If AT&T was willing to pay 2-3 cents more= per DA call, they could have a far more accurate service. However, when Carriers charge Callers $1.49 or even $1.99 for a service that costs less than $0.50, and refuse to spend 2 cents more t= o make it accurate, you begin to see that the problem is NOT in the DA delivery end. = Maybe it is time for the frequent revolution Thomas Jefferson often referenced! Lou Jahn Info Partners Corp 609-823-6602 609-823-2202 Fax - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2000 18:02:30 -0400 From: AES Subject: Directory Assistance Errors (Was Re: MSNBC on 411) > By Pete Williams > NBC NEWS > Aug. 7 - At about a dollar a pop, you expect to get what you're looking > for when you dial directory assistance. But how good is it? > More and more, consumer groups say, that dollar is wasted. > > "YOU COULD EXPECT at least one out of three times to get the wrong > number, if not more frequently, even from the long-distance > companies," says consumer advocate Sam Simon. Make a note of it when it happens; deduct the charge from your next phone bill; attach a polite note saying why; and hang tough. If enough of us do that, for long enough, it should solve the problem eventually. [P.S. -- It's my understanding -- though I'm NOT an authority on this -- that your local phone company may NOT cut off your service, or otherwise hassle you, if you refuse to pay charges on your bill that they are just passing through for other companies.] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2000 19:10:47 -0400 From: John Ledahl Subject: Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #10 Pat, Here is one that probably has been aired previously. Ah, the good old long distance days... Recently, I took a vacation with my family about 100 miles from my California home. While away at a cabin I used the host's phone to call my house to check on voice messages. Using my Pac Bell calling card on an AT&T line, unbeknownst to me, I received surcharges of $4.95 per call. Most calls were 1 or 2 minutes and each call totaled between $5 and $7. My monthly bill was double its normal rate. When I talked to an AT&T Supervisor named Monica, she basically said, in a very nice way, "Sorry Charlie!" I asked when I was officially notified of these surcharges and her response was "in the media." Of course, I hadn't. Why would I expose myself to these kinds of charges if I knew about them? Even with the threat of losing my business she stated she would not adjust my charges. Remember the old days when your favorite carrier would simply drop the charges on anything you could prove were onerous? John Ledahl At 06:15 AM 8/7/2000 -0400, you wrote: > >Telecom Digest Monday, August 7 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 010 > > > >In this issue: > > Number portability D O E S N O T W O R K ! ! ! ! > Verizon workers on strike > EFFector 13.06: Carnivore, New EFFers, Join via PayPal, DVD Updates > Registration > PAT at Storemont-Vail > Carnivore and RIP > ICB spam > Pittsburgh > re: ICB Spam > AT&T Wireless ill-prepared for rollout of 866 > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Date: 6 Aug 2000 11:26:55 -0400 >From: wdg@hal-pc.org (Bubba) >Subject: Number portability D O E S N O T W O R K ! ! ! ! > >Number portability D O E S N O T W O R K ! > >Last Tuesday, August 1, 2000, Southwestern Bell ported 500 numbers for me >(in contiguous 100-number blocks) between two adjacent SWB central >offices, HSTNTXNADSO and HSTNTXSUDSO. In both offices the facilities were >PRI ISDN. The numbers were moved from NAtional to SUnset. > >Although the actual porting of the numbers took considerably longer than >expected (some 4 hours), the initial observation was that at the end of >the 4 hours it was working. - or so I thought. > >Just one problem: While local callers inside the Houston LATA had no >trouble reaching the newly ported numbers, many long distance callers were >encountering 'out-of-service' intercept messages. Worse, two high profile >800 numbers which are translated to a couple of the ported numbers also no >longer work. > >Today is Sunday the 6th., 5 days after the number porting occurred. The >two inbound 800 numbers STILL do not work and I'm still getting sporadic >reports from around the countryside that the block of 500 ported numbers >are still unreachable. Callers are receiving an intercept recording >stating that the numbers have been disconnected. > >The LEC tells me the problem lies in propagation time for the various IXCs >and CLECs, etc. to pick up the database changes. Mother of God! > >Can someone help me understand WHY this happened and moreover how long >it's going to take for these various and sundry CLECS, IXCs and LECs to >pick up the changes? > >Just an observation here, it would seem to me that this number portability >thing does not work. >- -- >The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail >messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > >------------------------------ > >Date: 6 Aug 2000 13:19:06 -0400 >From: Monty Solomon >Subject: Verizon workers on strike > >Talks continue at Verizon > >85,000 employees on strike; talks continue in hope of quick settlement > >August 6, 2000: 1:01 p.m. ET > >NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Negotiations between Verizon Communications and the unions representing some 85,000 of its workers continued Sunday after the company's telephone operators and line technicians officially walked off the job without a new contract. > >Two major unions, representing about 33 percent of Verizon's work force, said the company made a last-minute contract offer that responded to many of workers' concerns about more money and benefits, improved job security and restrictions on the amount of forced-overtime employees must work. > >http://cnnfn.cnn.com/2000/08/05/news/verizon_strike/ >- -- >The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail >messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > >------------------------------ > >Date: 6 Aug 2000 13:22:57 -0400 >From: Monty Solomon >Subject: EFFector 13.06: Carnivore, New EFFers, Join via PayPal, DVD Updates > > EFFector Vol. 13, No. 6 Aug. 4, 2000 editor@eff.org > > A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 > > IN THE 154th ISSUE OF EFFECTOR (now with over 24,600 subscribers!): > > * EFF Position on FBI "Carnivore" Snooping System > + EFF's House Judiciary Committee Testimony on Carnivore > + Carnivore FAQ > * EFF Welcomes New Board and Staff Members: > + Prof. Pamela Samuelson, Boardmember > + Cindy Cohen, Legal Director > + Lee Tien, Senior Staff Attorney > + John Marttila, Administrative Assistant > * EFF Now Accepts PayPal Transactions for Memberships > * DVD Update Bulletins Available on CAFE-News > * Administrivia > > For more information on EFF activities & alerts: http://www.eff.org > _________________________________________________________________ > > >http://www.eff.org/effector/HTML/effect13.06.html >- -- >The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail >messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > >------------------------------ > >Date: 6 Aug 2000 14:07:25 -0400 >From: Jay Hennigan >Subject: Registration > >Please allow posting. > >- -- >Jay Hennigan - Network Administration - jay@west.net >NetLojix Communications, Inc. NASDAQ: NETX - http://www.netlojix.com/ >WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323 >- -- >The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail >messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > >------------------------------ > >Date: 6 Aug 2000 16:10:52 -0400 >From: "Tad Cook" >Subject: PAT at Storemont-Vail > >I was at a family reunion in Eugene, Oregon last weekend. It was for descendents of my great-grandparents on my father's mother's >side, who are from the Topeka, Kansas area. > >I ran into a woman who is a friend of one of my dad's cousins, and it turns out she is night PBX operator at Stormont-Vail Regional >Medical Center in Topeka, where our moderator Patrick Townsend first stayed before he moved to Kansas Rehabilitation Hospital. She >remembers his name, and remarked that she received quite a number of calls for him. I told her about his previous hospital stays in >Illinois, and how he would eventually seek out the PBX room and report back to the digest about how the phone system worked. She >said that she has had quite a number of telephone people who were patients come down to the phone room to check things out over the >years. > >I then found out that the hospital is built on the site of my grandmother's old home, which was torn down in the 1960s for the >hospital. > >Tad Cook >tad@aa.net >Seattle, WA >- -- >The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail >messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > >------------------------------ > >Date: 6 Aug 2000 17:13:13 -0400 >From: "Steve Hayes" >Subject: Carnivore and RIP > >Hi everyone, > >Glad to see that the Digest is back, even with the robo-moderation. I hope >that Pat is able to get his life sorted out. Of course he can do a better >job than the robot but I'm not sure that it is worth all the aggro involved >so let's all be glad that the robot exists. I would remind those who have >benefitted from the Digest all these years without making any financial >contribution that they ought to send something to Pat for all his work. > >Anyway, in V2000, #6, we had a copy of EPIC ALERT Volume 7.15 forwarded by >Monty Solomon. Yes, it was big but it was also very interesting. In >particular, the information about the FBI's proposed Carnivore system for >intercepting communications at ISPs. > >There has been quite a bit of controversy here in the UK regarding the >proposals in the "Regulation of Investigatory Powers" (RIP) bill. This would >require ISPs to install "black boxes" which would be connected to secret >government facilities, supposedly to allow interception of communications by >the usual "terrorists and drug lords". US and UK spooks have a long history >of moving in lockstep and we can see that Carnivore and RIP are again one >and the same thing. What makes these "black boxes" particularly alarming is >that they sound like they will allow any or all communications to be >intercepted with no-one outside the government agencies knowing which ones >or able to check that the appropriate warrants have been obtained. > >Another contentious clause in the RIP bill relates to encrypted >communications. It allows the authorities to require someone to hand over >either decryption keys or decrypted versions of any communication on >request. The burden of proof is reversed - you would have to prove that you >did not have the key and how do you do that? Furthermore, there are very >severe penalties if you reveal to anyone that you have been made to hand >over any of this information! > >A number of countries have explicitly rejected this type of law, e.g. the >Irish Republic. One way I can see to bust this whole racket is to use a >version of Virtual Private Networking or similar to connect to an ISP in one >of these countries (via a local ISP - no international calls needed). When >you connected to your offshore ISP, your computer would generate a session >key. This would be sent to the offshore ISP after encryption with their >public key and would then be used to encrypt all communications in both >directions. At the end of the session, the session key would be >automatically destroyed. > >When the plods come knocking, you can easily demonstrate that the session >key exists no more. The only way to get it is with the ISPs private key but >they are beyond the jurisdiction. RIP RIP. > >There are probably dozens of other ways to thwart these systems. As a >law-abiding person, I am quite prepared to live with a system where my >e-mails can be intercepted (or my phone tapped) subject to the usual >safeguards of warrants, etc. However, I am not at all happy if governments >can scan all communications looking for any tasty tidbits of information >that they or their associates can use to their advantage. Most people will >probably feel the same way. If Carnivore and RIP don't have good, rat-proof >safeguards built in, I can see a situation developing where all >communications will end up beyond the reach of the authorities with or >without warrants - and it'll be their own stupid fault! > >Steve Hayes (please reply to stevehayes@compuserve.com) >South Wales, U.K. >- -- >The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail >messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > >------------------------------ > >Date: 6 Aug 2000 17:46:41 -0400 >From: Jay Hennigan >Subject: ICB spam > >Can we do something to lose this spam? > >These repetitive "newsletters" are essentially advertisements for a paid >subscription web site. > >Spam is the same thing over and over again, and the message "Visit this >URL, pay money, and see what's there" is what is being said over and over >again. > >Spam is not about content. The message of "Visit this URL and pay to >view something" is every bit as much spam whether the website being >spamvertized is telecom related or a porn site. If it's really news, >and it's really on-topic and telecom related, then let the ICB people >simply post each item separately with an appropriate subject line for >that item. If they don't want to share information freely and simply >want to lure people to a paid website, they are spammers and should be >banned. > >Repetitive postings with teasers and lists of pay-for URLs aren't on >topic, don't have appropriate subject lines, and don't belong on a >moderated (or robo-moderated) newsgroup. > >- -- >Jay Hennigan - Network Administration - jay@west.net >NetLojix Communications, Inc. NASDAQ: NETX - http://www.netlojix.com/ >WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323 > >- -- >Jay Hennigan - Network Administration - jay@west.net >NetLojix Communications, Inc. NASDAQ: NETX - http://www.netlojix.com/ >WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323 >- -- >The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail >messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > >------------------------------ > >Date: 6 Aug 2000 18:04:26 -0400 >From: "Ralph Sprang" >Subject: Pittsburgh > >Would anyone who is familiar with telecom related companies in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania please email me. > >Thanks. > >Ralph >decolores9@yahoo.com > > > >CCNmail for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.ccnmail.com >- -- >The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail >messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > >------------------------------ > >Date: 6 Aug 2000 18:39:17 -0400 >From: "Peter Hope-Tindall" >Subject: re: ICB Spam > >I agree in substance with you. However, some of the ICB content is >certainly useful in this case. As I said in my previous posts, I think >a single (or even a couple) of tasteful links are appropriate for a >sponsor (just like the ITU and/or Microsoft used to get credit). Third >party ads are another matter. > >I complained a little last week (although, without realizing that this >was formally announced in April). > >The response I was given by the individual at ICB and the acting robo- >admin was that this person goes back a long way with Pat and pays a >sponsorship fee for the privilege of doing this. > >I don't agree with it, but I guess this digest (and comp.dcom.telecom >news group) is not a democracy. > >In many respects we have nobody to blame but ourselves if Pat has to >turn to third party sponsorship to finance his moderation. > >If there is a group inclination here, possibly we could find out how >much Judith contributes to the digest and replace those funds with >subscriptions. (the put-up-or-shut-up approach). > >Comments anyone? > > >Peter Hope-Tindall >peter@hope-tindall.com > > >"Jay Hennigan" wrote in message >news:Pine.SO4.4.05.10008061443211.24770-100000@slowpoke.sb.west.net... >> Can we do something to lose this spam? >> >> Spam is not about content. The message of "Visit this URL and pay to >> view something" is every bit as much spam whether the website being >> spamvertized is telecom related or a porn site. If it's really news, >> and it's really on-topic and telecom related, then let the ICB people >> simply post each item separately with an appropriate subject line for >> that item. If they don't want to share information freely and simply >> want to lure people to a paid website, they are spammers and should >be >> banned. >- -- >The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail >messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > >------------------------------ > >Date: 6 Aug 2000 22:37:29 -0400 >From: "Jeffrey J. Carpenter" >Subject: AT&T Wireless ill-prepared for rollout of 866 > >Apparently having over a year to prepare for the rollout of 866 was not >sufficient for AT&T Wireless. I received my 866 number early last week >(yes, Judith, I was able to get my vanity number in 866) from AT&T Long >Distance. I currently have this 866 number forwarded to my Sprint PCS >wireless phone. > >It has worked from everywhere I have tried: land lines, pay phones, >Sprint PCS wireless, except AT&T Wireless (multiple phones). Late last >week from Pittsburgh and St. Louis, I was getting a ringing forever, but >it was not my Sprint PCS phone that was ringing. In Cleveland today, I >received a "your call cannot be completed as dialled" message. Tonight >in Pittsburgh, I am getting a fast busy. > >After spending 3 hours on the phone with AT&T Wireless on Friday, I was >finally able to convince a customer service representative to *request* >a trouble ticket be filed with the assistance of an representative from >AT&T Long Distance repair conferenced into the call. The repair rep was >able to convince the reluctant AT&T Wireless person that this was >*Wireless's* problem. The person refused to give me a trouble ticket >number, so who knows what actually was filed, if anything. > >Some of the more amusing/sad things I was told: > > * "oh, you are calling Sprint PCS voicemail, you cannot do that from > AT&T Wireless" (my Sprint phone was turned off) > * "who is it you are trying to call?" (what business is it of > theirs?) > * "you are calling a prepaid wireless phone, you cannot do > that(!!!!)" > * "866 had been delayed and is not yet available" > * "866 does not work yet, try it again in another month and it should > work" > * and, of course, "what is 866?" > >You would think for a company as large as AT&T that they would actually >have some of their technical staff on some of these numbering committees >and they might be clued in on the rollout of something like "866". But, >I guess not... > > > jeff > > > >- -- >Jeffrey J. Carpenter >P.O. Box 471 >Glenshaw, PA 15116-0471 > >Phone: +1 218 837-6000 >Fax: +1 310 914-1716 > >Email: jjc@pobox.com >Web: http://pobox.com/~jjc/ >- -- >The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail >messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > >------------------------------ > >End of Telecom Digest V2000 #10 >******************************* > > > - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2000 19:57:05 -0400 From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) Subject: Directory assitance, was: Re: Yahoo! .. verizon strike In <200008081546.KAA07313@celadon.propagation.net> Fred Atkinson writes: > Being a Verizon customer, you're incorrect when you say they may >have difficulty reaching directory assistance. I've tried several >times in the last twenty-four hours and I have been *unable* to reach >them. I always seems to get a recording blaming the work stoppage >for their inable to answer my inquiry. Which brings up a related question: isn't a huge amount of Verizon's (and other telcos) directory assitance now handled by the third party groups who are, presumably, unaffected by the walkout? - -- _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2000 22:10:52 -0400 From: stevenl11@aol.com (Steven Lichter) Subject: Re: Directory assitance, was: Re: Yahoo! .. verizon strike > >Which brings up a related question: isn't a huge amount of Verizon's (and >other telcos) directory assitance now handled by the third party groups >who are, presumably, unaffected by the walkout? As far as I know, only the wireless is outsourced. But then I know only how GTE is set up, there are centers located in different areas which handle DA, so you could be talking one on the other side of the US. Apple Elite II 909-359-5338. Home of GBBS/LLUCE, support for the Apple II and Macintosh 24 hours 2400/14.4. An OggNet Server. http://www.delphi.com/gbbs The only good spammer is a dead one, have you hunted one down today? (c) - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #12 ******************************* From ???@??? Thu Aug 10 12:37:25 2000 Date: 9 Aug 2000 15:53:19 -0400 Message-ID: <20000809195319.18721.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #13 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: da69845f254e1d909a372398f77c5d27 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Wednesday, August 9 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 013 In this issue: Problems Reaching Toll-Free 866 Numbers Can we cool it here? Is Telecom Digest doomed? strategy vs. entitlement etc. ICB *free* articles in Telecom Digest RE: ICB *free* articles in Telecom Digest ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES Re: Is Telecom Digest doomed? brief explanation Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! Visit with Pat Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! Re: Can we cool it here? Strange Overseas LD charges to Vanuatu (Re: NO LD-carrier but overseas charges) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 9 Aug 2000 08:28:29 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: Problems Reaching Toll-Free 866 Numbers There have been recent reports about difficulty in reaching some Toll-Free numbers with the new 866 Toll-Free "area" code, especially from an AT&T-Wireless phone. Some of these problems - on reaching valid toll-free numbers from your calling area from ANY type of phone or carrier/service - is beacuse the originating/access provider either doesn't yet have 866 (or whatever that new code is, such as 877 two years ago, or when new 855 starts in November) yet programmed into its switch translations - or if the code (866, or 877, or 855, etc) _IS_ programmed into translations, it was put in WRONG where it isn't being properly database-dipped first. BellSouth Mobility's Ericsson Cellular switch here in New Orleans (NWORLAIYCM3) - well, the switch isn't in New Orleans, but actually in Metairie LA (a suburb) - does have 866, 855, 844, 833 and 822 "loaded", but they are not doing (or having BellSouth landline's LATA tandem downtown do) the database-dip first, and are sending all 866-nxx-xxxx+SEND dialed numbers over to the customer's inter-LATA "PIC" directly. In my case, my inter-LATA "PIC" on my BS Mobility phone is AT&T. If the customer who has that 866 number happens to have the 866 number from AT&T, I have no problems reaching that 866 number from my cellular phone. BUT, if that 866 number's customer has the number with MCI or Sprint or someone _other_ than AT&T, and if BSMobility is sending all of my dialed 866 calls over to AT&T (my PIC), then AT&T is going to reject the call, because that 866 number isn't "theirs". If BS Mobilty were doing what they are SUPPOSED to do, they would be first doing the database-dip of _ALL_ dialed 866 calls, or at least having BellSouth _landline_ do the database-dip, the database returning the indication of the LD carrier associated with that 866 number, and BS Mobility or BellSouth Landling then turning the handling of that 866 number over to _THAT_ LD carrier. Other situations where you may have problems... PBX systems which either don't have 866 or 855, etc. loaded into their translations, or else they are handing _ALL_ 866 dialed calls over to their chosen LD carrier. They are _SUPPOSED_ to be doing a database-dip first, or having the LEC do the database-dip, and then handing the 866 call over to the carrier indicated by the result of the database-dip. Dittos for problems with CLECs. They too have to somehow interconnect with the database-manager, usually the incumbent LECs. Dittos for problems with many independent (incumbent) LECs, particularly in rural areas. One additional problem with them has to do with where the LD-carrier indicated by a database-dip isn't "normally" available from that rural area for originating calls. However, the database-result usually indicates an "alternate" carrier (such as MCI, Sprint, or AT&T) to carry the call to the nearest point where the call can then be handed over to the "smaller" carrier who would be the chosen provider for that toll-free customer's number. But the smaller/rural independent LEC doesn't look at the "alternate/intermediate" carrier (AT&T, MCI, Sprint, etc) on the database-result, and only the "main" (smaller) LD-carrier indicated (the one actually chosen by the toll-free customer), and then rejects the call because that independent LEC doesn't have originating access with that smaller LD-carrier. COCOTs/Private Payphones/etc... They too have to have each new toll-free code (888, 877, 866, etc) loaded into their internal "chips" as valid AND FREE area codes dialed in a ten-digit method: 1+ 8zz-NXX-xxxx There was a problem with COCOT companies not getting around to doing this or even REFUSING to load the new codes. However, maybe one of the "benefits" of COCOTs getting their _EXTORTION_ pound-of-flesh on toll-free numbers dialed from "their phones" is that the private payphone industry is now MUCH more aware of new toll-free codes as they are identified, announced, and put into actual service. The COCOT owners can get revenue on calls dialed from their phones to 866, etc. I've already seen COCOT instruction cards indicating the future 855, 844, 833, and 822 as all being toll-free, and even allowing FREE coinless access to ten-digit numbers dialed with these codes. Of course, except for 855, with the 250-xxxx test numbers, toll-free 855 goes into service in November and many local telcos have already opened up 855 into their switch, the others - 844, 833 and 822 don't have any announced date as to when they go into service nor even the initial testings phase. Also, for the most part, COCOTs get a dialtone line from the incumbent LEC, which is the local manager of copies of the toll-free number database, and as long as the incumbent LEC has everything working right, you won't really have the problem with 866 (and 855, 844, etc) as you might have with Wireless providers and CLECs. The bottom line is: Load the 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, 833, 822 toll-free code into originating (ten-digit number dialed) translations, and as TOLL FREE, which also means: you MUST DATABASE-DIP the dialed 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, 833, 822 toll-free number FIRST, and THEN hand-off the call to the LD carrier (or "alternate" carrier) indicated by the RESULTS of the database-dip! Mark J. Cuccia mcuccia@tulane.edu - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 08:54:08 -0400 From: Fred Atkinson Subject: Can we cool it here? I've been reading some of the sharp edged remarks that are flying around. Imagine Pat returning [in his state of health] to find this kind of flaming going on. Why would we want to treat his many years of work in a manner such as this? It degrades not only the publication, but it gives the readers the [hopefully false] impression that we are not adults here. We are not adolescents. We can have our differences without having to show the world that we are functioning under the direct influence of our emotions. I'd like for Pat to return and find that we have preserved his work. Certainly he deserves that. Fred Atkinson - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 09:03:02 -0400 From: Joseph Singer Subject: Is Telecom Digest doomed? Well, we can see how well "robomoderation" works. There has been a larger than normal signal-to-noise ratio in the digest what with the furor over the ICB thing not to mention when folks reply to articles quoting back whole issues of the digest. I fear that if things continue at the current rate no one will even *care* to read Telecom Digest. Let's clean it up folks! - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 13:24:08 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: strategy vs. entitlement etc. - ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2000 10:08:07 -0400 From: jlurker@bigfoot.com (Justa Lurker) Subject: Re: strategy vs. entitlement >You would keep me from having the same digits spell >something else because of misdials and confusion. >And what would you say if I registered 1-888-videxpe(rt). >Too close to a (TM) name? No, I said the opposite -- there should be no legal entitlement for anyone to replicate anything in any space. Judith Oppenheimer - ------------------------------ Date: 8 Aug 2000 11:29:46 -0400 From: jlurker@bigfoot.com (Justa Lurker) Subject: ICB Issue >As Ms Oppenheimer has complained specifically about my >presence here, in the sense that I don't belong and she, >as a paying sponsor with a deal does belong, Below is my verbatim *private* email to Mr. Lurker and John Levine: Pat Townson and I negotiated a sponsorship agreement that included specific visibility and distribution for ICB *and* ICB advertisers. This was after the ITU withdrew its funding, but long before Pat had his stroke. No "taking advantage" of anyone or anything took place, and quite frankly, the suggestions is insulting. I am beginning to wonder about the repetitive pejorative postings against ICB being allowed (encouraged?) onto the Digest by people calling themselves things like "Just Lurker", while ICB postings (separate from ICB's HeadsUp Headlines) appear to be blocked. For this long-time Telecom Digest reader and contributor, the wisdom, discretion and diplomacy of Pat Townson's moderation is sorely missed. Judith Oppenheimer - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 13:24:19 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: ICB *free* articles in Telecom Digest I have replied to posters of this thread offline, and am taking just a moment to clarify a few things here. >Nobody in their right ... provides correct information ... I'd offer you a list of industry players who do (at least with ICB, but then most of our business is referrals.) But we do not sell, rent, lease or share in any way for any reason, subscriber or registration contact information. As for comparison with the NY Times, I'm flattered to be in such prestigious company, but we're not big enough to support or justify targeting ads. And for the purists among you who truly believe that registration is evil or constitutes 'payment' (my own mother among you), I can only tell you that every ICB registration copies to my email, a wonderful opportunity that if you have the time to read them, that I recommend highly. It does help me tell prospective advertisers the overall characteristics, though never any contact, identifying or email information, of who'd see their ads. But more importantly, ICB readers range from carrier execs to end users, techies and engineers to lawyers and regulatory people, small businesses to global corporations, also b2b vendors and all forms of service providers, literally worldwide. All individuals with diverse frames of reference and an interest, for one reason or other, in toll free and domain name issues. How in heavens name would I know what to publish -- what's of critical interest, what's of casual interest -- if I didn't know who was reading?! Registration also provides a great way to get acquainted with people you'd otherwise never meet, often resulting in new business, professional friendships, and important editorial contributions, as more than a few on this list know. Finally, as I just explained to Jay offlist (where I think this conversation belongs), ICB contributes significantly to the free information base of the internet - something I believe in strongly. The bulk of ICB's daily content is free (this my mother *doesn't* like ), and that which isn't frequently offers a demonstrative heads-up value simply found no where else. Judith p.s. Re someone's spam accusation - was it Jay? - ICB is updated daily - headlines are not repeated. Judith Oppenheimer, +1 212 684-7210, 1 800 The Expert Publisher, http://www.icbtollfree.com/testimny.cfm - -----Original Message----- From: owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org [mailto:owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org]On Behalf Of Jay Hennigan Sent: Monday, August 07, 2000 3:58 PM To: editor@telecom-digest.org Subject: Re: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest On 2 Aug 2000 01:09:10 -0400, Joseph Singer wrote: :I do appreciate Judith Oppenheimer's contribution of articles to the :digest, but every "free" article that I clicked on in both of her :submissions in the latest digest were met with: : :The page you requested is available only to Registered Users. : :If you are already registered log in now, if not Register here. : : User name : Password : :If the article in the digest has an "F" next to it and you have indicated :in your article that it is free to view why am I met with the above stuff?? It is the same technique used by the New York Times, to which Pat has strongly objected. When you register you're required to give personal information such as industry affiliation, etc. The "free" articles are peppered with advertisements. With the registry information, the sites (NYT or ICB, etc.) can either target the ads to the demographics of the viewer, justify higher prices to the advertisers with claims of more "quality" viewers, or if the site is truly greedy sell the data itself to junk mailers, junk faxers, and telemarketers. I'm not saying that ICP or NYT do this now, but when you put marketers and that type of database in close proximity it is always a possibility. For a mild example, see: http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,16718,00.html Such sites are, in my opinion, inherently evil. Nobody in their right mind who has been the vicitm of spammers and telesleaze provides correct information to them. - -- Jay Hennigan - Network Administration - jay@west.net NetLojix Communications, Inc. NASDAQ: NETX - http://www.netlojix.com/ WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 13:24:48 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: RE: ICB *free* articles in Telecom Digest I have replied to posters of this thread offline, and am taking just a moment to clarify a few things here. >Nobody in their right ... provides correct information ... I'd offer you a list of industry players who do (at least with ICB, but then most of our business is referrals.) But we do not sell, rent, lease or share in any way for any reason, subscriber or registration contact information. As for comparison with the NY Times, I'm flattered to be in such prestigious company, but we're not big enough to support or justify targeting ads. And for the purists among you who truly believe that registration is evil or constitutes 'payment' (my own mother among you), I can only tell you that every ICB registration copies to my email, a wonderful opportunity that if you have the time to read them, that I recommend highly. It does help me tell prospective advertisers the overall characteristics, though never any contact, identifying or email information, of who'd see their ads. But more importantly, ICB readers range from carrier execs to end users, techies and engineers to lawyers and regulatory people, small businesses to global corporations, also b2b vendors and all forms of service providers, literally worldwide. All individuals with diverse frames of reference and an interest, for one reason or other, in toll free and domain name issues. How in heavens name would I know what to publish -- what's of critical interest, what's of casual interest -- if I didn't know who was reading?! Registration also provides a great way to get acquainted with people you'd otherwise never meet, often resulting in new business, professional friendships, and important editorial contributions, as more than a few on this list know. Finally, as I just explained to Jay offlist (where I think this conversation belongs), ICB contributes significantly to the free information base of the internet - something I believe in strongly. The bulk of ICB's daily content is free (this my mother *doesn't* like ), and that which isn't frequently offers a demonstrative heads-up value simply found no where else. Judith p.s. Re someone's spam accusation - was it Jay? - ICB is updated daily - headlines are not repeated. Judith Oppenheimer, +1 212 684-7210, 1 800 The Expert Publisher, http://www.icbtollfree.com/testimny.cfm - -----Original Message----- From: owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org [mailto:owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org]On Behalf Of Jay Hennigan Sent: Monday, August 07, 2000 3:58 PM To: editor@telecom-digest.org Subject: Re: ICB "free" articles in Telecom Digest On 2 Aug 2000 01:09:10 -0400, Joseph Singer wrote: :I do appreciate Judith Oppenheimer's contribution of articles to the :digest, but every "free" article that I clicked on in both of her :submissions in the latest digest were met with: : :The page you requested is available only to Registered Users. : :If you are already registered log in now, if not Register here. : : User name : Password : :If the article in the digest has an "F" next to it and you have indicated :in your article that it is free to view why am I met with the above stuff?? It is the same technique used by the New York Times, to which Pat has strongly objected. When you register you're required to give personal information such as industry affiliation, etc. The "free" articles are peppered with advertisements. With the registry information, the sites (NYT or ICB, etc.) can either target the ads to the demographics of the viewer, justify higher prices to the advertisers with claims of more "quality" viewers, or if the site is truly greedy sell the data itself to junk mailers, junk faxers, and telemarketers. I'm not saying that ICP or NYT do this now, but when you put marketers and that type of database in close proximity it is always a possibility. For a mild example, see: http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,16718,00.html Such sites are, in my opinion, inherently evil. Nobody in their right mind who has been the vicitm of spammers and telesleaze provides correct information to them. - -- Jay Hennigan - Network Administration - jay@west.net NetLojix Communications, Inc. NASDAQ: NETX - http://www.netlojix.com/ WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2000 19:17:34 -0700 From: editor@icbtollfree.com Subject: ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - IT AIN'T 866 IF IT DON'T DO THAT DIP - - INTERNET PIONEER KARL AUERBACH STEPS UP TO THE PLATE, SEEKS AT-LARGE NOMINATION FOR ICANN BOARD - - BARCELONA.COM LOSES WIPO DECISION - - AMAZON.COM: NEW .COM'S ON THE HORIZON? - - ITU AND IETF SET STANDARDS TO BRIDGE SWITCHED & IP NETWORKS - - MODEL E FREE, FOR THE MOMENT, TO HIT THE ROAD - - INTERNET NAME PROTECTION? ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) Act Now! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************* ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 8, 2000 P - IT AIN'T 866 IF IT DON'T DO THAT DIP 'It doesn't really take 'rocket science' to properly route a call.' CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4287 F - INTERNET PIONEER KARL AUERBACH STEPS UP TO THE PLATE, SEEKS AT-LARGE NOMINATION FOR ICANN BOARD Karl Auerbach is an engineer with a law degree who understands commerce as well as free enterprise. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4286 P - BARCELONA.COM LOSES WIPO DECISION 'The City Government of Barcelona has amply demonstrated this interest through the implementation of a long-standing constant policy of obtaining registration of trademarks, most of them containing the expression 'BARCELONA', for the most varied kind of activities it has engaged into. The Complainant has proved in these proceedings to own approximately one thousand of these registrations.' CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4291 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* GTE Business Toll Free works with your existing GTE Long Distance calling plan to save you money on incoming long distance calls. With GTE Business Toll Free, your company gets the same low rate when your customers call you toll free as when you call them. That's twice the value for one great rate. http://www2.gte.com/LD/bld/tollfree.cfm ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 8, 2000 F - AMAZON.COM: NEW .COM'S ON THE HORIZON? Acquisition of new domain names potentially signals new lines of business or increased focus on existing lines. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4292 P - ITU AND IETF SET STANDARDS TO BRIDGE SWITCHED & IP NETWORKS The Megaco/H.248 standard should enable gateway devices to pass voice, video, fax and data traffic between conventional analog telephones and packet-based data networks. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4290 F - MODEL E FREE, FOR THE MOMENT, TO HIT THE ROAD A federal judge ruled yesterday that a Michigan court was the wrong venue for Ford's lawsuit against a company currently doing business only in California. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4289 F - INTERNET NAME PROTECTION? Internet Name Protection says it is providing a 'public service' to name holders who might otherwise forget to renew their domain names. But 'implicit in the request for the client to forward details for re-registration (and 'funds - urgently') is the implication that somehow (the) `Internet name protection agency' is the agency able to rescue the client from this non-existent crisis,' Waddell said. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4288 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* DOCTOR, LAWYER, CHIEF COOK & BOTTLE WASHER? Are you a local or regional business that advertises in newspapers, direct mail, on radio or tv? 1 800 BRAND IT shared use marketing programs can help your sales skyrocket! Current Programs include: 1 800 DIAL A LAWYER 1 800 YOUR VET 1 888 YOUR MDS Calls are routed to you by area code or zip code, or the geographic radius, near or far, that you specify. Pricing is competitive, and start-up's a breeze. http://www.1800brandit.com ************************************************************************* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 13:39:52 -0400 From: pete-weiss@psu.edu (Pete Weiss) Subject: Re: Is Telecom Digest doomed? On 9 Aug 2000 09:03:02 -0400, Joseph Singer wrote: |I fear that if things continue at the current |rate no one will even *care* to read Telecom Digest. Let's clean it up |folks! Oh, you mean like alt.dcom.telecom! :-( - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 13:45:38 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: brief explanation Email messages that I sent to the Digest yesterday and the day before (one twice, thinking I'd not sent it correctly), have just now been released to the list, as it turns out my email address was inexplicably suspended by our interim moderator. Hence the appearance today of replies to what should now be old subject matter. 'Twas not my fan, that stirred the dirt ... Judith Judith Oppenheimer, +1 212 684-7210, 1 800 The Expert Publisher, http://www.icbtollfree.com/testimny.cfm Register for FREE 800/Dot Com Headlines here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 14:13:51 -0400 From: jay@west.net (Jay Hennigan) Subject: Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? On 4 Aug 2000 23:09:57 -0400, Monty Solomon wrote: : : Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? (Business 3:00 a.m. PDT) : http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,38013,00.html?tw=wn20000804 : Cellphone manufacturers post radiation information on their packages : while maintaining their products are safe. This in the same week a : neurologist blames cellphones for brain cancer. By Elisa Batista. I'm not sure if this is a government regulation requiring the information be posted, or the manufacturers reacting to media pressure to list it. While field strength in free space is relatively easy to measure or calculate, the radiation absorbed by the user is quite difficult to accurately predict as a lot depends on the shape of the user's head and how the person holds the phone. The makers have a tough decision in terms of marketing. On the one hand, "more powerful" sells the concept that the phone will perform better in marginal areas, but "less radiation" appeals to the people who buy in to the cancer scare. A few years ago KTLA in Los Angeles put together a documentary of the history of the station, one of the west coast television pioneers. They had on the show an engineer who had lived on Mount Wilson for many years in the transmitter shack. He was in his eighties and seemed quite healthy. There should be by now a significant sample of those who have worked in and around UHF and microwave facilities for a long period. Where's the data showing increased cancer? I, for one, am not buying in to the cancer scare. - -- Jay Hennigan - Network Administration - jay@west.net NetLojix Communications, Inc. NASDAQ: NETX - http://www.netlojix.com/ WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 14:39:23 -0400 From: peny_lane2@my-deja.com Subject: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! Southwestern Bell is my local phone carrier. When I set up my service, I told Southwestern Bell that I did not want a long distance carrier because I have Local Plus. I never call outside the state, so I do not need long distance service. The only other services I have on my line are "Privacy Manager" to stop computer generated calls; "Call Busy Forwarding" for "Callwave" program; and "Caller ID". I opened my phone bill today and there were AT&T charges in the amount of $23.90 for a 3 minute call to an overseas country called Vanuatu. I called AT&T to find out what Vanuatu was. I was told that it was a call placed to a porn site and that it worked like a 1-900 call. I informed AT&T that no such call was made by me or my husband from my computer or phone. We live alone with our 3 year old grandaughter. We do not access porno sites on my computer; We do not have a microphone to make computer sex calls. My desktop stays locked and I do not have a long distance carrier. I asked, "How can a long distance call be placed on a line that is not supposed to have long distance capability?" After wasting and hour and getting the run-a-round with AT&T (another representative said that it was not a 1-900 call). I finally connected to the International Center for AT&T. When I explained my situation, the AT&T representative removed the charges. However, she told me that next time the charges could not be removed. She suggested that I call Southwestern Bell and have them check my line to see if I had been hacked. Southwestern Bell could not find anything wrong with my line. The repair service said that someone could have hacked into my computer and dialed with a 10-10 Code. Southwestern Bell suggested that I get a toll blocker put on my line. I called Southwestern Bell to inquire about this service. The young man told me to forget everthing that I had been told, because not having a long distance carrier does not stop someone from making long distance calls on my line with 10-10 Codes. Had I been told this when I hooked up my service, I could have placed a long distance block on my phone. He then proceeded to sell me a "toll blocker" package for $3 a month. With this service I can call 1-800 and 911, but I cannot access directory assistance (which I need). He also offered me "Outgoing Call Control" which is $6.95/month. This service allows 1- 800 and 911, and long distance calls with a pin number, but it does not access directory assistance either. Both these services block 10-10 Codes. I did not order either package. The only things I can figure are as follows: 1. Somebody hacked into my computer and used a 10-10 code to call a porn site (Vanuatu 678507730). (My modem is set NOT to dial a 1+ area code--only the prefix and number; I have a local ISP and Local +. 3. Somebody has hacked my phone line with a 10-10 Code. I am angry that everytime I turn around, due to forces outside my control, I am being forced to buy more protection for my phone line. As much as Southwestern Bell charges, I would expect their technology to surpass all these problems and give line protection automatically, free of charge. Do I need to pay for an additional service that will not allow me to use directory service or see if my local ISP can help? I do not know how to keep this from happening again without paying Southwestern Bell for another service that will take away the directory service I have now. It is like trying to find the "perfect" church. No such thing exists. Who can I talk to about this? HELP!! Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 15:15:09 -0400 From: Mike Sandman Subject: Visit with Pat Hi. I visited with Pat over the weekend, and he seems to be doing OK. His health seems to be stable for now. He's taking his medication, which will hopefully ward off further problems. He smokes a lot, which can't help his condition, but he doesn't seem care. He has decided not to go for the surgery that his doctors wanted to do, since there was a 25% chance he wouldn't make it out alive. Not very good odds. John should be posting more here about Pat soon. Pat really appreciates John's taking over the group in his absence, and is happy that the Digest is back. Since he doesn't have access to a computer or the Internet, I gave him a bunch of printouts from the Digest to try to keep him in the loop. Since there have been so many posts about ICB in the Digest, I specifically asked Pat what he wanted in the Digest in terms of ICB. He said that he'd like the ICB posts to continue as they were before, and that you can look in the archives to see what was in the Digest in early May - but it's up to John to deal with it as the moderator. Pat said he really appreciated Judith Oppenheimer's support as a sponsor, as well as that of all of the rest of the Digest readers who have expressed concern about him and have supported the Digest. I've personally received a lot of email asking about Pat, and have seen lots of newsgroup postings asking about his health. I forwarded printouts of a lot of those to him. I think it'll really help his spirits! Since we all actually know that John is trying to moderate this with a bot, it would be good if we could work with him. Obviously some spam will get through, and it will never look like a group moderated by Pat (or any human) looking at every message, but Pat said that this system has worked well for years in other groups and it should work fine on the Digest. I hope that you'll all continue to support the Digest, and wish Pat well. Mike Sandman - ----------------------------------------------------------- Mike Sandman 630-980-7710 E-mail: mike@sandman.com WWW: http://www.sandman.com Our 112 page catalog of Unique Telecom Products & Tools is on the World Wide Web. We have a fantastic assortment of Cable Installation Tools and Training Videos to help you use them. NEW "Basic ISDN", "Intro to T1" and Fiber Optic/CAT 5 Training Videos are now available. Also check out our Telephony History Page, which contains ads and articles from telephony related magazines from the first part of the century. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 15:50:28 -0400 From: s falke Subject: Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! wrote ... > 3. Somebody has hacked my phone line with a 10-10 Code. Shouldn't the 101XXXX provider show up on your bill? - --s falke - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 15:51:42 -0400 From: herb@herbstein.com (Herb Stein) Subject: Re: Can we cool it here? Amen. Come on folks. Chill out. Pat provides a valuable service as does Judith. As some unknown lady once said, "What would your mother(s) say if they heard you go off like that?" In article <200008091254.HAA26361@celadon.propagation.net>, Fred Atkinson wrote: > I've been reading some of the sharp edged remarks that are flying >around. Imagine Pat returning [in his state of health] to find this >kind of flaming going on. Why would we want to treat his many years >of work in a manner such as this? It degrades not only the publication, >but it gives the readers the [hopefully false] impression that we are >not adults here. We are not adolescents. > > We can have our differences without having to show the world that >we are functioning under the direct influence of our emotions. > > I'd like for Pat to return and find that we have preserved his >work. Certainly he deserves that. > > > > > > Fred Atkinson - -- Herb Stein The Herb Stein Group www.herbstein.com herb@herbstein.com 314 215-3584 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 15:53:16 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: Strange Overseas LD charges to Vanuatu (Re: NO LD-carrier but overseas charges) Having "no" Long-Distance carrier doesn't mean that 1-900 calls can't be dialed from your line (you can get FREE blocking against "area" code 900 and "local" 976 codes from your line through Southwestern Bell)... and it doesn't mean that 101-XXXX+ Carrier codes (they aren't really just 'so-called' ten-ten codes, since there are 101-5XXX+ and 101-6XXX+ ranges as well, and eventually there will be codes of the entire 101-XXXX+ set) can't be dialed. However, the type of call that was billed to your line could still be a billing-fluke where your line' account happened to be posted for such a call. If it ever happens again, REFUSE to pay the charge, call up AT&T and/or Southwestern Bell and tell them STRONGLY that you did NOT place this type of call, and if they DON'T credit you, that you will complain to the FCC and your state regulatory agency. Talk to supervisors with both companies - even managers. Usually, when you insist to them that you are going to formally complain to your state regulatory agency and/or the FCC, they change their tune and become "oh so helpful", but not always. It all depends on "who" you talked to at telco. On that AT&T-billed call to Vanuatu... did the charges appear on an AT&T page/section of your SWBell bill? Or did AT&T bill you directly? BTW, Vanuatu is a typical "sex/porno" PAY-per-call destination country. Something else that came to mind... did you dial any 1+ 500- "area" code numbers recently? The Special Area Code '500' is for "personal numbers", which a person or company can have, keeping the same 500-nxx-xxxx number regardless of where they move or happen to be at that moment, with the called party being able to have calls forwarded at will. This is a "one-number" for people/companies that have multiple phone numbers and faxes, yet still be able to give out a single number. The two biggest providers of 500 numbers are (or have been) AT&T and MCI (there have been other smaller carriers here and there too). It doesn't matter who your "main" LD carrier is (if you even have chosen one), the 500 number is going to be carried and billed by the LD-company providing that 500 service/number. I don't know how MCI handled billing for their 500 numbers when the 500 number was set to terminate at a number outside of the United States, but AT&T would bill the CALLING party for all overseas charges if the person who has that AT&T 500 number forwarded to something outside of the US. This is UNLIKE local telco call-forwarding, where the person who has the call forwarding service is the billed/responsible party for all toll charges if they forward their incoming calls to a long distance location. Vanuatu in the Pacific has been a "hot spot" for sex/porno PAY-per-call lines via AT&T-provided 500 numbers where the 500-customer has forwarded their 500 number to sex/porno PAY-per-call numbers destined (or "appeared" to be destined) in Vanuatu. It was my understanding that if someone dials an AT&T-provided 500 number that has been forwarded to a number outside of the US, that AT&T provides an intercept type message indicating that if you (the caller who dialed the 500 number) stay on the line, your call will route to Vanuatu (or wherever) and will be billed the rate for such a call overseas. You do have the option to hang-up right away. Could you have dialed some 500 number recently, that you "thought" was going to be legit (but turned out not to be so)? Did you dial something that was "close" to 500 (maybe an 800 number, but you mis-dialed, hitting the '5' above the '8' on the keypad), and hung up AFTER you were connected to the destination, and didn't realize that the "wrong number" was _NOT_ an 800 number, but in reality a 500 number that was forwarded to Vanuatu? (and forgot about the wrong number incident?)... ANY time you are mis-billed, especially for wrong numbers, AT&T and the local Bell are supposedly REQUIRED to credit you. So if this appears again on your bill, just tell them that it was a wrong number and that you are not paying it. That THEY MUST credit you! Good Luck! Mark J. Cuccia mcuccia@tulane.edu - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #13 ******************************* From ???@??? Thu Aug 10 12:39:00 2000 Date: 10 Aug 2000 06:15:12 -0400 Message-ID: <20000810101512.7531.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #14 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 2af85ca1c1aaf8489d9992d67192b29b Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Thursday, August 10 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 014 In this issue: What's up with the Digest and Pat Re: International country code news, questions more, re Strange calls to Vanuatu via AT&T input on tone and probe set 8/9/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 9 Aug 2000 16:03:38 -0400 From: John R Levine Subject: What's up with the Digest and Pat I've been twiddling with the modbot and some local mail routing, so I think that all submissions to Telecom should be coming into the robomoderator now. As you may have guessed from Mike Sandman's message, Pat is off-line because he's in trouble with the law. I don't fully understand the details, but as far as I can tell his problems are due to a combination of bad luck and personality conflicts, not to anything that you or I would consider illegal. It's hard to say when he'll be back, but most likely it'll be around the end of the year. Mike sent me a picture with Pat, on the web at . Pat's health is still not very good, and he still needs contributions to help him run the digest and cover his expenses. Contributions to support Pat and the Telecom Digest can be sent in care of Pat's mother: Telecom Digest c/o Ruth Townson 611 East Poplar Independence KS 67301 Checks can be made out to Telecom Digest. Please send along a note of encouragement for Pat and Mrs. Townson as well. If people would like to contribute via Paypal, send me a note and I'll see if I can set up an account on Pat's behalf. With regard to the disagreements about the ICB newsletter, they're over. Since I am not comfortable posting paid material to a moderated newsgroup (none of the other 350 moderated groups do, and much of the moderation mechanism resides at universities and other non-profits), Judith and I have compromised so her newsletter is going to the mailing list half of Telecom, which is clearly Pat's to do with as he wishes, but not the newsgroup. If you read Telecom via news, you can get her newsletter either by subscribing to the mailing list via telecom-request@telecom-digest.org or directly to Judith's newsletter on her web site at www.icbtollfree.com or by writing her at editor@icbtollfree.com. Just for the record, I find her newsletter consistently worthwhile, her web site is interesting, has a fair privacy policy, and she's entited to run it in any way she wants, including the no-charge registration she uses. I registered as a subscriber ages ago. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies", Information Superhighwayman wanna-be, http://iecc.com/johnl, Sewer Commissioner Finger for PGP key, f'print = 3A 5B D0 3F D9 A0 6A A4 2D AC 1E 9E A6 36 A3 47 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 16:27:27 -0400 From: "H. Peter Anvin" Subject: Re: International country code news, questions Followup to: <020820001820442482%lincmad001@telecom-digest.zzn.com> By author: Linc Madison In newsgroup: comp.dcom.telecom > > A few bits of relatively recent news: > > All of the officially announced +99X codes for former Soviet republics > in Asia are now active. That leaves only Russia and Kazakhstan sharing > the old Soviet +7 code. There has been speculation that Kazakhstan > might separate into its own code, possibly +997, but there is no word > on any official plan to do so. > One would think it would have been more fair to split up +7 into 2- and 3-digit codes, at least for the CIS countries (I can imagine Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania jumping as far away as possible under any circumstances...) -hpa - -- at work, in private! "Unix gives you enough rope to shoot yourself in the foot." http://www.zytor.com/~hpa/puzzle.txt - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 18:00:30 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: more, re Strange calls to Vanuatu via AT&T s falke wrote: > peny_lane2@my-deja.com wrote: >> 3. Somebody has hacked my phone line with a 10-10 Code. > Shouldn't the 101XXXX provider show up on your bill? Since the person had "no-PIC" with SWBell for LD, and since is still possible to place calls via 101-XXXX+ carrier codes (unless completely "toll restricted"), remember that this was for a call billed by AT&T, _AS_ AT&T. AT&T's (published) Carrier Access Code is 101-0288+ ("Ten-ten-ATT"). Maybe the Carrier code didn't appear on the bill, but I don't think that 101-XXXX+ codes necessarily appear at the top of the bill -- only the name(s) of the various carriers and/or "billing agencies" is what appears. Mark J. Cuccia mcuccia@tulane.edu - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 19:47:06 -0400 From: Subject: input on tone and probe set i have lost my Progressive Electronics high power tone and probe set somewhere. and am currently looking for a replacement. any input on good ones? bad ones? i'm using my 10yr old standby. but it just doesn't hump it long distances or on live cable. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 22:19:38 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/9/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - TRANSFERRING TOLL FREE TELEPHONE NUMBERS LAWFULLY - - REGISTER.COM WITHDRAWS ITS SHARE OFFER - - SOFTWARE.COM, PHONE.COM IN $6.8B MERGER - - NET DISASTER PLAN PROPOSED - - ICANN: THE JOKE THAT WON'T GO AWAY - - UNIVERSITIES ON THE TM TRAIL - - VERIO WON'T USE REGISTER.COM DATABASE - - ICANN'S BOARD NOMINEES UNDER FIRE - - THE SILVER DOMAIN ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) Act Now! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************* ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 9, 2000 P - TRANSFERRING TOLL FREE TELEPHONE NUMBERS LAWFULLY The FCC has held that “‘hoarding’ and ‘brokering’ of toll free numbers are contrary to the public interest and, thus, subject to sanction by the Commission.” Brokering has been defined as the buying and selling of telephone numbers. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4293 F - REGISTER.COM WITHDRAWS ITS SHARE OFFER "We believe that the current market is not properly valuing register.com," said Richard Forman, chief executive officer, in a statement. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4299 F - SOFTWARE.COM, PHONE.COM IN $6.8B MERGER Combined, the companies will provide scalable infrastructure and application software that allows the delivery of email, voicemail, unified messaging, directory and wireless Internet access for IP-based networks. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4298 F - NET DISASTER PLAN PROPOSED ... is similar to a feature found in the public telephone system. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4297 F - ICANN: THE JOKE THAT WON'T GO AWAY ICANN is simultaneously arguing that it's a scientific technical forum which needs no user input, because it's making scientific and not social decisions. At the same time it's demanding the popular respect of users as an arbiter with a popular mandate. And hoping no one spots the contradiction... In fact, ICANN controls a choke point on the Internet - "and there's no constraint on their ability to charge a fee." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4296 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* GTE Business Toll Free works with your existing GTE Long Distance calling plan to save you money on incoming long distance calls. With GTE Business Toll Free, your company gets the same low rate when your customers call you toll free as when you call them. That's twice the value for one great rate. http://www2.gte.com/LD/bld/tollfree.cfm ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 9, 2000 P - UNIVERSITIES ON THE TM TRAIL A division at Yale University has created a computer program that locates domain names that include the word Yale and then gives those names to university lawyers. Stanford University utilizes an outside service on a weekly basis to locate registered domain names that contain the word Stanford. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4301 F - VERIO WON'T USE REGISTER.COM DATABASE Register.com sued Verio in federal court last Thursday, alleging Verio made unsolicited calls to Register.com customers after they had registered a new Internet domain, or address. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4300 F - ICANN'S BOARD NOMINEES UNDER FIRE While their credentials may be impressive, they don't make them uniquely suited for the job. "Is a large telecommunications corporation the appropriate representative of users? That seems unlikely although ICANN's Nominating Committee apparently found them appropriate." "ICANN would say 'We aren't regulators, we're engineers,' but they're not just engineers and it's not fair to say so," Klein continued. "They're making public policy, trademark and intellectual property decisions." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4295 P - THE SILVER DOMAIN To sell an individual "silver domain" requires over 250 unique contacts with the right people at the right companies in most instances. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4294 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* DOCTOR, LAWYER, CHIEF COOK & BOTTLE WASHER? Are you a local or regional business that advertises in newspapers, direct mail, on radio or tv? 1 800 BRAND IT shared use marketing programs can help your sales skyrocket! Current Programs include: 1 800 DIAL A LAWYER 1 800 YOUR VET 1 888 YOUR MDS Calls are routed to you by area code or zip code, or the geographic radius, near or far, that you specify. Pricing is competitive, and start-up's a breeze. http://www.1800brandit.com ************************************************************************* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 23:42:35 -0400 From: "Curtis R. Anderson" Subject: Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Jay Hennigan wrote: > > On 4 Aug 2000 23:09:57 -0400, Monty Solomon wrote: > : > : Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? (Business 3:00 a.m. PDT) > : http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,38013,00.html?tw=wn20000804 > : Cellphone manufacturers post radiation information on their packages > : while maintaining their products are safe. This in the same week a > : neurologist blames cellphones for brain cancer. By Elisa Batista. > > I'm not sure if this is a government regulation requiring the information > be posted, or the manufacturers reacting to media pressure to list it. > > While field strength in free space is relatively easy to measure or > calculate, the radiation absorbed by the user is quite difficult to > accurately predict as a lot depends on the shape of the user's head and > how the person holds the phone. > > The makers have a tough decision in terms of marketing. On the one hand, > "more powerful" sells the concept that the phone will perform better in > marginal areas, but "less radiation" appeals to the people who buy in to > the cancer scare. > > A few years ago KTLA in Los Angeles put together a documentary of the > history of the station, one of the west coast television pioneers. They > had on the show an engineer who had lived on Mount Wilson for many years > in the transmitter shack. He was in his eighties and seemed quite healthy. > > There should be by now a significant sample of those who have worked in > and around UHF and microwave facilities for a long period. Where's the > data showing increased cancer? > > I, for one, am not buying in to the cancer scare. We beat this one to death over at Slashdot a few weeks ago. My favorite conclusion was that most folks' ignorance of the inverse square law is partly responsible for the scare. They forget if you just turn up the earpiece volume and pull the phone away from your ear a bit that radiation levels fall off significantly. (I can do this on my Nokia 918 as the earpiece is quite loud.) Aren't digital cell phones supposed to transmit with less power anyway? - -- Curtis R. Anderson, Co-creator of "Gleepy the Hen", SP 2.5?, KoX We eat korv, not surströmming or lutefisk in western NY. Sorry. http://www.madbbs.com/users/gleepy/ ICQ: 50137888 mailto:gleepy@intelligencia.com UTM: PS 7036 7315, zone 17 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Aug 2000 23:44:48 -0400 From: mohaase@nilenet.com (Marty) Subject: Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! In article <20000808215248.12186.qmail@ivan.iecc.com>, peny_lane2@my-deja.com wrote: (Snip) > I opened my phone bill today and there were AT&T charges in the amount > of $23.90 for a 3 minute call to an overseas country called Vanuatu. I > called AT&T to find out what Vanuatu was. I was told that it was a > call placed to a porn site and that it worked like a 1-900 call. I > informed AT&T that no such call was made by me or my husband from my > computer or phone. We live alone with our 3 year old grandaughter. We > do not access porno sites on my computer; We do not have a microphone > to make computer sex calls. My desktop stays locked and I do not have > a long distance carrier. I asked, "How can a long distance call be > placed on a line that is not supposed to have long distance capability?" > (Snip) What time was the call placed and what date was it placed? Was the call placed late at night or during the day? Week day, or week end? Could someone get access to your phone WIRES (tap in with a butt set)? If you live in an apartment, do you know if your wires are routed through some other apartment? This was commonly done in older buildings, but newer wiring codes forbid this. They may still be accessable in a utility closet. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 02:11:08 -0400 From: "Michael D. Sullivan" Subject: Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL "Linc Madison" wrote in message news:030820000424174713%lincmad001@telecom-digest.zzn.com... > I was just browsing through the August 2000 NNAG document from > Telcordia TRA, and I noticed something astonishing. Within a one-month > period (8/18 to 9/18/2000), a single operating company is activating > TWENTY prefixes in the Peoria, Illinois, rate center. The company is > McLeod USA Telco of Illinois. The prefixes appear in the NNAG as brand > new, not as existing prefixes being changed to a different OCN. In addition to the possibility that these are actually in different tiny rate centers, as others have suggested, consider that McLeod may have a contract with a web-based "personal number" or "personal fax number" operator. Such a company caused serious problems in New Hampshire with its demands for huge quantities of numbers for assignment to web fax customers. - -- Michael D. Sullivan avogadro@bellatlantic.net Bethesda, MD, USA - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 02:50:27 -0400 From: Linc Madison Subject: Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL In article , Michael D. Sullivan wrote: > "Linc Madison" wrote in message > news:030820000424174713%lincmad001@telecom-digest.zzn.com... > > I was just browsing through the August 2000 NNAG document from > > Telcordia TRA, and I noticed something astonishing. Within a one-month > > period (8/18 to 9/18/2000), a single operating company is activating > > TWENTY prefixes in the Peoria, Illinois, rate center. The company is > > McLeod USA Telco of Illinois. The prefixes appear in the NNAG as brand > > new, not as existing prefixes being changed to a different OCN. > > In addition to the possibility that these are actually in different tiny > rate centers, as others have suggested, consider that McLeod may have a > contract with a web-based "personal number" or "personal fax number" > operator. Such a company caused serious problems in New Hampshire with its > demands for huge quantities of numbers for assignment to web fax customers. They're definitely not in different tiny rate centers. They are all in the Peoria rate center -- the dozen or more prefixes activated earlier this spring and the 20 being activated this month and next. It's certainly possible that one of the web-based fax-and/or-voicemail companies is setting up a major presence, but even so, 350,000 numbers in a span of less than half a year is a bit much. I'm familiar with the cluster of fax numbers in New Hampshire -- I have such a number in the 603-719 prefix, but almost all of my traffic on it is folks in New Hampshire forgetting to put the "1" in front of (719) nxx-xxxx. Strangely enough, they assigned me that number when I said I was in California; when I lied and said I was in Boston, they gave me a number in Arizona. It seems they really want to persuade you to pay extra to get your own area code. In any case, McLeod certainly can't harbor any delusions of coming in as a CLEC and assigning two numbers for every man, woman, and child in Peoria, so there must be *something* else going on. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #14 ******************************* From ???@??? Fri Aug 11 07:39:09 2000 Date: 10 Aug 2000 22:24:20 -0400 Message-ID: <20000811022420.18560.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #15 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 7c0cfd994ecc97e490372f40535de7d2 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Thursday, August 10 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 015 In this issue: Re: Large block of new prefixes for Peoria IL / McLeod Telco Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: 8/9/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? RE: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Directory Assistance Errors (Was Re: MSNBC on 411) Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Telecom Digest Mailing List Phone Booths? Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Telecom Digest Mailing List Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! 8/10/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 10 Aug 2000 06:27:15 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: Re: Large block of new prefixes for Peoria IL / McLeod Telco (Followup on Linc Madison's Post, "Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL") McLeod is a CLEC, but they are an "outgrowth" and possibly the new corporate name of independent incumbent LEC "Illinois Consolidated Telco" -- I think McLeod is the family's name. As an incumbent (independent) LEC, they are the "traditional DDD" local/toll from/within the "Mattoon IL" LATA #976. (that 976 numerical has NOTHING to do with "local" PAY-per-call c.o.code 976, but is the numerical code to identify the (incumbent) independent LEC/LATA for and surrounding Mattoon IL). The Peoria CLLI, PEORILTC5MD (generic DS equipment type) is a CLLI for Peoria, but the -xMD extension is not really for a "switch" but rather a "point-of-demarcation" or "point-of-interface/interconnection". This POD, POP (point-of-presence) or POI, _DOES_ appear to be _located_ _in_ Peoria, but the actual switch providing the dialtone might not necessarily be located in Peoria. I wonder if someone "goofed" when inputting data for the _ratecenter_ of Peoria, when it could be that many prefixes are really assigned to tariffed ratecenters outside of Peoria (surrounding Peoria) ... Again, a "massive" clerical/input/entry error on SOMEONE's part. I usually don't download NANPAs prefix lists. But I know that these also indicate (default) telco OCN-assignee, ratecenter, switch (or POI) CLLI that the prefix is "default" assigned to, etc. Had you yet cross-referenced with what NANPA's downloadable c.o.code files indicate? BTW, the "LATA" code as indicated in the NNAG is not necessarily the LATA of that ratecenter, but rather the LATA of the switch/PO CLLI. Fictitious example: There "could" be a CLEC which has 225-NXX prefixes for the Baton Rouge LA ratecenter or any ratecenter in the Baton Rouge LATA. If the CLLI they indicate is actually for the _switch_ giving the dialtone rather than the POP/POD/POI in Baton Rouge, and that switch happens to be in New Orleans, while the ratecenter indicated will be Baton Rouge (or whatever ratecenter in the Baton Rouge LATA), the LATA code as indicated in NNAG will be for the New Orleans LA LATA. This "could" cause mis-billings for some local service-providers in the Baton Rouge LATA and the New Orleans LATA who don't "pay proper attention" to the details of other data reported in LERG/RDBS, TPM, and other telco industry databases (TIRKS for trunk groups), or official tariffs. A local service provider in the Baton Rouge LATA might put that c.o.code in their switch-translations (and billing equipment) as inTER-LATA, and a local or inTRA-LATA toll call would be incorrectly handed over to the customer's inTER-LATA "PIC". Conversely, a local service provider in the New Orleans LATA might put that c.o.code in their switch translations and billing equipment as inTRA-LATA toll, and a toll call would be incorrectly processed (for billing) via the inTRA-LATA toll "PIC" which might not necessarily be the same as a calling customer's inTER-LATA toll "PIC". Mark J. Cuccia mcuccia@tulane.edu - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 09:29:30 -0400 From: Daniel Seagraves Subject: Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL On 4 Aug 2000, Linc Madison wrote: > I was just browsing through the August 2000 NNAG document from > Telcordia TRA, and I noticed something astonishing. Within a one-month > period (8/18 to 9/18/2000), a single operating company is activating > TWENTY prefixes in the Peoria, Illinois, rate center. The company is > McLeod USA Telco of Illinois. The prefixes appear in the NNAG as brand > new, not as existing prefixes being changed to a different OCN. These guys have already talked to us. I'm in Peoria, and I work for a computer training center that's getting pretty heavily screwed by Ameritech. (They're reselling our DIDs to dial customers, then charging us for the DID, the dial customer's access, and the dial customer's long distance. We've been arguing with them over it for a few months now, they basically told us to just shut up and go away. They have no plans to fix the problem OR stop billing us for these, and they say if we don't pay they'll disconnect all our lines.) Anyway, they're supposed to be running all these from one 5ESS. I'm about a block or two from where they're building their (at least they told me it was their) main offices. Dunno if the switch will be there or not. I could try poking about to see what they're up to... A 5ESS is a decently impressive piece of equipment (To me at least... All I know is that they're HUGE.) but can it handle 20 whole prefixes? "Confuse, annoy, and DEE-STROY!" -- Jet Wolf | "Nothing Happens." -- ADVENT "You'd be surprised what you can live through..." -- Anonymous "...A man can pass his family and his name down through his sons, but it's his honour that gets passed through his daughters. He can see the best and worst of life in his girls. A daughter is something far too precious, and he'll do anything to protect her." -- Reichsfuehrer Siegfried Koenig, _Matrose_Mond_, David Oliver - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 09:31:26 -0400 From: Fred Atkinson Subject: Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? >Aren't digital cell phones supposed to transmit with less power anyway? This question demonstrates a lack of understanding about antenna design. A satellite dish is the most extreme example. For that reason, it makes it the easiest to understand. The output of a satellite transmitter is often as low as one hundred milliwatts. Even so, the power leaving the dish is in the megawatt range. Have you ever seen a flashlight bulb illuminated without being in the flashlight? It's very dim. But when you put it in the flashlight it becomes very bright. The light travels from the bulb in all directions, a ray of light in each different direction. When the bulb is in the flashlight, the reflective dish around the bulb collects each ray, reflects it into the same path it reflects every other ray. Thus the bright beam of light. When you add the power from each ray of light collected, it's a dramatic increase (gain) in power. A satellite dish works in the same way as a flashlight. Thus the megawatt transmission (which is really needed to penetrate the atmosphere and arrive at the satellite in sufficient strength to have any level of clarity) in a straight line. Satellite dishes are rated for the amount of gain (power out versus power in) they can provide. The numbers for them are really quite high. Other antennas are rated for gain, though it is not in the astronomical numbers of a satellite dish. Nonetheless (depending upon the antenna design) it is possible that it could be quite high. Assuming it is omnidirectional, each ray could penetrate your skull and by the time all rays have, it could theoretically be quite a bit (total). In my humble opinion, not enough is known and handheld cellulars have not been around long enough that we can draw any conclusions about long term health effects. I was carrying one for a few months at my last job. I invested in a headset and held the phone away from my body while I was using it. Now I am hearing stories of how the radiation may be conducted into the headset. I still have reservations, but it is not impossible. I'd recommend that you use a headset and hold the phone away from yur body while using it. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And for myself, I don't wish to be frying my brain so I'll be cautious for now. It will be a long time before long term effects can really be known. Fred - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 10:35:55 -0400 From: pete-weiss@psu.edu (Pete Weiss) Subject: Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! On 9 Aug 2000 15:50:28 -0400, s falke wrote: |Shouldn't the 101XXXX provider show up on your bill? My residential service is PICCed to a specific IXC, and I also use two of their dialarounds. I receive the IXC billing thru my ILEC (BA-PA). The LD billing does NOT differentiate amont the types of dialed LD calls (1+ and 101xxxxx) -- I have to look at the CPM to figure out which I've used. /Pete - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 11:22:15 -0400 From: Roy Smith Subject: Where have all the phone booths gone? The other day, I needed to make a phone call at work which required some privacy. I set off to find a phone in a phone booth where I could shut the door and use the phone. Could not find one. I checked out a few locations in the complex where I work where I seemed to remember phone booths, but they had all been converted to little alcoves with pay phones hung on the wall. The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw an honest to goodness phone booth, with a seat, a door, a light that comes on when you close the door (and a fan even). A phone book, of course, would be too much to ask for, but I'd settle for a door that you could close. Do they still exist anywhere? - -- Roy Smith New York University School of Medicine - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 12:33:29 -0400 From: Andrew Subject: Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Fred Atkinson wrote: >>Aren't digital cell phones supposed to transmit with less power anyway? > This question demonstrates a lack of understanding about antenna > design. Your post reveals an addled reasoning process. Seemed like a fair question to me. Do the newer digital wireless technologies transmit with less power than AMPS? I would guess that the ones based on a spread-spectrum technology use less because of the lower S/N requirement. I won't address the rest of your moronic post. Andrew - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 13:32:06 -0400 From: scsmediafmp@aol.com (Steven Scharf) Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Go to The Oaks (formerly The Five Oaks) at 49 Grove Street. It is a piano bar in Greenwich Village which for nolstagic reasons, and because you would not be able to hear when the place is busy, to keep thier ancient phone booth. Steven Scharf SCS Media Services 57 East 11th Street, 9th Floor New York, New York 10003 212-822-8555 201-547-3510 Direct Phone and Fax (Please call first before faxing) SCSMedia@aol.com Roy Smith roy@endeavor.med.nyu.edu asked: The other day, I needed to make a phone call at work which required some privacy. I set off to find a phone in a phone booth where I could shut the door and use the phone. Could not find one. I checked out a few locations in the complex where I work where I seemed to remember phone booths, but they had all been converted to little alcoves with pay phones hung on the wall. The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw an honest to goodness phone booth, with a seat, a door, a light that comes on when you close the door (and a fan even). A phone book, of course, would be too much to ask for, but I'd settle for a door that you could close. Do they still exist anywhere? - -- Roy Smith New York University School of Medicine - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 17:34:58 GMT From: stanley@skyking.OCE.ORST.EDU (John Stanley) Subject: Re: 8/9/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES In article , Judith Oppenheimer wrote: >************************************************************************* >ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES >************************************************************************* It is ridiculous to distribute one mailing list over another. Those who want this icb service can sign up for it themselves. Please stop posting it. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 14:07:32 -0400 From: jlurker@bigfoot.com (Justa Lurker) Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? It was 10 Aug 2000 11:22:15 -0400, and Roy Smith wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: | The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw | an honest to goodness phone booth, with a seat, a door, a light | that comes on when you close the door (and a fan even). A phone | book, of course, would be too much to ask for, but I'd settle for | a door that you could close. Do they still exist anywhere? There are a few around, and I am likewise surprised to see them. And as for one with working lights and doors that would be harder. Especially if you also needed a directory in there. JL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 14:21:25 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: RE: Where have all the phone booths gone? Didn't some cities - I remember New York and Chicago - experience a pullback of comfortable phone booths - in some areas, I thought, all phone booths - due to their appropriation by drug dealers? If you're around the NYU campus in the Village, that might be it. Judith Judith Oppenheimer, +1 212 684-7210, 1 800 The Expert Publisher, http://www.icbtollfree.com/testimny.cfm Register for FREE 800/Dot Com Headlines here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm ICB PREMIUM SUMMER SALE - ONLY $99 DOLLARS http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm - -----Original Message----- From: owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org [mailto:owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org]On Behalf Of Roy Smith Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2000 11:22 AM To: editor@telecom-digest.org Subject: Where have all the phone booths gone? The other day, I needed to make a phone call at work which required some privacy. I set off to find a phone in a phone booth where I could shut the door and use the phone. Could not find one. I checked out a few locations in the complex where I work where I seemed to remember phone booths, but they had all been converted to little alcoves with pay phones hung on the wall. The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw an honest to goodness phone booth, with a seat, a door, a light that comes on when you close the door (and a fan even). A phone book, of course, would be too much to ask for, but I'd settle for a door that you could close. Do they still exist anywhere? - -- Roy Smith New York University School of Medicine - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 14:31:31 -0400 From: Linc Madison Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? In article <3992e8f5.2177247@207.98.148.124>, Justa Lurker wrote: > It was 10 Aug 2000 11:22:15 -0400, and Roy Smith > wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: > | The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw > | an honest to goodness phone booth, with a seat, a door, a light > | that comes on when you close the door (and a fan even). A phone > | book, of course, would be too much to ask for, but I'd settle for > | a door that you could close. Do they still exist anywhere? > > There are a few around, and I am likewise surprised to see them. > > And as for one with working lights and doors that would be harder. > Especially if you also needed a directory in there. Rincon Center in San Francisco (an old postal facility converted to shops and offices) has at least TWO of them. Of course, it's not a new problem: there's a wonderful scene in one of the "Superman" movies where Clark Kent is dashing about, looking for a place to transform into Superman, and you see him glowering at a row of payphones-on-a-pole on the sidewalk. - -- For faster replies, use Telecom # LincMad * com, substituting punctuation - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 14:38:34 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: Directory Assistance Errors (Was Re: MSNBC on 411) >>From 'AES': >[P.S. -- It's my understanding -- though I'm NOT an authority on this -- >that your local phone company may NOT cut off your service, or otherwise >hassle you, if you refuse to pay charges on your bill that they are just >passing through for other companies.] They may not be able to, but the company for which they are billing probably can come after you. - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 14:38:35 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL >>From 'Linc Madison': >It's certainly possible that one of the web-based fax-and/or-voicemail >companies is setting up a major presence, but even so, 350,000 numbers >in a span of less than half a year is a bit much. I'm familiar with the >cluster of fax numbers in New Hampshire -- I have such a number in the >603-719 prefix, but almost all of my traffic on it is folks in New >Hampshire forgetting to put the "1" in front of (719) nxx-xxxx. >Strangely enough, they assigned me that number when I said I was in >California; when I lied and said I was in Boston, they gave me a number >in Arizona. It seems they really want to persuade you to pay extra to >get your own area code. I don't know who you use. I use eFax. The only Ohio area code I can get is 419; the only area where they have phone numbers is Toledo. I can choose whatever number I want in any of the area code where they have reserved blocks of numbers, though. - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 14:38:35 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? >>From 'Judith Oppenheimer': >Didn't some cities - I remember New York and Chicago - experience a pullback of >comfortable phone booths - in some areas, I thought, all phone booths - due to >their appropriation by drug dealers? And Cleveland. - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 14:58:42 -0400 From: "Kluso" Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? We've got a couple of the UK style booths in Suttons Bay, Michigan. http://www.multimag.com/city/mi/suttonsbay/spring2.jpg - -Kluso - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 15:28:14 -0400 From: jwm@spdcc.com (Jeffrey William McKeough) Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? In article , Judith Oppenheimer wrote: >Didn't some cities - I remember New York and Chicago - experience a >pullback of comfortable phone booths - in some areas, I thought, all >phone booths - due to their appropriation by drug dealers? Payphones in many places were removed (or in some cases converted to rotary to discourage people from calling pagers from them) because of drug dealers. The telephone *booth* was phased out because it was inaccessible to people using wheelchairs. - -- Jeffrey William McKeough I'm gonna tell you a story I'm gonna tell you about my town jwm@spdcc.com I'm gonna tell you a big bad story, baby (or spdcc.net if that bounces) Aww, it's all about my town - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 15:28:19 -0400 From: Alexandra Browne Subject: Telecom Digest Mailing List Hi Patrick, >>From my research, it seems that you are the point person to receive mailing lists for this magazine. I am interested in your mailing lists. I would lke you to fax the job functions that you magazine serves so that I can choose a list...also is there any way that I can get prices for this. My fax number is (609) 936-8811. Look forward to hearing from you Alexandra P Consulting Group Alexandra Browne Tel: (609) 716 3967 Fax: (609) 936 8811 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 15:58:31 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: Phone Booths? Here in New Orleans, we never really had that many of the plexi-glass and aluminum so-called "Superman" booths. Outdoor payphones have mostly been on pedestals or bracketed to outside walls (with our without some form of 'enclosure'), even many decades ago. There have been a few outdoor plexi-glass/aluminum booths, but it always was rare in New Orleans. However, there have been booths inside office buildings. Some of the "modern" office buildings of the 1960's/70's era have had rows of plexi-glass/aluminum booths built into an "alcove", where the booths are part of the office building's interior architechture style, and not really standalone-but-joined togather "Bell" type aluminum/plexi-glass booths. But some OLD office buildings might still have the REAL booths of the 1920's, 30's, 40's, even 50's... the WOODEN booth with GLASS panes, with the interior having that thick plastic "bubble" covering... WOODEN triangular bench in the corner, WOODEN writing shelf, incandescent bulb, and exhaust fan attachment protruding down into the booth with simple metal toggle switch... Now, if only real WESTERN ELECTRIC triple coin slotters (ding; ding-ding; dong), with rotary dials and "daisy wheel" outer-ring of red-digits/ black-letters; either separated receiver/transmitter, or F-series/ 302-type handset or G-series/500-type handset- could be installed in those remaining 1920's-50's era wooden booths! :-) Mark J. Cuccia mcuccia@tulane.edu - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 19:06:15 -0400 From: Terry Kennedy Subject: Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL Daniel Seagraves writes: > A 5ESS is a decently impressive piece of equipment (To me at least... All > I know is that they're HUGE.) but can it handle 20 whole prefixes? I don't see why not. The 201-332 machine (a 1A) had 132,000 WTN's on it when it got rolled into the 201-200 machine (a 5ESS). So that added at least 14 prefixes to whatever was on 201-200 already. I expect that a lot depends on what sort of line terminations are on the switch - at least with a DMS, you can stick a lot more PRI's on the switch than you can analog POTS lines. I saw a DMS about 6 months ago that was at 750K WTN's and rapidly heading toward the 1M mark. Apparently this is on the cutting edge of DMS deployment. Terry Kennedy http://www.tmk.com terry@tmk.com Jersey City, NJ USA - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 19:52:29 -0400 From: Jonathan Seder Subject: Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? There was a lengthy thread on this recently. More than 1,200 studies have thus far failed to find any linkage between wireless phone radiation and illness. If RF radiation was dangerous, then people with substantial, long-term occupational exposure (barbers who use electric clippers, carpenters who use circular saws, automobile engine assemblers who use powered wrenches) would have ill effects. They don't. One prominent, widely cited study cited reported a doubling of the risk of auditory neuromas in people who had been using wireless phones for more than five (?) years. This study was rejected in peer review but widely cited anyway. Some of the problems with this study: Incidence of this cancer is extremely low, and the sample size was far too small to make any valid statement about incidence; a doubling of an extremely small risk (from 1/10,000,000 to 1/5,000,000, say) isn't very important; there was sample bias - most of these cancers are never detected, so an ad seeking people for a study of cell phone safety would attract people far more likely than average to have this problem; and so on. The big risk with wireless phones is not cancer. The big risk is that telephone conversations are distracting, and people use wireless phones while doing tasks that require concentration. Talking on wireless phones makes drivers more likely to hit pedestrians or bridge abutments; pedestrians to walk into lampposts; or bicyclists to make dangerous blunders (I saw a bicyclist chatting on a cell phone just yesterday!). Drive now, talk later. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 20:04:52 -0400 From: John De Hoog Subject: Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Jonathan Seder wrote... >The big risk with wireless phones is not cancer. The big risk is that >telephone conversations are distracting, and people use wireless phones >while doing tasks that require concentration. Talking on wireless >phones makes drivers more likely to hit pedestrians or bridge >abutments; pedestrians to walk into lampposts; or bicyclists to make >dangerous blunders (I saw a bicyclist chatting on a cell phone just >yesterday!). Here in Tokyo, I see them many times a day. But fewer people are walking with cell phones at their ears; today, most of them are looking down at them as they read or type email messages. BTW, yesterday I saw a truck driver on a busy highway brushing his teeth as he drove along next to our train. Cell phones are not the only risk in this respect. Relative to another thread, the popularity of cell phones in Tokyo has led to a rapid decline in the number of once-ubiquitous phone booths. - -- John De Hoog, Tokyo http://dehoog.org - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 21:00:16 -0400 From: hudsonl@skypoint.com (Hudson Leighton) Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? In article , jwm@spdcc.com (Jeffrey William McKeough) wrote: > In article , > Judith Oppenheimer wrote: > >Didn't some cities - I remember New York and Chicago - experience a > >pullback of comfortable phone booths - in some areas, I thought, all > >phone booths - due to their appropriation by drug dealers? > > Payphones in many places were removed (or in some cases converted to > rotary to discourage people from calling pagers from them) because of > drug dealers. The telephone *booth* was phased out because it was > inaccessible to people using wheelchairs. > In the older building I work in the second floor lobby still has a bank of old wooden phonebooths with seats even! And the rest of the building has the hang on the wall type payphones that are designed so that you cannot hear the party you are calling and they cannot hear you over the background noise. - -Hudson - -- http://www.skypoint.com/~hudsonl - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 21:00:15 -0400 From: hudsonl@skypoint.com (Hudson Leighton) Subject: Re: Telecom Digest Mailing List In article <931D03453620D31185590008C70744EC6F23A4@PRIMBX01>, Alexandra Browne wrote: > Hi Patrick, > > From my research, it seems that you are the point person to receive mailing > lists for this magazine. I am interested in your mailing lists. I would > lke you to fax the job functions that you magazine serves so that I can > choose a list...also is there any way that I can get prices for this. My > fax number is (609) 936-8811. Look forward to hearing from you > > Alexandra > > P Consulting Group > Alexandra Browne > Tel: (609) 716 3967 > Fax: (609) 936 8811 > -- Somebody doesn't know Pat do they - -Hudson - -- http://www.skypoint.com/~hudsonl - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 21:09:37 -0400 From: Terry Kennedy Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Roy Smith writes: > The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw an honest to > goodness phone booth, with a seat, a door, a light that comes on when you close > the door (and a fan even). A phone book, of course, would be too much to ask > for, but I'd settle for a door that you could close. Do they still exist > anywhere? 60 Hudson St. in NYC (the old Western Union building, also known as 160 W. Broadway) has a whole row (a dozen or so) of wood phone booths in the lobby, complete with doors/fans/lights. There is a separate directory rack with directories. I expect the only reason this survives is that the lobby has landmark status. Terry Kennedy http://www.tmk.com terry@tmk.com Jersey City, NJ USA - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 21:33:21 -0400 From: Tony Pelliccio Subject: Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! In article <20000808215248.12186.qmail@ivan.iecc.com>, peny_lane2@my-deja.com wrote: >What time was the call placed and what date was it placed? >Was the call placed late at night or during the day? Week day, or week end? > >Could someone get access to your phone WIRES (tap in with a butt set)? >If you live in an apartment, do you know if your wires are routed through >some other apartment? This was commonly done in older buildings, but newer >wiring codes forbid this. They may still be accessable in a utility closet. While they don't necessarily route the wiring through other apartments, it's relatively easy to gain access to the distribution panel, or even to the NI placed OUTSIDE most buildings. Tony - -- == Tony Pelliccio, KD1S == I will gladly share my knowledge and experience for there are no == greater words than "I told you so." - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 22:19:55 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/10/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* ANNOUNCEMENT ICB Publisher Judith Oppenheimer participated in an 8/10 roundtable discussion • The Battle for New Domain Names Hear it on http://www.On24.com Financial i-Network ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - ICANN: WHAT *IS* YOUR PROBLEM? - - ICANN: WHAT *IS* YOUR PROBLEM? - PART II - - HOW TO STEAL A DOMAIN NAME? WIPO KNOWS. - - CAN SOMEONE *PLEASE* GET IT RIGHT ... - - THE GREAT HYPE HOPE - - GREATDOMAINS NABS CHAD'S VIRTUALDOORWAY.COM - - iDEFENSE SIGNS EXCLUSIVE WITH BULKREGISTER.COM ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) Act Now! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 10, 2000 P - ICANN: WHAT *IS* YOUR PROBLEM? Beyond expropriating copyright, Member Nominees' applications on view to the public have been reduced to link-dysfunctional "monolithic blobs." This is the Internet. ICANN runs the Internet. What is the problem? CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4302 P - ICANN: WHAT *IS* YOUR PROBLEM? - PART II Perhaps this candidate's got some "juice": achieves a rare and speedy correction of a small but relevant election problem at ICANN. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4303 F - HOW TO STEAL A DOMAIN NAME? WIPO KNOWS. Barcelona.com was bought in 1996 by two Spanish citizens, Joan Nogueras and Conchita Riera, who wanted to build a city portal web site. The city council had already launched its own portal site at www.bcn.es. Barcelona city council showed an interest in backing the barcelona.com project last winter. Then it filed UDRP. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4304 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 10, 2000 F - CAN SOMEONE *PLEASE* GET IT RIGHT ... "Cyber-Squatter Gives Site to Gore Ticket" Need I say more? CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4308 F - THE GREAT HYPE HOPE "According to a government source who asked not to be named, the only hope for the government was to wait for a resolution at the next meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4307 F - GREATDOMAINS NABS CHAD'S VIRTUALDOORWAY.COM Owner of VirtualDoorway.com, "Sister, Sister" tv star and self-proclaimed "computer geek" Chad Haywood said, "Within a week of purchasing the name I received several offers, and while I initially turned people away, the offers became too large to ignore." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4306 F - iDEFENSE SIGNS EXCLUSIVE WITH BULKREGISTER.COM The service helps clients to avoid or mitigate attacks on computer, network, Internet and information that could damage their critical business operating systems. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4305 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #15 ******************************* From ???@??? Fri Aug 11 07:39:24 2000 Date: 10 Aug 2000 22:41:54 -0400 Message-ID: <20000811024154.22613.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #16 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: ae29fe058d6353c065ef5aaa9b48122a Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Thursday, August 10 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 016 In this issue: RE: Telecom Digest V2000 #15 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 10 Aug 2000 22:41:51 -0400 From: "Bill McMullin" Subject: RE: Telecom Digest V2000 #15 Anyone know where I can sources for used programmable switches? Thanks, Bill McMullin InfoInterActive Inc. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org [mailto:owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org] Sent: August 10, 2000 11:24 PM To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #15 Telecom Digest Thursday, August 10 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 015 In this issue: Re: Large block of new prefixes for Peoria IL / McLeod Telco Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: 8/9/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? RE: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Directory Assistance Errors (Was Re: MSNBC on 411) Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Telecom Digest Mailing List Phone Booths? Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Telecom Digest Mailing List Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! 8/10/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 10 Aug 2000 06:27:15 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: Re: Large block of new prefixes for Peoria IL / McLeod Telco (Followup on Linc Madison's Post, "Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL") McLeod is a CLEC, but they are an "outgrowth" and possibly the new corporate name of independent incumbent LEC "Illinois Consolidated Telco" -- I think McLeod is the family's name. As an incumbent (independent) LEC, they are the "traditional DDD" local/toll from/within the "Mattoon IL" LATA #976. (that 976 numerical has NOTHING to do with "local" PAY-per-call c.o.code 976, but is the numerical code to identify the (incumbent) independent LEC/LATA for and surrounding Mattoon IL). The Peoria CLLI, PEORILTC5MD (generic DS equipment type) is a CLLI for Peoria, but the -xMD extension is not really for a "switch" but rather a "point-of-demarcation" or "point-of-interface/interconnection". This POD, POP (point-of-presence) or POI, _DOES_ appear to be _located_ _in_ Peoria, but the actual switch providing the dialtone might not necessarily be located in Peoria. I wonder if someone "goofed" when inputting data for the _ratecenter_ of Peoria, when it could be that many prefixes are really assigned to tariffed ratecenters outside of Peoria (surrounding Peoria) ... Again, a "massive" clerical/input/entry error on SOMEONE's part. I usually don't download NANPAs prefix lists. But I know that these also indicate (default) telco OCN-assignee, ratecenter, switch (or POI) CLLI that the prefix is "default" assigned to, etc. Had you yet cross-referenced with what NANPA's downloadable c.o.code files indicate? BTW, the "LATA" code as indicated in the NNAG is not necessarily the LATA of that ratecenter, but rather the LATA of the switch/PO CLLI. Fictitious example: There "could" be a CLEC which has 225-NXX prefixes for the Baton Rouge LA ratecenter or any ratecenter in the Baton Rouge LATA. If the CLLI they indicate is actually for the _switch_ giving the dialtone rather than the POP/POD/POI in Baton Rouge, and that switch happens to be in New Orleans, while the ratecenter indicated will be Baton Rouge (or whatever ratecenter in the Baton Rouge LATA), the LATA code as indicated in NNAG will be for the New Orleans LA LATA. This "could" cause mis-billings for some local service-providers in the Baton Rouge LATA and the New Orleans LATA who don't "pay proper attention" to the details of other data reported in LERG/RDBS, TPM, and other telco industry databases (TIRKS for trunk groups), or official tariffs. A local service provider in the Baton Rouge LATA might put that c.o.code in their switch-translations (and billing equipment) as inTER-LATA, and a local or inTRA-LATA toll call would be incorrectly handed over to the customer's inTER-LATA "PIC". Conversely, a local service provider in the New Orleans LATA might put that c.o.code in their switch translations and billing equipment as inTRA-LATA toll, and a toll call would be incorrectly processed (for billing) via the inTRA-LATA toll "PIC" which might not necessarily be the same as a calling customer's inTER-LATA toll "PIC". Mark J. Cuccia mcuccia@tulane.edu - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 09:29:30 -0400 From: Daniel Seagraves Subject: Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL On 4 Aug 2000, Linc Madison wrote: > I was just browsing through the August 2000 NNAG document from > Telcordia TRA, and I noticed something astonishing. Within a one-month > period (8/18 to 9/18/2000), a single operating company is activating > TWENTY prefixes in the Peoria, Illinois, rate center. The company is > McLeod USA Telco of Illinois. The prefixes appear in the NNAG as brand > new, not as existing prefixes being changed to a different OCN. These guys have already talked to us. I'm in Peoria, and I work for a computer training center that's getting pretty heavily screwed by Ameritech. (They're reselling our DIDs to dial customers, then charging us for the DID, the dial customer's access, and the dial customer's long distance. We've been arguing with them over it for a few months now, they basically told us to just shut up and go away. They have no plans to fix the problem OR stop billing us for these, and they say if we don't pay they'll disconnect all our lines.) Anyway, they're supposed to be running all these from one 5ESS. I'm about a block or two from where they're building their (at least they told me it was their) main offices. Dunno if the switch will be there or not. I could try poking about to see what they're up to... A 5ESS is a decently impressive piece of equipment (To me at least... All I know is that they're HUGE.) but can it handle 20 whole prefixes? "Confuse, annoy, and DEE-STROY!" -- Jet Wolf | "Nothing Happens." -- ADVENT "You'd be surprised what you can live through..." -- Anonymous "...A man can pass his family and his name down through his sons, but it's his honour that gets passed through his daughters. He can see the best and worst of life in his girls. A daughter is something far too precious, and he'll do anything to protect her." -- Reichsfuehrer Siegfried Koenig, _Matrose_Mond_, David Oliver - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 09:31:26 -0400 From: Fred Atkinson Subject: Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? >Aren't digital cell phones supposed to transmit with less power anyway? This question demonstrates a lack of understanding about antenna design. A satellite dish is the most extreme example. For that reason, it makes it the easiest to understand. The output of a satellite transmitter is often as low as one hundred milliwatts. Even so, the power leaving the dish is in the megawatt range. Have you ever seen a flashlight bulb illuminated without being in the flashlight? It's very dim. But when you put it in the flashlight it becomes very bright. The light travels from the bulb in all directions, a ray of light in each different direction. When the bulb is in the flashlight, the reflective dish around the bulb collects each ray, reflects it into the same path it reflects every other ray. Thus the bright beam of light. When you add the power from each ray of light collected, it's a dramatic increase (gain) in power. A satellite dish works in the same way as a flashlight. Thus the megawatt transmission (which is really needed to penetrate the atmosphere and arrive at the satellite in sufficient strength to have any level of clarity) in a straight line. Satellite dishes are rated for the amount of gain (power out versus power in) they can provide. The numbers for them are really quite high. Other antennas are rated for gain, though it is not in the astronomical numbers of a satellite dish. Nonetheless (depending upon the antenna design) it is possible that it could be quite high. Assuming it is omnidirectional, each ray could penetrate your skull and by the time all rays have, it could theoretically be quite a bit (total). In my humble opinion, not enough is known and handheld cellulars have not been around long enough that we can draw any conclusions about long term health effects. I was carrying one for a few months at my last job. I invested in a headset and held the phone away from my body while I was using it. Now I am hearing stories of how the radiation may be conducted into the headset. I still have reservations, but it is not impossible. I'd recommend that you use a headset and hold the phone away from yur body while using it. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And for myself, I don't wish to be frying my brain so I'll be cautious for now. It will be a long time before long term effects can really be known. Fred - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 10:35:55 -0400 From: pete-weiss@psu.edu (Pete Weiss) Subject: Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! On 9 Aug 2000 15:50:28 -0400, s falke wrote: |Shouldn't the 101XXXX provider show up on your bill? My residential service is PICCed to a specific IXC, and I also use two of their dialarounds. I receive the IXC billing thru my ILEC (BA-PA). The LD billing does NOT differentiate amont the types of dialed LD calls (1+ and 01xxxxx) -- I have to look at the CPM to figure out which I've used. /Pete - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 11:22:15 -0400 From: Roy Smith Subject: Where have all the phone booths gone? The other day, I needed to make a phone call at work which required some privacy. I set off to find a phone in a phone booth where I could shut the door and use the phone. Could not find one. I checked out a few locations in the complex where I work where I seemed to remember phone booths, but they had all been converted to little alcoves with pay phones hung on the wall. The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw an honest to goodness phone booth, with a seat, a door, a light that comes on when you close the door (and a fan even). A phone book, of course, would be too much to ask for, but I'd settle for a door that you could close. Do they still exist anywhere? - - -- Roy Smith New York University School of Medicine - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 12:33:29 -0400 From: Andrew Subject: Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Fred Atkinson wrote: >>Aren't digital cell phones supposed to transmit with less power anyway? > This question demonstrates a lack of understanding about antenna > design. Your post reveals an addled reasoning process. Seemed like a fair question to me. Do the newer digital wireless technologies transmit with less power than AMPS? I would guess that the ones based on a spread-spectrum technology use less because of the lower S/N requirement. I won't address the rest of your moronic post. Andrew - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 13:32:06 -0400 From: scsmediafmp@aol.com (Steven Scharf) Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Go to The Oaks (formerly The Five Oaks) at 49 Grove Street. It is a piano bar in Greenwich Village which for nolstagic reasons, and because you would not be able to hear when the place is busy, to keep thier ancient phone booth. Steven Scharf SCS Media Services 57 East 11th Street, 9th Floor New York, New York 10003 212-822-8555 201-547-3510 Direct Phone and Fax (Please call first before faxing) SCSMedia@aol.com Roy Smith roy@endeavor.med.nyu.edu asked: The other day, I needed to make a phone call at work which required some privacy. I set off to find a phone in a phone booth where I could shut the door and use the phone. Could not find one. I checked out a few locations in the complex where I work where I seemed to remember phone booths, but they had all been converted to little alcoves with pay phones hung on the wall. The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw an honest to goodness phone booth, with a seat, a door, a light that comes on when you close the door (and a fan even). A phone book, of course, would be too much to ask for, but I'd settle for a door that you could close. Do they still exist anywhere? - - -- Roy Smith New York University School of Medicine - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 17:34:58 GMT From: stanley@skyking.OCE.ORST.EDU (John Stanley) Subject: Re: 8/9/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES In article , Judith Oppenheimer wrote: >************************************************************************* >ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES >************************************************************************* It is ridiculous to distribute one mailing list over another. Those who want this icb service can sign up for it themselves. Please stop posting it. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 14:07:32 -0400 From: jlurker@bigfoot.com (Justa Lurker) Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? It was 10 Aug 2000 11:22:15 -0400, and Roy Smith wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: | The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw | an honest to goodness phone booth, with a seat, a door, a light | that comes on when you close the door (and a fan even). A phone | book, of course, would be too much to ask for, but I'd settle for | a door that you could close. Do they still exist anywhere? There are a few around, and I am likewise surprised to see them. And as for one with working lights and doors that would be harder. Especially if you also needed a directory in there. JL - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 14:21:25 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: RE: Where have all the phone booths gone? Didn't some cities - I remember New York and Chicago - experience a pullback of comfortable phone booths - in some areas, I thought, all phone booths - due to their appropriation by drug dealers? If you're around the NYU campus in the Village, that might be it. Judith Judith Oppenheimer, +1 212 684-7210, 1 800 The Expert Publisher, http://www.icbtollfree.com/testimny.cfm Register for FREE 800/Dot Com Headlines here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm ICB PREMIUM SUMMER SALE - ONLY $99 DOLLARS http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm - - -----Original Message----- From: owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org [mailto:owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org]On Behalf Of Roy Smith Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2000 11:22 AM To: editor@telecom-digest.org Subject: Where have all the phone booths gone? The other day, I needed to make a phone call at work which required some privacy. I set off to find a phone in a phone booth where I could shut the door and use the phone. Could not find one. I checked out a few locations in the complex where I work where I seemed to remember phone booths, but they had all been converted to little alcoves with pay phones hung on the wall. The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw an honest to goodness phone booth, with a seat, a door, a light that comes on when you close the door (and a fan even). A phone book, of course, would be too much to ask for, but I'd settle for a door that you could close. Do they still exist anywhere? - - -- Roy Smith New York University School of Medicine - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 14:31:31 -0400 From: Linc Madison Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? In article <3992e8f5.2177247@207.98.148.124>, Justa Lurker wrote: > It was 10 Aug 2000 11:22:15 -0400, and Roy Smith > wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: > | The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw > | an honest to goodness phone booth, with a seat, a door, a light > | that comes on when you close the door (and a fan even). A phone > | book, of course, would be too much to ask for, but I'd settle for > | a door that you could close. Do they still exist anywhere? > > There are a few around, and I am likewise surprised to see them. > > And as for one with working lights and doors that would be harder. > Especially if you also needed a directory in there. Rincon Center in San Francisco (an old postal facility converted to shops and offices) has at least TWO of them. Of course, it's not a new problem: there's a wonderful scene in one of the "Superman" movies where Clark Kent is dashing about, looking for a place to transform into Superman, and you see him glowering at a row of payphones-on-a-pole on the sidewalk. - - -- For faster replies, use Telecom # LincMad * com, substituting punctuation - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 14:38:34 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: Directory Assistance Errors (Was Re: MSNBC on 411) >>From 'AES': >[P.S. -- It's my understanding -- though I'm NOT an authority on this -- >that your local phone company may NOT cut off your service, or otherwise >hassle you, if you refuse to pay charges on your bill that they are just >passing through for other companies.] They may not be able to, but the company for which they are billing probably can come after you. - - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 14:38:35 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL >>From 'Linc Madison': >It's certainly possible that one of the web-based fax-and/or-voicemail >companies is setting up a major presence, but even so, 350,000 numbers >in a span of less than half a year is a bit much. I'm familiar with the >cluster of fax numbers in New Hampshire -- I have such a number in the >603-719 prefix, but almost all of my traffic on it is folks in New >Hampshire forgetting to put the "1" in front of (719) nxx-xxxx. >Strangely enough, they assigned me that number when I said I was in >California; when I lied and said I was in Boston, they gave me a number >in Arizona. It seems they really want to persuade you to pay extra to >get your own area code. I don't know who you use. I use eFax. The only Ohio area code I can get is 419; the only area where they have phone numbers is Toledo. I can choose whatever number I want in any of the area code where they have reserved blocks of numbers, though. - - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 14:38:35 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? >>From 'Judith Oppenheimer': >Didn't some cities - I remember New York and Chicago - experience a pullback of >comfortable phone booths - in some areas, I thought, all phone booths - due to >their appropriation by drug dealers? And Cleveland. - - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 14:58:42 -0400 From: "Kluso" Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? We've got a couple of the UK style booths in Suttons Bay, Michigan. http://www.multimag.com/city/mi/suttonsbay/spring2.jpg - - -Kluso - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 15:28:14 -0400 From: jwm@spdcc.com (Jeffrey William McKeough) Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? In article , Judith Oppenheimer wrote: >Didn't some cities - I remember New York and Chicago - experience a >pullback of comfortable phone booths - in some areas, I thought, all >phone booths - due to their appropriation by drug dealers? Payphones in many places were removed (or in some cases converted to rotary to discourage people from calling pagers from them) because of drug dealers. The telephone *booth* was phased out because it was inaccessible to people using wheelchairs. - - -- Jeffrey William McKeough I'm gonna tell you a story I'm gonna tell you about my town jwm@spdcc.com I'm gonna tell you a big bad story, baby (or spdcc.net if that bounces) Aww, it's all about my town - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 15:28:19 -0400 From: Alexandra Browne Subject: Telecom Digest Mailing List Hi Patrick, >>From my research, it seems that you are the point person to receive mailing lists for this magazine. I am interested in your mailing lists. I would lke you to fax the job functions that you magazine serves so that I can choose a list...also is there any way that I can get prices for this. My fax number is (609) 936-8811. Look forward to hearing from you Alexandra P Consulting Group Alexandra Browne Tel: (609) 716 3967 Fax: (609) 936 8811 - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 15:58:31 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: Phone Booths? Here in New Orleans, we never really had that many of the plexi-glass and aluminum so-called "Superman" booths. Outdoor payphones have mostly been on pedestals or bracketed to outside walls (with our without some form of 'enclosure'), even many decades ago. There have been a few outdoor plexi-glass/aluminum booths, but it always was rare in New Orleans. However, there have been booths inside office buildings. Some of the "modern" office buildings of the 1960's/70's era have had rows of plexi-glass/aluminum booths built into an "alcove", where the booths are part of the office building's interior architechture style, and not really standalone-but-joined togather "Bell" type aluminum/plexi-glass booths. But some OLD office buildings might still have the REAL booths of the 1920's, 30's, 40's, even 50's... the WOODEN booth with GLASS panes, with the interior having that thick plastic "bubble" covering... WOODEN triangular bench in the corner, WOODEN writing shelf, incandescent bulb, and exhaust fan attachment protruding down into the booth with simple metal toggle switch... Now, if only real WESTERN ELECTRIC triple coin slotters (ding; ding-ding; dong), with rotary dials and "daisy wheel" outer-ring of red-digits/ black-letters; either separated receiver/transmitter, or F-series/ 302-type handset or G-series/500-type handset- could be installed in those remaining 1920's-50's era wooden booths! :-) Mark J. Cuccia mcuccia@tulane.edu - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 19:06:15 -0400 From: Terry Kennedy Subject: Re: Extraordinary waste of prefixes in Peoria, IL Daniel Seagraves writes: > A 5ESS is a decently impressive piece of equipment (To me at least... All > I know is that they're HUGE.) but can it handle 20 whole prefixes? I don't see why not. The 201-332 machine (a 1A) had 132,000 WTN's on it when it got rolled into the 201-200 machine (a 5ESS). So that added at least 14 prefixes to whatever was on 201-200 already. I expect that a lot depends on what sort of line terminations are on the switch - at least with a DMS, you can stick a lot more PRI's on the switch than you can analog POTS lines. I saw a DMS about 6 months ago that was at 750K WTN's and rapidly heading toward the 1M mark. Apparently this is on the cutting edge of DMS deployment. Terry Kennedy http://www.tmk.com terry@tmk.com Jersey City, NJ USA - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 19:52:29 -0400 From: Jonathan Seder Subject: Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? There was a lengthy thread on this recently. More than 1,200 studies have thus far failed to find any linkage between wireless phone radiation and illness. If RF radiation was dangerous, then people with substantial, long-term occupational exposure (barbers who use electric clippers, carpenters who use circular saws, automobile engine assemblers who use powered wrenches) would have ill effects. They don't. One prominent, widely cited study cited reported a doubling of the risk of auditory neuromas in people who had been using wireless phones for more than five (?) years. This study was rejected in peer review but widely cited anyway. Some of the problems with this study: Incidence of this cancer is extremely low, and the sample size was far too small to make any valid statement about incidence; a doubling of an extremely small risk (from 1/10,000,000 to 1/5,000,000, say) isn't very important; there was sample bias - most of these cancers are never detected, so an ad seeking people for a study of cell phone safety would attract people far more likely than average to have this problem; and so on. The big risk with wireless phones is not cancer. The big risk is that telephone conversations are distracting, and people use wireless phones while doing tasks that require concentration. Talking on wireless phones makes drivers more likely to hit pedestrians or bridge abutments; pedestrians to walk into lampposts; or bicyclists to make dangerous blunders (I saw a bicyclist chatting on a cell phone just yesterday!). Drive now, talk later. - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 20:04:52 -0400 From: John De Hoog Subject: Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Jonathan Seder wrote... >The big risk with wireless phones is not cancer. The big risk is that >telephone conversations are distracting, and people use wireless phones >while doing tasks that require concentration. Talking on wireless >phones makes drivers more likely to hit pedestrians or bridge >abutments; pedestrians to walk into lampposts; or bicyclists to make >dangerous blunders (I saw a bicyclist chatting on a cell phone just >yesterday!). Here in Tokyo, I see them many times a day. But fewer people are walking with cell phones at their ears; today, most of them are looking down at them as they read or type email messages. BTW, yesterday I saw a truck driver on a busy highway brushing his teeth as he drove along next to our train. Cell phones are not the only risk in this respect. Relative to another thread, the popularity of cell phones in Tokyo has led to a rapid decline in the number of once-ubiquitous phone booths. - - -- John De Hoog, Tokyo http://dehoog.org - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 21:00:16 -0400 From: hudsonl@skypoint.com (Hudson Leighton) Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? In article , jwm@spdcc.com (Jeffrey William McKeough) wrote: > In article , > Judith Oppenheimer wrote: > >Didn't some cities - I remember New York and Chicago - experience a > >pullback of comfortable phone booths - in some areas, I thought, all > >phone booths - due to their appropriation by drug dealers? > > Payphones in many places were removed (or in some cases converted to > rotary to discourage people from calling pagers from them) because of > drug dealers. The telephone *booth* was phased out because it was > inaccessible to people using wheelchairs. > In the older building I work in the second floor lobby still has a bank of old wooden phonebooths with seats even! And the rest of the building has the hang on the wall type payphones that are designed so that you cannot hear the party you are calling and they cannot hear you over the background noise. - - -Hudson - - -- http://www.skypoint.com/~hudsonl - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 21:00:15 -0400 From: hudsonl@skypoint.com (Hudson Leighton) Subject: Re: Telecom Digest Mailing List In article <931D03453620D31185590008C70744EC6F23A4@PRIMBX01>, Alexandra Browne wrote: > Hi Patrick, > > From my research, it seems that you are the point person to receive mailing > lists for this magazine. I am interested in your mailing lists. I would > lke you to fax the job functions that you magazine serves so that I can > choose a list...also is there any way that I can get prices for this. My > fax number is (609) 936-8811. Look forward to hearing from you > > Alexandra > > P Consulting Group > Alexandra Browne > Tel: (609) 716 3967 > Fax: (609) 936 8811 > -- Somebody doesn't know Pat do they - - -Hudson - - -- http://www.skypoint.com/~hudsonl - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 21:09:37 -0400 From: Terry Kennedy Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Roy Smith writes: > The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw an honest to > goodness phone booth, with a seat, a door, a light that comes on when you close > the door (and a fan even). A phone book, of course, would be too much to ask > for, but I'd settle for a door that you could close. Do they still exist > anywhere? 60 Hudson St. in NYC (the old Western Union building, also known as 160 W. Broadway) has a whole row (a dozen or so) of wood phone booths in the lobby, complete with doors/fans/lights. There is a separate directory rack with directories. I expect the only reason this survives is that the lobby has landmark status. Terry Kennedy http://www.tmk.com terry@tmk.com Jersey City, NJ USA - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Aug 2000 21:33:21 -0400 From: Tony Pelliccio Subject: Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! In article <20000808215248.12186.qmail@ivan.iecc.com>, peny_lane2@my-deja.com wrote: >What time was the call placed and what date was it placed? >Was the call placed late at night or during the day? Week day, or week end? > >Could someone get access to your phone WIRES (tap in with a butt set)? >If you live in an apartment, do you know if your wires are routed through >some other apartment? This was commonly done in older buildings, but newer >wiring codes forbid this. They may still be accessable in a utility closet. While they don't necessarily route the wiring through other apartments, it's relatively easy to gain access to the distribution panel, or even to the NI placed OUTSIDE most buildings. Tony - - -- == Tony Pelliccio, KD1S == I will gladly share my knowledge and experience for there are no == greater words than "I told you so." - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2000 22:19:55 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/10/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* ANNOUNCEMENT ICB Publisher Judith Oppenheimer participated in an 8/10 roundtable discussion • The Battle for New Domain Names Hear it on http://www.On24.com Financial i-Network ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - - ICANN: WHAT *IS* YOUR PROBLEM? - - - ICANN: WHAT *IS* YOUR PROBLEM? - PART II - - - HOW TO STEAL A DOMAIN NAME? WIPO KNOWS. - - - CAN SOMEONE *PLEASE* GET IT RIGHT ... - - - THE GREAT HYPE HOPE - - - GREATDOMAINS NABS CHAD'S VIRTUALDOORWAY.COM - - - iDEFENSE SIGNS EXCLUSIVE WITH BULKREGISTER.COM ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) Act Now! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 10, 2000 P - ICANN: WHAT *IS* YOUR PROBLEM? Beyond expropriating copyright, Member Nominees' applications on view to the public have been reduced to link-dysfunctional "monolithic blobs." This is the Internet. ICANN runs the Internet. What is the problem? CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4302 P - ICANN: WHAT *IS* YOUR PROBLEM? - PART II Perhaps this candidate's got some "juice": achieves a rare and speedy correction of a small but relevant election problem at ICANN. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4303 F - HOW TO STEAL A DOMAIN NAME? WIPO KNOWS. Barcelona.com was bought in 1996 by two Spanish citizens, Joan Nogueras and Conchita Riera, who wanted to build a city portal web site. The city council had already launched its own portal site at www.bcn.es. Barcelona city council showed an interest in backing the barcelona.com project last winter. Then it filed UDRP. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4304 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 10, 2000 F - CAN SOMEONE *PLEASE* GET IT RIGHT ... "Cyber-Squatter Gives Site to Gore Ticket" Need I say more? CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4308 F - THE GREAT HYPE HOPE "According to a government source who asked not to be named, the only hope for the government was to wait for a resolution at the next meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4307 F - GREATDOMAINS NABS CHAD'S VIRTUALDOORWAY.COM Owner of VirtualDoorway.com, "Sister, Sister" tv star and self-proclaimed "computer geek" Chad Haywood said, "Within a week of purchasing the name I received several offers, and while I initially turned people away, the offers became too large to ignore." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4306 F - iDEFENSE SIGNS EXCLUSIVE WITH BULKREGISTER.COM The service helps clients to avoid or mitigate attacks on computer, network, Internet and information that could damage their critical business operating systems. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4305 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* - ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #15 ******************************* - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #16 ******************************* From ???@??? Fri Aug 11 07:40:00 2000 Date: 11 Aug 2000 06:15:14 -0400 Message-ID: <20000811101514.168.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #17 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: e5a54c0e6f562ea9b932b65092195a94 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Friday, August 11 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 017 In this issue: Where o where have the phone booths gone long time passing Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 10 Aug 2000 23:04:20 -0400 From: Joseph Singer Subject: Where o where have the phone booths gone long time passing 10 Aug 2000 11:22:15 -0400 Roy Smith wrote: >The other day, I needed to make a phone call at work which required some >privacy. I set off to find a phone in a phone booth where I could shut the door >and use the phone. Could not find one. I checked out a few locations in the >complex where I work where I seemed to remember phone booths, but they had all >been converted to little alcoves with pay phones hung on the wall. I'd dare say that enclosed phone booths both the outside aluminum and safety glass and the interior ones with the wooden doors, fans, directories, etc. have not been around for the most part since the early 70s when most were replaced by "boothettes" i.e. a sometimes acoustic enclosure. These were taken out of service for several reasons among which are the fact that all too often these booths would be vandalized and it was more trouble than it was worth to be constantly repairing these booths. Also in the outdoor booths they were often used as a replacement for "facilities" and it was not uncommon to walk in to one of these booths to discover that it reaked of urine. More and more the telco's attitude towards pay phones is that they are more of a pain than anything else and they make it as onerous as possible to use. They charge onerous rates for a local call, they charge even more onerous charges to make sent paid long distance, they don't provide directories yet expect the user to fork over 85 cents to get a directory call. USWest er Qwest spent megabux on providing new Nortel Millennium "smart" payphones that can use "smart" cards, but they don't market them and if you want one of these smart debiting cards you have to order them specially! It's no wonder that people just aren't using payphones when you can have a mobile phone and don't have to surrender to the telco or COCOT owners' pocketbook I'm afraid real honest to goodness phone booths are a thing of the past at least in the US and Canada. However, that being said when I was in the Netherlands in May I noticed many enclosed modern clean phone booths/call boxes. I also noticed that when I was in the Netherlands a couple years ago all the call boxes had PTT-Telecom on them and now I notice that many call boxes have KPN-Telecom on them as well. They look identical with the same colors the only difference that I could see is that the name etched on the glass was KPN-Telecom rather than PTT-Telecom. The instruments looked the same and as far as I could see dialing instructions were the same. I noticed when I went to Berlin a few years ago that most of their outside phone booths smelled badly of urine. Guess Deutsche Telekom doesn't have a cleaning program? Joseph - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joseph Singer Seattle, Washington USA [ICQ pgr] +1 206 405 2052 [voice mail] +1 206 493 0706 [FAX] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 03:46:04 -0400 From: Anthony Argyriou Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? jwm@spdcc.com (Jeffrey William McKeough) wrote: >Payphones in many places were removed (or in some cases converted to >rotary to discourage people from calling pagers from them) because of >drug dealers. The telephone *booth* was phased out because it was >inaccessible to people using wheelchairs. The Willows in Concord, CA, has a British-style phone booth (near Trader Joe's), which I think is large enough for most wheelchairs. Anthony Argyriou Unix _is_ user-friendly. It's just selective about its friends. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 05:25:26 -0400 From: Peter Morgan Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? In comp.dcom.telecom I saw that on 10 Aug 2000 14:58:42 -0400 "Kluso" wrote: >We've got a couple of the UK style booths in Suttons Bay, Michigan. >http://www.multimag.com/city/mi/suttonsbay/spring2.jpg Thanks for the photo. Nice to see a traditional red box. You may be unaware that they are not as widely distributed as they were... They are being replaced, unfortunately, by altogether less sound- proof boxes, where traffic noise enters by way of a 3" gap at the bottom... which does at least mean they are easier to keep clean, and much less smelly ! Around a dozen years ago, when I lived in Brighton on the south coast of the UK, the whole of the south had a major storm with hurricane force winds, which flattened all the trees in a number of areas and did significant damage to property. I remember a photo showing several red phone boxes near "The Dome" (- at one time the stables attached to the "Royal Pavilion" but which is now a theatre for both stage plays and held music gigs...) and all the boxes were at something like 40 degrees off vertical, because an Oak or similar tree was pushing the first and the others went like dominoes. Peter Morgan (near Liverpool, UK) - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #17 ******************************* From ???@??? Sat Aug 12 08:05:28 2000 Date: 12 Aug 2000 06:15:14 -0400 Message-ID: <20000812101514.22177.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #18 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: e33ba5fa950abfabb7bd4215cba2fc42 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Saturday, August 12 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 018 In this issue: Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #15 Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #15 Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #17 Register and win a Palm SpecOne.com the site to research and spec telecom equipment Net2Phone Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? cmsg cancel <399404BC.CB67BB2A@dfti.com> Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #15 Re: Phone Booths? WIPO asks for your comments on domain name revocation rules Phonebooths Re: Number portability D O E S N O T W O R K ! ! ! ! Re: Directory Assistance Errors (Was Re: MSNBC on 411) Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? 8/11/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 11 Aug 2000 08:11:20 -0400 From: "Ralph Sprang" Subject: Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #15 "They don't" is a very strong statement for such a controversial subject area. A number of credible studies have demonstrated increased health risk to the groups you mentioned - those who use electric equipment in close proximity to their bodies. In particular, electric blankets increase risk because they are used for long periods and are close to the body. The presumed cause of health effects is NOT RF radiation, however, but electromagnetic fields. It appears that the magnetic field may be the primary culprit. See IEEE Spectrum for a more detailed treatment of this issue. But all of this has NOTHING to do with cell phone use - the concern there is RF fields, not EM fields. The negative health effects of RF fields are widely known and documented - ever see a bird fly in front of a high power radar dish and get fried? The most common example of 'damage' due to RF fields is using a microwave oven to cook food. The controversy concerns how much RF energy is required to cause health effects, and whether cell phones exceed that limit. Please, everyone, check your facts before posting. This list has always been a fairly technical list, there is a presumption of basic technical knowledge. Please respect that. Ralph Sprang woodturn@ccnmail.com >Date: 10 Aug 2000 19:52:29 -0400 >From: Jonathan Seder >Subject: Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? > >There was a lengthy thread on this recently. > >More than 1,200 studies have thus far failed to find any linkage between >wireless phone radiation and illness. If RF radiation was dangerous, >then people with substantial, long-term occupational exposure (barbers >who use electric clippers, carpenters who use circular saws, automobile >engine assemblers who use powered wrenches) would have ill effects. >They don't. CCNmail for your free web-based e-mail. http://www.ccnmail.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 08:12:08 -0400 From: David Lind Subject: Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! In article <20000808215248.12186.qmail@ivan.iecc.com>, peny_lane2@my-deja.com wrote: > Southwestern Bell is my local phone carrier. When I set up my service, > I told Southwestern Bell that I did not want a long distance carrier Calling 1-700-555-4141 will connect with an automated system that will identify your long distance carrier (never checked a line with no LD carrier). Just to make sure SB didn't give you a LD. It's free as well as a PICC freeze form the local carrier so the long distance status cannot be changed. 900# blocking is also free. > I opened my phone bill today and there were AT&T charges in the amount > of $23.90 for a 3 minute call to an overseas country called Vanuatu. I > called AT&T to find out what Vanuatu was. I was told that it was a > call placed to a porn site and that it worked like a 1-900 call. I > informed AT&T that no such call was made by me or my husband from my > computer or phone. We live alone with our 3 year old grandaughter. Have you checked the phone wire and phone company box? Many of the network interfaces allow a small padlock to prevent casual tampering. I suspect other forces at work, but a few simple phone security measures couldn't hurt morale. - -- David Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 09:34:32 -0400 From: Subject: Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #15 Ralph Sprang wrote: > But all of this has NOTHING to do with cell phone use - the concern there is RF fields, not EM fields. The negative health effects of RF fields are widely known and documented - ever see a bird fly in front of a high power radar dish and get fried? The most common example of 'damage' due to RF fields is using a microwave oven to cook food. The controversy concerns how much RF energy is required to cause health effects, and whether cell phones exceed that limit. First, try using a carriage return on occasion please. The above paragraph is one long line. Next, RF fields *are* EM fields. The frequency is different from power line EM fields, but they are still EM fields. And, microwave ovens work because they use a very specific frequency that excites water molecules. RF of another frequency will not necessarily "cook" anything, aside from vastly different field strengths compared to cell phones. I am willing to accept that there may be some risk factors to cell phone use, but please don't use half-baked arguments to try to convince people. > Please, everyone, check your facts before posting. This list has always been a fairly technical list, there is a presumption of basic technical knowledge. Please respect that. "Physician, heal thyself" comes to mind . . . - -- ***************************************************************************** * Bill Ranck +1-540-231-3951 ranck@vt.edu * * Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Computing Center * ***************************************************************************** - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 10:23:43 -0400 From: asde sympatico Subject: Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #17 Is Net2Phone taking people for a ride? The computer to phone rates of Net2Phone had been said to be in the $0.01/minute range. Since they don't mention rates after you have registered and when they ask you to put money into the account, I checked a bit further on the site and found their published rates to be in the $0.10 to $0.14 per minute (depending on time of day). This seemed high so I phoned a service rep who after many hesitations ("I will check this out") came back with a rate of $0.01 per minute. When I told him that this did not match their published rates, he hesitated then told me that indeed it was $0.10 to $0.14 and that $0.01 was "the old rate". You can get better rates from your phone company BEWARE! - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Telecom Digest" To: Sent: Friday, August 11, 2000 6:15 AM Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #17 > > Telecom Digest Friday, August 11 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 017 > > > > In this issue: > > Where o where have the phone booths gone long time passing > Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? > Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Date: 10 Aug 2000 23:04:20 -0400 > From: Joseph Singer > Subject: Where o where have the phone booths gone long time passing > > 10 Aug 2000 11:22:15 -0400 Roy Smith wrote: > > >The other day, I needed to make a phone call at work which required some > >privacy. I set off to find a phone in a phone booth where I could shut > the door > >and use the phone. Could not find one. I checked out a few locations in > the > >complex where I work where I seemed to remember phone booths, but they had > all > >been converted to little alcoves with pay phones hung on the wall. > > I'd dare say that enclosed phone booths both the outside aluminum and > safety glass and the interior ones with the wooden doors, fans, > directories, etc. have not been around for the most part since the early > 70s when most were replaced by "boothettes" i.e. a sometimes acoustic > enclosure. These were taken out of service for several reasons among which > are the fact that all too often these booths would be vandalized and it was > more trouble than it was worth to be constantly repairing these booths. > Also in the outdoor booths they were often used as a replacement for > "facilities" and it was not uncommon to walk in to one of these booths to > discover that it reaked of urine. > > More and more the telco's attitude towards pay phones is that they are more > of a pain than anything else and they make it as onerous as possible to > use. They charge onerous rates for a local call, they charge even more > onerous charges to make sent paid long distance, they don't provide > directories yet expect the user to fork over 85 cents to get a directory > call. USWest er Qwest spent megabux on providing new Nortel Millennium > "smart" payphones that can use "smart" cards, but they don't market them > and if you want one of these smart debiting cards you have to order them > specially! > > It's no wonder that people just aren't using payphones when you can have a > mobile phone and don't have to surrender to the telco or COCOT owners' > pocketbook > > I'm afraid real honest to goodness phone booths are a thing of the past at > least in the US and Canada. However, that being said when I was in the > Netherlands in May I noticed many enclosed modern clean phone booths/call > boxes. I also noticed that when I was in the Netherlands a couple years > ago all the call boxes had PTT-Telecom on them and now I notice that many > call boxes have KPN-Telecom on them as well. They look identical with the > same colors the only difference that I could see is that the name etched on > the glass was KPN-Telecom rather than PTT-Telecom. The instruments looked > the same and as far as I could see dialing instructions were the same. I > noticed when I went to Berlin a few years ago that most of their outside > phone booths smelled badly of urine. Guess Deutsche Telekom doesn't have a > cleaning program? > > Joseph > - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - --- > Joseph Singer Seattle, Washington USA > [ICQ pgr] > +1 206 405 2052 [voice mail] +1 206 493 0706 [FAX] > - -- > The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail > messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > > ------------------------------ > > Date: 11 Aug 2000 03:46:04 -0400 > From: Anthony Argyriou > Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? > > jwm@spdcc.com (Jeffrey William McKeough) wrote: > > >Payphones in many places were removed (or in some cases converted to > >rotary to discourage people from calling pagers from them) because of > >drug dealers. The telephone *booth* was phased out because it was > >inaccessible to people using wheelchairs. > > The Willows in Concord, CA, has a British-style phone booth (near Trader > Joe's), which I think is large enough for most wheelchairs. > > Anthony Argyriou > Unix _is_ user-friendly. It's just selective about its friends. > - -- > The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail > messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > > ------------------------------ > > Date: 11 Aug 2000 05:25:26 -0400 > From: Peter Morgan > Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? > > In comp.dcom.telecom I saw that on 10 Aug 2000 14:58:42 -0400 > "Kluso" wrote: > > >We've got a couple of the UK style booths in Suttons Bay, Michigan. > >http://www.multimag.com/city/mi/suttonsbay/spring2.jpg > > Thanks for the photo. Nice to see a traditional red box. You may > be unaware that they are not as widely distributed as they were... > They are being replaced, unfortunately, by altogether less sound- > proof boxes, where traffic noise enters by way of a 3" gap at the > bottom... which does at least mean they are easier to keep clean, > and much less smelly ! > > Around a dozen years ago, when I lived in Brighton on the south > coast of the UK, the whole of the south had a major storm with > hurricane force winds, which flattened all the trees in a number > of areas and did significant damage to property. I remember a > photo showing several red phone boxes near "The Dome" (- at one > time the stables attached to the "Royal Pavilion" but which is > now a theatre for both stage plays and held music gigs...) and > all the boxes were at something like 40 degrees off vertical, > because an Oak or similar tree was pushing the first and the > others went like dominoes. Peter Morgan (near Liverpool, UK) > - -- > The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail > messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > > ------------------------------ > > End of Telecom Digest V2000 #17 > ******************************* > > - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 10:41:23 -0400 From: Wahab Hamiani Subject: Register and win a Palm As the online communications technology knowledge leader, SpecOne.com, Inc. is the most comprehensive source to research, compare, and buy communications products and services worldwide. SpecOne.com is the only choice for the right data. http://www.specone.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 10:41:22 -0400 From: Wahab Hamiani Subject: SpecOne.com the site to research and spec telecom equipment As the online communications technology knowledge leader, SpecOne.com, Inc. is the most comprehensive source to research, compare, and buy communications products and services worldwide. SpecOne.com is the only choice for the right data. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 11:02:44 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: Net2Phone What is the URL for the published rates you saw? Judith Oppenheimer, +1 212 684-7210, 1 800 The Expert Publisher, http://www.icbtollfree.com/testimny.cfm Register for FREE 800/Dot Com Headlines here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm - -----Original Message----- From: owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org [mailto:owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org]On Behalf Of asde sympatico Sent: Friday, August 11, 2000 10:24 AM To: editor@telecom-digest.org Subject: Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #17 Is Net2Phone taking people for a ride? The computer to phone rates of Net2Phone had been said to be in the $0.01/minute range. Since they don't mention rates after you have registered and when they ask you to put money into the account, I checked a bit further on the site and found their published rates to be in the $0.10 to $0.14 per minute (depending on time of day). This seemed high so I phoned a service rep who after many hesitations ("I will check this out") came back with a rate of $0.01 per minute. When I told him that this did not match their published rates, he hesitated then told me that indeed it was $0.10 to $0.14 and that $0.01 was "the old rate". You can get better rates from your phone company BEWARE! - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 11:26:36 -0400 From: pete-weiss@psu.edu (Pete Weiss) Subject: Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! On 11 Aug 2000 08:12:08 -0400, David Lind wrote: |Calling 1-700-555-4141 will connect with an automated system that will |identify your long distance carrier (never checked a line with no LD |carrier). In case of WorldxChange, it connects to a "live" operator (or it did for me the one time that I tried it). Yes, I'm PICCed to them. /Pete - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 11:31:40 -0400 From: jay@west.net (Jay Hennigan) Subject: Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? On 10 Aug 2000 09:31:26 -0400, Fred Atkinson wrote: :>Aren't digital cell phones supposed to transmit with less power anyway? : : This question demonstrates a lack of understanding about antenna :design. : : A satellite dish is the most extreme example. For that reason, :it makes it the easiest to understand. : : The output of a satellite transmitter is often as low as one hundred :milliwatts. Even so, the power leaving the dish is in the megawatt :range. : : Have you ever seen a flashlight bulb illuminated without being in :the flashlight? It's very dim. But when you put it in the flashlight :it becomes very bright. : : The light travels from the bulb in all directions, a ray of light :in each different direction. When the bulb is in the flashlight, the :reflective dish around the bulb collects each ray, reflects it into :the same path it reflects every other ray. Thus the bright beam of :light. When you add the power from each ray of light collected, it's :a dramatic increase (gain) in power. At the cost of illuminating only a small portion of the volume surrounding the light. A flashlight with reflector must be aimed precisely towards the object being illuminated. A bare bulb illuminates equally well (or equally poorly) in all directions. : A satellite dish works in the same way as a flashlight. Thus the :megawatt transmission (which is really needed to penetrate the atmosphere :and arrive at the satellite in sufficient strength to have any level :of clarity) in a straight line. : : Satellite dishes are rated for the amount of gain (power out versus :power in) they can provide. The numbers for them are really quite :high. : : Other antennas are rated for gain, though it is not in the astronomical :numbers of a satellite dish. Nonetheless (depending upon the antenna :design) it is possible that it could be quite high. But, hand-held cellular phone antennas are designed with the exact opposite goal in mind! Satellite dishes achieve this power gain at the cost of directionality. If a satellite dish is not precisely aimed at the satellite, you get no usable signal at all. A cellular phone is held in random positions, with no ability whatsoever to aim the signal towards a cell site. Therefore, cellular phone antennas are made with very low gain, and are not designed to focus the energy, but instead to disperse it evenly in all directions. Otherwise, turning one's phone away from the cell site would drop the call, just like pointing the dish away from the satellite. : Assuming it is omnidirectional, each ray could penetrate your skull :and by the time all rays have, it could theoretically be quite a bit :(total). No. Because it is omnidirectional, the energy is dispersed over 360 degrees, and only a small portion even reaches the user's head. The skin andskull will reflect some energy, absorb some more, and allow a much lesser amount to penetrate into the brain. About the only way to come close to concentrating the signal within the head would be to insert the whole phone or at least its antenna into your mouth. : In my humble opinion, not enough is known and handheld cellulars :have not been around long enough that we can draw any conclusions about :long term health effects. The same could be said for ISDN wired telephones, or Pentium computers, or P T Cruiser automobiles, or any new technology. - -- Jay Hennigan - Network Administration - jay@west.net NetLojix Communications, Inc. NASDAQ: NETX - http://www.netlojix.com/ WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 12:13:04 EDT From: Wahab Hamiani Subject: cmsg cancel <399404BC.CB67BB2A@dfti.com> Spam that leaked through robot moderator ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 12:37:15 -0400 From: jay@west.net (Jay Hennigan) Subject: Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #15 On 10 Aug 2000 22:41:51 -0400, Bill McMullin wrote: :Anyone know where I can sources for used programmable switches? Could you be more specific? Ethernet switrches? Token-ring switches? PBXen? 5ESSes? BSR X-10 switches? BTW, it isn't necessary to quote an 865-line digest to ask a one-line question. - -- Jay Hennigan - Network Administration - jay@west.net NetLojix Communications, Inc. NASDAQ: NETX - http://www.netlojix.com/ WestNet: Connecting you to the planet. 805 884-6323 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 13:52:03 -0400 From: wollman@lcs.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) Subject: Re: Phone Booths? In article , Mark J Cuccia wrote: >However, there have been booths inside office buildings. About a year ago, Yahoo! CTO David Filo gave a group of us a tour of a Y! building (I think 3640 Central, but don't quote me on that). One of the important features of the cafeteria was a series of fully-enclosed rooms on one side. We were told those were telephone rooms, so that Y! staffers who needed to make personal calls could do so in an environment of relative privacy. (Almost everyone in the company has a cubicle, so it is next-to-impossible to make private calls at one's desk.) Of course, we were actually there for free pizza and a tour of the data center..... - -GAWollman - -- Garrett A. Wollman | O Siem / We are all family / O Siem / We're all the same wollman@lcs.mit.edu | O Siem / The fires of freedom Opinions not those of| Dance in the burning flame MIT, LCS, CRS, or NSA| - Susan Aglukark and Chad Irschick - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 14:05:17 -0400 From: "Hahn, Ki Suk" Subject: WIPO asks for your comments on domain name revocation rules In http://wipo2.wipo.int/process2/rfc/rfc1/ WIPO is asking for your comments on whether it should continue to do things like "give" the domain name crew.com to J.Crew (which has trademarked 'CREW'). ( http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/d2000-0054.html , rather interesting reading). The comment period ends Sept 15. Arbitrators are now deciding if it's fair that someone who knows how to register domain names (sometimes known as cybersquatters) can make money from big business slow on the uptake. The links above from this CNET story: http://www.news.com/Perspectives/Column/0,176,474,00.html Ki Suk Hahn - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 15:58:12 -0400 From: "Smith, Mark L" Subject: Phonebooths >Subject: Where have all the phone booths gone? >...Do they still exist anywhere? > >- -- >Roy Smith >New York University School of Medicine I live in Southern Maryland. There are many Amish farmers in my community. They are not allowed to have phones in their home. So scattered along a rural two lane road are old style Aluminum/Glass phone booths. They may have plexiglass (I didn't look that close.) They are at least 35 years old. Mark smith@stones.com http://smith.freehosting.net - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 16:13:59 -0400 From: Jim Jordan Subject: Re: Number portability D O E S N O T W O R K ! ! ! ! In article <1r7uos0ln2phb2er6a5khtf5fa8i65060m@4ax.com>, W.D. \"Bill\" Garfield wrote: >Resporg is QWEST and they have been contacted and trouble tickets >opened. The 800 service still does not work. >A satellite office of mine in Oklahoma (also with Qwest as their >carrier) also cannot reach any of the ported numbers. >Sounds like a conspiracy to me. Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. They may not be out to get you, just incompetent enough to not give you what you contracted for. >However, the burned child fears the fire. Lesson learned. I'm getting >ready to move an entire trading floor later this year or early next. >=46rom the experience gained here it would appear that we should forget >number porting and in lieu thereof simply have the new PRI trunks >backhauled into the present host CO. Hang the cost, those numbers >simply must work. Yep. If you want it done well, it will cost you. But if you can't afford the cost of it failing, the extra cost will eventually wind up being just noise. - -- W. Jim Jordan, Nortel Networks, Stop 29CA3A08 | +1 613 763 1568 PO Box 3511 Stn C, Ottawa, ON K1Y 4H7 Canada | wjjordan@nortelnetworks.com Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Nortel Networks. Inbound spam filtering is in place. Don't send what I won't see. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 17:28:25 -0400 From: AES Subject: Re: Directory Assistance Errors (Was Re: MSNBC on 411) In article , sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) wrote: > From 'AES': > > >[P.S. -- It's my understanding -- though I'm NOT an authority on this -- > >that your local phone company may NOT cut off your service, or otherwise > >hassle you, if you refuse to pay charges on your bill that they are just > >passing through for other companies.] > > They may not be able to, but the company for which they are billing > probably > can come after you. Yes -- but *will* they? (for a couple of bucks worth of refused charges - -- and your notes on the invalid numbers they supplied you). - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Aug 2000 21:06:55 -0400 From: Jack Hamilton Subject: Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign? Fred Atkinson wrote: >>Aren't digital cell phones supposed to transmit with less power anyway? > > This question demonstrates a lack of understanding about antenna >design. > > A satellite dish is the most extreme example. For that reason, >it makes it the easiest to understand. > > The output of a satellite transmitter is often as low as one hundred >milliwatts. Even so, the power leaving the dish is in the megawatt >range. No, a 100 milliwatt transmitter transmits 100 milliwatts, no matter what kind of antenna it has. An antenna increases the effective radiated power of a transmitter by concentrating all the radio waves into a small area. The actual signal strength is not increased, but the tiny area at which the satellite antenna is aimed gets all of the signal. Cell phone antennas, by design, will be omni-directional, so you don't have to find the nearest cell and keep the antenna pointed towards it. The comparison with a satellite antenna is not a good one. - -- Jack Hamilton Broderick, CA jfh@acm.org - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2000 21:20:15 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/11/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* ANNOUNCEMENT - URL CORRECTION ICB Publisher Judith Oppenheimer participated in an 8/10 roundtable discussion • The Battle for New Domain Names on http://www.On24.com Financial i-Network Click http://www.on24.com/index.html?id=34016&type=av for program. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - PROBLEMS BEING FACED BY OWNERS OF INCOMING 800 NETWORKS ** First in a Series of Reports ** - - IS YOUR DOMAIN NAME NEXT? - - MOBILE INTERNET - HANDHELD YES, BUT WEB MOBILITY? NO. - - CONGRESS EXAMINES DEALS WITH FOREIGN OWNED FIRMS - - CPTECH ANSWERS WIPO ** Recommended Reading ** - - FCC RELEASES CARRIER STATS - - *POLITICIANS*, "CYBERSQUATTERS"? NOOO .... - - DOMAIN NAMES: THE INTELLIGENCE FACTOR - - DRUG ADVERTISING TO CONSUMERS UP 58% FROM LAST YEAR ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) SUMMER'S ALMOST OVER - ACT NOW! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 11, 2000 P - PROBLEMS BEING FACED BY OWNERS OF INCOMING 800 NETWORKS ... And Some of Their Solutions, Part 1. The explosive demand for telephone numbers, the growth of cell phone usage, pagers, and massive telephone line usage for “unlimited internet connections” all contribute to the great turmoil of the area code splitting, area code overlaying, and area code/exchange additions and deletions being done so often today. “Physical network” folks don’t have a clue of what the logical network definition might require. “Logical network” folks aren’t even aware of requirements. The networks deteriorate. ** Series by guest writer Bud Jay. ** CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4315 F - IS YOUR DOMAIN NAME NEXT? The proposed rules may create a new class of phrases that can threaten the existence of established Web sites. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4312 F - MOBILE INTERNET - HANDHELD YES, BUT WEB MOBILITY? NO. Limiting users -- "walling them in" -- to contracted web sites makes business sense, mobile services say. For users its an unwelcome and sometimes costly restriction. In Europe, where mobile-phone use is more prevalent, companies already have clashed with users over the competing priorities, inviting a slap-down by regulators. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4310 F - CONGRESS EXAMINES DEALS WITH FOREIGN OWNED FIRMS A U.S. House of Representatives panel will hold a hearing next month to examine issues surrounding the issue of a foreign government-owned company controlling a U.S. telecommunications company in light of a German company's recent bid to buy a U.S. wireless firm. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4309 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* Are you a local or regional business that advertises in newspapers, direct mail, on radio or tv? 1 800 BRAND IT shared use marketing programs can help your sales skyrocket! http://www.1800BrandIt.com ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 11, 2000 P - CPTECH ANSWERS WIPO Consumer Project on Technology delivers its comments on the current WIPO Request for Comment on the Terms of Reference, Procedures and Timetable for the Second WIPO Internet Domain Name Process. **Recommended reading.** CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4313 F - FCC RELEASES CARRIER STATS The original edition published in 1941 showed 18 million phones in use by the end of 1939 with 36% of households having service. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4317 F - *POLITICIANS*, "CYBERSQUATTERS"? NOOO .... On Monday, the Republican National Committee reserved the sites, AlandJoe.com and AlandJoe.org _ named for Gore, who next week becomes the Democratic nominee for president, and running mate Lieberman, a senator from Connecticut. The Democratic National Committee has paid for and authorized Bush-Cheney.net, a site critical of Republican vice presidential nominee Dick Cheney's voting record when he served in Congress. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4316 P - DOMAIN NAMES: THE INTELLIGENCE FACTOR On March 17, Amazon.com registered kozmo-amazon.net. Three days later, Amazon.com announced a $60 million investment in Kozmo.com. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4311 P - DRUG ADVERTISING TO CONSUMERS UP 58% FROM LAST YEAR Ever since the FDA said TV and radio ads need simply provide a toll-free phone number or Internet address, direct-to-consumer prescription drug spending has skyrocketed. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4314 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #18 ******************************* From ???@??? Sat Aug 12 12:48:00 2000 Date: 12 Aug 2000 13:05:32 -0400 Message-ID: <20000812170532.22727.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #19 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: cf53e733f3535ae9f6967dc441eebbbd Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Saturday, August 12 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 019 In this issue: Re: Phone Booths? Robo-Moderation Spam In The Digest re WIPO asks for your comments on domain name revocation rules FC: Rep. Ron Paul column on government privacy, SSNs, census ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 12 Aug 2000 10:30:41 -0400 From: "Derek J. Balling" Subject: Re: Phone Booths? At 6:15 AM -0400 8/12/00, Telecom Digest wrote: >About a year ago, Yahoo! CTO David Filo gave a group of us a tour of Actually his title is "Chief Yahoo" (our CTO is a different person altogether), although its well known that Filo's informal title within our company is "Cheap Yahoo" ;-) >a Y! building (I think 3640 Central, but don't quote me on that). One 3420 Central, one of our two "main" buildings. (the one with REALLLLY crappy parking *grin*) >of the important features of the cafeteria was a series of >fully-enclosed rooms on one side. We were told those were telephone >rooms, so that Y! staffers who needed to make personal calls could do >so in an environment of relative privacy. (Almost everyone in the >company has a cubicle, so it is next-to-impossible to make private >calls at one's desk.) Yup, this is true. There is also a bank of them right inside the door from the lobby (so vendors/guests can make quick, private, calls, before they head out). >Of course, we were actually there for free pizza and a tour of the >data center..... Which data center would that be? There is no data center in 3420. (Or were you going to one of our co-location facilities FROM 3420 and just having the beer and pizza at the office?) D - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 12 Aug 2000 10:30:41 -0400 From: "Derek J. Balling" Subject: Robo-Moderation OK, I just feel the need to go on the record as saying that, after perusing briefly the last few "issues" (and I hesitate to use that term these days), robo-moderation sucks. Telecom Digest _NEEDS_ a real moderator.... if Pat isn't up to it (which I can TOTALLY understand), and John doesn't have time to "do it right", can someone else step up and fill the void? D - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 12 Aug 2000 10:31:04 -0400 From: "Derek J. Balling" Subject: Spam In The Digest So I posted to the "new robomoderated list" for the first time today... I'd like to ask that, since she must have agreed to this, that Judith Oppenheimer have her privilege to post removed, as she has violated the conditions of the list: >No advertisements (with the exception of those contained in standard >.signature files) are welcome. > >Addresses that have been used to post spam will be blocked by >the modbot at the discretion of the robot's maintainer. I would contend that the rampant quantity of ads in her ICB "newsletters" (where premium-service ads or raw advertisements outweigh the number of actual articles... a "wc -l" count I did for giggles had "crap.txt" outweighing "meat.txt" by about two-to-one) put her in the "spam" category. D (who really really wishes we had a human moderator) - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 12 Aug 2000 10:55:41 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: re WIPO asks for your comments on domain name revocation rules Posted in yesterday's ICB, but since someone asked, here is the definitive response to WIPO II. Judith http://icbtollfree.com CPTECH ANSWERS WIPO CPT's August 11, 2000 Comment on Terms of Reference, Procedures and Timetable for the Second WIPO Internet Domain Name Process - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- August 11, 2000 RE: WIPO - RFC-1 to: process.mail@wipo.int WIPO Internet Domain Name Process World Intellectual Property Organization 34 chemin des Colombettes P.O. Box 18, 1211 Geneva 20 Switzerland Dear Sir or Madam, Attached are comments of the Consumer Project on Technology on the current WIPO Request for Comment on the Terms of Reference, Procedures and Timetable for the Second WIPO Internet Domain Name Process. (http://wipo2.wipo.int/process2/rfc/rfc1/index.html). Sincerely, James Love Director, Consumer Project on Technology http://www.cptech.org CPT Comments On Terms of Reference, Procedures and Timetable for the Second WIPO Internet Domain Name Process 1. csa-canada.com and csa-international.net http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/d2000-0071.html CSA International (a.k.a. Canadian Standards Association) v. John O. Shannon and Care Tech Industries, Inc. In this case, a firm named Care Tech Industries sought to obtain certification of an ozone generator from the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). The CSA has a trademark on CSA and CSA International, and owns the domain CSA-International.org. Care Tech then registered csa-canada.com and csa-international.net, which it used to criticize CSA, for its decision not the certify the Care Tech production. According to the WIPO panel: Respondents maintain websites at each of these addresses. At each website, Respondents attack and criticise the Complainant and its staff in relation, inter alia, to its failure to certify Respondents' Odatus generator. The content of each site is substantially identical, and each directs viewers to see "our homepage". Following that link leads to the "odatus.com" homepage which includes promotion of the Odatus ozone generator. . . . they are not using the domain names in connection with a bona fide offering of goods or services and they do not claim to be commonly known by either of the domain names. Examination of Respondents' web pages clearly show that they are using their domain names to attract persons to their sites for the purpose of publicly attacking the Complainant and members of its staff and pleading its case in relation to a dispute between themselves and the Complainant in relation to a product which Respondents offer under the trade mark Odatus. Persons attracted to the site are likely to be persons seeking contact with Complainant, not persons seeking contact with Respondents. Respondents claim to rights and legitimate interests is essentially based on a claim to freedom of speech and, expression of opinion, but that right does not require the use of Complainant's trade marks in the domain names for that purpose. The WIPO panel concluded that Care Tech did not have rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain names, that they were registered and were used in bad faith, and ordered the domain names transferred to the Canadian Standards Organization. CPT Comment: 1. This decision was wrong. The right of a person or a firm to criticize a standards body or a government organization is a legitimate interest. There was no suggestion that the domains were used to confuse the public as to the identity of the CSA. 2. The use of the trademarked name in the domain name was appropriate, just as would be the use of the trademarked name in the title of a book or the title of a web page. As the decision notes, the web sites were clearly attacks on the CSA by an aggrieved party, and would not have been confused as an official CSA web page. 3. The fact that the interest of Care Tech was commercial did not mean that Care Tech did not have a legitimate free speech right to criticize the CSA. 2. DodgeViper.com http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/d2000-0222.html This is a UDRP decision involving a web site, http://www.dodgeviper.com, which was run by a fan of Dodge Vipers, since 1996. Dodge had even provided a link to his site in one of the Dodge Viper magazines. Then the Dodge legal department went after the site. According to one observer, the panelist "found bad faith registration and bad faith use on literally no supportive facts. Comment: 1. Expansion of the TLD space could help address these problems, by creating TLDs such as .fans, .owners or .users. 2. There is a legitimate purpose in consumers creating web sites to discuss products. They should be permitted to use the name of the product in the domain name, so long as the web site doesn't purport to be an official company site. The dodgevipers.com site is clear that it is a fan site, and not a Dodge site. 3. The UDRP should reverse its decision in the dodgevipers.com case. 3. Crew.com http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/d2000-0054.html This is the decision that gave J. Crew the rights to crew.com. Crew.com was registered by Telepathy, a speculator in domain names. It was not being used for a real web page. J. Crew tried to buy crew.com, but did not come to terms with Telepathy, and then used the UDRP to take it away. Crew is a generic word. J. Crew has apparently registered crew as a trademark. J. Crew also has jcrew.com for its web page. The MIT Dictionary Server gives quite a few definitions for Crew: Crew Crew (kr?), n. (Zo"ol.) The Manx shearwater. Crew Crew (kr?), n. From older accrue accession, reinforcement, hence, company, crew; the first syllable being misunderstood as the indefinite article. See Accrue, Crescent. 1. A company of people associated together; an assemblage; a throng. There a noble crew Of lords and ladies stood on every side. --Spenser. Faithful to whom? to thy rebellious crew? --Milton. 2. The company of seamen who man a ship, vessel, or at; the company belonging to a vessel or a boat. Note: The word crew, in law, is ordinarily used as equivalent to ship's company, including master and other officers. When the master and other officers are excluded, the context always shows it. --Story. Burrill. 3. In an extended sense, any small body of men associated for a purpose; a gang; as (Naut.), the carpenter's crew; the boatswain's crew. Syn: Company; band; gang; horde; mob; herd; throng; party. Crew Crew (kr?), imp. of Crow. Crow Crow (kr?), v. i. imp. Crew (kr?) or Crowed (kr?d); p. p. Crowed (Crown (kr?n), Obs.); p. pr. & vb. n. Crowing. AS. cr?wan; akin to D. kraijen, G. kr?hen, cf. Lith. groti to croak. root24. Cf. Crake. 1. To make the shrill sound characteristic of a cock, either in joy, gayety, or defiance. ``The cock had crown.'' --Bayron. The morning cock crew loud. --Shak. 2. To shout in exultation or defiance; to brag. 3. To utter a sound expressive of joy or pleasure. The sweetest little maid, That ever crowed for kisses. --Tennyson. To crow over, to exult over a vanquished antagonist. Sennacherib crowing over poor Jerusalem. --Bp. Hall. CPT agrees with the dissent by panel member G. Gervaise Davis III: We are not legislators, but arbitrators. The majority, in an effort to stop a practice that it seems to take upon itself to believe is an unstated purpose of the ICANN Policy, has completely over-stepped its mandate as arbitrators. The decision creates a new and unauthorized test out of whole cloth, based on assumptions of fact by arbitrators without evidence on the subject, instead of using the appropriate and carefully crafted three step test for required evidence set out by the ICANN Policy and Rules. In my judgment, the majority's decision prohibits conduct which was not intended to be regulated by the ICANN policy. This creates a dangerous and unauthorized situation whereby the registration and use of common generic words as domains can be prevented by trademark owners wishing to own their generic trademarks in gross. I cannot and will not agree to any such decision, which is fundamentally wrong. I respectfully dissent from the majority decision of my fellow professional panelists. CPT Comment: 1. The UDRP should not have given J. Crew the rights to crew.com. Crew is a generic word. J. Crew had registered jcrew.com, a domain name that was clearly different from crew.com. It is anticompetitive for the UDRP to take away domains based upon generic words to a company that has a different name. 4. Penguin.Org http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/d2000-0204.html CPT agreed with this decision. Penguin Books Limited is a large publisher of paperback books, and the owner of penguin.com. Anthony Katz is known to his friends as "the Penguin." He had registered penguin.org He also appeared to have been very well represented in the WIPO proceeding. His side told the panel: i. Anthony Katz was known as "Penguin" long before said domain name was registered. ii. Mr Katz has made only two uses of the said domain name , firstly as a personal e-mail address and secondly as the address of a personal www site. [Avery Dennison Corp. v. Sumpton, 1999 WL 635767 (9th Circuit. August 23, 1999), use of names a e-mail addresses does not constitute commercial use] iii. Mr Katz registered said domain name to establish a www site dedicated to penguins (the birds). [snip] xii. Mr Katz is not a cybersquatter: he is known as "Penguin"; he did not register the other domain names (registered August 24, 1998); (registered October 5, 1998) and (registered October 5, 1998) with the intention of re-sale. His circumstances can be distinguished from the position of the Respondent in Nabisco Brands Company v. The Patron Group, Inc. WIPO Case No. 2000-0032, February 23, 2000, David W. Plant, Presiding Panelist, as in that case the Respondent owned at least 53 domain names identical or virtually identical to registered U.S.A. trade marks of other companies such as Nestle, General Mills, Nabisco, AT&T, Pfizer, Proctor & Gamble and Warner-Lambert. In that case the Complainant established a continuous and obvious pattern of cybersquatting whereas Mr Katz registrations do not even remotely approach the pattern reviewed in Nabisco Brands. xviii. Hundreds, if not thousands of domain names have been registered in the name of families. It is not wrongful conduct so to do. xix. When registering a domain name, there is no obligation to disclose the nature of the entity identified as the registrant. There is no obligation under Texas law to register an alias of an individual or entity such as a partnership that does not conduct any business or commercial activities whatsoever. xx. There is no evidence that Mr Katz registered the domain name in the name of the Katz Family to conceal his identity, as the WHOIS database identifies him as the administrative contact and provides his e-mail address at his current place of employment. xxi. The word "Penguin" and the mascot character "Tux" have become irreversibly associated with the LINUX computer system. Accordingly there is no bad faith in Mr Katz electing to show his personal allegiance to the LINUX operating system by posting an image of Tux on his homepage. xxii. Non commercial sites often identify the software that underlie the site Mr Katz has elected to identify the LINUX software and he gives a number of examples of other sites that do this. In finding for Anthony Katz, who was permitted to keep penguin.org, the WIPO panel noted: "This Administrative Panel is reluctant to engage in the activity of policing how much development the owner of a clearly personal Web site must do, in the absence of any other evidence of bad faith. Any attempt to apply any objective minimum standards for development could well impose a significant economic burden on innocent registrants as a precondition of holding their domain names. CPT Comment: 1. WIPO was correct in permitting Anthony Katz to retain the use of Penguin.org. 2. There was nothing on the Penguin.org page that would lead one to believe that it was the publisher of Penguin Books. 3. There are many legitimate uses of the word Penguin, including, for example, web pages about Penguin birds or about Linux, software which uses Penguins as a mascott, not to mention Penguin sporting or social clubs. 4. An expansion of the TLD space, creating such TLDs as .books, .birds, software or other TLDs, would help avoid such disputes. 5. ICANN should not be in the business of deciding whether or not the Penguin domain should be used for the sale of books, for a site devoted to the Penguin birds, to promote sporting teams, for Linux software, or for personal use. These are all legitimate uses of the word Penguin. 6. In this case, it appears as though the respondent was well represented. CPT is concerned about cases where the respondent is not able to obtain effective representation. 5. Esquire.Com http://www.arbforum.com/domains/decisions/93763.htm This is an arbitration decision that took away the domain esquire.com, and gave it to Hearst Magazines, the publisher of Esquire, the US mens magazine. There was apparently evidence that the original domain name holder, Mail.com, had plans to use this as a vanity email address. This is from the dissent in the opinion, written by Milton Mueller: "There is growing precedent within US law and within the UDRP that resale of domain names per se is not evidence of actionable bad faith. (See Avery Dennison Corp. v. Jerry Sumpton, D.C. Case No. CV-97-00407-JSL, Appeal No. 98-55810; General Machine Products Co., Inc v. Prime Domains NAF 0001000092531 re: craftwork.com, and Allocation Network GbmH v Steve Gregory, WIPO Case D2000-0016 re: allocation.com.) "Which leads to the issue of Mail.com's status in this proceeding. Respondents offered proof that Spencer sold the domain name to a party with a legitimate, non-infringing interest in the name. Mail.com provided evidence from 1997 - three years before this dispute - of plans to use the domain name as a vanity email address. Complainant Hearst offered no evidence or argumentation to challenge the intent or validity of this transaction. The Avery Dennison v. Sumpton precedent is directly applicable to this case, as the ruling specifically upholds the right of a domain name registrant to resell use of a domain name as a vanity address even when the character string of the second level domain name corresponds to someone's trademark. "I emphatically dissent from the majority opinion's statement that Mail.com's rights "are subject to whatever defects Spencer's claim may face." I find their contention that a subsequent permissible use cannot be considered as an important factor in this case to be insupportable. The majority panelists have decided - without any direct evidence - that Spencer's sole original intent was to sell the name to Esquire Magazine. When faced with the clear fact that Spencer sold the name to someone else, they say that this sale is invalid because of Spencer's imputed original intent. The argument is entirely circular, and has no validity. "The UDRP is intended to prevent trademark owners from being extorted by cybersquatters, but it is also intended to protect legitimate registrations from being threatened by overreaching trademark owners. A correct application of the spirit and letter of the UDRP gives each of these concerns equal weight. The majority opinion fails to balance these concerns. Absent any evidence that the original registrant was trading specifically on the value of the Esquire Magazine mark, I cannot conclude that the name was registered in bad faith. CPT Comment: 1. The Esquire.com decision should not have overlooked evidence of proposed legitimate uses of the Esquire.com domain name. In this, case, as a domain for personal email addresses. The registration of a trademark for the word Esquire in connection with the magazine does not prevent others from using the word Esquire for other legitimate uses, including, for example, as a personal email address. 2. If ICANN would expand the TLD space, to include such TLDs as magazine or even .esquire, it would not be necessary to choose between the use of Esquire as a personsal email domain and the name for the magazine publisher. 6. Walmartcanadasucks.com http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/d2000-0477.html This is a decision that gave "walmartcanadasucks.com", "wal-martcanadasucks.com", "walmartuksucks.com", "walmartpuertorico.com" and "walmartpuertoricosucks.com" to Walmart. The decision said: Based on its finding that the Respondents, Walsucks and Walmarket Puerto Rico, have engaged in abusive registration of the domain names "wal-martcanadasucks.com", "wal-martcanadasucks.com", "walmartuksucks.com", "walmartpuertorico.com" and "walmartpuertoricosucks.com" within the meaning of paragraph 4(a) of the Policy, the Panel orders that the domain names "wal-martcanadasucks.com", "wal-martcanadasucks.com", "walmartuksucks.com", "walmartpuertorico.com" and "walmartpuertoricosucks.com" be transferred to the Complainant, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Background: These domains were owned by Kenneth J. Harvey, a speculator in domain names. Acccording to the decision: The "walmartcanadasucks.com" and "walmartuksucks.com" web pages each state that "This is a freedom of information site set up for dissatisfied Walmart Canada [or UK, respectively] customers." Each site invites visitors to "Spill Your Guts" with a "horror story relating to your dealings with Wal-Mart Canada [or UK, respectively]". On the "walmartcanadasucks.com" website, Respondent has posted "Wal-Mart Horror Story #1" which recounts his version of events in respect to the "walmartcanada.com" domain name. Each website posts a photograph of Respondent, labeled "President", and Respondent's biography. Each "Spill Your Guts" page indicates "If we feel your story is interesting, it might be included in award-winning author Kenneth J. Harvey's forthcoming book - "Wal-MartCanadaSucks.com" [or, on UK page, "about Walmart"]". Walmark indicated these domains were registered in bad faith, and indicated: Respondents' free speech argument is a convenient and transparent dodge. It does not even make sense with respect to three of the domain names: WAL-MARTCANADASUCKS.COM, WALMARTPUERTORICOSUCKS.COM, and WALMARTPUERTORICO.COM. There are no websites attached to these domain names. Respondents offer no evidence to support a claim that they have made legitimate use of any of these three domain names. The arbitrator indicated: Respondent has appended the term "-sucks" to domain names that are, in the absence of that term, confusingly similar to Complainant's mark. The addition of the pejorative verb "sucks" is tantamount to creating the phrase "Wal-Mart Canada sucks" (and comparable phrases with Respondent's other "-sucks" formative domain names). The elimination of the spacing between the terms of the phrase is dictated by technical factors, and by the common practice of domain name registrants. The addition of a common or generic term following a trademark does not create a new or different mark in which Respondent has rights. The decision noted that: Respondent argues that addition of the word "sucks" to the base names "walmartcanada", "wal-martcanada", "walmartuk" and "walmartpuertorico" causes such names to lose their confusing similarity with Complainant's "Wal-Mart" trademark. Respondent contends that because an Internet user or consumer viewing a "-sucks" formative domain name would assume that Complainant is not the sponsor of or associated with a website identified by such address, Respondent's "-sucks" formative marks cannot be confusingly similar to Complainant's mark. In support of this argument, Respondent refers to Lucent Technologies, Inc., v. Lucentsucks.com, 95 F. Supp. 2d 528 (E.D.Vir. 2000). It is first important to note that the observations made by Judge Brinkema in the Lucentsucks.com opinion regarding the issue of confusing similarity are in the nature of dicta, since the court dismissed the action against defendant for lack of jurisdiction 10. Judge Brinkema's opinion in Lucentsucks.com, and one decision on which she relies, Bally Total Fitness v. Faber, 29 F. Supp. 2d 1161 (C.D. Cal. 1998), each lend some support to Respondent's position. However, both cases are distinguishable. This defense was rejected, however, and the WIPO panel found on behalf of Walmart, that various "sucks" domains were "confusingly similiar" to the Walmart trademarks. In Bally, the court granted summary judgment in favor of a defendant that used the "Bally" trademark on a web page, appending the word "sucks", to create a "ballysucks" web page. In that case, "ballysucks.com" was not registered and was not used as a second-level domain name. The principal issue was whether the defendant could lawfully express itself on its web page using the trademark "Bally" in combination with the word "sucks". The court held that since the "ballysucks" web page was devoted to critical commentary regarding Bally, and the defendant did not have a commercial purpose in maintaining the site, the defendant had a valid free speech interest in using Bally's mark. The court observed that even a "ballysucks.com" domain name might not constitute trademark infringement ("even if Faber did use the mark as part of a larger domain name, such as "ballysucks.com", this would not necessarily be a violation as a matter of law." 29 F. Supp., at 1165). It made this observation in the context of applying the Sleekcraft factors. In Bally, the court found the defendant's intent in establishing its "ballysucks" web page was to criticize the trademark holder, and this factor weighed heavily in favor of the defendant. In the present proceeding, Respondent's intent is different. In Lucentsucks.com, the court observed that "Defendant argues persuasively that the average consumer would not confuse lucentsucks.com with a web site sponsored by plaintiff" 11 . However, the court did not undertake any particularized analysis of the disputed domain name as compared with the plaintiff's trademark. Moreover, the court observed that: "A successful showing that lucentsucks.com is effective parody and/ or a cite [sic] for critical commentary would seriously undermine the requisite elements for the causes of action at issue in this case." 12 No such showing had been made by the defendant in Lucentsucks.com. The court was speaking in the abstract - and in dicta -- about a future case in which the trademark issues would be fully litigated. Even so, the court indicated that the defendant's intent in registering and using the disputed domain name would be an important element in determining whether cybersquatting had occurred. The Panel does not consider Lucentsucks.com to stand for the proposition that "-sucks" formative domain names are immune as a matter of law from scrutiny as being confusingly similar to trademarks to which they are appended. Each case must be considered on its merits. The Panel is not making any determination regarding the registrants and users of other "-sucks" formative domain names (such as "walmartsucks.com"). The record of this proceeding evidences that Respondent did not register "walmartcanadasucks.com" and his other "-sucks" names in order to express opinions or to seek the expression of opinion of others. The record indicates that his intention was to extract money from Complainant. An application of the Sleekcraft factors in another context involving Complainant's mark and the word "sucks" might produce a different result than that reached here. The Panel notes that use of a domain name confusingly similar to a mark may be justified by fair use or legitimate noncommercial use considerations, and that this may in other cases permit the use of "-sucks" formative names in free expression forums. Complainant has met the burden of proving that Respondent is the registrant of domain names that are identical or confusingly similar to a trademark in which Complainant has rights, and it has thus established the first of the three elements necessary to a finding that Respondent has engaged in abusive domain name registration. CPT Comment: 1. Domain names with a trademark plus the term "sucks" are not confusingly similar to trademark. The term "sucks" is clearly a pejorative term, used for criticism and free speech. ICANN should not be in the business of preventing people from creating various "sucks" web pages. 7. Catmachines.com http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/d2000-0275.html Roam the Planet had registered catmachines.com. Caterpillar was successful in taking catmachines.com away from Roam the Planet. According to the WIPO decision, Caterpillar had sales of $19 billion in 1999. (Bulldozers and other products). Caterpillar already had registered caterpillar.com and cat.com. It claimed that "catmachines" was "identical, or confusingly similar" to its trademark in caterpillar or cat. Roam the Planet, apparently a seller of domain names, complained that Caterpillar was engaged in "Reverse domain highjacking." Roam the Planet identified. "numerous legitimate domain uses" for a domain combining "cat" with "machines", such as CAT for Computer Aided Technologies, Cat (the animal) associated with machines (e.g. Littermaid), Category 5, CATscan, Center for Advanced Technology (CAT), Computed Axial Tomography (C.A.T.), Covert Action Teams (C.A.T.) and Catalog (abbreviation). Apparently undermining its case was the fact that Roam the Planet had tried to sell catmachines.com to Caterpillar for $9,000. WIPO transfered catmachines.com to Caterpillar. Interestingly, WIPO did not note that the domain catmachine.com is in use now, by a firm that designs web pages. CPT Comment: 1. Catmachines.com is not "identical or confusingly similar" to caterpillar. The owner the domain name did demonstrate that there were legitimate uses for the domain other than the one proposed by Caterpillar. 2. Ironically, the WIPO decision to give Caterpillar the domain catmachines.com creates a possible dispute involving the domain catmachine.com, which is clearly a bona fide use by someone other than Caterpillar. 8. Eurotrash.com http://www.eurotrash.com/Aboutus/News/domainDispute.html According to this URL, the current user of Eurotrash.com claims to have incurred expenses of more than $40 thousand to defend its domain names. CPT Comment: 1. This raises some questions about the costs imposed on domain name holders. 2. Eurotrash is a common slang term. I don't see how anyone could claim a "right" to use this in the .com space. 9. Scientologie.org http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/d2000-0410.html Religious Technology Center v. Freie Zone E. V This is an interesting and complex dispute involving on the one hand, a group that owned the copyright to a book named Scientologie, and a religious organization that claimed a trademark on the word scientologie. The current domain name holder uses the domain to criticize the Church of Scientology, the owner of the trademark for Scientologie. WIPO rejected the request for a transfer, noting that the domain name holder's interest in criticizing the Church of Scientology was a legitimate use. CPT Comment: 1. The decision in the scientologie.org case was correct, and a good illustration of the need to protect the public's right to free speech and criticism. 10. bridgestone-firestone.net http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/d2000-0190.html Bridgestone Firestone, Inc., Bridgestone/Firestone Research, Inc., and Bridgestone Corporation v. Jack Myers This is an important decision where WIPO upheld the right of a person to use bridgestone-firestone.net to criticize Bridgestone Firestone, which owned the domain bridgestone-firestone.com. The panel decision said: The question presented in this case is whether fair use and free speech are defenses to a claim for transfer of a domain name under the Policy. Under Paragraph 4 (c)(iii) of the Policy, noncommercial fair use is expressly made a defense, as noted above. Although free speech is not listed as one of the Policy's examples of a right or legitimate interest in a domain name, the list is not exclusive, and the Panel concludes that the exercise of free speech for criticism and commentary also demonstrates a right or legitimate interest in the domain name under Paragraph 4 (c)(iii). The Internet is above all a framework for global communication, and the right to free speech should be one of the foundations of Internet law. . . . For all of the foregoing reasons, the Panel decides that although the Domain Name registered by Respondent is identical or confusingly similar to the trademarks in which the Complainants have rights, the Respondent has legitimate fair use and free speech rights and interests in respect of the Domain Name, and the Respondent has not registered and used the Domain Name in bad faith. The Panel therefore denies the claim of the Complainants for transfer of the Domain Name. CPT Comment: 1. The panel decision was correct in affirming that criticism of a firm is a legitimate basis for using the company name in a domain name. 11. Evidence of Non-Confusion between .com, .net and .org domains. There are many WIPO UDRP decisions that take away .org, or .net sites because they are considered confusingly similar to existing .com sites. There are also .com sites taken away because they are considered similar to .org site. The following examples illustrate the these decisions are not necessary, and that the same name can be used by different organizations using different TLDs. abc.com ABC Television abc.org American Builders and Contractors nbc.com NBC Television nbc.org Northport Baptist Church Yale.com -- Yale Industrial Trucks Yale.edu - Yale University blue.com Blue Hypermedia Blue.org Blue Dot Blue.net Bluegrass Cellular Internet Services watch.com National Watch Exchange watch.org Koenig's International News: WorldWatchDaily watch.net i2x Media Internet.com The Internet Industry Portal Internet.net Internet Shopping Network fish.com A personal web page fish.org Discussion of fisheries management car.org California Association of Realtor car.net Car.Net An automobile portal cpa.com Ralphael & Associates, accountants cpt.net Dietrich and Wilson, accountants mpaa.net Michigan Patent Accounting Association mpaa.org Motion Picture Association of America WTO.com Wolf Technologies Online wto.int World Trade Organization baseball.com Baseball.com baseball portal baseball.net Baseball shopping network baseball.org Tribute to Erich Maria Remarque att.com AT&T Global Network Services att.net AT&T Worldnet Service att.org Associated Talmud Torahs - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 12 Aug 2000 13:05:29 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: FC: Rep. Ron Paul column on government privacy, SSNs, census http://www.politechbot.com/p-01324.html Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 12:03:54 -0400 From: Declan McCullagh Subject: FC: Rep. Ron Paul column on government privacy, SSNs, census http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2000/tst081400.htm August 14, 2000 Right to Privacy Too Often Overlooked by U.S. Rep. Ron Paul From time to time, some of my colleagues in the House of Representatives claim that the federal government needs the power to monitor Americans so it can operate more efficiently. While I do not doubt their good intentions, I would remind them that in the United States, the people should never be asked to sacrifice their liberties to make the job of government a little easier. The government is here to protect the freedom of the American people, not to invade their privacy in the name of efficient government. With that in mind, I have introduced two key pieces of legislation aimed at curtailing governmental privacy invasions. The first is the "Freedom and Privacy Restoration Act" (HR 220). This bill forbids federal or state governments from using your Social Security number for purposes not directly related to administering the Social Security system. When Social Security was introduced, the American people were told that their number would never become a form of national identifier. In fact, until the 1970s all Social Security cards stated on the back that the card was not an ID card. Unfortunately, cards issued today do not contain that same phrase, and Congress has been all too eager to expand the use of Social Security numbers. For example, in 1998 over 200 members of Congress voted to allow states to force citizens to produce a Social Security number before they could exercise their right to vote. Also, day-to-day private business dealings are becoming increasingly difficult without a Social Security number. You cannot open a bank account, get married, or even obtain a fishing license without disclosing your Social Security number. My bill will restore privacy to Americans who currently are being abused by overreaching government. The other piece of legislation I have introduced is the "Census Privacy Act" (HR 4085). This bill will prohibit the Census Bureau from collecting any information from citizens except for their name, address and the number of people per residence. That is all Congress needs for a head count of the population in order to re-draw congressional districts every ten years as is required by the Constitution. I introduced this legislation after scores of calls to my office during the recent census process from constituents who thought the long forms were too intrusive. There is no reason why the federal government needs to know how much money you make or how many bathrooms you have in your home. This information is personal and private, and I am committed to restoring to Americans the peace of mind that comes from knowing that every detail of their lives is not being recorded. On a more positive note, privacy advocates scored a major victory this summer when the House passed an amendment I proposed to an appropriations bill that will prohibit the federal government from imposing a uniform standard health identifier on the American people. As a doctor, I know how important it is to insure patient confidentiality, and I am very pleased my colleagues supported the amendment. It is the only way to guarantee that national medical IDs do not become a reality. The other major privacy victory recently was when the federal government withdrew proposed Know Your Customer regulations which would have forced banks to report practically every customer transaction to the government. I was proud to lead the effort on the Banking Committee to stop this invasion of privacy with my "Bank Secrecy Sunset Act" (HR 518), would have overturned any such regulations. Fortunately, the proposal was withdrawn before the legislation was needed, but I believe this will be an ongoing battle. Those advocating more intrusion by the government will continue their legislative efforts, and we must stand ready to face that constant threat. ________________________________________________________________ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #19 ******************************* From ???@??? Sun Aug 13 13:34:39 2000 Date: 13 Aug 2000 06:15:10 -0400 Message-ID: <20000813101510.8198.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #20 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: ab25a725c4d031f57b335d634bfde39b Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Sunday, August 13 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 020 In this issue: NYTimes.com Article: When 'May I Help You' Is a Labor Issue Re: FC: Rep. Ron Paul column on government privacy, SSNs, census Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! Same Problem Re: Spam In The Digest Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 12 Aug 2000 17:34:02 -0400 From: itsamike@yahoo.com Subject: NYTimes.com Article: When 'May I Help You' Is a Labor Issue This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by Mike Pollock itsamike@yahoo.com. Telcom Digest Hey, I've been suckered by that script! - --Mike Mike Pollock itsamike@yahoo.com /-------------------- advertisement -----------------------\ Celebrate American History with a NYTimes.com Screensaver NYTimes.com has created an Americana screensaver that captures unique moments in history from The New York Times Photo Archives. Enjoy these images every day on your PC, absolutely free. (Unfortunately at this time our screensavers are only available for PC users.) http://www.nytimes.com/partners/screensaver/index.html?eta \----------------------------------------------------------/ When 'May I Help You' Is a Labor Issue August 12, 2000 By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH It could have been one of those minor triumphs that make a phone rep's day: Dawn Barbour, a customer service agent for Verizon -- then Bell Atlantic -- had just made an angry customer stop ranting, solved his problem and even elicited a kind word. "I hate Bell Atlantic, but you're the nicest rep I ever had," the caller said. A simple "thank you" seemed the right reply, but Ms. Barbour had to follow a script. "Did I provide you with outstanding service today?" she inquired. "Isn't that what I just said?" barked the customer, steaming right back up again. "I felt like a total idiot," Ms. Barbour said. But Verizon requires customer service agents to ask the "outstanding service" question at the end of every call, she said, and if she had dropped it, a supervisor listening in could have deducted points from her performance score. Low points reduce the chance of a promotion, she said. Complaints of being made to feel like an idiot are hardly the stuff that brought organized labor to the barricades in the past. The famous labor struggles of American history call to mind collapsing mineshafts and machine gunners posted on factory roofs, not mandatory telephone sign-offs recited in attractive, air-conditioned offices. For decades, contract negotiations have centered on wages and benefits, not the subtler question of whether relatively well-paid workers can have a greater say over the nature of their work. Yet Verizon's customer service representatives say that even in their comfortable, well-lighted call centers, stress has become an issue to strike over. New technology means customer calls now roll in assembly-line style, they say. Fast business growth means frequent mandatory overtime, disrupting family schedules. Today's heightened focus on earnings growth requires customer service representatives to pitch products to all callers, even those who do not want to buy anything. Customers sometimes become angry and abusive, but the representatives cannot slam down the phone, hide in the bathroom or do much else except follow the script, since their supervisors may be listening in and rating them. "We have the pressure of always being nice," said Linda Kramer, a customer service representative in Cranford, N.J., and president of the local arm of the Communications Workers of America. Novel though it is for stress to be an issue in a strike, some observers think the Verizon workers may be making the complaint at a time of heightened public receptivity. Many Americans can understand complaints about work spilling over into family time. And recent studies suggest that "emotional labor" -- acting friendly when you're seething inside -- can actually weaken one's immunity and overload the cardiovascular and nervous systems. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nearly half of all recorded occupational stress cases occur among "technical, sales and administrative support" workers, the category that includes customer service representatives. And the median length of absence for occupational stress is more than four times that of other workplace injuries and illnesses. "This is an important issue, and it will be a growing issue," said Paul Osterman, a professor of human resources and management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He said that the number of people in customer service jobs is growing and that complaints about the nature of the work are rising. There are about 3.3 million customer service representatives in the United States, only about 7 percent of whom have union representation. Verizon executives, while agreeing that customer service is a demanding job, say the stress the strikers describe is really a function of today's fast-paced and highly competitive business environment, not a result of bad management. Verizon monitors its customer service representatives and emphasizes sales "because I want to be sure they provide a high quality of service," said Bruce Gordon, president of Verizon's Retail Markets Group. "That's called quality assurance, and every industry does it." Mr. Gordon said Verizon's customer service representatives were told before they were hired that they would be working mandatory overtime and selling products. He added that Verizon's personnel policies were on par with, and in some cases better than, all prevailing industry norms. Verizon says its customer service representatives earn $35,000 to $45,000 a year on average for a job that does not require a college degree, and they get free health insurance. The Verizon workers generally work four hours in the morning and four in the afternoon, with an hour off for lunch and two 15-minute breaks. They sit spaced well apart in ergonomically designed cubicles, typing orders into computers and speaking into noise-filtering headsets. The employees brighten their workplaces with family photos, Beanie Babies, union posters and the certificates and awards they get for good sales and service. All around the calling centers stand easels showing the prizes they can win for big sales, ranging from humble pizzas and candy bars to trips to the Caribbean. What causes the stress? Nearby is the supervisor's station, where a computer screen shows every workstation on a color-coded grid. The squares change color depending on whether the employees are signed on, signed off, keeping a customer on hold for less than two minutes, keeping someone on hold for more than two minutes, and so on. A supervisor can see at a glance if a representative is taking too long and go investigate. Patti Egan, a customer service representative for Verizon and a business agent for the Communications Workers of America, in Jamaica, Queens, said the stress became much worse after Verizon installed a system that automatically routes a call to a representative two seconds after his or her previous call disconnects. "There's no downtime," Ms. Egan said. "The customer disconnects, and the next call's right there. Try living like that, taking calls every two seconds." The result, she says, is that representatives must often begin dealing with a new caller while still typing up the order of the last caller. Sometimes, she adds, workers set unfinished orders aside and do not find the time to return to them. Compounding the pressure, say the strikers, is the need to sell to virtually every caller. Representatives are trained to shift the conversation from, say, a billing inquiry to a sales pitch -- a practice Verizon calls bridging. "Imagine if you're calling in because you're getting harassing calls and you want a new phone number," Ms. Kramer said. "The service rep is required to look at your account and see what features you have, and then try to sell you something. And not just one item, that's not good enough. I'm required to offer you voicemail if you don't have it, three-way calling if you don't have it. I'm required to do my best and sparkle and shine, and put you at ease so you say, 'Oh, all right, I'll take it for a month, just because you sound so nice.' " Citing the ongoing negotiations, Mr. Gordon of Verizon declined to discuss the specifc complaints of the workers. Strikers say it is not selling that causes stress, but having to do it according to standard scripts and procedures when common sense tells them not to. Many complain of having to dangle deluxe products before people who do not need them. "It fights with the inner part of the rep," Ms. Egan said. "She's thinking, 'Look at this poor 80-year-old woman, what does she need three-way calling for?' I'm offering her gadgets and she can't even see the pushbuttons on the phone." But if the workers do not make the offers, a listening supervisor may note the failure. And at least once a month, the supervisors meet with each worker for a feedback session, reviewing monitored calls and discussing how to do better. "I've had situations where I sold caller ID, but because I didn't start with the biggest package, the feedback was, 'You should have bridged to Sound Deal Plus,' " said Ms. Barbour, naming Verizon's biggest residential package. Reps in her center are supposed to sell about $60,000 worth of products each a month if they want to move out of customer service jobs and into a job with no sales duties, she said, a goal she says she can meet. But those who cannot meet that goal do poorly on their annual reviews, Ms. Kramer said. "Let's face it, we're not all car salesmen," she said.   The New York Times on the Web http://www.nytimes.com /-----------------------------------------------------------------\ Visit NYTimes.com for complete access to the most authoritative news coverage on the Web, updated throughout the day. Become a member today! It's free! http://www.nytimes.com?eta \-----------------------------------------------------------------/ HOW TO ADVERTISE - --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact Alyson Racer at alyson@nytimes.com or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com. Copyright 2000 The New York Times Company - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 12 Aug 2000 17:48:22 -0400 From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine) Subject: Re: FC: Rep. Ron Paul column on government privacy, SSNs, census >Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 12:03:54 -0400 >From: Declan McCullagh >Subject: FC: Rep. Ron Paul column on government privacy, SSNs, census FYI, Ron Paul was the only rep to vote against HR 3113, the anti-spam bill based on property rights that overwhelmingly passed the House a few weeks ago. Evidently privacy is fine except when it inconveniences chickenboning junk e-mailiers. - -- John R. Levine, IECC, POB 727, Trumansburg NY 14886 +1 607 387 6869 johnl@iecc.com, Village Trustee and Sewer Commissioner, http://iecc.com/johnl, Member, Provisional board, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 12 Aug 2000 20:01:23 -0400 From: Ben Wern Subject: Re: NO long distance carrier on phone, but Hacker calls overseas on my line! >Just to make sure SB didn't give you a LD. It's free as well as a >PICC freeze form the local carrier so the long distance status cannot be >changed. 900# blocking is also free. Really? Does anyone know of a reference to a law that makes this free, or it just a policy of SB? I was told that it would cost me to switch from a LD carrier to no LD carrier (treating no PICC as if I were switching carriers), and that they COULDN'T freeze it... Ben Wern - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 12 Aug 2000 21:21:50 -0400 From: Rollerbrowna@cs.com Subject: Same Problem Did anyone answer your problem? I'm searching for the same answer? - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 12 Aug 2000 23:06:59 -0400 From: "Peter Hope-Tindall" Subject: Re: Spam In The Digest Derek, Judith was paying for the privilege of advertising. If you caught John's note: she has been removed from the newsgroup comp.dcom.telecom only. If you subscribe to the telecom-digest list, you will still receive the ads as Judith has an arrangement with Pat to send these. If they annoy you (as they do me) you may consider unsubscribing from the digest and reading the newsgroup instead - it still has everything else in ti. Peter Hope-Tindall "Derek J. Balling" wrote in message news:p04320409b5bb101c9339@[63.201.65.219]... > So I posted to the "new robomoderated list" for the first time > today... I'd like to ask that, since she must have agreed to this, > that Judith Oppenheimer have her privilege to post removed, as she > has violated the conditions of the list: > > >No advertisements (with the exception of those contained in standard > >.signature files) are welcome. > > > >Addresses that have been used to post spam will be blocked by > >the modbot at the discretion of the robot's maintainer. > > I would contend that the rampant quantity of ads in her ICB > "newsletters" (where premium-service ads or raw advertisements > outweigh the number of actual articles... a "wc -l" count I did for > giggles had "crap.txt" outweighing "meat.txt" by about two-to-one) > put her in the "spam" category. > > D > (who really really wishes we had a human moderator) > -- > The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail > messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 13 Aug 2000 04:06:31 -0400 From: Paul Hrisko Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? >And the rest of the building has the hang on the wall type payphones that >are designed so that you cannot hear the party you are calling and they >cannot hear you over the background noise. Back in the day, before they 'rehabilitated' Grand Central Terminal in New York City, there was a whole room full of enclosed phones - something like 20 or 30, with an attendant, right off the Grand Hall area. There you could make a call in relative peace and quiet. Now, since the station's been cleaned up, some genius decided that the best placement for pay phones was inside the train bays, about 30 feet from the trains themselves, with the phones just screwed to the walls about a foot or less from each other. Now now only do you have to shout over other people, you have to deal with the train noise, dodging garbage collection carts, floor sweepers and other assorted hazards. Gotta love the city. P. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #20 ******************************* From ???@??? Mon Aug 14 11:39:21 2000 Date: 14 Aug 2000 06:15:09 -0400 Message-ID: <20000814101509.23432.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #21 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 064119ce5c7dda0680173aba627bfc03 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Monday, August 14 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 021 In this issue: Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #15 Copyright infringement Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Net2Phone Paypal contributions for Pat Re: Paypal contributions for Pat CMA cancels show, fires staff Boom Box Seeking best long-distance plan? SSL Server Security Survey Re: Net2Phone eBay, Yahoo nix auctions of personal data Re: Robo-Moderation E-Privacy's Foggy Bottom ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 13 Aug 2000 07:17:04 -0400 From: "Peter Morgan" Subject: Re: Telecom Digest V2000 #15 Ralph Sprang wrote in message ... >"They don't" is a very strong statement for such a controversial subject area. A number of credible studies have demonstrated increased health risk to the groups you mentioned - those who use electric equipment in close proximity to their bodies. >But all of this has NOTHING to do with cell phone use - the concern there is RF fields, not EM fields. The negative health effects of RF fields are widely known and documented - ever see a bird fly in front of a high power radar dish and get fried? Ah, you're on about cell phones then ! Apologies if it is deemed impolite to comment on the construction of any message, rather than content, but I had to put in a plea for some extra care, especially if a person is responding to a "Telecom Digest" they receive. a) would it be possible to copy the "subject" text from the particular message about which you want to comment ? For example, copying the text "Re: Phone Fears: Malignant or Benign?" (which I found does appear later in Ralph's message) into the outgoing message "Subject" field would have helped put it into context.... b) would it be possible to quote _some_ of the message about which one wishes to comment to "set the scene" ? Something like the following would have certainly helped me, not being immediately able to know what Ralph was quoting when his message started >"They don't" is a very strong statement for such a controversial subject area. A number of credible studies have demonstrated increased health There's a chance that some other topic had been started, not concerning cell phones, but perhaps satellite transmissions, proximity to power lines, your local commercial radio stations 2 MW transmission system, or perhaps some speed trap equipment ! :-) It seems to be increasingly common (especially among the young, or new internet users) to put their comments first, thinking that it helps as one does not have to scroll down to see the new material. However, it has stood the test of time to append comments, and I would urge anyone who is tempted to start typing, to simply scroll down, and trim whatever you quote to reduce duplication but keep sufficient to assist in letting others know what aspect you are reinforcing/challenging. There should be no software which prevents people scrolling down ... hey look, I'm using Outlook Express too, so it can be done :-) c) finally, for those whose reading application has no automatic "wrap" of text to fit into a window, the text by Ralph was perhaps shown as just three (very long) lines of text. I saw it first with Forte Agent "They don't" is a very strong statement for such a controversial subject But all of this has NOTHING to do with cell phone use - the concern there Please, everyone, check your facts before posting. This list has always was all I first saw of Ralph's text. Pretty awkward to read having to scroll left and right (compared with how it must have appeared when he typed it in). If your display showed it wrapped nicely, then lucky you, but there are no doubt others for whom it was difficult to read and may have even been ignored as a result. I am fortunate in having used a variety of computing gear for over twenty years, and while I won't claim to always get it right, I was aware that someone using a unix newsreader on a VT52 or other old terminal would not get to see any text after column 80 (and the bell to warn you've gone past that column goes wild too!!) Ralph - if you see this, it would be handy to hit the "enter" key every 70-75 characters you type so that what others see ALWAYS fits on screen. Apologies for not contributing in any way to the discussion on cell phones, but the subject line wouldn't have made you think I was, I trust :-) Peter Morgan, UK. Replace "mail-bounce" with "news" to e-mail me. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 13 Aug 2000 09:41:10 -0400 From: Joseph Singer Subject: Copyright infringement 12 Aug 2000 17:34:02 -0400 itsamike@yahoo.com sent the following article in its entirety to the Telecom Digest: >Subject: NYTimes.com Article: When 'May I Help You' Is a Labor Issue > >This article from NYTimes.com >has been sent to you by Mike Pollock itsamike@yahoo.com. > >Telcom Digest > >Hey, I've been suckered by that script! This is a copyrighted article and should not have been sent to the digest. A link to the article on NY Times web pages would have sufficed and would not have run afoul of the law. For myself I would not want the Telecom Digest to run into trouble with the New York Times. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 13 Aug 2000 09:43:50 -0400 From: "Ron Bean" Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Roy Smith writes: >The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw an honest to >goodness phone booth... >Do they still exist anywhere? I'm pretty sure I saw a brand new one within the last year; I was really surprised. If my memory is correct (no guarantees, it was a while ago), it was at a rest stop on I-94 between Milwaukee and Madison (westbound). I seem to recall it having full-length plexiglass, and a one-piece door (not the old two-piece door, and no aluminum panels anywhere). I haven't driven that route recently so I can't confirm it. About 10 years ago I saw an old wooden booth at the Motel-6 in Coralville Iowa (indoors, modern phone inside). No idea if it's still there. Reminds me of that scene from "The President's Analyst" where the main character goes into a phone booth and then can't open the door to get out. A big truck from "The Phone Company" drives up (big "TPC" logo on the side), two guys load the entire phone booth into the truck (with him still in it), replace it with an empty booth, and drive off. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 13 Aug 2000 11:54:40 -0400 From: richard_stoddard@yahoo.com (Richard Stoddard) Subject: Re: Net2Phone On 11 Aug 2000 11:02:44 -0400, "Judith Oppenheimer" wrote: > >The computer to phone rates of Net2Phone had been said to be in the >$0.01/minute range. Since they don't mention rates after you have >registered and when they ask you to put money into the account, I checked a >bit further on the site and found their published rates to be in the $0.10 >to $0.14 per minute (depending on time of day). > I have an account, and while I haven't used it in the last couple of weeks, the rate I was charged was indeed $0.01/minute. However, recently I found another provider - DeltaThree (www.deltathree.com) that is free for calls to the US and Canada, and the two times I tried it, its quality was better. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 13 Aug 2000 18:21:36 -0400 From: John R Levine Subject: Paypal contributions for Pat If anyone would like to make contributions to Pat Townson and the Digest via Paypal, I have arranged to transfer contributions from my Paypal account into Pat's checking account. You can send Paypal contributions to my account, email paypal@iecc.com. Please put a note "For Pat" or the like. I will sweep all money received into Pat's bank account in Kansas. (I can't set up a Paypal account directly for Pat, since as far as I know he doesn't have a credit card and Paypal won't create an account without one.) If this all sounds too flaky, you can still mail an old-fashioned paper check to: Telecom Digest c/o Ruth Townson 611 East Poplar Independence KS 67301 Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies", robot wrangler pro-tem PS: For people who don't know what Paypal is, it's an Internet-based funds transfer system. Its main attraction is that you can charge payments to a credit card without paying a service charge. See www.paypal.com. If you sign up, tell them that paypal@iecc.com sent you and I'll pass along the $5 referral fee to Pat. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 13 Aug 2000 19:54:47 -0400 From: stevenl11@aol.com (Steven Lichter) Subject: Re: Paypal contributions for Pat > >You can send Paypal contributions to my account, email paypal@iecc.com. > >Please put a note "For Pat" or the like. I will sweep all money received >into Pat's bank account in Kansas. (I can't set up a Paypal account directly >for Pat, since as far as I know he doesn't have a credit card and Paypal >won't create an account without one.) I use Paypal on e-bay and you can do it with any type of bank account. I have money go into my credit union saving account and money transfered from it when I buy. Apple Elite II 909-359-5338. Home of GBBS/LLUCE, support for the Apple II and Macintosh 24 hours 2400/14.4. An OggNet Server. http://www.delphi.com/gbbs The only good spammer is a dead one, have you hunted one down today? (c) - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 13 Aug 2000 21:18:23 -0400 From: adamg@world.std.com (Adam M Gaffin) Subject: CMA cancels show, fires staff NEW YORK - One of the nation's oldest user groups for network professionals this week suffered a major blow as it was forced to cancel its annual convention. The move by the Communications Managers Association, a 52-year-old group that represents corporate users in the Northeast, is the latest in a string of recent problems affecting traditional telecom user groups with a voice communications heritage. http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2000/0811cma.html - -- Adam Gaffin Executive Editor, Network World Fusion agaffin@nww.com / (508) 490-6433 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 13 Aug 2000 22:28:59 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Boom Box Boom Box The new technology from Tivo and replay provides the ultimate in television convenience. It will also spy on you, destroy prime time and shatter the power of the mass market. http://www.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20000813mag-boombox.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 13 Aug 2000 22:49:05 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Seeking best long-distance plan? TRANSITIONS Seeking best long-distance plan? Don't scratch your head, use it By Marci Bailey, Globe Correspondent, 8/13/2000 Long-distance companies bombard consumers regularly with pitches for new dialing deals. But despite celebrities hawking service on TV and telemarketers soliciting your business by phone, you probably haven't checked your long-distance deal lately. You're not alone. http://www.globe.com/dailyglobe2/226/business/Seeking_best_long_distance_plan_+.shtml - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 13 Aug 2000 23:08:58 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: SSL Server Security Survey SSL Server Security Survey Eric Murray ericm@lne.com 7/31/00 Abstract: A random sample of 8081 different secure web servers (servers running the SSL protocol) in active use on the Internet shows that 32% are dangerously weak. These weak servers either support only the flawed SSL v2 protocol, use too-small key sizes ("40 bit" encryption), or have expired or self-signed certificates. Data exchanges with all types of weak servers are vulnerable to attack. http://www.meer.net/~ericm/papers/ssl_servers.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 02:17:09 -0400 From: "q'onkh abdullah" Subject: Re: Net2Phone I think that possibly you may have been confusing the rates within the US with the rates for calls from outside the US to the US. See: http://www.net2phone.com/net2phone/rates It does seem unfortunate that the person you spoke to could not explain the rates. - --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 03:45:25 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: eBay, Yahoo nix auctions of personal data eBay, Yahoo nix auctions of personal data By Stefanie Olsen Staff Writer, CNET News.com August 7, 2000, 2:30 p.m. PT Privacy concerns have led eBay and Yahoo to shut down auctions that sought to sell a mailing list with the names, addresses and phone numbers of more than 200,000 active U.S. investors. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-2457350.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 03:46:22 -0400 From: nospam@msg.net Subject: Re: Robo-Moderation In article , Derek J. Balling wrote: >OK, I just feel the need to go on the record as saying that, after >perusing briefly the last few "issues" (and I hesitate to use that >term these days), robo-moderation sucks. > >Telecom Digest _NEEDS_ a real moderator.... if Pat isn't up to it >(which I can TOTALLY understand), and John doesn't have time to "do >it right", can someone else step up and fill the void? I suggest some form of 'team moderation', based on something like the STUMP software. This eliminates the dependence on one single person having the time to "do it right". In my experience, this stops 99% of the spam, but does sometimes result in allowing duplicate articles through. A small price to pay. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 03:48:44 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: E-Privacy's Foggy Bottom E-Privacy's Foggy Bottom by Chris Oakes 3:00 a.m. Aug. 8, 2000 PDT Disturbing behind-the-scenes activity at Toysrus.com came to light last week: The company was whisking shoppers' personal information down an unmarked Internet side road to a little-known data-processing firm. As customers browsed and shopped at the toy retailer, third-party data-analysis firm Coremetrics was sucking name, address, and shopping cart information into its database. http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,38041,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #21 ******************************* From ???@??? Tue Aug 15 07:39:39 2000 Date: 15 Aug 2000 06:15:11 -0400 Message-ID: <20000815101511.23641.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #22 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: bfc62194acc7563e76df76d58a51da5d Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Tuesday, August 15 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 022 In this issue: Re: Copyright infringement Re: FCC Setting Technology Standard to Locate 911 Calls DSL Line Re: Copyright infringement Phone Booth known as the TARDIS Re: Copyright infringement Re: DSL Line New Survey Reveals Platforms of Prospective ICANN Board Members Re: DSL Line GEICO Encourages Theft of Service Re: Phone Booth known as the TARDIS BellSouth (LA) gets it WRONG re BellSouth (GA) NPAs 229,478 Re: DSL Line 8/14/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES Re: DSL Line eFax beholden to spammers? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 14 Aug 2000 09:55:39 -0400 From: Mike Pollock Subject: Re: Copyright infringement I'm well aware of the rules of copyright, however the New York Times now provides an "E-mail this article" link on all their stories, which I used. I looked for specific guidelines for using this service, and there were none, despite the fact that it could be in direct violation of their copyright policy, which states, at http://www.nytimes.com/subscribe/help/agree.html#sect2, "The Service and its Contents are protected by copyright pursuant to U.S. and international copyright laws. You may not modify, publish, *transmit,* participate in the transfer or sale of, *reproduce (except as provided in Section 2.3 [see below] of this Agreement)*, create new works from, distribute, perform, display, or in any way exploit, any of the Content or the Service (including software) in whole or in part." [*Emphasis* mine.] However, in Section 2.3 referenced above, it says, "You may download or copy the Content and other downloadable items displayed on the Service for personal use only, provided that you maintain all copyright and other notices contained therein. Copying or storing of any Content for other than personal use is expressly prohibited without prior written permission from The New York Times Rights and Permissions Department, or the copyright holder identified in the copyright notice contained in the Content.." I consider the Digest personal use since I'm not making money on it, and it doesn't really have anything to do with my business activities, Plus I retained all copyright and other notices, since there was no way I could remove them, anyway. So, I think I'm covered by that section. For a better answer, I'll drop a note to the permissions department and post their response. - --Mike > ------------------------------ > > Date: 13 Aug 2000 09:41:10 -0400 > From: Joseph Singer > Subject: Copyright infringement > > 12 Aug 2000 17:34:02 -0400 itsamike@yahoo.com sent > the following article in > its entirety to the Telecom Digest: > > This is a copyrighted article and should not have > been sent to the digest. > A link to the article on NY Times web pages would > have sufficed and would > not have run afoul of the law. For myself I would > not want the Telecom > Digest to run into trouble with the New York Times. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail – Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 10:23:53 -0400 From: Carl Moore Subject: Re: FCC Setting Technology Standard to Locate 911 Calls Most highway mileposts that I have seen will increase northbound or eastbound. I think an exception might be Skyline Drive in Virginia; its mileposts would increase southbound from Front Royal. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 10:28:27 -0400 From: davidesan@my-deja.com Subject: DSL Line After using the T1 lines at work to access the internet, I am quite fed up with the 56K modem that I have at home. (Hard for me to believe this having begun working with a 110/300 modem). My choices for high speed access boil down to cable (RoadRunner) or DSL. Any recommendations here? If I choose to go with DSL are there providers that anyone could recommend. The local telephone company (Rochester/Frontier/Global and now Citizens) has a DSL available, but I am always wary of the cost of doing business with the dominant player. I am also leary of doing business with the fly by nights. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks! - -- David Esan InformationView Solutions d.esan@informationview.com Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 15:15:27 -0400 From: msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) Subject: Re: Copyright infringement Mike Pollock writes: > "You may download or copy the Content and other > downloadable items displayed on the Service for > personal use only, provided that you maintain all > copyright and other notices contained therein..." > I consider the Digest personal use since > I'm not making money on it, and it doesn't really have > anything to do with my business activities... Well, "personal" use does not normally include posting something to a public forum whether money is made on it or not. Even if the emailed Digest is considered other than public, a view that I would dispute, remember that the messages also appear in the newsgroup comp.dcom.telecom and may get archived, at e.g. Deja. The Times may well choose to permit the forwarding of occasional articles here, but I don't believe they will consider it to be covered by that permission for personal use. - -- Mark Brader "How diabolically clever: a straightforward message! Toronto Only a genius could have thought of that." msb@vex.net -- Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) My text in this article is in the public domain. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 15:49:12 -0400 From: "Cohen, Steven L" Subject: Phone Booth known as the TARDIS Don't forget the Dr. Who double-booth!! Cordially, Steve Cohen Allied Technology Group, Inc. Engineering Services Division - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 17:42:44 -0400 From: Mike Stockman Subject: Re: Copyright infringement In article <3.0.5.32.20000813064047.0083f100@oz.net>, Joseph Singer wrote: > >Subject: NYTimes.com Article: When 'May I Help You' Is a Labor Issue > > > >This article from NYTimes.com > >has been sent to you by Mike Pollock itsamike@yahoo.com. > > > >Telcom Digest > > > >Hey, I've been suckered by that script! > > This is a copyrighted article and should not have been sent to the digest. > A link to the article on NY Times web pages would have sufficed and would > not have run afoul of the law. For myself I would not want the Telecom > Digest to run into trouble with the New York Times. I think the official-sounding tagline at the beginning should have clued you in to the fact that the article was e-mailed using the NYT's own "e-mail this article to a friend" link. If they don't want the article reproduced in e-mail, they shouldn't put the link on their articles. It can't be a copyright violation if it has the publisher's permission (and I'm sure courts would say that providing a suggestion to e-mail the article constitutes permission, although I'm not a lawyer). No running "afoul of the law" appears to have happened. - ----->Mike - -- _______________________________________________________________________ AOL: MStockman Internet: stockman@jagunet.com AOL Instant Messenger: MStockman - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 17:43:37 -0400 From: Dave Garland Subject: Re: DSL Line It was a dark and stormy night when davidesan@my-deja.com first wrote: > If I choose to go with DSL are there providers that anyone could >recommend. Suggest you check out http://www.dslreports.com, which has a lot of info on DSL, vendors, feedback on vendors, etc. - -Dave - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 17:43:45 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: New Survey Reveals Platforms of Prospective ICANN Board Members New Survey Reveals Platforms of Prospective ICANN Board Members ICANN's membership-at-large nomination process closes Phase I: Nominations, and now enters Phase II: Endorsements. For the second Phase (Endorsements), ICB Toll Free News' survey, DOMAIN NAME SURVEY FOR ICANN AT-LARGE MEMBER NOMINEES, shows which candidates favor global governance; which favor individual country's rights under their own laws; and which of them have definite bias in favor of intellectual property interests, etc. NEW YORK, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The At Large Members of ICANN are scheduled to participate in a historic first -- a worldwide online election to choose Directors for the Internet's governing body, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Closing a fifteen-day window to apply for nomination on August 14, At Large Member candidates have just fifteen days more -- August 15 to August 31 -- to garner enough endorsements for a spot on ICANN's October ballot. Endorsement requires support from 2% of the At Large Members in her/his geographic region, or 20 members, whichever is greater; and support from residents of at least two countries. The final ballot for At-Large Director will include the candidates nominated by ICANN'S Nominating Committee, and any candidates who have met the conditions for member-nomination. In an effort to help voters meet the candidates, ICB Toll Free News queried each by email as to their opinions and positions on such issues as domain name dispute arbitration and new top level domains (TLD's), and today published the survey results at http://icbtollfree.com/txt/icbsurveyresults.htm (registration required.) ``This survey only covers Domain Name issues that we felt impact end users significantly on a day-to-day basis,'' says Judith Oppenheimer, publisher of ICB. ``We provided a multiple choice format, as well as an open-ended option for nominees to write in their own response, of which most took generous advantage.'' The survey presents an overview of the candidates' positions on major issues, in their own words, unedited. This overview clearly shows which candidates favor global governance; which favor individual country's rights under their own laws; and which of them have definite bias in favor of intellectual property interests, etc. There is currently an overabundance of representation for major commercial and intellectual property interests on ICANN's Board of Directors. These candidates are running for seats to represent the at-large community's interests. The ICB survey results are published, verbatim, in a comparative chart offering voters the opportunity to endorse those nominees whose positions reflect their own. ``I certainly would not suggest forming a final opinion based on any survey,'' says Leah Gellegos, Founder of TLDLobby.com. ``However, coupled with the ICANN submissions and individual campaign websites, the survey affords an at-a-glance review of the candidates' positions on vital issues to the at-large community, as opposed to the special interests. As a tool, it is quite helpful for purposes of comparison, both within a specific region and across regions. I hope that all the candidates reply.'' Regional breakdown for applicants is Africa, Asia/Australia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America/Caribbean and North America. Within each, replies are listed alphabetically. ``We're very pleased with the responsiveness of the candidates, with over 50% returning completed questionnaires,'' says Oppenheimer. ``As last minute applications come into ICANN, ICB has continued to send out survey questionnaires. Late replies will be added in.'' - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 18:03:35 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: DSL Line >>From 'Dave Garland': >It was a dark and stormy night when davidesan@my-deja.com first wrote: > >> If I choose to go with DSL are there providers that anyone could >>recommend. > >Suggest you check out http://www.dslreports.com, which has a lot of >info on DSL, vendors, feedback on vendors, etc. More importantly, it's feedback on vendors *from consumers.* (not from resellers or other industry insiders) Some of the comments are quite interesting. - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 18:30:18 -0400 From: Alistair Gale Subject: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service If I were management at a LD carrier, I would be siccing my lawyers onto GEICO. Their latest TV ad shows a guy making a collect call from a hospital to announce the birth of his son, he is speaking to some automated system: First Name: "John" Last Name: "We had a baby boy", then we cut to the new grandparents sitting room: "Will you accept a collect call from John We Had a Baby Boy?" "Sorry wrong number". Cut back to John placing another automated collect call...... Tagline about "If you want to save money ...GEICO..blah blah....." I guess this is the ultimate in packetized voice! But this Very Large Corp. seems to be encouraging fraud against other VLCs. Any thoughts? - -- alistair - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 21:14:16 -0400 From: "Ed Ellers" Subject: Re: Phone Booth known as the TARDIS Steven L Cohen wrote: "Don't forget the Dr. Who double-booth!!" That's not a telephone booth as such -- it's a police call box, used both by police officers (to contact headquarters) and the public (to call the police). The Metropolitan Police still have some in service; I saw (and photographed) one outside the Earls Court Underground station in February. The premise was that the TARDIS was designed to take the form of an object that wouldn't look out of place in whatever place and time the Doctor happened to visit; as the story goes, that mechanism broke after a landing in London in the mid-20th century, and the TARDIS was frozen in the form of the police call box ever since. In the real world, the BBC probably didn't have much trouble getting one of the boxes to use; Doctor Who was done on a soap opera level budget, so every little bit helped. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 22:57:41 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: BellSouth (LA) gets it WRONG re BellSouth (GA) NPAs 229,478 On 1-Aug-2000, two area codes took effect in south Georgia, which happens (ironically) to be a BellSouth state. The new area codes are 229 and 478, splitting from 912. The new 229 NPA code is for (roughly) the Albany GA LATA The new 478 NPA code is for (roughly) the (GA ratecenters of the) Macon GA LATA, as well as a small but noticeable (GA ratecenter) portion of the Augusta GA LATA (NOTE: Augusta GA itself, and most of the rest of (the GA ratecentesr portion of) this Augusta GA LATA is area code 706). The smaller 912 area code will be retained for (roughly) the (GA ratecenters of the) Savannah GA LATA. Mandatory dialing of 478 and 229 for their respective regions begins on 1-Aug-2001. You'd think that these two new NPA codes in this 3-way split being in Georgia, a BellSouth state, that BellSouth 9-state-wide would be aware of these new area codes for their switch translations. Even though calls to Macon and Albany could be inTER-LATA, the new NPA codes still must be opened up in origination central office switch translations. Some New Orleans area central office already have these two new area codes opened up in translations for originating calls - Main-1A (NWORLAMACG2) Lake-1A (NWORLALKCG0) Franklin-DMS (NWORLAFRDS0) Carrollton-DMS (NWORLACADS0) Main-5E (NWORLAMADS0) Broadmoor-5E (NWORLABMDS0) Three 1A's still don't yet have them in originating translations, even two weeks into permissive dialing: Seabrook-1A (NWORLASKCG0) St.Charles-1A (NWORLASCCG0) Mid-City-1A (NWORLAMCCG0) I finally got around to calling up "Repair Service" (service? huh?) to report these two NPA codes missing from Seabrook-1A translations (I am served from Seabrook at home). When they called me back, the ignorant clerk tells me that there are no such area codes, much less for Georgia. Anyone can download the free monthly NPA-NXX activity guide from Telcordia-TRA's website (http://www.trainfo.com) ... Anyone can download the free Planning Letters from NANPA's website (http://www.nanpa.com) ... The NANPA PL on the 3-way split of 912 with new NPAs 229 and 478 is dated DECEMBER of _1999_. There were various media reports (in Georgia, though) such as local newspaper websites, regarding the new 229 and 478 to be new area codes for south GA, back in Fall 1999. AT&T (and MCI and Sprint) recognize NPAs 229 and 478 as "valid". But when BellSouth "repair" in Louisiana is oh so ignorant about their own company's regions new area codes, and then refuse to investigate it further, I finally sent an email to BellSouth Corporate through the BellSouth www.bellsouth.com website. BTW, the BellSouth website list of new Yr.2000 area codes within BellSouth territory _DOES_ indicate 229 and 478 for Southern GA, permissive 8-1-00. In my email to BellSouth corporate, I told them that I am considering contacting the La.PSC and the FCC about BellSouth Repair (Louisiana) not allowing me access to valid new (interstate) area codes and refusing to enter them into translations. I also called up AT&T LD Repair (in Conyers GA, a suburb of Atlanta -- their Conyers GA offices used to be a BellSystem network management center and also the location of the "Rockdale" Class-1 Regional #4A(ETS) toll switch. The Repair clerks at AT&T are FAR more knowledgeable about telephone numbering, network and routing than BellSouth "repair service(?)" is. I told the gentleman w/AT&T LD repair that the trouble is actually BellSouth's problem, but they refuse to do anything about it -- that maybe AT&T-LD repair has some "higher up" contacts with BellSouth. The AT&T man also said that his records _do_ show 229 and 478 as valid (new) area codes for south GA, and that these codes are loaded into their 4ESS and 5E-OSPS toll and operator switches. He took my ticket and said that he would try to get someone with BellSouth in authority to resolve the problem. Ya'know, if AT&T is going to be a residential CLEC in New Orleans at any time soon, I'm seriously considering porting over to them! Well, MAYBE. I've heard that AT&T-CLEC has their troubles too! :( This is not the first time that BellSouth (or virtually any other BOC or LEC) is going to "miss the date" of new area code -- and it won't be the last time. But when a report is called into local repair, they should do some investigating, especially if the new codes are in one of their states! It may come to where state regulatory and the FCC will be contacted if BellSouth continues these delay tactics. What the FCC (and state regulatory) should consider is maybe FINING the local telcos that are late in loading new NPA codes, central office codes, routing changes, etc. into switch translations if the local telco (or LD company) has been notified, yet still won't take action in a timely manner. The documentation resources (NANPA's website, Telcordia-TRA's website, the LEC websites themselves, etc) _ARE_ available to the service providers, so "ignorance" is absolutely _NO_ excuse. Hopefully something about these two new GA NPA codes missing from many BellSouth switches in New Orleans (or missing from _ANY_ BellSouth central office switches' translations) can be completely resolved within the next 24 hours, or else I _AM_ calling La.PSC and the FCC about the situation! MARK_J._CUCCIA__PHONE/WRITE/WIRE/CABLE:__HOME:__(USA)__Tel:_CHestnut-1-2497 WORK:__mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu|4710-Wright-Road|__(+1-504-241-2497) Tel:UNiversity-5-5954(+1-504-865-5954)|New-Orleans-28__|fwds-on-no-answr-to Fax:UNiversity-5-5917(+1-504-865-5917)|Louisiana(70128)|cellular/voicemail- NWORLASKCG0 (BellSouth #1AESS Cl.5 Local "Seabrook" 504-24x-) to become a #5ESS (yeah!), NWORLASKDS0, 12:01am SAT-11-NOV-2000 NWORLAIYCM3 (BellSouth-Mobility Ericsson Cellular-MTSO NOL) NWORLAMT01T (BellSouth DMS-100 "Metairie" Tndm; Cellular routes thru) NWORLAMA0GT (BellSouth DMS-100/200 inTRA-LATA/fg.BCD Tndm "Main" 504+) NWORLAMA20T (BellSouth DMS-200 TOPS:inLATA OprSvcTndm "Main" 504+053+) NWORLAMA04T (AT&T #4ESS Class-2 Toll 060-T / 504-2T "Main" 504+) JCSNMSPS06T (AT&T #5ESS OSPS:Operator-Services-Tandem 601-0T 601+121) JCSNMSPS14T (AT&T #4ESS Class-3 Toll 040-T / 601-2T; OSPS routes thru) NWORLAELH01 (PBX NEC-2400 504-862-3/8xxx, 504-865-4/5/6xxx) NWORLACADS0 (BellSo.DMS-100 Cl.5 Lcl "Carrollton" 504-86x-;PBX 'homes' on) =================================================================== - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 14 Aug 2000 23:29:54 -0400 From: dthomas@rt66.com (David B. Thomas) Subject: Re: DSL Line >>>>> "davidesan" == davidesan writes: davidesan> If I choose to go with DSL are there providers that davidesan> anyone could recommend I've just gotten set up with DSL from Qwest (formerly USWEST), and my experience so far has been nothing short of fantastic. Since telephone companies tend to get a lot of bad press (well-deserved though it may often be!), I feel that this might be a good opportunity to give Qwest some well-deserved praise. I had heard that DSL was available in Albuquerque, so I called Qwest. My call was answered in under a minute. The girl who answered immediately knew about DSL, but she said my phone number did not yet qualify for the service. She urged me to call back the next day (!) because, she said, four more COs were going online with DSL. I called back the next day, and my call was answered in under a minute by a different girl. She also knew what was up and confirmed that my line now qualifies! She answered most of my questions, and when she didn't know something, she conferenced in someone else to help. When the third person put us on hold, the girl stayed with me and chatted. Once all my questions were answered, I went ahead and placed the order. By the time we were done, I knew exactly what would arrive in the mail, when the service was to be hooked up, what equipment I would need, what it would cost and how it would be billed. The install date was about two weeks from the order date, and in the meantime everything showed up in the mail, just like it was supposed to. The install date arrived without fanfare, but I just couldn't stand the suspense. I called Qwest, again getting an answer in under a minute. The guy who answered checked on my account and said, with far too little enthusiasm, that I now HAD DSL SERVICE! I went home and hooked up the hardware and it worked great. In fact, while this particular service only guarantees 256K both ways, I'm now consistently getting 640K downloads and 272K uploads. Considering that this was an upgrade from a 28.8 modem, the contrast is positively breathtaking. Some vitals for the curious: Initial equipment cost $150 (Cisco router on special) DSL line charge $30 (24 hour connection, dynamic IP) ISP service charge $18 (I selected uswest.net) Guaranteed speed 256d,256u Actual speed 640d,272u (for now!) This service shares the same copper wires with your regular POTS line, so you don't need to pay for an additional phone line. You can be online 24 hours a day and use analog telephone devices (even 56k modems!) without conflict. The digital and analog signals occupy vastly different frequency bands, and filters are used to isolate them. For anyone in Qwest territory, I heartily recommend their DSL service. You can get more information, including an online check to see if your line qualifies, from Qwest's web site. http://www.qwest.com/ David - -- Their address sums up their attitude: One Microsoft Way - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2000 23:46:40 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/14/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - SURVEY REVEALS PLATFORMS OF PROSPECTIVE ICANN BOARD MEMBERS - - DOMAIN ROUND-UP - - EU CULTURE OF POLITICS, AND THE INTERNET - - SENATOR SUGGESTS .SEX TLD - - WIPO EXTENDS DEADLINE - - eREUTERS.COM - - WIPO "GEOGRAPHIC" THREAT: PARANOIA, OR REAL? - - WE'RE NOT TARGETING GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES, CLAIMS WIPO - - SOME COPYRIGHT, SHOULDN'T BE - - STANFORDCARDINAL.COM - - 3i SUES III OVER DOMAIN NAME - - UK COURT RULES AGAINST CRATE & BARREL IN TRADEMARK DISPUTE ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) SUMMER'S ALMOST OVER - ACT NOW! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 14, 2000 F - SURVEY REVEALS PLATFORMS OF PROSPECTIVE ICANN BOARD MEMBERS ICANN's membership-at-large nomination process closes Phase I: Nominations, and now enters Phase II: Endorsements. DOMAIN NAME SURVEY FOR ICANN AT-LARGE MEMBER NOMINEES, shows which candidates favor global governance; which favor individual country's rights under their own laws; and which of them have definite bias in favor of intellectual property interests, etc. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4320 P - DOMAIN ROUND-UP Many companies have registered hundreds, if not thousands, of domain names through numerous employees and service providers, making it difficult to keep track of which names they have, where they are pointing and when they need to be renewed. This service provides companies with a comprehensive list of all domain names previously registered, whether they were processed by an outside agency, law firm, or former employee and regardless of the registrar used. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4327 F - EU CULTURE OF POLITICS, AND THE INTERNET >>From the caretaker in schools to the director of a savings bank, all are nominated by the political parties. ICANN has forgotten to put that item into the nomination application: are you in a political party? Editorial by ICANN At Large Member Nominee Roland Portig. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4327 F - SENATOR SUGGESTS .SEX TLD Connecticut Democrat Joseph Lieberman suggests to the federal Commission on Child Online Protection that new TLDs such as ".sex" or ".xxx" might actually shield children from Internet smut by segregating it. Critics say that the U.S. Congress should not be able to police the global Internet, and that creating a "virtual red-light district" may be unconstitutional. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4324 P - WIPO EXTENDS DEADLINE The Australian and US governments and the European Union asked for geographical names, geographical indications and indications of source to be included in the dispute resolution policy, as well as personal names, tradenames and pharmaceutical substances. WIPO has not said whether the new process will apply retroactively to existing registered domains, though indications are that it will. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4323 P - eREUTERS.COM For the Panel to hold that the Respondent is a liar, the circumstantial evidence has to be overwhelmingly in favour of the Complainant. While, as indicated above, the Panel understands why the Complainant is suspicious, the Panel finds that the evidence is insufficient for that purpose. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4329 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 14, 2000 F - WIPO "GEOGRAPHIC" THREAT: PARANOIA, OR REAL? Thousands of companies have built a business around geographic domain names, including The Irish Times' Ireland.com, and The New York Times' NewYorkToday.com guide to the Big Apple. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4322 P - WE'RE NOT TARGETING GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES, CLAIMS WIPO Francis Gurry, assistant director general of WIPO and director of WIPO’s arbitration center, commenting on PricewaterhouseCoopers’ claim, published 8 August in the Spanish press, that WIPO had been waiting for a decision in the barcelona.com case in order to proceed with policy on this issue: "Bullshit." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4321 F - SOME COPYRIGHT, SHOULDN'T BE It will then charge a monopoly price for things people have to have. And, it will start writing RFCs to generate revenue, not because they are needed or justified. Editorial by Peter Veeck, CTO of Internet Texoma. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4318 P - STANFORDCARDINAL.COM The Respondent has made no use of the domain name in question. This is evidence of bad faith. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4328 F - 3i SUES III OVER DOMAIN NAME 3i is the UK's biggest venture capital firm. Interactive Investor International is also a substantial company with more than one million subscribers. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4326 P - UK COURT RULES AGAINST CRATE & BARREL IN TRADEMARK DISPUTE The justice thought that the defendant could make a case against the plaintiff with a defense of "honest use of own name." Usually, this law applies to companies are named after individuals, but the judge said that it may apply to company names, as well. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4325 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 00:29:11 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: DSL Line >>From 'David B. Thomas': >>>>>> "davidesan" == davidesan writes: > > davidesan> If I choose to go with DSL are there providers that > davidesan> anyone could recommend > >I've just gotten set up with DSL from Qwest (formerly USWEST), and my >experience so far has been nothing short of fantastic. Since >telephone companies tend to get a lot of bad press (well-deserved >though it may often be!), I feel that this might be a good opportunity >to give Qwest some well-deserved praise. This is cool. Qwest (and USWest before them) had a bad reputation. In fact, USWest was known to be completely clueless about DSL. It's nice to know that someone actually got good service from a telco (for a change!) Those of us in PacBell/NevadaBell/SBC/Ameritech territory do not tend to be quite as lucky. - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 06:07:21 -0400 From: "Joey Lindstrom" Subject: eFax beholden to spammers? Here's some food for thought. I, like some of you, signed up some time ago for efax.com's excellent free incoming fax service. Before signing up, I read their privacy statement quite carefully. I didn't retain a copy of it, but here's a bit of what's currently on their website: "It is eFax.com's policy to respect the privacy of its members. Although we do not sell or rent any personally identifiable information about you to any third party, we may, in certain cases where you access our site from other third party sites, release your email address to such third party. We do not disclose certain pieces of information, such as your password, PIN, or eFax number at all. We may aggregate personally identifiable information and disclose such information to third parties in aggregate for a number of business purposes, including running and enhancing the services, but in these situations we do not disclose to other entities any information that could be used to personally identify you. Also, we may use information about you to provide you with ads or offers from advertisers that we think may be relevant to you, but in these cases we do not disclose any personally identifiable information about you to third parties. On our site and via email, we may offer you the option to choose to receive electronic information about topic(s) of interest to you from other companies. If you choose to receive information from such companies, eFax.com may provide to such companies your name, email address and other pertinent information if applicable and the company may contact you directly. These programs are offered as "opt-in" programs, not as "opt-out" programs, meaning you will be contacted only if you choose to participate." Seems innocuous enough, no? Now check this statement from Ronald Brown, eFax.com's president, which is on their own website under the heading "EFAX.COM ANNOUNCES SECOND QUARTER RESULTS": "Advertising revenues in the quarter increased to over $300,000 as we implemented a wider range of sales partnerships to bring banner advertising to our eFax MessengerT client software, and we continued to build revenue from email list rental. The strong demographics of our user base make an ideal audience for advertisers to reach business customers through our directed email advertising and our banner traffic. At the end of the quarter we had more than 85,000 paid subscribers and over 2.3 million total registered users of eFax.com's services." Scuze me? "email list rental"? Doesn't the privacy statement specifically prohibit this? "directed email advertising?" Huh? Isn't that... gasp... spam? Geez, no wonder the spam content in my mailbox has gone up so much over the last few months... Are any of us surprised that NASDAQ has delisted (as of August 9th) this bunch of hypocrites? I'd cancel my account, but I'd still be on their spam list, so I may as well stay on and continue getting something out of the deal... sigh... / From the messy desktop of Joey Lindstrom / Visit The NuServer! http://www.GaryNumanFan.NU / Visit The Webb! http://webb.GaryNumanFan.NU / / I went to the hardware store and bought some used paint. It was in the / shape of a house. I also bought some batteries, but they weren't / included. So I had to buy them again. / --Steven Wright ** Tag(s) inserted by Bandit Tagger98 - http://www.gbar.dtu.dk/~c918704 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #22 ******************************* From ???@??? Wed Aug 16 07:42:25 2000 Date: 16 Aug 2000 00:09:27 -0400 Message-ID: <20000816040927.11357.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #23 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: af608b8e9b6a89c3a6831804fcb39d5c Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Wednesday, August 16 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 023 In this issue: Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service Re: eFax beholden to spammers? Re: eFax beholden to spammers? RE: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service Re: DSL Line V & H Coordinates Nortel buys Sonoma; other telecom news from Network World Re: DSL Line 866/855 toll-free now properly Database dipped (via LATA tndm) by BellSouth Mobility New Orleans Re: eFax beholden to spammers? Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service Re: Robo-Moderation ICANN Elections Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service Nosy Bosses Face Limits on E-Mail Spying--Workers Gain New Freedoms Re: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam Net marketing firm receiving personal information Privacy Report Criticizes 'Infomediaries' Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service Lieberman's Privacy 'Tap' Dance 8/15/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES Boston Company Causes Concern for Web Privacy Advocates Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service Re: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 15 Aug 2000 06:57:39 -0400 From: "David Perrussel" Subject: Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service Its one of the oldest tricks in the book back when long distance calls were very expensive. I hardly know of anyone doing it these days though, hence that's probably why AT&T and other carriers are laughing rather than having their lawyers file a lawsuit against GEICO (IMHO, it stands for Gone Ever If Crashed Once) Dave Perrussel Webmaster - Telephone World http://phworld.tal-on.com Date: 14 Aug 2000 18:30:18 -0400 From: Alistair Gale Subject: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service If I were management at a LD carrier, I would be siccing my lawyers onto GEICO. Their latest TV ad shows a guy making a collect call from a hospital to announce the birth of his son, he is speaking to some automated system: - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 09:15:27 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: eFax beholden to spammers? >Although we do not sell or >rent any personally identifiable information about you to any third >party, we may, in certain >cases where you access our site from other third party sites, release >your email address >to such third party. We do not disclose certain pieces of information, >Seems innocuous enough, no? Now check this statement from Ronald >Brown, eFax.com's president, which is on their own website under the >heading "EFAX.COM ANNOUNCES SECOND QUARTER RESULTS": > > >"Advertising revenues in the quarter increased to over $300,000 as we >implemented a wider range of sales partnerships to bring banner >advertising to our eFax MessengerT client software, and we continued to >build revenue from email list rental. The strong demographics of our >user >base make an ideal audience for advertisers to reach business customers >through our directed email advertising and our banner traffic. At the >end of >the quarter we had more than 85,000 paid subscribers and over 2.3 >million >total registered users of eFax.com's services." > > >Scuze me? "email list rental"? Doesn't the privacy statement >specifically prohibit this? "directed email advertising?" Huh? Isn't >that... gasp... spam? Geez, no wonder the spam content in my mailbox >has gone up so much over the last few months... The answer is this: If they only rent out addresses where people have given permission, there is no problem. I use a tagged e-mail address, so I'd know if I was getting spam to the address I use for eFax -- and I haven't gotten any to date. >Are any of us surprised that NASDAQ has delisted (as of August 9th) >this bunch of hypocrites? > >I'd cancel my account, but I'd still be on their spam list, so I may as >well stay on and continue getting something out of the deal... sigh... I'm going to keep an eye out for spam from them. - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 10:10:23 -0400 From: Dave Garland Subject: Re: eFax beholden to spammers? >implemented a wider range of sales partnerships to bring banner >advertising to our eFax MessengerT client software, Their recent fax viewer "upgrade" contains a banner ad and a few advertising buttons that refresh when you start up the program, if you have an internet connection open. Unless you are running a firewall like ZoneAlarm (freeware, and highly recommended), which denies them access. Mildly annoying, but hardly a serious breach of privacy. >and we continued to build revenue from email list rental. I use a distinctive email address with them, and aside from their newsletter have never received _any_ mail to that address. >The strong demographics of our user base make an ideal audience > for advertisers When one signs up for a service like efax, there is often a demographic questionnaire. Remember, "on the Internet nobody knows you're a dog". Perhaps the reason I don't see any spam is that their demographics show me to be a 97 year old retired preacher living in a refrigerator carton and getting my Internet connection with a 300 baud accoustic modem at a pay phone. To drag this back slightly on-topic, I signed up with several services like efax (ok, so I'm personally responsible for the exhaustion of numberspace). Efax in particular works well, and enabled me to drop a telephone line, saving $40/month. No significant ill effects. Note that if your fax line is critical, prudence dictates having a fallback plan in case efax suddenly goes away. - -Dave - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 10:35:44 -0400 From: "Green, Andrew" Subject: RE: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service > then we cut to the new grandparents sitting room: > "Will you accept a collect call from John We Had a Baby Boy?" > "Sorry wrong number". > Cut back to John placing another automated collect call...... > > Tagline about "If you want to save money ...GEICO..blah > blah....." > > I guess this is the ultimate in packetized voice! But this > Very Large Corp. seems to be encouraging fraud against > other VLCs. Any thoughts? Harmless, ranking right up there with car commercials showing speeds in excess of 55 mph. I seem to recall a Saturn ad showing similar cost-saving crime by a penny-pinching car buyer, who'd sneak his own laundry into a commercial dryer still running on the previous customer's quarter, and that sort of thing. I know I'm veering off-topic here, but I personally got a _lot_ more worked up over an idiotic radio ad for Land Rover that spoofs Herb Morrison's anguished radio commentary during the Hindenburg air disaster, in which something like 39 people died. They reworded the commentary from a description of a flaming crash into, of all things, a description of a free oil change. What makes this particularly moronic is that the _only_ people who would recognize the attempted cleverness of the ad are the same people who would know that it parodies a fatal crash report. Amazing. - -- Andrew C. Green (312) 853-8331 Datalogics, Inc. 101 N. Wacker, Ste. 1800 http://www.datalogics.com Chicago, IL 60606-7301 Fax: (312) 853-8282 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 12:11:03 -0400 From: Mickey Ferguson Subject: Re: DSL Line Steve Sobol wrote in message news:slrn8phhlm.m0u.sjsobol@amethyst.nstc.com... > This is cool. Qwest (and USWest before them) had a bad reputation. In > fact, USWest was known to be completely clueless about DSL. It's nice to > know that someone actually got good service from a telco (for a change!) > > Those of us in PacBell/NevadaBell/SBC/Ameritech territory do not tend to > be quite as lucky. Worse yet for those of us in GTE/Verizon land. When I lived in Ohio (in Wadsworth, just a stone's throw from Akron), the service was pathetic. When I moved to Northern California and PacBell land, service was much better. Now that I'm in SoCal and back in GTE territory, service is pathetic again. And from what I've seen, GTE/Verizon is WAY behind in their DSL setups. And what about price? If I were in PacBell land, their price is $39.95/mo. including ISP, with free installation and hardware. Not so in GTE/Verizon - $49.95/mo. They simply don't have the competition, or don't care. I had been trying to get signed up with FreeDSL, since I'm in one of their early rollout regions. FreeDSL keeps telling me that GTE and now Verizon won't respond to them concerning getting my line set up. Now this could be a lie, that FreeDSL simply can't get their act together. But meanwhile I'm left without service. I can't justify an additional $40 (or even $30) per month just for DSL service, when I'm paying less than $10/mo. for very consistent 56K service (almost always getting at least 48K connection) with a local ISP. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 12:20:53 -0400 From: "Bob Edmonds" Subject: V & H Coordinates Do you know how I can get V & H Coordinate tables that would be used on a computer system for least costing routing determinations? Bob Edmonds =20 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 15:02:27 -0400 From: "Adam Gaffin" Subject: Nortel buys Sonoma; other telecom news from Network World Nortel buys access-gear maker Sonoma Nortel Networks Tuesday announced a definitive agreement to acquire Sonoma Systems, a maker of customer-premises access products employed by major carriers in their managed services. http://www.nwfusion.com/edge/news/2000/0815edgesono.html Gov't to review CLEC access to Project Pronto FCC says it's re-examining collocation, local-loop rules for DSL services provided off neighborhood terminals. http://www.nwfusion.com/edge/news/2000/0814edgefccrecon.html Reins change hands at Cable & Wireless Cable & Wireless North America is getting another new president. The company announced Monday that Wharton "Zie" Rivers is leaving the company and that Alan Gibbs is taking over as president. http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2000/0814candw.html Adam Gaffin Executive Editor, Network World Fusion agaffin@nww.com / (508) 490-6433 "Mediocrity fever grips Hub" - P.1, Boston Globe, 7/31/97 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 15:21:08 -0400 From: ellis@ftel.net (Rick Ellis) Subject: Re: DSL Line In article , Mickey Ferguson wrote: >Worse yet for those of us in GTE/Verizon land. When I lived in Ohio (in >Wadsworth, just a stone's throw from Akron), the service was pathetic. When >I moved to Northern California and PacBell land, service was much better. >Now that I'm in SoCal and back in GTE territory, service is pathetic again. >And from what I've seen, GTE/Verizon is WAY behind in their DSL setups. What kind of problems are you having? I have GTE DSL and it's been fine for the last 1.5 years. - -- http://www.fnet.net/~ellis/photo/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 16:19:42 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: 866/855 toll-free now properly Database dipped (via LATA tndm) by BellSouth Mobility New Orleans After several calls back and forth with BSMobility in Baton Rouge / New Orleans, as well as Atlanta Corp.HQ, the New Orleans LA NWORLAIYCM3 (Ericsson) MTSO in New Orleans is properly translating/routing 866/855 toll-free SACs via the New Orleans and Metairie (suburb) LATA tandems for database-dipping, the database returning the "CIC" of the LD-carrier that the called toll-free number's customer has chosen, and then the LATA tandem handing the call over to that "CIC" indicated LD-carrier. Previously, BSMobility was defaulting _ALL_ 866/855 dialed calls over to the calling customer's default chosen "PIC". In my case, AT&T via their OSPS and 4E in Jackson MS. That's fine _IF_ the dialed 866/855 number happens to be one provided by AT&T. But if the 866/855 dialed number is one provided by someone _OTHER_ than AT&T, then the call is rejected by AT&T. All toll-free dialed calls _MUST_ be database-dipped _FIRST_UPFONT_ to determine _WHICH_ LD-carrier is to handle that toll-free call! The tech-rep in Baton Rouge with BSMobility took down the info I gave her as to NANPA's and TRA's websites (she'd never heard of NANPA nor TRA nor Bellcore/Telcordia), and checked with Atlanta. The MTSO switch-man wouldn't re-route 866/855 to the LATA tandem rather than the calling cellular customer's "PIC" until he had authorization from above from Atlanta HQ, even though he know that 866/855 and even 844/833/822 have been coming soon. When the Baton Rouge tech-rep informed Atlanta HQ of the situation as well as NANPAs and TRAs website information, Atlanta "gave authorization" to the switch-man at the New Orleans MTSO, and now the calls route properly. (I don't know if 844/833/822 are re-routed via the LATA tndm yet or not. I'll have to dial something with these SACs and see if I'm rejected by AT&T in Jackson MS, or if I'm rejected by the BellSouth landline LATA-tandem). MJC - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 17:51:09 -0400 From: abuse@cabal.org.uk (Peter Corlett) Subject: Re: eFax beholden to spammers? Joey Lindstrom wrote: [...] > Scuze me? "email list rental"? Doesn't the privacy statement specifically > prohibit this? "directed email advertising?" Huh? Isn't that... gasp... > spam? Geez, no wonder the spam content in my mailbox has gone up so much > over the last few months... This is pretty much why I don't give abuse@cabal.org.uk as my email address to online signup forms. I figure that having a localpart (the bit before the @) of "abuse" is sufficient to deter Usenet trawlers, but not signup forms, where the address is arguably more "validated". The localpart is thus customised for each service I sign up for, so I can switch them off individually if I get spammed. It's probably worth noting that I haven't had spam to any of the service specific addresses above and beyond what was agreed at signup. It's certainly worth noting that all these services are within the EU and thus sale of my personal information isn't permitted by law, unlike the US where such data seems to be considered a company asset to be sold when things are tight. As a side amusement, I registered a throwaway domain that's a common typo of a popular UK domain as a bit of an experiment, and I accept all mail directed at it (barring those listed in the RBL or are otherwise rejected at the SMTP layer.) After four months, its mailbox has about 600 items of which is about 50% mistyped one-to-one private mail, and 50% spam. Almost all of the spam originates in the US, and frequently from large US corporations that should know better. One such company now has their entire netblock in the RBL after they moved their mailserver when the original address was blacklisted so they could keep churning out spam. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 17:51:10 -0400 From: abuse@cabal.org.uk (Peter Corlett) Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Peter Morgan wrote: [...] > Thanks for the photo. Nice to see a traditional red box. You may be > unaware that they are not as widely distributed as they were... They are > being replaced, unfortunately, by altogether less sound- proof boxes, > where traffic noise enters by way of a 3" gap at the bottom... which does > at least mean they are easier to keep clean, and much less smelly ! I think it may also depend on the area. The local payphone in this bit of Fulham is a traditional red box - because it's a very low crime area, BT's maintenance is probably little more than painting it occasionally and changing the adverts. If it's not been vandalised, BT don't really have an excuse to replace it. Contrast with other bits of London: Phoning for your pizza on a Friday night, you will be standing in the remains of a "modern" phonebox, and several inches of glass. These might have been red phone boxes once, but it's very labour intensive to replace all those little panes of glass. (You may not get your pizza either. Reputedly, after an incident where a driver got beat up and his bike and money stolen when trying to deliver to West Kensington, they refuse delivery there.) > [...] all the boxes were at something like 40 degrees off vertical, > because an Oak or similar tree was pushing the first and the others went > like dominoes. I'd bet that apart from replacing a few panes of glass, those phone boxes were in fine condition. I wouldn't have thought that there'd be much salvageable from one of their newer phone boxes. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 17:55:53 -0400 From: pw@panix.com (Paul Wallich) Subject: Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service In article <20000814172840.A7047@caribsurf.com>, alistair@caribsurf.com wrote: >If I were management at a LD carrier, I would be siccing >my lawyers onto GEICO. > >Their latest TV ad shows a guy making a collect call >from a hospital to announce the birth of his son, he is speaking >to some automated system: >First Name: "John" >Last Name: "We had a baby boy", >then we cut to the new grandparents sitting room: >"Will you accept a collect call from John We Had a Baby Boy?" >"Sorry wrong number". >Cut back to John placing another automated collect call...... > >Tagline about "If you want to save money ...GEICO..blah blah....." > >I guess this is the ultimate in packetized voice! But this Very Large >Corp. seems to be encouraging fraud against other VLCs. Any thoughts? Considering that in their other ads they have people firing off cannons aimed at their own heads and similar "humorous" behaviors (and also considering that the insurance industry is one of the few that has way more lawyers than telecom) that would be a good way for GEICO to get a bunch more publicity. paul so does connecting a phone call cost _anything_ anymore? - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 18:08:23 -0400 From: abuse@cabal.org.uk (Peter Corlett) Subject: Re: Robo-Moderation wrote: [...] > I suggest some form of 'team moderation', based on something like the > STUMP software. This eliminates the dependence on one single person having > the time to "do it right". I do hope that's "something like STUMP" and not STUMP itself. I've had the "delight" of using it to comoderate a group, and it wasn't pretty. While it works, do not believe the hype on Igor's web page, and do take time to review the source code to ensure it does what you think it does. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 19:50:06 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: ICANN Elections For those of you who registered to vote in the upcoming ICANN elections, you can now, and for the next two weeks, formally endorse a candidate seeking to make the final ballot. The endorsement URL is https://members.icann.org/cgi-bin/atlarge/endorse.cgi. (The endorsement process is simply to determine who makes the final ballot. You could endorse a candidate for ballot purposes and then vote for someone else in October, when the election is held.) ICB endorses Karl Auerbach. His platform (proposing significant, much needed reform of ICANN ) is at http://www.cavebear.com/ialc/platform.htm. ... and many of his writings and essays can be found in ICB's Editorial Section. ICB's Domain Name Survey of At Large Member Nominees is at http://icbtollfree.com/txt/icbsurveyresults.htm. (Registration required. Names/contact info not divulged sold leased rented shared whispered etc.) You can read the nominees' ICANN candidate pages here: https://members.icann.org/nom.html. To endorse a candidate, you'll first need to activate your membership. To activate, you'll need your membership number, password and PIN. You can activate here: http://members.icann.org/members_only.htm. The reminder URL to have your membership number and password e-mailed to you is at https://members.icann.org/reminder.access.html. Your PIN was sent via postal mail. You can only endorse *one* candidate, so you might take the time to read the candidate pages and survey responses etc. carefully. Judith Oppenheimer Judith Oppenheimer, +1 212 684-7210, 1 800 The Expert Publisher, http://www.icbtollfree.com/testimny.cfm Register for FREE 800/Dot Com Headlines here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 20:16:57 -0400 From: Lloyd Matthews Subject: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam I have been using MCI's long distance 5c/minute plan on my AT&T Wireless Services cellphone-no way would I pay their 15c a minute. Recently I got a letter saying AT&T Wireless Services changed my wireless LD carrier to themselves. I called Customer Service and explained that I did not authorize this, switch me back now, please. Customer Service replied that AT&T had given the FCC a sob story about billing problems with other LD carriers, and had asked if the FCC would authorize AT&T forcibly switching all their wireless customers' LD to themselves. The FCC agreed, and that's that. How exactly does this legalized slamming work? I thought Congress passed laws against this sort of thing. The fact that the FCC would collude with a carrier to slam customers really annoys me. So, can anybody recommend a cheap calling card (especially for in-state CA calls)? Or prepaid? Anything but AT&T.... - -- - --Thanks! Lloyd Matthews - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 20:37:19 -0400 From: "Ed Ellers" Subject: Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service Paul Wallich wrote: "so does connecting a phone call cost _anything_ anymore?" It does in the sense that you need switching hardware (and accompanying software) to do the job, and that gear has to be scaled to the point where it can handle the specified load most of the time, so the cost has to be paid for by charging the people who are placing that load on the equipment. (The cost of switching a call is probably a helluva lot lower than the cost of *billing* that call. From what I've heard, the only thing stopping the development of flat-rate long distance is the need to pay X cents per minute to the local phone companies at each end, reportedly quite a bit more than the actual cost of transmission!) - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 20:40:22 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Nosy Bosses Face Limits on E-Mail Spying--Workers Gain New Freedoms Nosy Bosses Face Limits on E-Mail Spying--Workers Gain New Freedoms By now most of us know that employers may legally monitor or censor messages sent over company e-mail wires. But recently, some workers have successfully challenged blanket e-mail censorship by using, of all things, the 1935 National Labor Relations Act. In two cases that could have broad repercussions, the National Labor Relations Board's Office of the General Counsel successfully intervened on behalf of workers fired for using company e-mail in ways that upset their employers. http://www.pcworld.com/shared/printable_articles/0,1440,17757,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 20:42:47 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam >>From 'Lloyd Matthews': > How exactly does this legalized slamming work? I thought Congress >passed laws against this sort of thing. The fact that the FCC would >collude with a carrier to slam customers really annoys me. Are we absolutely sure that wireless is subject to the anti-slamming regs as landline service is? Most of the landline regs don't apply. GTE (well, Alltel now) forces me to use them, and I can't use a 10-10 code, and a calling card is a hassle to use. (Of course, I'm on a no-LD calling package, so it doesn't matter much anymore) - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 21:32:19 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Net marketing firm receiving personal information Net marketing firm receiving personal information WASHINGTON--An Internet marketing company is secretly receiving names and addresses of customers visiting some popular e-commerce sites, which one privacy group called "unforgivable." http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-2403836.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 21:32:20 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Privacy Report Criticizes 'Infomediaries' Privacy Report Criticizes 'Infomediaries' It says Toysrus.com and others may violate privacy standards by not telling customers about contracts with a data-collection firm. By Elinor Abreu A new report released by Internet security firm Interhack, based in Columbus, Ohio, warns that the practice of outsourcing data collection on the activities of Web site visitors creates significant potential for privacy breaches. http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/1,1151,17328,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 21:38:08 -0400 From: John_David_Galt@acm.org Subject: Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service Alistair Gale wrote: > I guess this is the ultimate in packetized voice! But this Very Large > Corp. seems to be encouraging fraud against other VLCs. Any thoughts? One could equally argue that the Nissan ad showing high speed on the Autobahn encouraged speeding, or that a recent Pepsi TV ad encourages dangerous skydiving stunts. I think the only problem here is some people's limited sense of humor. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 22:36:43 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Lieberman's Privacy 'Tap' Dance Lieberman's Privacy 'Tap' Dance by Declan McCullagh 7:53 a.m. Aug. 15, 2000 PDT LOS ANGELES -- The Democratic Party platform that delegates will adopt this week embraces personal privacy despite the checkered voting record of its vice presidential candidate. During his 12 years in the Senate, Connecticut's Joseph Lieberman has supported regulations on medical data collection while at the same time championing expanded surveillance powers for law enforcement. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,38207,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 22:49:20 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/15/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - NANC 800 IMG UPDATE - - ENDORSE YOUR CANDIDATE FOR THE ICANN ELECTION - - DOT COMS AND BRANDING - - E.164 NUMBER AND DNS - - TEXT PAYPHONES LAUNCHED IN THE UK - - STANDARD COMMUNICATIONS FOR PORTABILITY - - WHAT'S NU? CHRISTIES.NU ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) SUMMER'S ALMOST OVER - ACT NOW! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. CORRECTION The correct URL for yesterday's editorial EU CULTURE OF POLITICS, AND THE INTERNET is http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4319. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 15, 2000 P - NANC 800 IMG UPDATE IMG recommendation outline, scope, timeline. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4333 F - ENDORSE YOUR CANDIDATE FOR THE ICANN ELECTION For those of you who registered to vote in the upcoming ICANN elections, you can now, and for the next two weeks, formally endorse a candidate seeking to make the final ballot. The endorsement URL is https://members.icann.org/cgi-bin/atlarge/endorse.cgi. For more information and links, read full article. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4334 F - DOT COMS AND BRANDING How do top ad agency pros view domain names and their role in branding marketing on the Web? Guest Feature: interview with Young & Rubicam's Stephen Jiranek and Don Kelly from Margeotes, Fertitta & Partners. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4331 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 15, 2000 P - E.164 NUMBER AND DNS E.164 number and DNS Proposed Standard defines how DNS can be used for identifying available services related to one E.164 number. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4335 F - TEXT PAYPHONES LAUNCHED IN THE UK They feature a screen for text and graphics and a keyboard to write and send e-mails, as well as text messages to mobile phones. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4336 P - STANDARD COMMUNICATIONS FOR PORTABILITY Many customers don't know how portability works, which "can cause customers to become frustrated and in some cases their toll free number can be put out of service." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4332 P - WHAT'S NU? CHRISTIES.NU First country code domain name dispute decision awarded. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4330 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 23:21:08 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Boston Company Causes Concern for Web Privacy Advocates Tuesday, August 15, 2000 Boston Company Causes Concern for Web Privacy Advocates BOSTON - A Boston-based company is tracking the information consumers are getting from pharmaceutical companies' Web sites, a practice that is raising concern among Internet privacy advocates. Pharmatrak knows if people have been checking information on impotence, AIDS or any other medical condition. Pharmatrak then shares that information with the drug companies -- and the Web surfer may never know. http://www.whdh.com/news/local10.shtml - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 23:27:32 -0400 From: pw@panix.com (Paul Wallich) Subject: Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service In article <0b7a50836001080CPIMSSMTPE01@msn.com>, "Ed Ellers" wrote: >Paul Wallich wrote: > >"so does connecting a phone call cost _anything_ anymore?" > >It does in the sense that you need switching hardware (and accompanying >software) to do the job, and that gear has to be scaled to the point where >it can handle the specified load most of the time, so the cost has to be >paid for by charging the people who are placing that load on the equipment. >(The cost of switching a call is probably a helluva lot lower than the cost >of *billing* that call. From what I've heard, the only thing stopping the >development of flat-rate long distance is the need to pay X cents per minute >to the local phone companies at each end, reportedly quite a bit more than >the actual cost of transmission!) A few months ago, I saw a presentation by some exec from worldcom (he was talking about what a wonderful thing that merger -- since blocked -- would be) and I seem to recall a pie chart with something like 17% of costs going to operational stuff like switching ops and hardware, with billing a larger chunk and marketing just under 50% of the total. It's become a strange business. paul - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 15 Aug 2000 23:57:52 -0400 From: quonk@my-deja.com Subject: Re: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam > How exactly does this legalized slamming work? I thought Congress > passed laws against this sort of thing. The fact that the FCC would > collude with a carrier to slam customers really annoys me. > > So, can anybody recommend a cheap calling card (especially for > in-state CA calls)? Or prepaid? Anything but AT&T.... > The wireless companies that were not owned by the former Bell System companies were never required to provide you access to the long distance carrier of your choice. Even the former RBOC-owned wireless companies were relieved of most equal access responsibilities by the Telecom Act. McCaw Cellular never let you choose your own long distance company. When they were purchased by AT&T, they promised to provide equal access in order to gain government approval of the transaction. Apparently, if what you say is correct, the government has now decided that they no longer care to enforce this agreement. So no laws have been broken. Good calling cards? I recommend the calling cards from Sams Club or Costco. Both cost 5.9 cents per minute with no surcharges. You can buy Costco cards on line at their web site even if you don't belong. Or try http://www.bigzoo.com . Since they got their new access numbers, the service is more reliable. Be sure to use the new access numbers. Or use a service like Acculinq. You call an 800 number or a local access number and then they identify you by caller-ID or ANI, saving you the trouble of dialing a calling card number. Or better yet, sign up for a cellular plan that has long distance included. It seems like that is the trend now. Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 16 Aug 2000 00:09:24 -0400 From: Alistair@caribsurf.com (Alistair Gale) Subject: Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service On 15 Aug 2000 21:38:08 -0400, John_David_Galt@acm.org wrote: >Alistair Gale wrote: > >> I guess this is the ultimate in packetized voice! But this Very Large >> Corp. seems to be encouraging fraud against other VLCs. Any thoughts? > >One could equally argue that the Nissan ad showing high speed on the >Autobahn encouraged speeding, or that a recent Pepsi TV ad encourages >dangerous skydiving stunts. > >I think the only problem here is some people's limited sense of humor. OH YEAH, SMILE WHEN YOU SAY THAT! (Btw thats humOur monkey boy.) - -- alistair .' '. __ . . . (__\_ . . . -{{_(|8) jgs ' . . ' ' . . ' (__/` - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #23 ******************************* From ???@??? Wed Aug 16 07:42:54 2000 Date: 16 Aug 2000 06:15:11 -0400 Message-ID: <20000816101511.27280.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #24 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 7700dbcbfd0bcf5cd61995c29b298510 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Wednesday, August 16 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 024 In this issue: Re: Lieberman's Privacy 'Tap' Dance Re: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam Re: V & H Coordinates ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 16 Aug 2000 01:35:45 -0400 From: phr@netcom.com (Paul Rubin) Subject: Re: Lieberman's Privacy 'Tap' Dance In article , Monty Solomon wrote: >Lieberman's Privacy 'Tap' Dance >by Declan McCullagh > >7:53 a.m. Aug. 15, 2000 PDT >LOS ANGELES -- The Democratic Party platform that delegates will >adopt this week embraces personal privacy despite the checkered >voting record of its vice presidential candidate. > >During his 12 years in the Senate, Connecticut's Joseph Lieberman has >supported regulations on medical data collection while at the same >time championing expanded surveillance powers for law enforcement. > >http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,38207,00.html Gore and Lieberman scare me from a privacy perspective. For example, http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?contentid=913&knlgAreaID=85&subsecid=108 is a press release from the Progressive Policy Institute (part of Lieberman's Democratic Leadership Council) about their proposal to make the DMCA even worse than it is. Among other things it requires ISP's to get verifiable ID from their users or face liability for copyright-infringing content that the users post, and allows judges to shut down ISP's if they host infringing stuff. Gore, of course, also backed the Clipper chip and has kept cryptography bogged down for many years by keeping the bogus crypto export regulations alive. Of course I have plenty of problems with GW Bush as well... - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 16 Aug 2000 02:18:13 -0400 From: "Michael D. Sullivan" Subject: Re: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam Actually, wireless carriers were specifically relieved from having to provide a choice of long-distance providers, and were allowed to provide bundled local and long-distance, by the 1996 Telecom Act (Section 601 thereof, if i recall). - -- Michael D. Sullivan avogadro@bellatlantic.net Bethesda, MD, USA - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 16 Aug 2000 04:24:29 -0400 From: HALinNY77@aol.com Subject: Re: V & H Coordinates In a message dated 08/16/00 00:12:35 Eastern Daylight Time, owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org writes: > Date: 15 Aug 2000 12:20:53 -0400 > From: "Bob Edmonds" > > Do you know how I can get V & H Coordinate tables that would be used on a > computer system for least costing routing determinations? > > Bob Edmonds > Telcordia's Traffic and Routing Administration (TRA) offers several products that include V&H data. They are available on paper, CD-ROM, mag tape, and floppies. You can subscribe to regular updates or purchase a single edition for a small premium over a subscription. My personal preference is the Terminal Point Master that costs about $300 per month. Their URL is http://www.trainfo.com/ . I have to say, however, as someone who's spent the last four years developing Least Cost Routing (LCR) systems for several telecom companies, that V&H has never been a factor in LCR. The predominant factor is typically a combination of LATA and OCN or (in less sophisticated systems) NPA. This information is also available in the TRA products mentioned above. Hal Kaplan Orion Telecommunications, Inc. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #24 ******************************* From ???@??? Thu Aug 17 08:06:58 2000 Date: 17 Aug 2000 06:15:10 -0400 Message-ID: <20000817101510.22573.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #25 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: ea4b00fc306fe821290839bcd45d9995 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Thursday, August 17 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 025 In this issue: Re: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam Rates (was Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service) Fwd: Re: E-Mail this story? Re: Fwd: Re: E-Mail this story? Re: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam Update on 855 & 866 on AT&T Wireless AT&T works with 866, but Alltel still doesn't. Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Re: Lieberman's Privacy 'Tap' Dance ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 16 Aug 2000 08:55:52 -0400 From: stevenl11@aol.com (Steven Lichter) Subject: Re: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam >Actually, wireless carriers were specifically relieved from having to >provide a choice of long-distance providers, and were allowed to provide >bundled local and long-distance, by the 1996 Telecom Act (Section 601 >thereof, if i recall). > >-- >Michael D. Sullivan I have Airtouch/Verizon, but when it was still part of Pacific Bell, I was able to choose my own carrier. I later did switch to the in.house one and now have the L/D included in my rate. Maybe they were different or because if was California. Apple Elite II 909-359-5338. Home of GBBS/LLUCE, support for the Apple II and Macintosh 24 hours 2400/14.4. An OggNet Server. http://www.delphi.com/gbbs The only good spammer is a dead one, have you hunted one down today? (c) - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 16 Aug 2000 12:41:59 -0400 From: jlurker@bigfoot.com (Justa Lurker) Subject: Rates (was Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service) It was 15 Aug 2000 23:27:32 -0400, and pw@panix.com (Paul Wallich) wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: | A few months ago, I saw a presentation by some exec from worldcom | (he was talking about what a wonderful thing that merger -- since | blocked -- would be) and I seem to recall a pie chart with something | like 17% of costs going to operational stuff like switching ops and | hardware, with billing a larger chunk and marketing just under 50% | of the total. So of my 9c per minute I'm paying them 4c per minute to TELL ME their rate is low, 2c for the priviledge of being charged, and 3c for the actual service ... | It's become a strange business. Very! I wonder when it will be cheaper to give away service than sell it? JL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 16 Aug 2000 17:10:09 -0400 From: Mike Pollock Subject: Fwd: Re: E-Mail this story? Okay, Digesters, here's the response I got from the New York Times. I await your interpretation and will abide by your judgment. It seems to me that I should manually send a link (alas not using their handy e-mailing feature) to avoid the storage and mass-distribution problems, but what say ye? My original e-mail appears in the quote. - --Mike - --- hilda cosmo wrote: > Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 17:01:36 -0400 > To: Mike Pollock > From: hilda cosmo > Subject: Re: E-Mail this story? > > Mr. Pollock, > Since you are receiving permission to e-mail the > article to a friend, there > is no breach of the subscriber agreement. Posting > the NYTimes article in a > newsgroup for the purpose of discussion is > permitted. NYT content may not > be archived and must be deleted within a day or two. > The copyright and > credit mention to be included with the article is: > Reprinted With > Permission (c) 2000 The New York Times Company. > > Mass distribution or posting requires permission. > Information on how to > apply for > permission may be found at the url below: > > http://www.nytimes.com/subscribe/help/permiss.html > > > Thank you for your interest in The New York Times on > the Web. > Hilda Cosmo > > At 07:30 AM 8/14/2000 -0700, you wrote: > >Can you please clarify how the new "E-mail this > story" > >link on all the NYT stories relates to the > copyright > >policy? Especially The New York Times on the Web > >Subscriber Agreement sections 2.2 and 2.3? > > > >Can I forward a story with this link (which keeps > the > >copyright and other notices intact) to a mailing > list > >such as those at eGroups.com, or a Usenet group > with > >an e-mail gateway? I know section 2.3 allows > >downloading and copying for personal use, and I'd > >consider these lists and newsgroups personal since > >they're hobby-related and not part of any business. > >But section 2.2 forbids transmission and > reproduction, > >So what are the rules specific to "E-mail this > story." > > > >Thanks, > > > >--Mike _______________________________________________________________________________ > Hilda V. Cosmo > Rights and Contracts Manager > > > New York Times Digital Division of The New York > Times Company > 1120 Ave. of the Americas 6th Floor, New York, NY > 10036 > Telephone: 212-597-8037 fax: 212-789-3249 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 16 Aug 2000 19:11:53 -0400 From: Dave Garland Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: E-Mail this story? It was a dark and stormy night when Mike Pollock first wrote: > Posting the NYTimes article in a newsgroup for the purpose of discussion is >> permitted. So sayeth the NYT. For all practical purposes, the mailing list is just an extension of the ng. They're prohibiting spamming it, or posting it on your website. - -Dave . - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 16 Aug 2000 19:46:06 -0400 From: "Joey Lindstrom" Subject: Re: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam On 16 Aug 2000 00:09:27 -0400, quonk@my-deja.com wrote: >The wireless companies that were not owned by the former Bell System >companies were never required to provide you access to the long distance >carrier of your choice. Even the former RBOC-owned wireless companies were >relieved of most equal access responsibilities by the Telecom Act. >Or use a service like Acculinq. You call an 800 number or a local access >number and then they identify you by caller-ID or ANI, saving you the trouble >of dialing a calling card number. Up here in Canada, we've never had the ability to sign up for third-party long distance on our cellular/PCS phones. Dialing 1-700-555-4141 from any carrier usually results in a "your call cannot be completed as dialed" message. Thankfully, cellular long distance rates are becoming SLIGHTLY less usurious, but there *IS* a way around it, and it's something like this Acculinq service you speak of. It's a company called Wintel. It's designed for landlines but works the same way: you dial a local access number (or 1-800 number at a higher rate) and ANI identifies who you are. You then dial the ten-digit number you want (overseas calls are also permitted but you precede them with "999", then country code, then the rest), and voila!, your call goes through. Off-peak within Canada is just 7 cents (that's Canadian cents, about 0.004 cents US) per minute, and 13 cents/minute to the US 24/7. When you call to sign up, DO NOT tell them the number you are signing up is cellular/PCS, because they'll turn you down. :-) Oh, and be sure your cellular service supports caller-ID (most now do, even analog). I've used this service successfully with phones on the Rogers/AT&T, Telus Mobility, and Clearnet networks. You can also set up multiple phone numbers for access at the same time, so you can get the service with your landline(s) as well. A calling card is also available (something like 20 cents/minute for US/Canada calls) for when you're calling from a payphone or otherwise away from your regular phone number. The number is 1-888-WINTEL-1 My only connection to them is as a satisfied customer. / From the messy desktop of Joey Lindstrom / Visit The NuServer! http://www.GaryNumanFan.NU / Visit The Webb! http://webb.GaryNumanFan.NU / / PATH=C:\DOS;C:\DOS\RUN;C:\WIN\CRASH\DOS;C:\ME\DEL\WIN ** Tag(s) inserted by Bandit Tagger98 - http://www.gbar.dtu.dk/~c918704 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 16 Aug 2000 21:25:58 -0400 From: "Jeffrey J. Carpenter" Subject: Update on 855 & 866 on AT&T Wireless AT&T Wireless can now appropriately route calls to both 866 & 855, starting this morning (at least in Pittsburgh). Calls to my 866 number work as well as calls to the test numbers documented on the ATIS web site, except the Bell Atlantic ones. BuT, given the strike, who knows what the problem is there. I go back on the road Friday, so, I will check out AT&T WS in other cities this weekend. droopy - -- Jeffrey J. Carpenter P.O. Box 471 Glenshaw, PA 15116-0471 Phone: +1 218 837-6000 Fax: +1 310 914-1716 Email: jjc@pobox.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 16 Aug 2000 22:40:44 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: AT&T works with 866, but Alltel still doesn't. >>From 'Jeffrey J. Carpenter': >AT&T Wireless can now appropriately route calls to both 866 & 855, >starting this morning (at least in Pittsburgh). Calls to my 866 number >work as well as calls to the test numbers documented on the ATIS web >site, except the Bell Atlantic ones. BuT, given the strike, who knows >what the problem is there. I go back on the road Friday, so, I will >check out AT&T WS in other cities this weekend. Alltel, which couldn't route wireless calls to my company's new 866 number (866-DSL-EXPRESS, for those who care :), still can't route wireless calls to that number. Ameritech seems to have no problem routing landline calls, though. A techie at Alltel said she figured they probably hadn't programmed 866 into the switch. I'll have to call Star611 tomorrow and beat up on them until they do. :) - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 00:12:37 -0400 From: oldbear@arctos.com (The Old Bear) Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Roy Smith writes: >From: Roy Smith >Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom >Subject: Where have all the phone booths gone? >Date: 10 Aug 2000 11:22:15 -0400 >Organization: NYU School of Medicine, Educational Computing >Lines: 18 > >The other day, I needed to make a phone call at work which required some >privacy. I set off to find a phone in a phone booth where I could shut the door >and use the phone. Could not find one. I checked out a few locations in the >complex where I work where I seemed to remember phone booths, but they had all >been converted to little alcoves with pay phones hung on the wall. > >The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw an honest to >goodness phone booth, with a seat, a door, a light that comes on when you close >the door (and a fan even). A phone book, of course, would be too much to ask >for, but I'd settle for a door that you could close. Do they still exist >anywhere? Yes, they exist as collectors items being sold from time to time at antique dealers or even online auctions. I beleive I saw a 1920s vintage wooden telephone booth sell for about $2800 on eBay a few weeks ago. I just did a search of eBay and there's one phone booth being offered at the moment. You can look at the pictures and text at: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=409136957 Enjoy. Cheers, The Old Bear - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 00:12:37 -0400 From: oldbear@arctos.com (The Old Bear) Subject: Re: Lieberman's Privacy 'Tap' Dance phr@netcom.com (Paul Rubin) writes: >From: phr@netcom.com (Paul Rubin) >Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom >Subject: Re: Lieberman's Privacy 'Tap' Dance >Date: 16 Aug 2000 01:35:45 -0400 >Lines: 34 >is a press release from the Progressive Policy Institute (part of >Lieberman's Democratic Leadership Council) about their proposal to >make the DMCA even worse than it is. Among other things it requires >ISP's to get verifiable ID from their users or face liability for >copyright-infringing content that the users post, and allows judges to >shut down ISP's if they host infringing stuff. Sheesh... ISPs should know who their customers are and get some hooks into them. This would go a long way to cut down on the amount of spam that is generated by spammers who open "throw-away" accounts with phoney names, use them for 24 hours to inject millions of spams into the mail system, and move on. I am very much in favor of anonymizing services for person who wish to mask their identity because these services will not accommodate that kind of mass-mailing abuse. If it were required that all email carry a real address *OR* an identified anonymous emailer address, we could easily decide whether or not to accept anonymous mail just as we can decide whether or not to accept phone calls with caller ID supressed. Right now, spamming is a fine art woven from stolen services, false identities, and absolutely no liability for the spammer. The clean up costs for service providers and legitimate businesses are huge. Having worked in a management position with a large regional ISP, when I instituted a policy of getting a call-back number for verification of accounts being opened without a credit card (i.e., direct billing), we found that almost half of persons opening such accounts gave phoney call-back numbers so that we could not reach them to verify that they had requested us to open an account. (I beleive we were one of the few ISPs to bother to do this. And it significantly reduced the number of spam complaints to our abuse desk.) >Gore, of course, also backed the Clipper chip and has kept cryptography >bogged down for many years by keeping the bogus crypto export regulations >alive. I totally agree. It took the man a long, long time to understand the issue and realize that one cannot put the genie back in the bottle. >Of course I have plenty of problems with GW Bush as well... Don't get me started. ;) Cheers, The Old Bear - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #25 ******************************* From ???@??? Fri Aug 18 06:56:56 2000 Date: 18 Aug 2000 06:15:12 -0400 Message-ID: <20000818101512.14401.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #26 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 96d4365b310b0f6798398b94c96e1d0f Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Friday, August 18 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 026 In this issue: Re: Strange Overseas LD charges to Vanuatu (Re: NO LD-carrier but overseas Re: Fwd: Re: E-Mail this story? Re: Strange Overseas LD charges to Vanuatu (Re: NO LD-carrier but overseas Reverse 800 Directories Re: Strange Overseas LD charges to Vanuatu (Re: NO LD-carrier but overseas Re: Reverse 800 Directories RE: Reverse 800 Directories Re: eFax beholden to spammers? Re: Strange Overseas LD charges to Vanuatu (Re: NO LD-carrier but overseas Re: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam 8/17/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES Key Voice and Dialogic problem Re: Reverse 800 Directories Music to My Ears But Not EMI's Hollywood Wins DVD-Copy Case Studios Score DeCSS Victory FBI Prepping Carnivore Data FCC Wiretap Order Overturned Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? Crankcalls.com On the news radio: vandals cut power lines by mistake UMTS-auction in Germany (first part finished) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 17 Aug 2000 06:56:54 -0400 From: jjc@pobox.com (Jeffrey James Bryan Carpenter) Subject: Re: Strange Overseas LD charges to Vanuatu (Re: NO LD-carrier but overseas Both AT&T and Worldcom/MCI have both discontinued their 500 service. I received a letter from AT&T a few weeks ago stating that existing customers would be cut off in late September (I think). They also asked for you to provide a referral number where they can refer calls to. This met my concern that until November, my 500 number is still listed in phone books. droopy > The two biggest providers of 500 numbers are (or have been) > AT&T and MCI > (there have been other smaller carriers here and there too). > It doesn't > matter who your "main" LD carrier is (if you even have chosen > one), the > 500 number is going to be carried and billed by the LD-company > providing > that 500 service/number. - -- Jeffrey James Bryan Carpenter jjc@pobox.com +1 218 837-6000 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 08:37:15 -0400 From: Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: E-Mail this story? Dave Garland wrote: > It was a dark and stormy night when Mike Pollock > first wrote: >> Posting the NYTimes article in a newsgroup for the purpose of discussion is >>> permitted. > So sayeth the NYT. For all practical purposes, the mailing list is > just an extension of the ng. > They're prohibiting spamming it, or posting it on your website. They also prohibit archiving, which is probably an automated feature of most mailing lists and some newsgroups. It's not clear who would be responsible for removing the text from the archive (presumably substituting a web link or reference). Still, they did explicitly say it was OK to post to a newsgroup as part of a discusssion. I say give them credit for an enlightened attitude, at least, though the archiving issue seems problematic. - -- ***************************************************************************** * Bill Ranck +1-540-231-3951 ranck@vt.edu * * Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Computing Center * ***************************************************************************** - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 13:13:50 -0400 From: scsmediafmp@aol.com (Steven Scharf) Subject: Re: Strange Overseas LD charges to Vanuatu (Re: NO LD-carrier but overseas You mean to tell us that a number you have spent money publizing is being sumarrily turned off with less then two months notice? I would be up in arms if this happened to me. That phone listing is worth a lot more then the change of phone books in November. It would put a seriuos crimp in my business if I used one. Steven Scharf SCS Media Services 57 East 11th Street, 9th Floor New York, New York 10003 212-822-8555 201-547-3510 Direct Phone and Fax (Please call first before faxing) SCSMedia@aol.com jjc@pobox.com (Jeffrey James Bryan Carpenter) commented: Both AT&T and Worldcom/MCI have both discontinued their 500 service. I received a letter from AT&T a few weeks ago stating that existing customers would be cut off in late September (I think). They also asked for you to provide a referral number where they can refer calls to. This met my concern that until November, my 500 number is still listed in phone books. droopy - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 13:45:30 -0400 From: Louis Jahn Subject: Reverse 800 Directories Is there an easy way to locate who is the owner of an 800 number? With business's desire to use 800-vanity number access, there is often someone using a desired 800# but for non-vanity purposes; hence we may be able have them release it , if we knew who they are. Can anyone help on this problem? Lou Jahn Info Partners Corp 609-823-6602 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 14:39:15 -0400 From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) Subject: Re: Strange Overseas LD charges to Vanuatu (Re: NO LD-carrier but overseas >You mean to tell us that a number you have spent money publizing is being >sumarrily turned off with less then two months notice? It's been clear for about two years that 500 service is going away. It's nearly useless anyway since every pay phone and PBX in the country blocks calls to 500 numbers for the same reason they block calls to 900 numbers. And 500 is obsolete -- these days you can either just eat the cost of the incoming call (7 cpm maybe) and use an 800 number, or else use a regular POTS number since most people now pay less to call anywhere in the US long distance than a 500 number used to cost. - -- John R. Levine, IECC, POB 727, Trumansburg NY 14886 +1 607 387 6869 johnl@iecc.com, Village Trustee and Sewer Commissioner, http://iecc.com/johnl, Member, Provisional board, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 15:04:33 -0400 From: pete-weiss@psu.edu (Pete Weiss) Subject: Re: Reverse 800 Directories On 17 Aug 2000 13:45:30 -0400, Louis Jahn wrote: |Is there an easy way to locate who is the owner of an 800 number? +1 800 + 7d ? - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 17:30:42 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: RE: Reverse 800 Directories Because there was so much demand for this service with escalating activity in the staff-limited offices of RespOrgs large and small, in 1998 SNAC considered Issue 1772, "TOLL FREE NEGOTIATION/RESPORG RELEASE", introduced by Worldcom. Purpose, to organize the customer-search aspect (RespOrgs won't release the name of a customer, but some will contact the customer themselves to see if they are willing to "release" a number -- a time consuming and non-revenue producing task for them), and also to standardize the process of transferring toll free numbers from one customer to another. It was moving along rather nicely, until the Committee's legal advisers figured out that the "brokering" service they were standardizing couldn't be included in the Toll Free Guidelines because it violated FCC regs against brokering, buying and selling. And no amount of head-in-the-sand "but we don't *know* there's money involved" etc. could change the lawyers' minds, even though the RespOrgs insisted over and over that "its what our customers want." So all the activity went back into the shadows, where it remains, quietly quite active, today. Judith - -----Original Message----- From: owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org [mailto:owner-telecom@telecom-digest.org]On Behalf Of Louis Jahn Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2000 1:46 PM To: editor@telecom-digest.org Subject: Reverse 800 Directories Is there an easy way to locate who is the owner of an 800 number? With business's desire to use 800-vanity number access, there is often someone using a desired 800# but for non-vanity purposes; hence we may be able have them release it , if we knew who they are. Can anyone help on this problem? Lou Jahn Info Partners Corp 609-823-6602 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 18:48:59 -0400 From: jjc@pobox.com (Jeffrey James Bryan Carpenter) Subject: Re: eFax beholden to spammers? I have probably taken things to an extreme, but in the last two years, I have added a layer of indirection between the caller and my voice and data services. The selection process was long and detailed, but I am satisfied with the results. I selected two telephone cooperatives, one in Minnesota (which provides the number listed below) and Montana. I selected them on price, service, responsiveness via email, accomodation of my unique requirements, and area code projected lifetime. I am now able to change service providers like fax and wireless with little problem. It has the side effect which might not be acceptable for some people, that calling me is long distance for many people. I have toll-free numbers for friends and family that point in similar ways, and I am not concerned about other people paying. droopy > Note that if your fax line is critical, prudence dictates > having a fallback > plan in case efax suddenly goes away. - -- Jeffrey James Bryan Carpenter jjc@pobox.com +1 218 837-6000 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 19:25:50 -0400 From: jjc@pobox.com (Jeffrey James Bryan Carpenter) Subject: Re: Strange Overseas LD charges to Vanuatu (Re: NO LD-carrier but overseas No, it is being cut off with over a years notice. They tried to cut if off with 2 months notice last year, but the FCC refused permission after it sparked a flurry of complaints. My main concern was not that it was going away (despite being advertised as a lifetime number), but that they had not provided sufficient notice. I had my 500 number listed in several phone books, including one that had just gone to press the week before they sent the original notice last year. That phone book will come out this November with my new number (unless the Verizon strike affects that). In general, I was not happy with the discontinuation of the "lifetime" number. But,as has been detail here numerous times before, the 500 service was fatally flawed, and I was beginning plans to phase it out anyway. droopy > You mean to tell us that a number you have spent money > publizing is being > sumarrily turned off with less then two months notice? I > would be up in arms > if this happened to me. That phone listing is worth a lot > more then the change > of phone books in November. - -- Jeffrey James Bryan Carpenter jjc@pobox.com +1 218 837-6000 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 21:50:18 -0400 From: abuse@cabal.org.uk (Peter Corlett) Subject: Re: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam Joey Lindstrom wrote: > [...] It's designed for landlines but works the same way: you dial a local > access number (or 1-800 number at a higher rate) and ANI identifies who > you are. That's a fairly common trick in the UK with mobile phones on tariffs that do not charge for 0800 numbers, typical one2one and Orange contracts. I've got an account with Telco whose access number is programmed into my Orange phone's memory. It used to be programmed into my wetware, but Orange used to bar the number every few days and I'd have to phone customer services (a call-gate on another 0800 number - the only useful call-gate I've found) to get a working access number. It all works rather well, although I never did work out why a call to another UK number just down the road got an American lady with "your call cannot be completed as dialled". Whoever they trombone via in the USA seems to play that message when the network is congested, when the destination is busy, or just when they feel like it. Normally, calls aren't tromboned, just those at 6:01pm... I don't tend to use this service much since Orange launched a new tariff about a year ago which include 50 minutes of free off-peak local and long-distance calling every evening, and 1p/min afterwards, which appears to be the cheapest call tariff by a fair margin for my call patterns. Calls outside this 1p/min (notably daytime and other mobile networks) have spectacuarly high prices - that's when Telco gets used. Oddly enough, since switching to that mobile tariff, Telco and BT's bills are now rather small, and Clueless and Witless's "service" got cancelled because they were incompetent. Telco's access number now seems to change about once a month, so it would seem that Orange probably don't see Telco as much of a threat any more. > You then dial the ten-digit number you want (overseas calls are also > permitted but you precede them with "999", then country code, then the > rest), and voila!, your call goes through. That 999 stuff looks a bit of a nasty kludge - why not use the NANP or ITU defined number space instead? - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 22:14:37 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/17/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - ENUM DEPLOYMENT IN NORTH AMERICA The operational issues are going to be nastier than the technical ones and more extensive for toll-free than for POTS numbers. - - SEEKING THE "UNIFORM" IN THE UNIFORM DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS The tonsil.com complainant claimed he had invented the word, and the arbitrator believed him. - - PROBLEMS BEING FACED BY OWNERS OF INCOMING 800 NETWORKS, PART II ** Second in a Series of Reports ** - - ICANN PUBLISHES NEW TLD SPECS Someone should explain to ICANN how this stuff works. - - ICANN SLAMMED FOR VENDOR BIAS - - COMMERCE DEPT SEEKS COMMENT ON .US ccTLD - - THE COUP THAT IS WIPO - - NSI ON THE DEFENSE - - HOW TO PROTECT YOUR SUCKS SITE FROM A LAWSUIT - - BARCELONA.COM RULING RAISING LEGITIMATE CONCERNS - - WIPO: BEHIND THE HYPE - - STATE OF THE INDUSTRY: DOMAIN NAME METRICS - - WIPO SPIN CYCLE ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB HeadsUp Headlines did not go out yesterday due to server problems. August 16 and August 17 headlines are included in this edition. ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) SUMMER'S ALMOST OVER - ACT NOW! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 16 & 17, 2000 P - ENUM DEPLOYMENT IN NORTH AMERICA North America is examined critically because its environment may be more complex than most and because current deregulation trends may drive other countries/regions in similar directions. In particular the current mechanisms for number administration and number portability in North America will require establishment of a new administrative function for managing the domain name entries for ported numbers. The operational issues are going to be nastier than the technical ones and more extensive for toll-free than for POTS numbers. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4339 F - SEEKING THE "UNIFORM" IN THE UNIFORM DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS Some arbitrators seem willing to have the wool pulled over their eyes: in tonsil.com, currently being appealed in the Virginia courts, the complainant claimed he had invented the word, and the arbitrator believed him. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4346 F - ICANN SLAMMED FOR VENDOR BIAS German independent candidate Lutz Donnerhacke said Icann's election process was counter-productive. "The five they have picked are very loyal to the current Icann board. They're already very deeply involved and could have been made directors without going through the election process," he said. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4344 P - COMMERCE DEPT SEEKS COMMENT ON .US ccTLD The .us domain is the country code top level domain ("ccTLD") of the Internet domain name system ("DNS") that corresponds to the United States. Network Solutions, Inc., is responsible for the administration of the .us top level domain ("usTLD") under its Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Commerce. Network Solutions has subcontracted administration of the usTLD to the Information Sciences Institute of the University of Southern California ("USC/ISI" or the "usTLD Administrator"). CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4345 F - THE COUP THAT IS WIPO It has been almost forgotten that ICANN remains in charge of all domain names. But then with something as provenly inefficient as ICANN, WIPO, in Stalinist fashion has made up its own rules regarding famous people's names, places and trade names (as opposed to trademarks) and got away with it because of the backing by important folk. What we're looking at here is a coup by WIPO over every other body set up to run the Internet. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4348 F - NSI ON THE DEFENSE Competitors estimate that Network Solutions is keeping 1 million to 3 million expired names. ``We were using this strategy to recoup our losses,'' she said. ``The best analogy is to look at it as repossessing an asset.'' CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4341 F - HOW TO PROTECT YOUR SUCKS SITE FROM A LAWSUIT Legal experts give tips to avoid getting sued by the corporations you criticize, from trademark infringement and copyright violation to defamation. "If you want to say that 'Gap sucks,' that's your First Amendment right." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4340 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 16 & 17, 2000 F - BARCELONA.COM RULING RAISING LEGITIMATE CONCERNS There are numerous major media companies -- Boston Globe newspaper (Boston.com) and Boulevards New Media (LosAngeles.com, Seattle.com, Albuquerque.com, and more) in the US, and TorStar/BCE (Toronto.com) and Southam Inc. (Canada.com) in Canada. -- literally around the world, that have based sites around geographic names. The prospect that they could lose those to the relevant governmental entity obviously ought to send a shiver down their spines. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4347 P - PROBLEMS BEING FACED BY OWNERS OF INCOMING 800 NETWORKS, PART II If the 800 network vendor has responsibility for the “physical network”, that vendor has major control over the subject company, and it is much more difficult to consider alternatives. Many companies surrender this responsibility simply because of the major effort and expense required to translate the logical to physical network, then to communicate these definitions to the 800 number vendor. These companies have no way of knowing whether or not area code splits are being implemented properly, whether or not area code/exchange additions/deletions are being installed, etc. ** Series by guest writer Bud Jay. ** CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4351 F - WIPO: BEHIND THE HYPE Could it be that ICANN's absolute inability to do the job it was set up to do could have anything to do with big companies wanting to impose their trademark on the Internet? CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4343 P - ICANN PUBLISHES NEW TLD SPECS "The introduction of the proposed TLD should not disrupt current operations, nor should it create alternate root systems, which threaten the existence of a globally unique public name space." (a) Is this an intent to restrain competition? (b) How do they think a TLD has any power to "create alternate root systems"? (c) Are new TLD operators to promise not allow reference by another root system? (d) How could a TLD operator prevent itself from being referenced by another root system? Someone should explain to ICANN how this stuff works. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4337 F - STATE OF THE INDUSTRY: DOMAIN NAME METRICS Whether bulk registrants are speculating or assembling corporate portfolios, they clearly drive the Internic registry. Their continued heavy participation in the domain name market may be vital to fueling the explosive growth in registrations forecast by NSI, especially if domain name registration is expected to generate revenue growth. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4338 F - WIPO SPIN CYCLE Said Gurry: "Whether or not there is a formal approach, there is no coercion. We can't make anybody do anything." "The advantage of the UDRP is that it's supposed to be the lowest common denominator of what you can find in every country's laws." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4342 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 23:27:28 -0400 From: "Derek J. Lambert" Subject: Key Voice and Dialogic problem (I am reposting this from home as I couldn't find my message on my news server here. Sorry if it's a repost) I am having a problem currently with our Key Voice voicemail system (Small Office WinNT) that I'm hoping someone might have some insight into. We've had _numerous_ problems with our original system vendor and have stopped doing business with them, so I'm looking for any help I can get at this point. A number of months ago I installed an additional Dialogic D/41H card in our system. It was working great up until this weekend, when I upgraded our system to version 10. Now it's giving me the following message in the log: 9-14-2000 13:32:03 INFO : Pausing to allow other services to start... 8-14-2000 13:33:03 INFO : Pause ended. 8-14-2000 13:33:20 ERROR: 6309 Board not configured for this program 8-14-2000 13:33:20 ERROR: Error 28 encountered during initialization. 8-14-2000 13:33:20 ERROR: 6101 Error 28 encountered during initialization I tried installing version 9 back on the system, and it gave me a similar message (it had something like "line = 5, ser = " on the end of the 6309 message). At this point I tried swapping the two boards, and got the same error (except with ver.9 the last part changed to "line = 1, ser = "). After checking in the ntrenew program I noticed that the "Verify boards" setting was at "Yes". I believe it was "No" before (I'm not absolutely sure though). It does list the maximum number of ports at 8. Is there something in the board that the software is looking for now? I purchased the board from a computer hardware vendor, and not from our phone hardware vendor - as it was about $1500 cheaper that way. Right now I have disabled the board in DCM to get the system to a useable state, but now we are hurting for ports. I asked one other person who works with these systems and they thought that the board were serialized. Is this something that Key Voice does to force the end user to buy hardware at an inflated price, or is there some undocumented installation step? Is this just looking for some setting in the eeprom of the card, and can I program it in the card with some kind of utility? ANY help would be so very much appreciated!!! I really don't want to buy another card and have to pay the premium (for what I'd consider nothing, considering that one not directly from Key Voice does and was working) - and then leave the current one unused and unusable Thanks! - -Derek - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 23:33:40 -0400 From: Coredump Subject: Re: Reverse 800 Directories On Thursday, August 17, 2000 1:46 PM Louis Jahn wrote: >Is there an easy way to locate who is the owner of an 800 number? > >With business's desire to use 800-vanity number access, there is often >someone using a desired 800# but for non-vanity purposes; hence we >may be able have them release it , if we knew who they are. > >Can anyone help on this problem? > >Lou Jahn >Info Partners Corp >609-823-6602 What's wrong with dialing up the number and asking whoever answers ? John - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 23:34:44 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Music to My Ears But Not EMI's August 17, 2000 Music to My Ears Š But Not EMI's The music publishing company sues the brilliantly annoying provider of tuneful cell-phone rings. By Warren Cohen These days, when Ralph Simon's cellular phone rings, it's probably beeping the tune of Darth Vader's "Imperial March." Simon is president of Global Music One, which owns YourMobile.com, a Web site that allows cellular users to customize the standard R2-D2-like chirping of a cellular phone with melodies of popular songs. The site has roughly 1,000 selections in a variety of categories, including current chart hits ("Thong Song"), TV theme songs ("The Simpsons"), phone puns ("Call Me"), national anthems and so on. Although the 4-month-old service is still in beta and currently only works with Nokia phones and certain wireless providers, it has become something of a cult phenomenon, transmitting more than 11 million "ring tones" to 2.6 million cell phones. http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/1,1151,17781,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 23:36:55 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Hollywood Wins DVD-Copy Case August 17, 2000 Hollywood Wins DVD-Copy Case A judge orders hacker site 2600.com to remove its link to code that descrambles DVDs. By Laura Rich The movie industry won its first Internet-related copyright fight Thursday, as U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered a permanent injunction against hacker site 2600.com for posting a contentious link to information on how to - illegally - descramble DVDs for playback on Linux operating systems. http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/1,1151,17790,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 23:39:58 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Studios Score DeCSS Victory Studios Score DeCSS Victory by Declan McCullagh 11:40 a.m. Aug. 17, 2000 PDT LOS ANGELES -- A DVD-descrambling program is akin to a virulent Internet epidemic that must be eradicated, a federal judge said Thursday as he agreed with Hollywood that DVDs must be protected from decryption and copying. Comparing the DeCSS utility to a "common-source outbreak epidemic," U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said "there is little room for doubting that broad dissemination of DeCSS threatens ultimately to injure or destroy plaintiffs' ability to distribute their copyrighted products on DVDs, and, for that matter, undermine their ability to sell their products to the home video market in other forms." http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,38287,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 23:42:57 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: FBI Prepping Carnivore Data FBI Prepping Carnivore Data Reuters 8:25 a.m. Aug. 17, 2000 PDT The FBI is collecting material giving details of its Internet-wiretapping system known as Carnivore and will begin turning it over to a privacy protection group for review within about 45 days, the Justice Department says. A federal judge on August 2 gave the FBI 10 days to respond to a request for information on the software tool by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a public interest research group. The group demanded expedited access to the data under a provision of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,38273,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 23:45:47 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: FCC Wiretap Order Overturned FCC Wiretap Order Overturned by Oscar S. Cisneros 3:00 a.m. Aug. 17, 2000 PDT Privacy groups are cheering a federal appeals court decision that promises to curb the ability of law enforcement agencies to get access to Internet-style communications. The decision also reins in the hungry maw of the government's Carnivore monitoring system. Tuesday's ruling re-affirms in a digital context a long-held and constitutionally imposed restraint on the powers of law enforcement to monitor the contents of communications: that the "probable cause" standard must be met before a warrant is issued and a search can take place. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,38258,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 17 Aug 2000 23:47:16 -0400 From: Joseph Singer Subject: Re: Where have all the phone booths gone? I have been working for the last several days at the University of Washington here in Seattle and in the Husky Union Building (the "HUB") they have about 10 *real* phone booths with the folding aluminum doors with safety glass inserts, stainless steel writing shelf and short stainless steel seat. They do not have ventilator fans. They are equipped with Nortel Millennium smart phones from USWest/Qwest. 17 Aug 2000 00:12:37 -0400 oldbear@arctos.com (The Old Bear) wrote: >Roy Smith writes: > >>From: Roy Smith >>Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom >>Subject: Where have all the phone booths gone? >>Date: 10 Aug 2000 11:22:15 -0400 >>Organization: NYU School of Medicine, Educational Computing >>Lines: 18 >> >>The other day, I needed to make a phone call at work which required some >>privacy. I set off to find a phone in a phone booth where I could shut the door >>and use the phone. Could not find one. I checked out a few locations in the >>complex where I work where I seemed to remember phone booths, but they had all >>been converted to little alcoves with pay phones hung on the wall. >> >>The more I think about it, I can't remember the last time I saw an honest to >>goodness phone booth, with a seat, a door, a light that comes on when you close >>the door (and a fan even). A phone book, of course, would be too much to ask >>for, but I'd settle for a door that you could close. Do they still exist >>anywhere? > - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joseph Singer Seattle, Washington USA [ICQ pgr] +1 206 405 2052 [voice mail] +1 206 493 0706 [FAX] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Aug 2000 00:43:49 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Crankcalls.com Crankcalls.com "Is Seymour Butts there?" A Web site lets you send automated voice messages to any phone number. - - - - - - - - - - - - - By Damien Cave Aug. 16, 2000 | Last Friday, I received my first crank call from the Internet. I picked up my phone at work and heard what I thought was unsolicited phone spam. http://www.salon.com/tech/log/2000/08/15/crankcall/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Aug 2000 00:51:16 -0400 From: Robert Casey Subject: On the news radio: vandals cut power lines by mistake Heard on the news that in Verhsions(sp) service area, and related to that strike, some vandals by mistake cut some power cables and got seriously zapped. Appears they intended to cut phone lines. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Aug 2000 05:39:40 -0400 From: ckaschig@gmx.de (Chris Kaschig) Subject: UMTS-auction in Germany (first part finished) After 172 rounds of bidding the first part of the auction dealing with UMTS licences in Germany has been finished in round 173 by now (because none of the telcos was outbidding one other). So it lasts from Monday, 31st of July till Thursday, 17th of August. 6 Telcos resp. consortia were successfull (with two pairs of frequences each, called "little licences"), debitel Multimedia (Swisscom) has dropped out before. At least only T-Mobil and Mannesmann were bidding for a "big license" (three pairs). If they hadn't switched both to a little one (as the do today), one other would have had to sign off. It was mainly awaited that Group 3G is/was one of those "candidats", for it's the only bidder without *any* experiences within the German market. - - T-Mobil (Deutsche Telekom) 16.582.200.000 DM [8.478.344.000 EUR] - - VIAG Interkom (British Telecom, and minor Telenor) 16.517.000.000 DM [8.445.008.000 EUR] - - Mannesmann Mobilfunk (Vodafone) 16.473.800.000 DM [8.422.920.000 EUR] - - Group 3G (Sonera, Telefonica) 16.446.000.000 DM [8.408.706.000 EUR] - - E-Plus (KPN, Hutchison) 16.418.200.000 DM [8.394.492.000 EUR] - - MobilCom Multimedia (and France Telecom) 16.370.000.000 DM [8.369.848.000 EUR] sum: 98.807.200.000 DM [50.519.319.000 EUR] (about 45,684,620,000 USD) The whole amount is payable within 10 days (otherwise the telco wouldn't get its license at all). Starting tomorrow (Friday) the second (and last) part of the auction (with some additional smaller blocks of frequences). Only those six are admitted to bid again. http://umts.regtp.de (German-language, with webcam and actual results [live]) Chris (I apologize for my English ;-) - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #26 ******************************* From ???@??? Sat Aug 19 16:46:31 2000 Date: 19 Aug 2000 06:15:10 -0400 Message-ID: <20000819101510.29063.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #27 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 3a08c8a123fa6352bb80edb758ad4a2d Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Saturday, August 19 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 027 In this issue: Re: On the news radio: vandals cut power lines by mistake Re: Reverse 800 Directories Sounds of Telecom Re: On the news radio: vandals cut power lines by mistake 1-866 glitches Wired News : New Toys for Cheating Students Wintel (was Re: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam) Videotron forced to resell cable modem services at 22.46$ CDN to ISP's 8/18/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 18 Aug 2000 07:11:30 -0400 From: HALinNY77@aol.com Subject: Re: On the news radio: vandals cut power lines by mistake In a message dated 08/18/00 06:18:22 Eastern Daylight Time, owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org writes: > Date: 18 Aug 2000 00:51:16 -0400 > From: Robert Casey > Subject: On the news radio: vandals cut power lines by mistake > > Heard on the news that in Verhsions(sp) service area, and related to > that strike, some > vandals by mistake cut some power cables and got seriously zapped. > Appears they > intended to cut phone lines. > The correct spelling is Verizon and the "i" is pronounced as the "i" in "strike." Here is a link to the article in today's NYTimes ... http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/national/regional/ny-strike.html This link will probably not work after Friday, 8/18/00. Notwithstanding the gravity of this event, I find it amusing that two telco employees could not tell the difference between a power cable and a telephone cable. It's possible that they may not be craftspeople, but it really doesn't matter. Hal Kaplan Orion Telecommunications Corp. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Aug 2000 13:00:37 -0400 From: "James H. Cloos Jr." Subject: Re: Reverse 800 Directories Louis Jahn writes: > Is there an easy way to locate who is the owner of an 800 number? You can always try a seach on 555-1212.com or similar web sites. I have had some luck in the past with doing so. - -jimc - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Aug 2000 14:19:37 -0400 From: "Paul Cook" Subject: Sounds of Telecom Can anyone point me toward web sites that have sound files of various call progress tones, both current and historical? Paul Cook - Applications Engineer pcook@proctorinc.com 425-881-7000, ext 566 Proctor & Associates 15305 NE 95 St Redmond WA 98052-2517 www.proctorinc.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Aug 2000 17:08:52 -0400 From: mrosen@ex-pressnet.com Subject: Re: On the news radio: vandals cut power lines by mistake I'm prompted for a username and password when I try to access the link. I believe I have an account already, but of course their password retrieval is down. Mike In article <27.9d64c85.26ce73bd@aol.com>, HALinNY77@aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 08/18/00 06:18:22 Eastern Daylight Time, > owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org writes: > > > Date: 18 Aug 2000 00:51:16 -0400 > > From: Robert Casey > > Subject: On the news radio: vandals cut power lines by mistake > > > > Heard on the news that in Verhsions(sp) service area, and related to > > that strike, some > > vandals by mistake cut some power cables and got seriously zapped. > > Appears they > > intended to cut phone lines. > > > > The correct spelling is Verizon and the "i" is pronounced as the "i" in > "strike." > > Here is a link to the article in today's NYTimes ... > HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/national/regional/ny- strike.html"> > http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/national/regional/ny- strike.html > This link will probably not work after Friday, 8/18/00. > > Notwithstanding the gravity of this event, I find it amusing that two telco > employees could not tell the difference between a power cable and a telephone > cable. It's possible that they may not be craftspeople, but it really > doesn't matter. > > Hal Kaplan > Orion Telecommunications Corp. > -- > The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail > messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Aug 2000 17:57:39 -0400 From: jared gottlieb Subject: 1-866 glitches Thanks for the 'test' number. Telstra (primary Australian carrier) seems to have slipped up. Recorded message is 'this number is not in service' rather than 'this call will be at normal international rates'. > >Alltel, which couldn't route wireless calls to my company's new 866 number >(866-DSL-EXPRESS, for those who care :), >still can't route wireless calls to that number. Ameritech seems to have no >problem routing landline calls, though. > - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Aug 2000 22:05:58 -0400 From: itsamike@yahoo.com (Mike Pollock) Subject: Wired News : New Toys for Cheating Students A note from Mike Pollock: Just so everyone knows, here's the copyright usage statement from Wired.com... ----- Wired Digital materials may be copied and distributed on a limited basis for noncommercial purposes only, provided that any material copied remains intact and that all copies include the following notice in a clearly visible position: "Copyright © 1994-2000 Wired Digital Inc., a Lycos Network company. All rights reserved." These materials may not be copied or redistributed for commercial purposes or for compensation of any kind without prior written permission from Wired Digital Inc. If you have questions about these terms or would like information about licensing materials from Wired Digital Inc., please send an email to consent@wired.com. ----- With that being said, and since I consider this non-commercial use, enjoy the following article.... ============================================================ From Wired News, available online at: http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,38066,00.html New Toys for Cheating Students by Elisa Batista 3:00 a.m. Aug. 18, 2000 PDT In the old days, cheating meant writing the answers to test questions on your palm in blue ink. These days it's about passing along information on electronic devices that fit in your palm. With the advent of a data transmission standard called "short messaging service," students can silently beam test answers to each other on their personal digital assistants. More ambitious students can create their own database of notes, then access them during the test. The possibilities are endless. But students beware. Teachers know what's going on, and are developing strategies to thwart them. Teachers in secondary education are banning handheld devices in classrooms, including pagers. College professors, too, are becoming ever more educated and vigilant. Most wireless industry experts, however, predict that someday teachers in secondary and higher education will administer tests on PDAs, formatting them so that every student has a different set of questions. Imagine how upset you'd be if the answer you received from your friend corresponded to a completely different question. "The teacher can send a short reminder or information note by using SMS-messages simultaneously to one or multiple students," said Mika Konnola, president and CEO of Capslock, a wireless service and applications developer based in San Jose, California. "The latest phone models offer easy-to-use group messaging features and a single message can have multiple receivers." In countries including the Philippines and Finland, SMS use is most ubiquitous among youth who use the service to chat and flirt with each other. Students can now send text messages up to 160 characters to each other's two-way pagers and cellphones through infrared capability via SMS. Other handheld devices allow students to create databases of information and retrieve them from their PDAs. "Basically, the (the self-created database) would offer quick notes based on keywords, or just plain results for pre-entered questions," Konnola said. "The student could access the service by using SMS messages –- one message including the question, the answer comes as another SMS message." Schools with wireless networks, such as Smithtown High School in New York, are already taking attendance and checking students' schedules and grades on sleek PDA-like devices. However, schools that don't have wireless infrastructures are eliminating the possibility of cheating by banning cell phones, pagers, and PDAs altogether. Greg O'Meara, vice principal at Branham High School in San Jose, California, still has a drawer stashed with pagers that were never retrieved by students last year. The school follows a stringent statewide education code banning "signal-emitting" devices by students in public schools. "We have no idea who they (students with devices) are trying to contact, so it's safer for everybody not to have them on campus," O'Meara said. "Our feeling is they are here for instruction and not (for) arranging their personal lives all day long." Even college students, who more likely can afford to own PDAs and are allowed to carry them in school, say the probability of cheating on these devices is unlikely. "It would be easy to cheat with a Palm if it were allowed because it's like a notebook with notes on it," said Adam Sanders, a computer science major at the University of Mississippi. "But professors are aware of that, so in a test they're not going to want them out." This past year the University of Mississippi in Oxford lent almost every computer science major a Palm accompanied by a personal information management session. Students beamed information to each other and organized their schedules, and graduate students used them for database projects, like creating a museum assistant that explained what the user was looking at. But before retrieving their new handheld devices, students received a manual about the PDA's appropriate use -- how to protect them from physical damage and how they shouldn't be used for purposes like cheating. Sanders couldn't think of anyone who used the PDA to cheat, but recalled that many students downloaded and played video games on their Palms, though not in class. "It's hard to hide a Palm in class for a game," Sanders said. "It's distracting." Related Wired Links: Handspring Gets CDMA License Aug. 9, 2000 Latest Palm Fingers Newbies Aug. 7, 2000 PC Expo: It's All About the Hand Jun. 27, 2000 Copyright 1994-2000 Wired Digital Inc. All rights reserved. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Aug 2000 22:15:46 -0400 From: "Joey Lindstrom" Subject: Wintel (was Re: Legal AT&T Wireless LD slam) On 18 Aug 2000 06:15:12 -0400, Peter Corlett wrote: >> You then dial the ten-digit number you want (overseas calls are also >> permitted but you precede them with "999", then country code, then the >> rest), and voila!, your call goes through. > >That 999 stuff looks a bit of a nasty kludge - why not use the NANP or ITU >defined number space instead? It's a very low-tech operation. Basically, once you dial into your local access number, it presents you with a second dial tone. It was originally designed only for North American calling, so it expects you to dial your number as ten-digits - 3 for area code, 3 for CO code, and 4 for subscriber line. When they introduced overseas calling, I guess they musta figured it was cheaper and easier to kludge it this way, by forcing you to use an "area code" of 999, then followed by the (variable-length) full international number, rather than using the potentially-confusing plan of having you dial 011-countrycode-citycode-number. Potentially confusing because you may have already dialed long distance to get to this access number - it would break many people's minds if they had to dial ANOTHER long distance escape sequence to complete their call. :-) They used to be really bad at loading new area codes in - oftentimes, new area codes that had gone to mandatory dialing were still not useable with Wintel. Nowadays (for the past year and a half at any rate), they have the new codes loaded almost as soon as they're announced and LONG before permissive dialing goes into effect. Anyways, their service works well (once you get past the low-techiness of it), it's dirt cheap, and I place almost all of my long distance calls with them. I can call you, in the UK, for 14 Canadian cents per minute - cheapest rate in the land (and a far cry from the $1.75/minute I paid 15 years ago). The only exception is that my primary carrier, Sprint Canada, offers me a no-cost (for the number itself) toll-free number which bills at their regular long distance rates, so every three months I get a bill for about 3 bucks. :-) / From the messy desktop of Joey Lindstrom / Visit The NuServer! http://www.GaryNumanFan.NU / Visit The Webb! http://webb.GaryNumanFan.NU / / I mixed this (glass of water) myself. Two parts H, one part O. I don't / trust anybody! / --Steven Wright ** Tag(s) inserted by Bandit Tagger98 - http://www.gbar.dtu.dk/~c918704 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Aug 2000 23:29:09 -0400 From: "Francois D. Menard" Subject: Videotron forced to resell cable modem services at 22.46$ CDN to ISP's http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/Orders/2000/O2000-788.htm 2000-788 This order directs Vidéotron to offer its high-speed retail Internet services for resale at $22.46 per month. Reference: 8646-C51-01/99 and 8646-C51-01/00. - -=Francois=- - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 23:36:04 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/18/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - 555'S IN CONSERVATION MODE - - ICANN AT LARGE: DESIGNED FOR FAILURE? - - VERIZON'S MAD ... DOT COM - - CYBERWORKS.COM: $1M - - DOT COMS TOP 20M - - .SUCKS NAMES IN WIPO RULINGS - - DOTCC LAUNCHES MULTILINGUAL DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION SERVICE - - WHAT'S WRONG WITH ICANN ... - - REGISTRAR CONSORTIUM APPLYING FOR NEW gTLD - - INVESTMENT BANK FOR DOMAIN NAMES ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) SUMMER'S ALMOST OVER - ACT NOW! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 18, 2000 P - 555'S IN CONSERVATION MODE ... reached 70% saturation this week. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4358 F - ICANN AT LARGE: DESIGNED FOR FAILURE? ICANN isn't providing candidates with access to the voter list. "How can one run or campaign when you can't even reach your electors?" asked Cisco Systems engineer Karl Auerbach, who contends that ICANN has designed the self-nomination process to fail. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4357 F - VERIZON'S MAD ... DOT COM ...has threatened legal action against a hacker Web site for poking fun at the company's efforts to snatch up Internet domain names that could foster anti-Verizon sentiment online. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4359 F - CYBERWORKS.COM: $1M Pacific Century CyberWorks, which paid US$28.5 billion for Cable & Wireless HKT, is shelling out US$1 million for its own name. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4356 F - DOT COMS TOP 20M Nearly 80% of the 20 million domain names have stuck with .com. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4354 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* Are you a local or regional business that advertises in newspapers, direct mail, on radio or tv? 1 800 BRAND IT shared use marketing programs can help your sales skyrocket! http://www.1800BrandIt.com ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 18, 2000 F - .SUCKS NAMES IN WIPO RULINGS Arbitrator William Cornish ruled that Purge I.T. had no legitimate interest in the names and had registered them in bad faith. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4361 F - DOTCC LAUNCHES MULTILINGUAL DOMAIN NAME REGISTRATION SERVICE Kenneth Chang said the service was the first to make any TLD domain name available in Chinese, Japanese and Korean at the registry level. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4355 F - WHAT'S WRONG WITH ICANN ... ... and How to Fix It. The way to fix all of these problems is to recognize the true nature of and limitations on ICANN’s power. It is, again, not a government (and should not act as the agent of governments). It is a private party that contracts with registries and registrars. Those contracts obligate the registries and registrars to abide by consensus policies on carefully delimited subjects and to pass those policies down via contracts with registrants. If a policy is not demonstrably supported by a consensus among impacted parties, as ultimately found by an Independent Review Panel, registries and registrars need not comply. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4353 P - REGISTRAR CONSORTIUM APPLYING FOR NEW gTLD "We are involved with a large group of registrars" that is readying a proposal to create and operate a new generic top-level domain similar to .com, .net and .org, Register.com Director of Policy and Public Affairs Elana Broitman said. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4352 F - INVESTMENT BANK FOR DOMAIN NAMES The bank's founder and CEO views Internet domain names as an emerging asset class comparable to stocks, bonds and real estate. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4360 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #27 ******************************* From ???@??? Mon Aug 21 07:01:12 2000 Date: 21 Aug 2000 06:15:09 -0400 Message-ID: <20000821101509.18620.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #28 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 0a35299be673a949ecd49eca35696787 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Monday, August 21 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 028 In this issue: Phone Surfing for a Few Yen BigZoo - Big Mistake AT&T and 866 - still problematic New IVR,CTI Web Directory AG Reilly Praises Decision to Keep Toysmart From Selling Consumers' Personal Information Re: Phone Surfing for a Few Yen NANP-Expansion; New NPAs, etc., was Re: Wintel (Candian-based LD Carrier/Reseller) Internet Safety ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 20 Aug 2000 17:55:09 -0400 From: "Mike Pollock" Subject: Phone Surfing for a Few Yen By MIKI TANIKAWA Many Japanese mobile phone content providers are in the black, offering dozens of services that have caught large numbers of users and provide new services almost daily -- including cartoons. http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/biztech/articles/19japan-cell.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 20 Aug 2000 17:58:58 -0400 From: "Andy Ball" Subject: BigZoo - Big Mistake FamilyNet HQ: Telnet:\\www.family-bbs.net Hello Quonk! QU> Good calling cards? I recommend the calling cards > from Sams Club or Costco. Both cost 5.9 cents per > minute with no surcharges. Although 5.9 cents per minute is quite expensive, I might consider it for occasional use depending on how reliable their network (and access to it) is. QU> Or try http://www.bigzoo.com . Or better still, *DON'T* Their network is hideously unreliable and their level of customer service is literally NIL. They've also developed a nasty habit of crediting your account for double the amount you wanted. In short, avoid BigZoo like the plague!! - - Andy Ball * SLMR 2.1a * FamilyNet <> Internet Gated Mail http://www.fmlynet.org - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 20 Aug 2000 18:27:10 -0400 From: "Jeffrey James Bryan Carpenter" Subject: AT&T and 866 - still problematic 866 does NOT work in DC on AT&T wireless, so apparently, they did not fix it nationwide. Sigh. droopy - -- Jeffrey James Bryan Carpenter jjc@pobox.com +1 218 837-6000 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 20 Aug 2000 18:44:15 -0400 From: "Keith Harper" Subject: New IVR,CTI Web Directory TelephonyIndex - IVR, Call Centre & CTI Resource. Promote your own telephony related website for FREE with TelephonyIndex, the fastest growing computer telephony industry resource on the net! Visit : http://www.telephonyindex.co.uk/ Regards, keith@telephonyindex.co.uk - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 20 Aug 2000 20:39:05 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: AG Reilly Praises Decision to Keep Toysmart From Selling Consumers' Personal Information http://www.ago.state.ma.us/toystoys.asp Office of Attorney General Tom Reilly NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUGUST 17, 2000 CONTACT: MARSHA COHEN (617) 727-2543 A.G. REILLY PRAISES DECISION TO KEEP TOYSMART FROM SELLING CONSUMERS' PERSONAL INFORMATION BOSTON -- Attorney General Tom Reilly praised the fact that a decision by a federal bankruptcy judge will keep a bankrupt online toy store from selling consumers' personal information for now. United States Bankruptcy Court Judge Carol Kenner today denied a motion by Toysmart.com to approve a settlement it had reached with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to sell its customer list as an asset to a third party. Toysmart.com is an educational on-line toy store based in Waltham. Judge Kenner put off a final decision on whether the customer list can be sold in the future and, if so, whether restrictions will be imposed. The list cannot be sold as long as there is no buyer, which means that the rights of Toysmart's customers remain protected. "This decision is a victory for consumers and everyone interested in Internet privacy," said AG Reilly. "For now, the Attorneys General have achieved their goal by preserving the privacy rights of Toysmart's customers." "When this issue comes up again, and we expect that it could in this case, we will continue to fight for the highest standard when it comes to protecting the personal information consumers give over the internet," AG Reilly added. "I am proud that Massachusetts led this effort to protect the privacy rights of unsuspecting consumers and to keep their very personal information out of the hands of the highest bidder." AG Reilly led 43 other states and two territories, and the District of Columbia in objecting to the settlement, saying it did not go far enough to adequately protect the privacy rights of consumers, and urging that the customer list should not be sold without consumers first agreeing. Toysmart had posted on its website a policy pledging that the company would never share its customers' personal information with third parties. However, after financial problems forced Toysmart to file for bankruptcy, the company did seek permission to sell the customer list that contained consumers' names, addresses, billing information, credit card numbers and browsing and purchasing histories as part of its assets. This effort was opposed by the states and initially by the FTC. Recently, the FTC settled its concerns with Toysmart, and filed the stipulation in Bankruptcy Court that required Judge Kenner's approval. The other states and territories joining Attorney General Reilly in the case are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, and the District of Columbia. Assistant Attorney General Pamela Kogut of AG Reilly's Consumer Protection and Antitrust Division handled the case. Click here to read the Bankruptcy Court filing... http://www.ago.state.ma.us/oppositi.pdf - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 20 Aug 2000 20:43:47 -0400 From: John De Hoog Subject: Re: Phone Surfing for a Few Yen Mike Pollock wrote... >Many Japanese mobile phone content providers are in the black, offering >dozens of services that have caught large numbers of users and provide new >services almost daily -- including cartoons. > >http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/biztech/articles/19japan-cell.html Note, however, that this does not translate automatically into success outside of Japan. We have some special conditions here. First, for millions of users mobile phones are their only connection to the Internet. They do not have Internet connections at home with large screens, so they don't consider the small mobile phone screens much of a problem. Second, at least in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, travel is not by car so much as by train or on foot. People can be seen everywhere walking around with their mobile phones, exchanging mail or checking the latest baseball scores or stock prices. I realize people in the US might be inclined to do the same thing in their cars (at great risk to themselves and those around them), but it would seem much more practical for pedestrians. A third factor, I believe, is the finger dexterity of Japanese people in general, allowing them to exchange messages and make information requests on those tiny mobile phone keypads with amazing speed. I've heard of young high-schoolers who compose messages secretly during class, hardly even looking down at the keypad as their fingers fly over it selecting from a couple thousand Japanese characters. - -- John De Hoog, Tokyo http://dehoog.org - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 20 Aug 2000 21:51:51 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: NANP-Expansion; New NPAs, etc., was Re: Wintel (Candian-based LD Carrier/Reseller) Joey Lindstrom wrote: > Peter Corlett wrote: >> Joey Lindstrom wrote: >>> You then dial the ten-digit number you want (overseas calls are also >>> permitted but you precede them with "999", then country code, then >>> the rest), and voila!, your call goes through. >> That 999 stuff looks a bit of a nasty kludge - why not use the NANP or >> ITU defined number space instead? > It's a very low-tech operation. Basically, once you dial into your > local access number, it presents you with a second dial tone. It was > originally designed only for North American calling, so it expects you > to dial your number as ten-digits - 3 for area code, 3 for CO code, and > 4 for subscriber line. When they introduced overseas calling, I guess > they musta figured it was cheaper and easier to kludge it this way, by > forcing you to use an "area code" of 999, then followed by the > (variable-length) full international number, rather than using the > potentially-confusing plan of having you dial > 011-countrycode-citycode-number. Potentially confusing because you may > have already dialed long distance to get to this access number - it > would break many people's minds if they had to dial ANOTHER long > distance escape sequence to complete their call. :-) FYI, at this point in time, the NANP 3-digit NPA codes of the N9X format (eighty total) were reserved for "future expansion" purposes at some point in the future, to a NANP-format number of "greater than ten-digits". No word yet from the INC on any agreed upon option for expanding the NANP format number - they have been discussing it for some five-plus years now of different options, etc. The N9X format codes were "reserved" as such sometime around 1993/94, in preparation for "what ranges" should be "flagged" when the NANP actually started adding NNX format area codes (to the already existing N0X and N1X codes, to make NPA codes a complete NXX range format), beginning January 1995. IMO (and in others' opinions as well), the most LOGICAL expansion of the NANP ten-digit format to "something longer" would be to take existing 3-digit area codes, and insert a '9' between the existing first and second digits for a new 4-digit NPA code. 212 would become 2912 504 would become 5904 etc. There could be a "permissive" dial period where one could dial the existing 3-digit area code of the ten-digit format, as well as dialing the new 4-digit area code of a longer-than-ten-digit format, since the second digit of '9' would indicate to switch translations to expect a longer-than-ten-digit NANP number. Then after a year or two, the expanded format would become MANDATORY for dialing. 212(X), 504(X), etc. would be considered "vacant" (4-digit) area codes (ranges), and then as needed, these ranges could then be assigned for new 4-digit area codes. However, this MOST LOGICAL (thanks Linc and James! :) expansion plan is still _NOT_ anything official by the INC/NANPA/FCC/CRTC/etc. So, as long as the INC and NANPA doesn't "take away" the reservation of those eighty N9X codes, and if N9X is still used for expansion purposes, as long as the expansion doesn't take effect for some time to come, Wintel's use of '999' instead of 011+ for Intl/Ovs calls from the NANP doesn't "break" anything, although it does appear "unique" and "violating" the traditional NANP dialing procedures. However, many PBX/Cellular systems, wireless/cellular systems, COCOT payphones, "other LD carriers" dialup platforms (usually for card billing) such as Wintel, and even some independent telco (public) POTS/PSTN central offices -- are KNOWN to frequently implement all KINDS of "non-NANP-standard" dialing procedures. The (non-US) NANP-Caribbean is another example of non-standard dialing for NANP-toll, Customer-dialed Opr/Spcl.Billed toll, and Intl/Ovs dialing procedures, as they all don't necessarily use '0(#)', N11, 1+/0+, 01(1)+, etc. but frequently still maintain their _OWN_ unique service/access codes. NANPA has their list of *XX(X) = 11-XX(X) "vertical service code" assignment recommendations, but the NANP telephone industry (PBX, etc) frequently has their own uses for a particular numerical *XX(X) code. Independents, and even BOCs, don't necessarily follow the NANPA list. > They used to be really bad at loading new area codes in - oftentimes, > new area codes that had gone to mandatory dialing were still not > useable with Wintel. Typical of post-1994 NANP service! :( > Nowadays (for the past year and a half at any rate), they have the new > codes loaded almost as soon as they're announced and LONG before > permissive dialing goes into effect. Well, at least they probably have someone at Wintel in numbering, routings, or translations who attends the ATIS meetings, and/or regularly checks the ATIS, Telcordia-TRA, Telcordia.com (general company), NANPA, etc. websites! MJC - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 20 Aug 2000 22:12:47 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Internet Safety The Internet, Your Child and You. What Every Parent Should Know http://www.ago.state.ma.us/intrnet2.pdf Internet Safety: Advice From Kids Who Have Faced Danger Online http://www.ago.state.ma.us/intsafe.pdf - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #28 ******************************* From ???@??? Tue Aug 22 06:12:54 2000 Date: 22 Aug 2000 06:15:11 -0400 Message-ID: <20000822101511.17692.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #29 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: a553aa1cd0a29674cbbeb7ec92bf7530 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Tuesday, August 22 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 029 In this issue: Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service Telecom Update (Canada) #245, August 14, 2000 Telecom Update (Canada) #246, August 21, 2000 8/21/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES In Michigan, the legislature giveth, the MPSC taketh away cmsg cancel <8nt490$15s3$60@serv2.vsi.ru> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 21 Aug 2000 08:14:37 -0400 From: blw1540@aol.com (Bruce Wilson) Subject: Re: GEICO Encourages Theft of Service >A few months ago, I saw a presentation by some exec from worldcom (he >was talking about what a wonderful thing that merger -- since blocked -- >would be) and I seem to recall a pie chart with something like 17% of costs >going to operational stuff like switching ops and hardware, with billing a >larger chunk and marketing just under 50% of the total. It's been a long time since I've seen telco annual reports, but it seems the LEC's percentage of keep (the share of the long distance dollar which was kept by the LEC for billing, collection, and use of its plant) was something on the order of 70% back in the "glory days" of AT&T and use of the separations process. Bruce Wilson - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 21 Aug 2000 15:24:39 -0400 From: Angus TeleManagement Group Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #245, August 14, 2000 ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement's Weekly Telecom Newsbulletin http://www.angustel.ca Number 245: August 14, 2000 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: AT&T Canada ...................... http://www.attcanada.com/ Bell Canada ............................ http://www.bell.ca/ Lucent Technologies .................. http://www.lucent.ca/ Sprint Canada .................. http://www.sprintcanada.ca/ Teleglobe Business Solutions ...... http://www.teleglobe.ca/ Telus Communications.................. http://www.telus.com/ TigerTel Services ................. http://www.tigertel.com/ ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Teleglobe Revenue and Income Plunge ** Quebecor Bids $4.9 Billion for Videotron ** 14% of Canadian Businesses Buy on Line ** Bell Battles Futureway Over Building Access ** Clearnet Launches Prepaid PCS ** Mitel Reports Breakthrough in Fiber Optics ** U.S. DSL Deal Has Canadian Connections ** Riptide Achieves CLEC Status ** Cisco Sales Up 61% ** Teleglobe Buys Fibre Capacity ** EastLink Publishes Halifax Phone Book ** CRTC Finalist for Management Award ** Memotec Denies Mitel Buyout ** New Standard Enables Circuit/Packet Links ** Nortel Adopts Aliant Web Training Software ** Look Passes 200,000 Subscribers ** Videoconferencing Guide Now on Line ** Telus Asks for Funding Applications ** Call Centre Seminar "Fun and Informative" ============================================================ TELEGLOBE REVENUE AND INCOME PLUNGE: Teleglobe revenues in the second quarter were US$594.6 Million, down 17% from the same period last year. The company lost $87.7 Million in the quarter, compared to a net gain of $25.9 Million a year ago. About half of the decline resulted from falling revenues at multi-level marketing subsidiary Excel Communications. ** New owner BCE said it will close Teleglobe's Montreal head office and eliminate about 850 jobs worldwide this year. ** All of Teleglobe's retail sales operations are being moved into Excel, and its results will be reported separately from Teleglobe in future quarters. QUEBECOR BIDS $4.9 BILLION FOR VIDEOTRON: Quebecor and the Caisse de depot have announced an all-cash, $45-per-share bid for all outstanding shares of Videotron. The proposal appears to be $10 a share higher than the all-share offer made by Rogers Communications. ** The courts have not yet ruled on the Caisse de depot's claim that it has a right to veto any acquisition of Videotron. 14% OF CANADIAN BUSINESSES BUY ON LINE: Statistics Canada reports that 14% of Canadian businesses used the Internet to buy goods and services in 1999. Among public sector institutions, 44% did some of their purchasing on the Net. ** Overall, orders received on the Internet in 1999 totalled $4.4 Billion, representing 0.2% of total revenues. 53% of Canadian businesses used e-mail, and 22% had Web sites. http://www.statcan.ca:80/Daily/English/000810/d000810a.htm BELL BATTLES FUTUREWAY OVER BUILDING ACCESS: On July 31, Bell Canada asked the CRTC to order Futureway, a CLEC operating north of Toronto, to terminate exclusive arrangements that prevent Bell and other local carriers from serving customers in buildings served by Futureway (see Telecom Update #178, 196). http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ENG/public/2000/8644/B2-01.htm CLEARNET LAUNCHES PREPAID PCS: Clearnet Communications has introduced Pay & Talk, a prepaid wireless plan. Airtime pricing begins at 29 cents/minute; dual-mode data-ready handsets are available. MITEL REPORTS BREAKTHROUGH IN FIBER OPTICS: Mitel says it has produced working prototypes of devices aimed at "improving the price/performance ratio of Dense Wave Division Multiplexing by an order of magnitude or more." An 80-channel DWDM multiplexer is in development. http://www.mitel.com/bcs/bcsprod.nsf/news+release+by+date?OpenView U.S. DSL DEAL HAS CANADIAN CONNECTIONS: Verizon Communications, formed by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE, has announced plans to buy 55% of DSL provider NorthPoint Communications for US$800 Million. In Canada, NorthPoint and Call-Net have a joint venture to provide and sell DSL services, while Verizon owns 26% of Telus, one of Call-Net's largest competitors. RIPTIDE ACHIEVES CLEC STATUS: The CRTC has informed Riptide Networks that that it has met requirements to operate as a CLEC, and has approved Riptide's General Tariff. Riptide offers wholesale DSL services in Toronto, Thornhill, and Unionville. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ENG/public/2000/8180/8180-8-co.htm http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/Orders/2000/O2000-742.htm CISCO SALES UP 61%: Cisco Systems reports sales of US$5.72 Billion in the quarter ending July 29, up 61% from the previous year. Excluding one-time charges of $404 Million, profits reached $1.2 Billion, a 69% increase. ** Saskatchewan-born Don Listwin is resigning as Cisco Executive VP in order to head a newly merged company combining Phone.com and Software.com, which supply Internet software to telecom carriers. TELEGLOBE BUYS FIBRE CAPACITY: Teleglobe will buy about US$100 Million of capacity on 360networks' projected fibre links between North and South America. EASTLINK PUBLISHES HALIFAX PHONE BOOK: EastLink, a Halifax- based CLEC, has published a phone directory for the Halifax area. The new directory includes postal code listings and a reverse number-based directory. CRTC FINALIST FOR MANAGEMENT AWARD: The CRTC is one of three finalists for an award for Innovative Management by the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, recognizing in particular the contribution of the CRTC Industry Steering Committee (CISC) in implementing local telephone competition. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ENG/NEWS/RELEASES/2000/I000808e2.htm MEMOTEC DENIES MITEL BUYOUT: Memotec Communications, a Montreal-based equipment supplier, says that published reports that it is being acquired by Mitel are untrue. NEW STANDARD ENABLES CIRCUIT/PACKET LINKS: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) have agreed on a new standard, known as H.248 or the Megaco protocol, for gateway devices that pass voice and data traffic between circuit-switched and IP-based networks. http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press/releases/2000/17.html NORTEL ADOPTS ALIANT WEB TRAINING SOFTWARE: Innovatia, Aliant's Web commerce unit, has won a five-year $175-Million contract to supply Web-based training technology to Nortel Networks. LOOK PASSES 200,000 SUBSCRIBERS: Look Communications had 234,007 subscribers on June 30: 60,117 for digital TV and the rest for Internet services. Second-quarter revenue was $16.5 Million. VIDEOCONFERENCING GUIDE NOW ON LINE: The Video Development Initiative, which includes CANARIE, has published version 2.0 of its Videoconferencing Cookbook, a guide to H.323 videoconferencing. http://www.vide.gatech.edu/cookbook2.0/ TELUS ASKS FOR FUNDING APPLICATIONS: Telus is inviting applications to a $200,000 fund for community-based telecommunications projects in Alberta and BC. Deadline: October 15, 2000. http://www.telus.com/about/community/innovationfund.html CALL CENTRE SEMINAR "FUN AND INFORMATIVE": Participants are heaping praise on Angus Dortmans' on-site seminar, "Essential Skills and Knowledge for Effective Incoming Call Centre Management," led by Henry Dortmans. Among recent comments: ** "Henry really knows call centres! He made the seminar fun and informative." ** "For managers new to the call centre environment, a solid foundation. For managers experienced in the environment, useful tools to improve management skills." ** "[Henry] is excellent at involving seminar attendees. He has a natural interest in us." For information, call 1-800-263-4415 ext 300 or go to Call Centre Seminars at http://www.angustel.ca/. ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca FAX: 905-686-2655 MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement Group 8 Old Kingston Road Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7 =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web on the first business day of the week at http://www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: listmanager@postmastergeneral.com Insert as the subject of your message the two words: subscribe TelecomUpdate To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: listmanager@postmastergeneral.com Insert as the subject of your message the two words: unsubscribe TelecomUpdate =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER: All contents copyright 2000 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail rosita@angustel.ca or phone 905-686-5050 ext 225. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ============================================================ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 21 Aug 2000 15:24:40 -0400 From: John Riddell Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #246, August 21, 2000 ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement's Weekly Telecom Newsbulletin http://www.angustel.ca Number 246: August 21, 2000 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: AT&T Canada ...................... http://www.attcanada.com/ Bell Canada ............................ http://www.bell.ca/ Lucent Technologies .................. http://www.lucent.ca/ Sprint Canada .................. http://www.sprintcanada.ca/ Teleglobe Business Solutions ...... http://www.teleglobe.ca/ Telus Communications.................. http://www.telus.com/ TigerTel Services ................. http://www.tigertel.com/ ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Telus Buys Clearnet ** Area Code Overlays Set for 905, 604 ** Videotron Saga Continues ** Canoe Cuts Staff by 25% ** Bell Cable Cut in Ottawa ** Videotron Loses Battle With ISPs ** PCS Auction Application Deadline Extended ** Certification of .Ca Registrars Begins ** AT&T, BT Discuss Merger ** Microcell Launches in Winnipeg ** PIAC Says Digital Divide Growing in Canada ** Cross-Border E-Shoppers Get a Broker ** Ad-Based ISP Expands Service ** Compaq Adopts RIM's BlackBerry ** Look Buys Internet Connect ** CIBC to Build NB Call Centre ** Bell to Use UBS Wireless Technology ** Telus Exec Joins Rogers AT&T ** Nortel Buys Carrier Services Provider ** Angus Dortmans Consulting -- "The Best Product" ============================================================ TELUS BUYS CLEARNET: Telus Corporation has agreed to buy all outstanding shares of Clearnet Communications, for $6.6 Billion in cash and stock. Clearnet President George Cope will head the combined operation. ** The Boards of both companies have approved the deal, which is expected to close in October. AREA CODE OVERLAYS SET FOR 905, 604: The CRTC has ordered the introduction of new Area Codes in 905 (southern Ontario) and 604 (southwestern BC) as overlays. When the new codes are added, 10-digit dialing will be mandatory for all local calls in both areas. ** On June 9, 2001, Area Code 289 will overlay the entire 905 area. The CRTC has ordered the industry to implement number conservation measures in 905 until the new code is operational. ** On November 3, 2001, Area Code 778 will overlay 604 in Greater Vancouver, Abbotsford, and Mission only. Outside of those locations, 604 will continue as the only Area Code. VIDEOTRON SAGA CONTINUES: Rogers Communications has asked the Quebec Superior Court to overturn the injunction that has prevented Videotron from accepting its takeover bid. Videotron's Board of Directors has formally declared that it still supports the Rogers deal, but Montreal's La Presse reports that the company will accept Quebecor's higher offer if Rogers doesn't match it. CANOE CUTS STAFF BY 25%: Quebecor's Web portal, Canoe, has laid off 65 of its 242 staff, following a quarter in which losses rose to $8.1 Million. Quebecor says it is "more than ever committed to the Internet." BELL CABLE CUT IN OTTAWA: On Wednesday, August 16, contractors excavating for a retirement residence in downtown Ottawa (Byward Market area) drilled through two Bell Canada cables encased in concrete five meters below ground, severing 5,400 phone lines. Bell crews worked around the clock to restore service, completing the task by late Friday. VIDEOTRON LOSES BATTLE WITH ISPs: In Order 2000-788, the CRTC orders Videotron to provide its high-speed Internet service for resale to Internet Service Providers for $22.46 a month (see Telecom Update #233). This rate will apply "until Videotron develops long-term contracts that differ from its monthly contracts," and it obtains informed consent from users for such contracts. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/Orders/2000/O2000-788.htm PCS AUCTION APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED: Industry Canada says that it cannot post answers to clarification questions about the upcoming PCS auction until early September, so the deadline for applications will be two weeks after the date of posting. All other dates in the process will shift accordingly. http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/sf05252e.html CERTIFICATION OF .CA REGISTRARS BEGINS: The Canadian Internet Registry Authority has begun certifying Registrars who will record names for the .ca Internet domain. For information, go to http://www.cira.ca. ** The transition to the new regime will begin this fall; in the interim, domain name requests are still processed through http://www.cdnnet.ca. AT&T, BT DISCUSS MERGER: According to reports published last week, U.S.-based AT&T Corp. and British Telecom are exploring the possibility of a merger. The two already share a global joint venture (Concert) that provides voice and data services to large businesses. MICROCELL LAUNCHES IN WINNIPEG: Microcell Connexions has extended its network to Winnipeg and plans a further expansion to Saskatchewan. Microcell has dropped plans to have Telemetrix to build and operate its network in these areas. (See Telecom Update #191) ** Microcell's second-quarter revenue was $104 Million, up 68% from last year. The net loss was $120 Million. (See Telecom Update #241) PIAC SAYS DIGITAL DIVIDE GROWING IN CANADA: The Public Interest Advocacy Centre reports a widening gap in Internet usage between high- and low-income Canadians. Usage increased 25% in 1999 among those with incomes over $60,000, but only 17% among those with incomes under $20,000, PIAC says. http://www.piac.ca CROSS-BORDER E-SHOPPERS GET A BROKER: Toronto-based Borderfree.com plans to provide purchasing services and cross-border delivery to facilitate Canadian purchases from U.S. Web sites. Minacs Worldwide is supplying software and call-center backup. AD-BASED ISP EXPANDS SERVICE: Cybersurf Corp, which provides free Internet access in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto, has extended service to seven more urban areas and plans to add another 10 during the next month. COMPAQ ADOPTS RIM'S BLACKBERRY: Compaq Computer has agreed to sell Research In Motion's BlackBerry wireless e-mail devices under its iPAQ brand. LOOK BUYS INTERNET CONNECT: Look Communications is buying Internet Connect, an Edmonton-based ISP with 8,000 subscribers. CIBC TO BUILD NB CALL CENTRE: CIBC says it will spend $12 Million and hire 500 people for a new telephone-banking call centre in Fredericton, NB. BELL TO USE UBS WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY: Bell Canada will pay $3.9 Million for fixed wireless equipment from Unique Broadband Systems of Concord, Ont, to provide high-speed Internet access to institutional customers in rural areas. TELUS EXEC JOINS ROGERS AT&T: Rogers AT&T Wireless has appointed Nadir Mohamed as President and COO. Mohamed was previously Senior VP, Marketing and Sales at Telus and headed BC Tel Mobility from 1997-99. NORTEL BUYS CARRIER SERVICES PROVIDER: Nortel Networks is paying US$540 Million in shares to buy California-based Sonoma Systems, which makes equipment that delivers different types of voice and data traffic over a single connection. ANGUS DORTMANS CONSULTING -- "THE BEST PRODUCT": "I would recommend Angus Dortmans to any organization that wishes to [improve] their call centre environment. When you choose the best you get the best product!" --Sheila Ducarme, Programs and Services Consultant, Human Resources Development Canada. ** For more information about Angus Dortmans consulting services and private seminars on call center management, visit www.angustel.ca or call 1-800-263-4415 ext 300. ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca FAX: 905-686-2655 MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement Group 8 Old Kingston Road Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7 =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web on the first business day of the week at http://www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: listmanager@postmastergeneral.com Insert as the subject of your message the two words: subscribe TelecomUpdate To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: listmanager@postmastergeneral.com Insert as the subject of your message the two words: unsubscribe TelecomUpdate =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER: All contents copyright 2000 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail rosita@angustel.ca or phone 905-686-5050 ext 225. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ============================================================ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2000 23:39:27 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/21/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - DOMAIN MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES - - REGULATORY ARBITRAGE: BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY OR GLOBAL CHAOS? - - FREE.TV, CHINA.TV, NET.TV, GO FOR $100,000 REGISTRATION FEE EACH - - LYCOS ENTERS NET-BY-PHONE MARKET - - PROTECTING FAMOUS TRADEMARKS IN CHINESE DOMAINS - - DNSO GA SELECTING ICANN BOARD MEMBER - - GRIEVANCE SITES ENTITLED TO VISIBILITY - - HUNDT OFFERS BOOK FREE VIA INTERNET - - TOLL FREE PORTAL BEVOCAL EXPANDS DIRECTIONS SERVICE NATIONWIDE ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) SUMMER'S ALMOST OVER - ACT NOW! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 21, 2000 P - DOMAIN MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES ''You start registering a massive amount of domains early on,'' says the source, ''and within that mass, the domain name you're really after is a little more hidden. That's really what it's come to. You just register 300 domain names at once.'' CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4366 P - REGULATORY ARBITRAGE: BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY OR GLOBAL CHAOS? Regulatory arbitrage is the business of exploiting different rules in different jurisdictions for profit. But to James Bennett, the "sovereignty services" he offers are really more of an art. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4365 F - FREE.TV, CHINA.TV, NET.TV, GO FOR $100,000 REGISTRATION FEE EACH dotTV has a hybrid pricing model where most .tv addresses are available on a first come first served basis for an initial annual registration fee of $50, while generic "dictionary" names, such as business.tv and news.tv, are available by auction. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4364 F - LYCOS ENTERS NET-BY-PHONE MARKET "This new voice portal is one element of the Lycos Anywhere wireless platform that is rapidly changing the way our users can access Web information," said Ron Sege, executive vice president of Lycos. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4363 P - PROTECTING FAMOUS TRADEMARKS IN CHINESE DOMAINS This article examines in detail the landmark implications of the Ikea case. On the basis of these reviews, the author recommends some practical strategies for trademark owners in dealing with cyber-squatting disputes in China. Guest article by Jin Ling, consultant of Rouse & Co International. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4362 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* Are you a local or regional business that advertises in newspapers, direct mail, on radio or tv? 1 800 BRAND IT shared use marketing programs can help your sales skyrocket! http://www.1800BrandIt.com ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 21, 2000 P - DNSO GA SELECTING ICANN BOARD MEMBER In order to be considered for the ICANN Board selection a nominee must have the support of, at least, 10 members of the General Assembly of the DNSO. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4370 P - GRIEVANCE SITES ENTITLED TO VISIBILITY Those who have genuine grievances against others or wish express criticisms of them -- whether the objections are against commercial or financial institutions, against governments, against charitable, sporting or cultural institutions, or whatever -- must be at liberty, within the confines set by the laws of relevant jurisdictions, to express their views. If today they use a website or an email address for the purpose, they are entitled to select a Domain Name which leads others easily to them, if the name is still available. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4369 F - HUNDT OFFERS BOOK FREE VIA INTERNET Hundt said You Say You Want A Revolution: A Story of Information Age Politics "is now available free in cyberremainder form" on his web site - -- www.reedhundt.com/book -- "if you don't mind downloading 100,000 words." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4368 F - TOLL FREE PORTAL BEVOCAL EXPANDS DIRECTIONS SERVICE NATIONWIDE Consumers can access BeVocal's driving directions from any phone, wireless or landline, with the option of receiving information through voice output, email or wireless web phones. BeVocal's new service is one of many that the company plans to introduce over time. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4367 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: 22 Aug 2000 00:33:04 -0400 From: Michigan Telephone Subject: In Michigan, the legislature giveth, the MPSC taketh away The workings of government are sometimes a strange and wondrous thing to behold. Here in Michigan we've just had a situation occur that I quite frankly don't understand, and I wish someone could enlighten me a little. Our state legislature recently passed a new telecommunications act. It was given "immediate effect", and signed into law by Governor Engler on Monday, July 17, 2000. One of the provisions of this new act read as follows: "A call made to a local calling area adjacent to the caller's local calling area shall be considered a local call and shall be billed as a local call." This provision was first proposed as an amendment by Michigan Senator Dave Jaye. In a mailing to constituents, Senator Jaye explained one reason he had proposed this amendment: "Currently it is a long distance phone call for Shelby Township residents to call Troy Beaumont Hospital which is located less than a mile away." In other words, the clear intent of the Michigan Legislature was to provide local calling to adjacent exchanges, in areas where it does not already exist. In a mailing to constituents, another Michigan Senator (Leon Stille) wrote "The law includes a number of other consumer-friendly provisions, such as requiring that phone calls made to an adjacent exchange be considered local calls and billed as such." All of this is documented on the web page at http://michigantelephone.cjb.net/ As I mentioned, the law was given "immediate effect". Yet as of today, more than a month since the law was signed, no toll charges have been eliminated on calls to adjacent exchanges. Worse yet, it appears there's a chance that the local calling areas for Michigan telephone customers could actually be *reduced* in size. Enter the Michigan Public Service Commission Before the new law had even been signed by the governor, the Michigan Public Service Commission opened a case (Case No. U-12515) with the shortest comment period I have ever seen (about a week, give or take a day or two), asking for comments on how this section of law should be interpreted. Despite the short comment period, several parties filed comments, including of course Ameritech Michigan and GTE (now Verizon), the two largest telephone companies in the state. Incredibly, Ameritech Michigan said that "the Commission should reduce the size of existing local calling areas before implementing the provisions" of the section under discussion. This was mentioned in the order for Case No. U-12528 (which will be discussed in a moment), as was this rather chilling paragraph: "There are several recurring comments with which the Commission agrees. (1) Existing local calling areas should be revised. (2) The broader interpretations of the subsection will likely have anticompetitive effects. (3) The Commission should commence a contested case proceeding to determine how subsection (11) should be implemented. (4) It is not possible to immediately implement revised local calling areas regardless of the interpretation give to subsection (11)." "Not possible to immediately implement revised local calling areas?" Excuse me, but I thought that an act of a state legislature, given immediate effect, would override any action by an appointed commission. What the Commission did, instead of ordering Michigan phone companies to immediately begin removing tolls on calls to adjacent exchanges, was to open yet another case (the aforementioned Case No. U-12528 ). If you click on the link to this case, you can read the comments from some of the parties. What it appears that the Michigan Public Service Commission is going to try to do is first *reduce* the size of existing local calling areas, then apply the new law. Therefore, some Michigan telephone customers could actually lose existing local calling areas. I would not be surprised if some customers, especially in rural areas, discover that they can no longer access their Internet Service Provider as a local call. But there is another question that is in some ways even more perplexing: How can an appointed state commission in effect give permission to telephone companies to ignore a state law that is now in effect? Let's suppose for a moment that someone were to file a class action lawsuit on behalf of all Michigan telephone customers that have been charged tolls on calls to adjacent exchanges since July 17, the date that the act was signed into law. Would Ameritech and GTE be able to escape liability for following the law by saying that the Michigan Public Service Commission in effect gave them tacit permission to delay implementation of the law? You know that if a state legislature passed a law covering some small business, perhaps one owned by you or I, ordering us to stop charging customers some particular charge or fee, and a month later we were still charging that fee, we'd probably be under investigation by our state's Attorney General. But in Michigan, Attorney General Jennifer M. Granholm seems most concerned that "the Commission avoid an interpretation that damages emerging competition." What is so great about Ameritech that they are apparently considered immune from state law, and protected by the state attorney general and the appointed commission that is *supposed* to be watching out for telephone customers? Is it legal for the Michigan Public Service Commission to 1) Give implicit permission to telephone companies to just ignore state law until they have conducted all the hearings they feel are necessary, 2) Thwart the expressed will of the state legislature by changing local calling areas in such as way as to negate the effects of the new law? I would really like to know the answers to this, because it just boggles my mind that an elected commission can tell a company that it is okay to just ignore an explicit state law. Either I have a total misunderstanding of how the lines of authority within government work, or something very strange is happening here. If you are a Michigan resident, please make it a point to visit the page at http://michigantelephone.cjb.net/, which gives considerably more information on this topic (including a link to a chart that shows what exchanges will become local calls from every existing Michigan exchange, *if* the law is implemented as the state legislature intended). You may also want to send a comment to the Michigan Public Service Commission *before the September 5, 2000 cutoff date* for comments on Case No. U-12528. - ---------- Message To Spammers -- Game Over! Get spam-free email at http://www.MsgTo.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 22 Aug 2000 07:28:27 GMT From: spamcancel@wupper.com Subject: cmsg cancel <8nt490$15s3$60@serv2.vsi.ru> Excessive Multi-Posted spam article exceeding a BI of 20 cancelled by spamcancel@wupper.com. >>From was: postagent@mindspring.com Subject was: DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE TRIAL VERSION OF POSTAGENT!! 1806 NNTP-Posting-Host was: user-38lde02.dialup.mindspring.com ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #29 ******************************* From ???@??? Wed Aug 23 06:16:18 2000 Date: 23 Aug 2000 06:15:11 -0400 Message-ID: <20000823101511.18582.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #30 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 0f8ba30f6210c8340f2907058123cd1b Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Wednesday, August 23 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 030 In this issue: So now I'm a Telus customer again Three Paradigm Shifts Required Before Wireless Catches On Wide Project Joins Telehouse Los Angeles Internet Exchange Wireless news Passionate reactions online to the DVD decision FS: Natural Micro Dialogic Rhetorex acculab gamalink newvoice MS Server Attack Tool Unleashed Scary Hole Found at ZKey Cable Net Users Feel Squeezed U.S. Mobilizing Phone Assault How to spy on your employees ad company provides backdoor for defeating censorware 8/22/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES Re: DSL Line Re: Fwd: Re: E-Mail this story? Re: Music to My Ears But Not EMI's ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 22 Aug 2000 09:33:57 -0400 From: "Joey Lindstrom" Subject: So now I'm a Telus customer again Over the past couple of years, I've used this forum to champion the introduction of alternatives to "the local phone company", at least here in Canada and specifically the Calgary area. I use two different independent ISP's for my internet service, I use one of the alternative cellphone companies, and I use both Sprint Canada and Wintel for my long distance. All have provided me with excellent service and excellent customer service, and I was a happy consumer of these services. And now I'm right back into TelusLand (Telus being "the local phone company" here in Alberta, and now also in British Columbia). First, my Sprint Canada CLEC service had to be switched back to Telus when I moved last October. Why? Because the area I'm now in is set up for "Voice Over ADSL" service, so even though I'm using two different independent ISP's, they both, in turn, are forced to contract out their ADSL service to... Telus Advanced Communications, which of course is a Telus subsidiary. And one of THEIR requirements? Your voice line *MUST* be a Telus line, not a Sprint Canada line. I can keep a Sprint Canada line but I'm forced to pay extra for a Telus line too - not much point. And now I discover this morning that, thanks to a $6.6 billion takeover, my Clearnet cellphone service is now brought to me by the friendly (HAH!) folks at Telus. Instead of four cell alternatives, I suddenly have only three. And worse yet: Telus now owns both of the providers that use the superior CDMA technology, so if I switch to either Rogers or Fido, I've gotta change to one of those crappy TDMA phones. Who the hell wins here? This highway to a bright new future has made a U-turn and is headed right back to 1955. Next I expect both Sprint Canada and/or Wintel to be gobbled up by the Telus monster. What gives? And why on earth is the CRTC approving this nonsense? I think I'll go stick my head in the oven now... whoops, better wait on that. Telus might buy out the gas company in the next 2 minutes... / From the messy desktop of Joey Lindstrom / Visit The NuServer! http://www.GaryNumanFan.NU / Visit The Webb! http://webb.GaryNumanFan.NU / / I got a chain letter by fax. It's very simple. You just fax a dollar / bill to everybody on the list. / --Steven Wright ** Tag(s) inserted by Bandit Tagger98 - http://www.gbar.dtu.dk/~c918704 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 22 Aug 2000 13:15:50 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Three Paradigm Shifts Required Before Wireless Catches On WIRELESS INTERNET RESOURCES Needed: Wireless Paradigm Shifts There must a shift in the thinking of the wireless device vendors, and providers. http://www.allnetdevices.com/industry/reality/2000/08/21/three_paradigm.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 22 Aug 2000 13:17:16 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Wide Project Joins Telehouse Los Angeles Internet Exchange la.internet.com Wide Project Joins Telehouse Los Angeles Internet Exchange http://la.internet.com/news/article/0,2325,5321_442461,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 22 Aug 2000 13:21:26 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Wireless news seattle.internet.com Senada.com Launches Wireless Event Ticketing http://seattle.internet.com/news/article/0,2243,3851_442521,00.html E-COMMERCE/ MARKETING The Wireless Explosion: WAP Phones are Hot The upswing of the m-commerce world is getting a boost from wireless Internet phones. http://cyberatlas.com/markets/wireless/article/0,,10094_441471,00.html ISP RESOURCES Run Your Wireless ISP Inexpensively! Did you know there are two unlicensed spectrums for broadband fixed wireless? http://www.isp-planet.com/technology/5.8ghz.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 22 Aug 2000 17:30:12 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Passionate reactions online to the DVD decision Passionate reactions online to the DVD-copying decision (IDG) -- Online reaction has been voluminous and passionate since a federal court ruling last week that bars a hacker Web site from posting or linking De-Content Scrambling System (DeCSS) software, which decrypts DVDs (digital video discs). http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/08/22/decss.reactions.idg/index.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 22 Aug 2000 17:52:09 -0400 From: NW Remarketing-Chris Subject: FS: Natural Micro Dialogic Rhetorex acculab gamalink newvoice FS: Natural Micro Dialogic Rhetorex acculab gamalink newvoice All gear is in stock!!! If you do not like the price, Make an offer. Dialogic D/21D $100 1x LSI/120 3x D/41B $50 each 8 New Voice NV800 128 $495 each Rack mount Pentium 90 w/ 3 Dialogic LSI 120's 3 Dialogic D/121/A's 3 Dialogic D/41D 1.4 floppy 2.1 gig $1200 for the package Gamalink MLCP 4 port fax ISA $795 each 4 Dainatel Easy Access 24 EA24 $495 each 6x Xircom/Brooktrout PRI-E1 ISA $495 each 4x Voice pro VP2000 $395 each 1x Voice Pro VPRO4 $495 each Rhetorex Misc Quartet 432 ect $295 each 5x NMS AG-24/30 $795 each 2x NMS Dual T1 DTI-48 $1000 6x NMS 5031 $795 (can someone tell me this cards application/function) We also have 1x NMS VBX600 with out daughter card. $? 1x NMS VBX600 w/ daughter card $? 1x NMS MC1 $? These are installed in a Smartdial system w/ manuals ect. 1x NMS 5040 TAPI 1x NMS 5041 ATI 1x VBX600 $1995 also 1x NMS/mitel Dual T1 9x Watson/NMS VBX100/Watson III's $75 1x Acculab MVIP boards 10070 ISS4.1 T1 $495 We may have a few more loose ends. Most units are used pulls from systems. Please email at gern@wvi.com or call (503) 391-8191 Chris Blackburn NW Remarketing - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 22 Aug 2000 17:52:47 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: MS Server Attack Tool Unleashed MS Server Attack Tool Unleashed by Michelle Delio 10:00 a.m. Aug. 16, 2000 PDT (Editor's note: This story was updated at 11 a.m., Aug. 17, 2000). A newly released automated Web-based tool can scan Microsoft's Internet Information Server (IIS) for multiple reported IIS vulnerabilities, according to iDEFENSE Intelligence Services. http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,38259,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 22 Aug 2000 17:55:06 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Scary Hole Found at ZKey Scary Hole Found at ZKey by Michelle Delio 3:00 a.m. Aug. 18, 2000 PDT A hacker didn't need keys to access the private information that was supposed to be securely stored on ZKey's award-winning information storage portal. All he needed was a little JavaScript. A new security hole, discovered Aug. 14 by a hacker who calls himself "Blue Adept," allows ZKey users on Internet Explorer 5.5 with a ZKey account to easily steal the user names and passwords of other ZKey users simply by sending an email that includes a specific JavaScript code embedded in the body of the message. http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,38292,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 22 Aug 2000 17:58:07 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Cable Net Users Feel Squeezed Cable Net Users Feel Squeezed by Chris Oakes 3:00 a.m. Aug. 18, 2000 PDT Internet users are objecting to their cable ISP's attempts to limit how they use their connections. Customers of cable Internet service ComcastAtHome are protesting a new clause in the service's subscriber agreement that forbids the use of virtual private networking (VPN) software. http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,38227,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 22 Aug 2000 18:01:03 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: U.S. Mobilizing Phone Assault U.S. Mobilizing Phone Assault by Elisa Batista 3:00 a.m. Aug. 21, 2000 PDT The rest of the world may scoff now at the United States' seemingly slow adoption of wireless handheld devices and services -- but not for long. One market research firm suggest that within five years the United States will develop and use mobile commerce services at an equal rate to Europe and Asia which were first to embrace the technology. There are currently 100 million cellphones in the United States, half of which depend on analog technology that does not support digital messaging, according to financial market researcher Celent Communications. http://www.wired.lycos.com/news/technology/0,1282,38317,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 22 Aug 2000 18:03:20 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: How to spy on your employees How to spy on your employees ...And Why You May Not Want To By Jesse Berst ZDNN Aug 21 - Spying on employees will be a half-billion dollar industry by 2004. But that may not be the best thing for business. http://www.msnbc.com/news/449233.asp - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 22 Aug 2000 18:57:26 -0400 From: Bennett Haselton Subject: ad company provides backdoor for defeating censorware [sent to journalists on Peacefire's press contacts list] We've found a new method for disabling blocking software. Go to this URL: http://a1.g.akamaitech.net/6/6/6/6/www.yahoo.com/ and it shows you the www.yahoo.com home page. It's that simple :) Akamai's servers are set up so that they allow anybody to use their Web servers to access other pages -- and the blocking software companies are going to be very unlikely to block all of akamaitech.net, since Akamai serves ads for tens of thousands of sites, and they would raise hell about it if the censorware companies started blocking their ad servers. We have a page set up at: http://www.peacefire.org/bypass/Proxy/akamai.html explaining what to do if the method doesn't work for accessing a particular page, what to do if it doesn't work the first time, etc. That page looks long, but most of it just consists of instructions for how to handle special pages that might not load correctly the first time, if you try accessing them using the Akamai trick. A representative from N2H2, the company that makes Bess educational blocking software, said that they told Akamai about the problem some time ago but they never got a response: http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-2586200.html and Akamai is falling over themselves to deny that this is a problem for them -- well, of course it's not a problem for *them*, it's the censorware companies that are in trouble if anyone can use Akamai's machines to get around their software. Hopefully none of you had the misfortune of being censored by blocking software at work, but if you were, at least you're not any more :) -Bennett bennett@peacefire.org http://www.peacefire.org (425) 649 9024 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2000 23:13:36 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/22/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - LEADING 800 MARKETER PARTNERS WITH NSI FOR 800/DOT COM BRANDING - - DYSON LEAVING ICANN - - SPOTLIGHT ON AT LARGE CANDIDATE BARBARA SIMONS - - NSI "STATEMENT OF DIRECTION" ON MULTILINGUAL DOMAIN NAMES - - GREATDOMAINS REPORTS SECONDARY DOMAIN NAME MARKET STATS - - JURISDICTION ON THE INTERNET - DISCUSSION OF THE EUROMARKET - - IP TELEPHONY ROUTING SOLUTIONS - - NEW WORLD ORDER - - SPANISH COUNCIL FACES US LAWSUIT OVER DOMAIN NAME ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) SUMMER'S ALMOST OVER - ACT NOW! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 22, 2000 P - LEADING 800 MARKETER PARTNERS WITH NSI FOR 800/DOT COM BRANDING The agreement provides companies with the unprecedented opportunity to use matching toll-free vanity numbers and website addresses to promote their brands. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4372 F - DYSON LEAVING ICANN "We're supposed to be a consensus organization, but this is the real world," she said. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4378 F - SPOTLIGHT ON AT LARGE CANDIDATE BARBARA SIMONS "Cybersquatting is a term that is being misused and, I fear, redefined by the press. In fact, it should be applied only to the very small number of cases of individuals who have gone out of their way to register domain names using well known brand names, particularly coined and fanciful terms." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4379 F - NSI "STATEMENT OF DIRECTION" ON MULTILINGUAL DOMAIN NAMES In the coming months, NSI Registry will open a test bed that will allow registration of multilingual domain names through the more than 60 active ICANN accredited registrars. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4377 F - GREATDOMAINS REPORTS SECONDARY DOMAIN NAME MARKET STATS A roundup of the year-to-date sales figures (1/01/00 to 7/31/00) announced by GreatDomains.com reveals that the average sales price for a domain name was $36,287 and the median sales price was $5,000. In terms of trading activity, the corresponding percentages came in at 6 percent for names over $100,000, 48 percent for names between $5,000 and $100,000, and 46 percent for those under $5,000. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4376 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* Are you a local or regional business that advertises in newspapers, direct mail, on radio or tv? 1 800 BRAND IT shared use marketing programs can help your sales skyrocket! http://www.1800BrandIt.com ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 22, 2000 P - JURISDICTION ON THE INTERNET - DISCUSSION OF THE EUROMARKET "In 1 800 Flowers I rejected the suggestion that the website owner should be regarded as putting a tentacle onto the user’s screen." Guest article by Dawn Osborne, Partner in the UK IP law firm of Willoughby & Partners, and recently appointed a UDRP arbitrator. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4375 F - IP TELEPHONY ROUTING SOLUTIONS The technology would allow it to identify calls entering its voice over the IP network from originating partners and then route them to destinations by using database of subscriber identification numbers. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4374 F - NEW WORLD ORDER Want to see the future of government? Then keep a close eye on ICANN. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4373 P - SPANISH COUNCIL FACES US LAWSUIT OVER DOMAIN NAME Dr. Alejandro Pisanty, professor at the Mexican university UNAM and a member of the executive board of ICANN, said that the experience of barcelona.com will be “of great importance in identifying possible defects and faults in the system” for policing domain names, scarce consolation for the unlucky owners. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4371 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 01:51:07 -0400 From: djb0x7736d52a@scream.org (Dan) Subject: Re: DSL Line Rick Ellis wrote: > In article , > Mickey Ferguson wrote: > > >Worse yet for those of us in GTE/Verizon land. When I lived in Ohio (in > >Wadsworth, just a stone's throw from Akron), the service was pathetic. When > >I moved to Northern California and PacBell land, service was much better. > >Now that I'm in SoCal and back in GTE territory, service is pathetic again. > >And from what I've seen, GTE/Verizon is WAY behind in their DSL setups. > > What kind of problems are you having? I have GTE DSL and it's been > fine for the last 1.5 years. Same here since last December (well, GTE/LavaNet - from what I understand, although GTE's dropping DSLAMs into COs out here like there's no tomorrow, they don't have the "back-end" bandwidth, i.e. undersea fiber, to provide end-to-end connectivity, so they shunt us over a frame cloud to the ISP's of our choosing, or some such). I've had about 2 or 3 10-15 minute outages due to routing problems (at the ISP), and a few weeks back there was a half-day outage due to GTE upgrading all their DSLAMs and the upgrade having a glitch, which affected a buncha people statewide. In comparison, we have RoadRunner where I work, and I've seen them have routing issues that cut the whole island off from the rest of the world for 20+ hours. I have a feeling that criticizing or lauding a national company that's got different operations in lots of different places is probably impractical, since the quality of service probably differs significantly from place to place. - -- Dan Birchall - Palolo Valley, Honolulu HI - http://dan.scream.org Post your reviews; get paid: http://epinions.scream.org/join.html Free web-based e-mail: http://www.themail.com/ref.htm?ref=1163079 My address expires - take out the hex stamp if your reply bounces - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 01:58:02 -0400 From: djb0x7736d52a@scream.org (Dan) Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: E-Mail this story? Mike Pollock wrote: > Okay, Digesters, here's the response I got from the New York Times. > I await your interpretation and will abide by your judgment. It seems > to me that I should manually send a link (alas not using their handy > e-mailing feature) to avoid the storage and mass-distribution problems, > but what say ye? > > From: hilda cosmo > > Subject: Re: E-Mail this story? > > > > Mr. Pollock, > > Since you are receiving permission to e-mail the article to a friend, > > there is no breach of the subscriber agreement. Posting the NYTimes > > article in a newsgroup for the purpose of discussion is permitted. > > NYT content may not be archived and must be deleted within a day or > > two. The copyright and credit mention to be included with the article > > is: Reprinted With Permission (c) 2000 The New York Times Company. > > > > Mass distribution or posting requires permission. Information on how > > to apply for permission may be found at the url below: > > http://www.nytimes.com/subscribe/help/permiss.html Aigh. Hilda seems a little unclear on the concept. Mailing the article to the CDT submissions address will get it posted here - but it will be archived by anybody who archives CDT. If their mailer inserted an X-No-Archive header, that'd still have to make it past the robomoderator intact, and I don't know whether that'd happen. Messy messy messy. And no, I'm *not* going to recommend mailing it to yourself and posting it with a forged approval... Hey, I guess you could post it, wait 2 days and send a cancel... that would probably qualify as a good faith attempt to ensure that it was "deleted within a day or two," right? If folks don't honor the cancel, it's not _your_ fault... - -Dan - -- Dan Birchall - Palolo Valley, Honolulu HI - http://dan.scream.org Post your reviews; get paid: http://epinions.scream.org/join.html Free web-based e-mail: http://www.themail.com/ref.htm?ref=1163079 My address expires - take out the hex stamp if your reply bounces - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 02:21:10 -0400 From: djb0x7736d52a@scream.org (Dan) Subject: Re: Music to My Ears But Not EMI's Monty Solomon wrote: > August 17, 2000 > > Music to My Ears Š But Not EMI's > > The music publishing company sues the brilliantly annoying provider of > tuneful cell-phone rings. Quoting the article: "Because YourMobile.com clips are not sound recordings, but eight- to 12-second excerpts in computer MIDI format, the company does not have to license the songs from the record labels. It requires only a license from music publishers, which ultimately will funnel money to the original songwriters of the works." This is tangential to the telecom issues of the matter, but is a snippet of only 8-12 seconds long enough to fall outside the realm of fair use? 8-12 seconds of a 3:05 pop song is not a significant amount on a percentage basis. It's not even long enough for a single verse or chorus on most songs. I'm guessing the ring-tone folks are just MIDIfying the most recognizible riff or progression or whatever. If they're actually trying to establish licensing deals with the publishers, I'd say that's exceptionally nice of them, and even if they're not, I don't think there's much grounds for a lawsuit. But my knowledge of copyright is much sharper in the printed-word area, so if someone here's a music copyright whiz, please feel free to correct me. - -Dan - -- Dan Birchall - Palolo Valley, Honolulu HI - http://dan.scream.org Post your reviews; get paid: http://epinions.scream.org/join.html Free web-based e-mail: http://www.themail.com/ref.htm?ref=1163079 My address expires - take out the hex stamp if your reply bounces - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #30 ******************************* From ???@??? Thu Aug 24 07:37:52 2000 Date: 24 Aug 2000 06:15:22 -0400 Message-ID: <20000824101522.14960.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #31 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 3647776a221eb6c908482a3e8f0105dc Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Thursday, August 24 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 031 In this issue: Re: bad mobile service (was So now I'm a Telus customer again) Re: Music to My Ears But Not EMI's AT&Ts contribution to network radio 800 Number portability Acceptable international DS3 error rates Re: Passionate reactions online to the DVD decision Is anyone using 3Com NBX 100 or NBX 25? Re: Passionate reactions online to the DVD decision Statement by the Press Secretary on Verio Acquisition Akamai caught in Net filtering cross fire CYBERsitter responds to Akamai backdoor New law gives genetic privacy protection Re: CMA cancels show, fires staff 8/23/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 23 Aug 2000 08:20:57 -0400 From: Joseph Singer Subject: Re: bad mobile service (was So now I'm a Telus customer again) 22 Aug 2000 09:33:57 -0400 "Joey Lindstrom" wrote: >And now I discover this morning that, thanks to a $6.6 billion >takeover, my Clearnet cellphone service is now brought to me by the >friendly (HAH!) folks at Telus. Instead of four cell alternatives, I >suddenly have only three. And worse yet: Telus now owns both of the >providers that use the superior CDMA technology, so if I switch to >either Rogers or Fido, I've gotta change to one of those crappy TDMA >phones. Before you start bashing mobile standards such as TDMA for the perceived "bestness" of CDMA which others have differing opinion consider that Fido a/k/a Microcell uses the GSM standard for mobile telephony. If you'll check what mobile standard is the *most* used in the world you'll probably find that besides analog AMPS that the most widely deployed mobile telephone standard is in fact GSM. If we're going to totally look at it the GSM standard is a variation on TDMA technology. That said, I don't think mobile telephony companies such as Sprint or AT&T would deploy a technology that was inferior. They wouldn't have any customers. The truth about wireless technlogies is that for certain situations one might work better than others. Many factors influence how well a certain type of phone will act in certain situations. A blanket statement that a certain service is crap is not at all a fair assessment. Joseph - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joseph Singer Seattle, Washington USA [ICQ pgr] +1 206 405 2052 [voice mail] +1 206 493 0706 [FAX] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 09:04:58 -0400 From: "Joey Lindstrom" Subject: Re: Music to My Ears But Not EMI's Apologies up front for drifting slightly off-topic - this is in regards to the copyright issues involved with distributing distinctive-ring music to Nokia cellphones. Feel free to skip. On 23 Aug 2000 06:15:11 -0400, Dan wrote: >> Music to My Ears S But Not EMI's >> >> The music publishing company sues the brilliantly annoying provider of >> tuneful cell-phone rings. > >Quoting the article: "Because YourMobile.com clips are not sound >recordings, but eight- to 12-second excerpts in computer MIDI format, >the company does not have to license the songs from the record labels. >It requires only a license from music publishers, which ultimately >will funnel money to the original songwriters of the works." > >This is tangential to the telecom issues of the matter, but is a >snippet of only 8-12 seconds long enough to fall outside the realm >of fair use? 8-12 seconds of a 3:05 pop song is not a significant >amount on a percentage basis. It's not even long enough for a >single verse or chorus on most songs. I'm guessing the ring-tone >folks are just MIDIfying the most recognizible riff or progression >or whatever. If they're actually trying to establish licensing >deals with the publishers, I'd say that's exceptionally nice of >them, and even if they're not, I don't think there's much grounds >for a lawsuit. But my knowledge of copyright is much sharper in >the printed-word area, so if someone here's a music copyright whiz, >please feel free to correct me. I'm no lawyer either but I have some experience in radio commercial production, and here's what I learned along the way. Your mileage may vary. If you're using a piece of an actual recording (note the distinction, the same one you make in your first paragraph), then copyright obtains no matter how short or how long a piece you use. Fair use? No, I can't see this as fair use - one company is SELLING this service to consumers. That said, in the radio biz (at least in Canada), the rule of thumb for using a piece of a recording (say, in commercials) is "eight seconds". Don't go over 8 seconds and the copyright police won't bother you. Go over it, and expect your own station manager to demand you re-do the commercial. I did one 30-second spot for a local advertiser that wanted some music in his commercial that would bring back memories of the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, so we used exactly 8 seconds worth of David Foster's "Winter Games" (the theme music for those Games), but then faded into some production music (which we had a licence for). Any more than that, and it could be construed that the product was being "endorsed" by Foster: a definite no-no. In fact, the whole thing is illegal but generally speaking this is the agreement that the music labels have, unofficially, with the radio stations. 8 seconds. Don't break that barrier, say the labels, and we won't mess with you. Still illegal, but they won't touch you as long as you respect the limits. (These limits do not apply if you are creating a commercial FOR the music you are using... for example, if I'm doing a spot for a record store and they're promoting the latest Foo Fighters album, and say so in the commercial, I can use as much of the Foo Fighters music as I want, as that IS the product being promoted). This isn't "fair use" per se (which is why it's still technically illegal), but the record companies realize that there's a distinction between using their music to evoke a mood (which enhances both the commercial *AND* the original recording, and it can be demonstrated that this can increase sales of the original music) and using it to "endorse" a product. The former they like, the latter they don't, and they've arbitrarily chosen eight seconds as the dividing line between the two. But as for these MIDI (or whatever format) files, you are absolutely right. The copyright in question when dealing with these files is with the original music publisher. In SOME cases, that's also the label. But the music label's copyright generally covers only the PERFORMANCE (ie: that specific recording). For example, I'm a fan (see my email address) of a musician named Gary Numan, who has changed labels a few times over the years. His big hit (in the US anyways) was a song called "Cars", released in 1980. The rights to that "performance" are owned by his first record label, Beggars Banquet. However, he personally owns the rights (by being his own publisher) to the music and lyrics, so on subsequent albums (ie: live albums) on DIFFERENT LABELS he is able to include new performances of this song (and indeed he's done so), without requiring the permission of Beggars Banquet or anybody else. (The Artist Formerly Known As) Prince ran into some copyright troubles some time ago: he wanted to rerelease an old album of his but his old record label (with whom he'd had major falling outs with) wouldn't play ball. So he RERECORDED the entire thing and released it himself, without their permission. And to quote RAH, "no huhu". Now, if *YOU* want to record your own version of "Cars" and release it, you have to obtain permission. And to do that, you have to talk to Gary Numan and/or his agent, and *NOT* Beggars Banquet. The same would hold true if you're making distinctive rings for Nokia cellphones and wanted to include "Cars" (I think one company has already done this, actually). But beware: there are seperate copyrights involved for the music and the lyrics, and sometimes one publisher only has the rights to one or the other. If you're making distinctive-ring music for Nokia cellphones, make sure you've secured the rights from the publisher of the MUSIC and not just the LYRICS. / From the messy desktop of Joey Lindstrom / Visit The NuServer! http://www.GaryNumanFan.NU / Visit The Webb! http://webb.GaryNumanFan.NU / / All of the people in my building are insane. The guy above me designs / synthetic hairballs for ceramic cats. The lady across the hall tried to / rob a department store... With a pricing gun... She said, "Give me all / of the money in the vault, or I'm marking down everything in the store." / --Steven Wright ** Tag(s) inserted by Bandit Tagger98 - http://www.gbar.dtu.dk/~c918704 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 09:24:16 -0400 From: Frank Messere Subject: AT&Ts contribution to network radio Hi: I'm researching AT&T's contribution to network radio after it sold WEAF to RCA. I'm particularly interesting in any interesting stories about heroic efforts by AT&T to help out radio broadcasters, little know facts, etc. I'm writing a peice for the Encyclopedia of Radio and I'd appreciate any help you could give me. thanks, Fritz Messere Fritz Messere http://www.oswego.edu/~messere Chair, Comm Studies mailto:messere@oswego.edu 315 341 2357 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 10:49:53 -0400 From: RegrettableError@netscape.net Subject: 800 Number portability If you're trying to repoint the 800 number, you can get a new resporg to carry the traffic for you: the per-minute cost variance is unlikely to be more than the cost of backhauling PRI's. Am I missing something? Bill W. Jim Jordan wrote: In article <1r7uos0ln2phb2er6a5khtf5fa8i65060m@4ax.com>, W.D. \"Bill\" Garfield wrote: >Resporg is QWEST and they have been contacted and trouble tickets >opened. The 800 service still does not work. >A satellite office of mine in Oklahoma (also with Qwest as their >carrier) also cannot reach any of the ported numbers. >Sounds like a conspiracy to me. Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. They may not be out to get you, just incompetent enough to not give you what you contracted for. >However, the burned child fears the fire. Lesson learned. I'm getting >ready to move an entire trading floor later this year or early next. >from the experience gained here it would appear that we should forget >number porting and in lieu thereof simply have the new PRI trunks >backhauled into the present host CO. Hang the cost, those numbers >simply must work. Yep. If you want it done well, it will cost you. But if you can't afford the cost of it failing, the extra cost will eventually wind up being just noise. - ---------- Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Webmail account today at http://home.netscape.com/webmail/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 11:20:49 -0400 From: "Wineburgh, Joseph \(Exchange\)" Subject: Acceptable international DS3 error rates We are in the process of testing an international DS3 (clear channel, electrical coax interface) between NY USA & London UK and are getting the following error rates; > 50 frame losses over 3 days > 2000 bit errors over 24 hr period. > I was wondering if anyone knew (or know of resources that show) acceptable levels of error for this type of connection. Please respond to my local email jwineburgh@bear.com as well as the group. Thanks in advance. #JOE *********************************************************************** Bear Stearns is not responsible for any recommendation, solicitation, offer or agreement or any information about any transaction, customer account or account activity contained in this communication. *********************************************************************** - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 12:13:55 -0400 From: tbetz@panix.com (Tom Betz) Subject: Re: Passionate reactions online to the DVD decision Quoth Monty Solomon in : |Passionate reactions online to the DVD-copying decision | |(IDG) -- Online reaction has been voluminous and passionate since a |federal court ruling last week that bars a hacker Web site from |posting or linking De-Content Scrambling System (DeCSS) software, |which decrypts DVDs (digital video discs). | |http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/08/22/decss.reactions.idg/index.html The big problem is with the Digital Millenium Copyright Act itself. The law permits DVD manufacturers to, for example, require you to watch all the commercials at the beginning of a DVD before you can watch the movie (as is the case with the "The Sixth Sense" -- you have to watch six minutes' worth of commercials with skip and fast-forward disabled) -- setting ridiculous terms for something YOU HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR. It leads to the kind of corporate arrogance expressed by Steve Heckler of Sony in the story at . '"Sony is going to take aggressive steps to stop this," Heckler told the Summer Forty-Niner. "We will develop technology that transcends the individual user. We will firewall Napster at source -- we will block it at your cable company, we will block it at your phone company, we will block it at your [Internet-service provider]. We will firewall it at your PC."' Or, as in the case of DeCSS, "We will NOT permit you to watch your DVD on a Linux-based PC." - -- |I always wanted to be someone,| Tom Betz, Generalist | |but now I think I should have | Want to send me email? FIRST, READ THIS PAGE: | |been a wee bit more specific. | | | | YO! MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS HEAVILY SPAM-ARMORED! | - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 12:13:54 -0400 From: tbetz@panix.com (Tom Betz) Subject: Is anyone using 3Com NBX 100 or NBX 25? I'm interested in general impressions, sound quality, reliability; I'm particularly interested in the "plug a phone into any router and you are connected from anywhere on the Internet" feature. Are they doing some sort of VPN thing to do this? Thanks. - -- |I always wanted to be someone,| Tom Betz, Generalist | |but now I think I should have | Want to send me email? FIRST, READ THIS PAGE: | |been a wee bit more specific. | | | | YO! MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS HEAVILY SPAM-ARMORED! | - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 14:36:57 -0400 From: Joel B Levin Subject: Re: Passionate reactions online to the DVD decision In <8o0st0$36h$1@news.panix.com>, tbetz@panix.com (Tom Betz) wrote: }The big problem is with the Digital Millenium Copyright Act itself. The }law permits DVD manufacturers to, for example, require you to watch all }the commercials at the beginning of a DVD before you can watch the movie }(as is the case with the "The Sixth Sense" -- you have to watch six minutes' }worth of commercials with skip and fast-forward disabled) -- setting ridiculous }terms for something YOU HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR. Hmmm. I don't recall ever being forced to watch the ads, not that I've rented or bought that many movies with ads. I have rented THE SIXTH SENSE. I have always been able to skip (i.e. chapter forward) through the ads. The legal notices and what we used to call "the FBI warning" are another story, though. Even the stop button is disabled :-(. /JBL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 15:40:54 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Statement by the Press Secretary on Verio Acquisition http://www.pub.whitehouse.gov/uri-res/I2R?urn:pdi://oma.eop.gov.us/2000/8/23/5.text.1 THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary (South Brunswick, New Jersey) ________________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release August 23, 2000 STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY President Clinton has decided against intervening in the proposed acquisition of Verio, Inc. (Verio), an Englewood, Colorado Internet Service Provider (ISP), by NTT Communications Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT). NTT is a Japanese corporation, majority owned and controlled by the Government of Japan. The President based his decision on the results of the investigation of this transaction by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), an 11-agency group chaired by Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers. CFIUS conducted a thorough investigation of various national security issues related to the transaction. As a result of the investigation and negotiations with NTT Communications and Verio, any national security issues that may have been presented by this transaction have been resolved. The Verio/NTT investigation was the first one involving the foreign acquisition of a U.S. ISP conducted under the Exon-Florio provision of the Defense Production Act of 1950. This provision, which became law in 1988, authorizes the President to investigate and, if necessary, to suspend or prohibit a proposed foreign acquisition of a U.S. company engaged in U.S. interstate commerce. The provision provides certain criteria the President must meet to suspend or prohibit a transaction. He must find: -- there is credible evidence that leads the President to believe that the foreign interest exercising control might take action that threatens to impair national security, and -- provisions of law, other than the Exon-Florio provision and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, do not in the President's judgment provide adequate and appropriate authority for the President to protect the national security in the present matter. 30-30-30 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 16:23:56 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Akamai caught in Net filtering cross fire Akamai caught in Net filtering cross fire By Paul Festa Staff Writer, CNET News.com August 22, 2000, 6:00 p.m. PT update Networking firm Akamai has been dragged into the censorware debate, thanks to a hole affecting Web site blocking software that exploits the company's data delivery system. Many consumers and businesses use filters to prevent children and employees from accessing certain sites, such as those with sexual content. But under the workaround, such sites are accessible by tacking the location onto the end of another address. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-2586200.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 16:42:38 -0400 From: Bennett Haselton Subject: CYBERsitter responds to Akamai backdoor [sent to journalists on Peacefire's press contacts list] CYBERsitter has issued a press release at http://peacefire.org/censorware/CYBERsitter/pr-akamai.8-23-2000.txt denying that the Peacefire Akamai workaround, described at: http://www.peacefire.org/bypass/Proxy/akamai.html allows a user to disable CYBERsitter. Since CYBERsitter relies mainly on keyword filtering, a quick check revealed that they do block most sites that go through Akamai, but it's a moot point since you can easily disable CYBERsitter by changing the registry value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\ Control\SecurityProviders\Net98\E00 from "1" to "0". This trick has been on our Web site since 1999; CYBERsitter is actually the easiest of all the blocking programs to disable. Their press release says that with the Akamai trick, "Virtually all of the major Internet filtering products including Cyber Patrol, Surfwatch, Net Nanny and N2H2/Bess can be rendered virtually useless". People who live in glass houses... CYBERsitter originally gained notoriety in the "censorware" market, even among advocates of blocking software, for their right-wing philosophy, blocking sites such as NOW.org and GLAAD.org as pornography. The pro-censorware site FilteringFacts.org once complained that the censorware industry had gotten a bad rep in some circles because of the actions of this "one company". (Of course, a private company can block whatever they want, but the question is, can you make the local library put CYBERsitter on their computers, if you just put it on your home machine and you don't want "alternatives" to be available?) The company's later actions included blocking Time Magazine after Time criticized their blocking policies: http://www.time.com/time/digital/daily/0,2822,12392,00.html and email-bombing one lady who wrote to them with a complaint about their blocking practices: http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,10170,00.html Focus on the Family used to re-sell their product, but reportedly severed ties with CYBERsitter after their behavior started to get embarrassing. -Bennett bennett@peacefire.org http://www.peacefire.org (425) 649 9024 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 17:34:36 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: New law gives genetic privacy protection New law gives genetic privacy protection By Raja Mishra, Globe Staff, 8/23/2000 Lieutenant Governor Jane Swift yesterday signed into law a sweeping set of genetic privacy protections, placing the human genetic code alongside race, religion, and ethnicity in the canon of civil rights. The new law prohibits the use of genetic tests to discriminate against anyone trying to get health insurance, apply for a job, obtain a loan, or any other activity already protected by traditional antidiscrimination laws. http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/236/metro/New_law_gives_genetic_privacy_protection+.shtml - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 23 Aug 2000 18:22:21 -0400 From: Alan Boritz Subject: Re: CMA cancels show, fires staff On 13 Aug 2000 21:18:23 -0400, adamg@world.std.com (Adam M Gaffin) wrote: >NEW YORK - One of the nation's oldest user groups for network >professionals this week suffered a major blow as it was forced to cancel >its annual convention. > >The move by the Communications Managers Association, a 52-year-old >group that represents corporate users in the Northeast, is the latest in a >string of recent problems affecting traditional telecom user groups with a >voice communications heritage. > >http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2000/0811cma.html There's more. In an 8/7/00 letter, CMA president Charles Murray also explained that the CMA did not have the cash to immediately repay funds collected for booth space. The low booth sales, to which Murray attributed the cash crunch, wasn't unexpected, considering the CMA's steadily dwindling interest in stimulating vendor interest. I remember when the show was big at the Nassau Coliseum, and big enough to fill all exhibition floors at the NY Hilton. Last year's show barely filled one floor, and what was there wasn't real interesting. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 21:34:27 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/23/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - REGULATION, DOMAIN NAMES, AND INTERNET STABILITY - - WORLDWIDE 800, THAT WORKS - - ICANN SELF-NOMINEES MEETING BALLOT THRESHOLD - - AMAZON.COM'S MOVE TO CARS PRECEDES ITSELF - - 1-800-FLOWERS.COM REPORTS REVENUES FOR FISCAL 2000 - - PHILIPPINES SENATE SQUAT BILL VIOLATES CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS - - $8 DOMAIN NAMES WITH eNIC - - 1-800-FLOWERS.COM CEO KEYNOTE-SPEAKS - - 1-800-TOW-TRUCK AND eFRENZY BRING ROADSIDE ASSIST TO CELL PHONES - - 1-800-WEDDING TO PROVIDE WEB-BASED HOTEL RESERVATIONS ************************************************************************* NOTABLE QUOTE: "We made some mistakes early on by taking on the bylaws of a charity and not a regulatory body that is accountable to everybody," Esther Dyson, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4382 ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) SUMMER'S ALMOST OVER - ACT NOW! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 23, 2000 F - REGULATION, DOMAIN NAMES, AND INTERNET STABILITY Ms. Dyson alludes to the trademark lobby threat to the Internet. "Our first mission is the stability of the Internet, so the question becomes how much diversity do you allow not at the center but at the bottom on issues such as the kind of language you allow into domain names," she said. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4382 P - WORLDWIDE 800, THAT WORKS ... offers affordable, toll-free origination from more than 50 countries with terminations to every country in the world. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4386 F - ICANN SELF-NOMINEES MEETING BALLOT THRESHOLD While the latest numbers aren't set in stone, a handful of candidates now seem to be closing in on the support they need to be added to the ICANN ballot. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4381 F - AMAZON.COM'S MOVE TO CARS PRECEDES ITSELF Infonautics, a research firm that routinely checks the Whois registry for new Web address registrations, revealed earlier this month that Amazon.com had registered a number of automotive-oriented domain names - usedcarsamazon.com, newcarsamazon.com, sellcarsamazon.com, carclassifiedsamazon.com and partsamazon.com. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4390 F - 1-800-FLOWERS.COM REPORTS REVENUES FOR FISCAL 2000 Online revenues increased 110 percent for the fiscal fourth quarter ended July 2, 2000, representing 39 percent of total net revenues, compared with 25 percent of total net revenues in the same period last year. Telephonic revenues for the quarter increased 18 percent (55 percent of total net revenues) compared with 63 percent of total net revenues in last year's fourth quarter. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4389 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* Are you a local or regional business that advertises in newspapers, direct mail, on radio or tv? 1 800 BRAND IT shared use marketing programs can help your sales skyrocket! http://www.1800BrandIt.com ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 23, 2000 P - PHILIPPINES SENATE SQUAT BILL VIOLATES CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS Amador also attacked what he described as an overly broad definition of cybersquatting. "There are many factual errors that show a lack of understanding the concept of cybersquatting, of how the Internet works, and the bill's implications on constitutional rights." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4388 F - $8 DOMAIN NAMES WITH eNIC Low cost is possible due to the unique relationship eNIC has formed with BulkRegister.com, its exclusive provider of dot-com domain names. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4387 F - 1-800-FLOWERS.COM CEO KEYNOTE-SPEAKS . "It's okay to be tweaking and fine-tuning your business plan. We all do that, and it's healthy," said Jim McCann, CEO of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. "But if you have an existing business and you're thinking about totally revamping your business plan, it's too late. You're already dead." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4385 F - 1-800-TOW-TRUCK AND eFRENZY BRING ROADSIDE ASSIST TO CELL PHONES The agreement will enable mobile phone users to directly connect with a participating towing facility in 1-800-TOW-TRUCK's nationwide network through eFrenzy's wireless network. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4384 F - 1-800-WEDDING TO PROVIDE WEB-BASED HOTEL RESERVATIONS ... aligns with Pegasus Solutions to provide engaged couples with Web-based hotel information and reservations for out-of-town guests. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4383 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #31 ******************************* From ???@??? Fri Aug 25 08:29:58 2000 Date: 25 Aug 2000 06:15:10 -0400 Message-ID: <20000825101510.11706.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #32 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: b36473e14f08a1e3e6df7c9239b11933 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Friday, August 25 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 032 In this issue: Is Private Citizen a good service? Re: bad mobile service (was So now I'm a Telus customer again) FCC database Re: AT&T's contribution to network radio Re: Wired News : New Toys for Cheating Students Look Out Below! Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio 8/24/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio Private Phone Records on Web Update: Verizon Hole still Open Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio Critical Path Working on Critical Patch Pretty Good Privacy Not Good Enough Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 24 Aug 2000 09:45:01 -0400 From: mrosen@ex-pressnet.com Subject: Is Private Citizen a good service? Is it worth the $20 membership to join Private Citizen? Has anybody used them who can vouch for their success? Thanks, Mike Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 24 Aug 2000 11:33:21 -0400 From: "Joey Lindstrom" Subject: Re: bad mobile service (was So now I'm a Telus customer again) On 24 Aug 2000 06:15:22 -0400, Joseph Singer wrote: >22 Aug 2000 09:33:57 -0400 "Joey Lindstrom" wrote: > >>And now I discover this morning that, thanks to a $6.6 billion >>takeover, my Clearnet cellphone service is now brought to me by the >>friendly (HAH!) folks at Telus. Instead of four cell alternatives, I >>suddenly have only three. And worse yet: Telus now owns both of the >>providers that use the superior CDMA technology, so if I switch to >>either Rogers or Fido, I've gotta change to one of those crappy TDMA >>phones. > >Before you start bashing mobile standards such as TDMA for the perceived >"bestness" of CDMA which others have differing opinion consider that Fido >a/k/a Microcell uses the GSM standard for mobile telephony. If you'll >check what mobile standard is the *most* used in the world > you'll probably find that besides analog >AMPS that the most widely deployed mobile telephone standard is in fact >GSM. If we're going to totally look at it the GSM standard is a variation >on TDMA technology. That said, I don't think mobile telephony companies >such as Sprint or AT&T would deploy a technology that was inferior. They >wouldn't have any customers. The truth about wireless technlogies is that >for certain situations one might work better than others. Many factors >influence how well a certain type of phone will act in certain situations. >A blanket statement that a certain service is crap is not at all a fair >assessment. My diatribe was about a specific company, buying out the competition. But my comments about phone service were meant to be specific to the Calgary area - if this was unclear, then my apologies. We have four cell carriers here (five if you count "Mike", but that's part of the Clearnet network and uses the same system for the most part): Rogers (TDMA and analog) Fido (TDMA [GSM]) Telus Mobility (CDMA and analog) Clearnet (CDMA) In the Calgary area, at least, I can and will make a blanket statement that TDMA service sucks, because... well, because it DOES suck. I have used all four of these networks. Telus and Clearnet provide reliable digital service that rarely drops calls (my Clearnet phone has dropped four calls in 10 months, and three times in the exact same spot - I've learned to avoid that particular spot) and doesn't miss incoming calls. Sound quality is superb, even when on the fringes of the service area. Rogers and Fido offer garbage service. I average about an 80% call reception rate with them, with the remaining 20% of my calls going to voicemail - not a good thing if you are on-call. Sound quality is uniformly terrible even if you're standing next to a cell tower. And my duration record for a phone call on either of them is 18 minutes - I've never been able to hold a conversation longer than that without the call mysteriously dropping (even when standing perfectly still, in a high-signal area, for those 18 minutes). Ask Mark Cuccia about our phone conversations from a couple of years ago, and how often he'd have to redial me during ONE conversation. These are my personal experiences. In my job, however, I deal with the general public and I've yet to find ANYBODY who, when the topic of either Rogers or Fido comes up, won't go off on a rant about how crappy they are. Actually, that's not true: there are some who don't rant. Those are the people who've never had Rogers or Fido service. Furthermore, unless I've misread the folks in this forum, the majority here believe that CDMA is superior to TDMA, so at least some of what I've said must hold true outside of the Calgary area. And as for your statements about which mobile phone standard is the most used worldwide, consider this: Windows is the most used operating system worldwide and a lot of people buy new computers with Windows preinstalled for that very reason. This does not change the fact that it's a shitty operating system. Ask most technical people about the merits of Windows versus, say, Linux. If 500 million people are using a shitty operating system, it's STILL a shitty operating system. I repeat, however: I was speaking of the Calgary area. The vast majority of cellphone customers here will agree with the opinions I've expressed on cellphone service here, although I'm certain that Rogers and Fido have a few defenders (and, similarly, Telus and Clearnet have their detractors). As for GSM... y'know, I hear a lot about how great GSM is, how it's this and that, how it's the "world standard", etc. Bottom line for me is that, outside of a week or two on vacation yearly, I spend my time in Canada, not England or France or Russia or Outer Mongolia. I don't give a rat's ass about how popular GSM is elsewhere in the world. I only care about *MY* phone working where *I* intend to use it. To paraphrase Denis Leary, GSM advocates can go off and hold a great big GSM cakewalk down the middle of Tianenmen Square for all I care ("because we got the bombs!"): it means *NOTHING* here in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Well, downtown Calgary does have a GSM provider. And they, Fido, offer terrible service. That's about as far as GSM affects me. Bottom line: TDMA is inferior, old technology. CDMA is superior, new technology. Why on EARTH did they decide to use TDMA as part of the GSM standard? Hey, try this: hop in your car and bring along a blank cassette tape. Put the cassette tape in your tape deck and press play. Then crank up the volume (so that you can hear a fair amount of tape hiss). Now, place a call to somebody on your TDMA phone. After a minute or two, try moving your phone around the interior of your car, moving it closer and further away from the speakers and the tape deck. Fun, eh? What's that? You can't hear me above the loud buzzing noise coming from your speakers? Golly, now THERE'S a surprise... Anyways, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. (tm) / From the messy desktop of Joey Lindstrom / Visit The NuServer! http://www.GaryNumanFan.NU / Visit The Webb! http://webb.GaryNumanFan.NU / / When I was little, my grandfather used to make me stand in a closet for / five minutes without moving. He said it was elevator practice. / --Steven Wright ** Tag(s) inserted by Bandit Tagger98 - http://www.gbar.dtu.dk/~c918704 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 24 Aug 2000 13:34:16 -0400 From: "McNicol, John" Subject: FCC database I tried to access the FCC FM database via the link on airwaves.iecc.com but "the file could not be located"..any idea of what the problem may be? - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 24 Aug 2000 14:03:57 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: Re: AT&T's contribution to network radio Frank Messere wrote: > Hi: > I'm researching AT&T's contribution to network radio after it sold WEAF > to RCA. I'm particularly interesting in any interesting stories about > heroic efforts by AT&T to help out radio broadcasters, little known > facts, etc. > I'm writing a peice for the Encyclopedia of Radio and I'd appreciate > any help you could give me. > thanks, > Fritz Messere Well, there was the NBC (Red) Radio Network program, mostly of classical music sponsored by AT&T called "The Bell Telephone Hour" (aka "Telephone Time")! :-) And I think that there was a live dramatic program on NBC-Television also called "The Bell Telephone Hour"... But seriously -- NBC, CBS, Mutual, ABC and DuMont were _BIG_ customers of AT&T/The Bell System, for leasing all of those telco-owned lines and circuits to distribute network radio/TV, so Telco made sure that these lines were in the best operating order -- and also telco frequently has to supply ad-hoc circuits to the radio/TV industry for remote pick-ups, whether for "local" programs, or national network programs, such as breaking news coverage, political party conventions, etc. I do remember that an AT&T Long Lines retiree recently told me (and he started with Long Lines in 1952) that at major AT&T centers around the country where the radio and television network feeds were controlled, in the OVERNIGHT period (back then, the networks weren't usually feeding programs on a 24-hour basis), to make sure that the lines were in operational order for the early morning 15-minute newscasts (CBS World News Roundup, NBC News of the World, ABC News Around the World, Mutual's 15-min morning newscast and I can't really remember its "catchy" title right now), AT&T would feed music and programming of interest to telephone company employees down the CBS/NBC/Mutual/ABC lines. Testmen/techs and even Operators, particularly in slow parts of the overnight, would frequently listen in to these AT&T-fed music/news programs over the AT&T-owned lines used for the radio networks. If there were a "break" in the line somewhere, or a circuit or equalizer/ amplifier went down somewhere, there would have been SOME form of program being fed in the overnight hours, that would be interrupted, and telco techs could try to trace the source of the outage and try to either have it repaired, or the feeds re-routed, so that when the local radio affiliates signed on in the morning (many radio stations signed off at midnight back then, although there were some 24-hour stations too), and then opened up their "pot" to CBS/NBC/Mutual/ABC, they could get the program feeds, without even knowing that things had to be re-routed or fixed -- i.e., that there had been some problem overnight that was corrected. You couldn't have CBS affiliates signing on in the mornings expecting "Arthur Godfrey Time" and not receiving it... or ABC affiliates not getting "Don McNeil's Breakfast Club", or NBC stations not getting "NBC Bandstand", or Mutual stations not getting their morning news and entertainment programs... the sponsors were paying the ad agencies, who were buying from the network sales departments -- and then the networks paying big bucks as well - to AT&T. Back then, AT&T made sure that QUALITY and SERVICE to their customers was VERY important! MARK_J._CUCCIA__PHONE/WRITE/WIRE/CABLE:__HOME:__(USA)__Tel:_CHestnut-1-2497 WORK:__mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu|4710-Wright-Road|__(+1-504-241-2497) Tel:UNiversity-5-5954(+1-504-865-5954)|New-Orleans-28__|fwds-on-no-answr-to Fax:UNiversity-5-5917(+1-504-865-5917)|Louisiana(70128)|cellular/voicemail- NWORLASKCG0 (BellSouth #1AESS Cl.5 Local "Seabrook" 504-24x-) to become a #5ESS (yeah!), NWORLASKDS0, 12:01am SAT-11-NOV-2000 NWORLAIYCM3 (BellSouth-Mobility Ericsson Cellular-MTSO NOL) NWORLAMT01T (BellSouth DMS-100 "Metairie" Tndm; Cellular routes thru) NWORLAMA0GT (BellSouth DMS-100/200 inTRA-LATA/fg.BCD Tndm "Main" 504+) NWORLAMA20T (BellSouth DMS-200 TOPS:inLATA OprSvcTndm "Main" 504+053+) NWORLAMA04T (AT&T #4ESS Class-2 Toll 060-T / 504-2T "Main" 504+) JCSNMSPS06T (AT&T #5ESS OSPS:Operator-Services-Tandem 601-0T 601+121) JCSNMSPS14T (AT&T #4ESS Class-3 Toll 040-T / 601-2T; OSPS routes thru) NWORLAELH01 (PBX NEC-2400 504-862-3/8xxx, 504-865-4/5/6xxx) NWORLACADS0 (BellSo.DMS-100 Cl.5 Lcl "Carrollton" 504-86x-;PBX 'homes' on) - --------------------------------------------- - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 24 Aug 2000 15:53:01 -0400 From: ledogge@yahoo.com (Kasper) Subject: Re: Wired News : New Toys for Cheating Students On 18 Aug 2000 22:05:58 -0400, itsamike@yahoo.com (Mike Pollock) wrote: >But students beware. Teachers know what's going on, and are developing >strategies to thwart them. > >Teachers in secondary education are banning handheld devices in >classrooms, including pagers. College professors, too, are becoming >ever more educated and vigilant. > >Most wireless industry experts, however, predict that someday teachers >in secondary and higher education will administer tests on PDAs, >formatting them so that every student has a different set of >questions. Imagine how upset you'd be if the answer you received from >your friend corresponded to a completely different question. Oh man ... do you realize this technology may blow the concept of standardized testing out the window (College Boards, GMAT, LSAT, GRE, etc) Separate tests also raise a fairness issue unless the professor is going to give a lot of partical credit and that means way more work than just looking at final answers with a scoring guide. Kasper - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 24 Aug 2000 16:40:40 -0400 From: "Michael A. Desmon" Subject: Look Out Below! Look Out Below! As telecom companies rush to wire Kansas City, city workers rush to clean up the mess. http://www.pitch.com/issues/2000-08-24/news.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 24 Aug 2000 22:13:49 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio Re, Frank Messere request about Telco and network radio -- here's another AT&T contribution - to RCA/NBC (Monitor and News-on-the-Hour): >>From 1955-75 (actually just short of twenty years), the NBC Radio Network had a "long-form" weekend "magazine" type program called MONITOR. Many "old timers" (and I'm only 39) remember hearing MONITOR all weekend long on our local NBC Radio Network affiliate (my parents listed mostly to WSMB-1350 ABC/Entertainment Network incl. Paul Harvey, and WDSU-1280 NBC Radio Network, while I was growing up in the 1960's and 70's)... One of the most MEMORABLE things about MONITOR on NBC Radio was its unique electronic jingle... played before and after every network commercial break, as well as to open every new segment (or close every segment) of Monitor before local station breaks... I can remember hearing the voice of "communicators" (anchors) Hugh Downs, Ed MacMahon, (the late) Gene Rayburn, Arlene Francis, etc. saying somthing like: "We're going to pause for a few minutes for your local stations - but reminding you that you're on the Monitor Beacon" [Bloop - BLOOP - BLUPE - BLIP - bloop], etc. (followed by a staff announcer, "This is the NBC Radio Network", and then the NBC chimes, bong-bing-bung) The unique "Monitor Beacon" or "Monitor Beeper" as it was sometimes called was a series of MULTI-FREQUENCY tones (dual tones), similar to - but NOT "identical" to - telephone touchtones. I'd read in back-issues of BROADCASTING magazine (from 1955) in an article on the new NBC Radio "Monitor" program, that AT&T (The Bell System) had DONATED to RCA/NBC, a reel of tape of its toll network signaling tones, the multifrequency tones used to indicate routing digits between toll and tandem switches. AT&T wanted it used as "publicity" for its increased use of automation in providing long distance service. RCA/NBC engineers then produced a composite of the tones played at normal speed, at half-speed, and at double-speed, to create the unique MONITOR "beacon" beeper jingle! What is ironic is that some ten or fifteen years later (late 60's and early 1970's), college kids were committing toll fraud with Blue Boxes, to make "free" long distance calls with devices that produced these MF tones! Of course, there was another tone (the 2600 Hz "chirp" tone) that the blue-boxers used, but the Monitor Beacon jingle didn't include the single-frequence 2600 "chirp" nor any derivative of it. Actually, the Monitor Beacon tones were JUST the "decimal" digit (1 thru 9 and 0) tones used in telephone network signaling of dialed or routing digits in the toll network, and didn't even include the "ST" and "KP" signal tones. Another NBC "jingle" or "sounder" from the mid-1950's to the early-1970's that "could" be said to be telephone influenced was the NBC News jingle used at that time. You'd hear this "sounder" on NBC Television newscasts (such as Edwin Newman's 5-min newscast M-F at 12:55pm Eastern right after the 25-min game show "Eye Guess"; or frequently on Huntley-Brinkley's NBC Nightly News), as well as on the NBC Radio Network's News-on-the-Hour (weekdays only, because on Sat/Sun, the hourly NBC Radio newscasts used the MONITOR beacon sounder)... This particular "sounder" or "jingle" was that of a Wirephoto (fax) modem of the time. I don't know if AT&T/Bell-Labs developed the standards for wirephoto modems, or maybe if it were Western Union Telegraph, or maybe RCA or ITT or some other similar telecommunications company, though. But the NBC News "sounder" of the mid-50's thru early-70's did use that wirephoto modem "whistle" with a tympani beat thrown in: [700-hz tone at the top of the hour] [whistling wirephoto modem sounder with tympani] announcer: "NBC Radio, News-on-the-Hour, brought to you by Winston Filters. Winston tastes good, like a cigarette should. Now here's Irving R. Levine reporting, NBC News" [sounder fades, Levine starts reading that 5-min NBC Radio newscast that he's anchoring]. Monitor, and News-on-the-Hour -- both unique features of NBC Radio, a service of RCA! [I can now hear the NBC chimes playing in the background!] MARK_J._CUCCIA__PHONE/WRITE/WIRE/CABLE:__HOME:__(USA)__Tel:_CHestnut-1-2497 WORK:__mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu|4710-Wright-Road|__(+1-504-241-2497) Tel:UNiversity-5-5954(+1-504-865-5954)|New-Orleans-28__|fwds-on-no-answr-to Fax:UNiversity-5-5917(+1-504-865-5917)|Louisiana(70128)|cellular/voicemail- NWORLASKCG0 (BellSouth #1AESS Cl.5 Local "Seabrook" 504-24x-) to become a #5ESS (yeah!), NWORLASKDS0, 12:01am SAT-11-NOV-2000 NWORLAIYCM3 (BellSouth-Mobility Ericsson Cellular-MTSO NOL) NWORLAMT01T (BellSouth DMS-100 "Metairie" Tndm; Cellular routes thru) NWORLAMA0GT (BellSouth DMS-100/200 inTRA-LATA/fg.BCD Tndm "Main" 504+) NWORLAMA20T (BellSouth DMS-200 TOPS:inLATA OprSvcTndm "Main" 504+053+) NWORLAMA04T (AT&T #4ESS Class-2 Toll 060-T / 504-2T "Main" 504+) JCSNMSPS06T (AT&T #5ESS OSPS:Operator-Services-Tandem 601-0T 601+121) JCSNMSPS14T (AT&T #4ESS Class-3 Toll 040-T / 601-2T; OSPS routes thru) NWORLAELH01 (PBX NEC-2400 504-862-3/8xxx, 504-865-4/5/6xxx) NWORLACADS0 (BellSo.DMS-100 Cl.5 Lcl "Carrollton" 504-86x-;PBX 'homes' on) =================================================================== - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 22:43:07 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/24/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - ICANN EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR AT LARGE MEMBER NOMINEE ENDORSEMENT - - ENDORSE YOUR CANDIDATE FOR THE ICANN ELECTION - - DOMAIN NAME POSITION SURVEY - - IN REM NEEDS BAD FAITH - - NIIF TO INC: QUALIFY TOLLFREE NXX ASSIGNMENT - - HOME OF MOVIE STARS AND SWIMMING POOLS ... - - 1-800 CONTACTS APPOINTS BRAD KNIGHT TO BOD - - THE INTERNET NEEDS MORE DESCRIPTIVE DOMAIN NAMES ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) SUMMER'S ALMOST OVER - ACT NOW! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES FOR August 24, 2000 F - ICANN EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR AT LARGE MEMBER NOMINEE ENDORSEMENT While North America has a potential voting base of 21,596 members, only 8,406 have activated their accounts. That means that if the ballot were finalized today, Cisco Systems engineer and long-time ICANN critic Karl Auerbach would be officially included on the ballot. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4391 F - ENDORSE YOUR CANDIDATE FOR THE ICANN ELECTION The endorsement deadline has been extended to September 8. Activate your At Large Membership and vote. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4334 F - DOMAIN NAME POSITION SURVEY ... of At Large Member Nominees for the ICANN Board. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4392 P - IN REM NEEDS BAD FAITH The ruling pertains to a battle over 60 domains containing the word "Harrods". CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4393 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* Are you a local or regional business that advertises in newspapers, direct mail, on radio or tv? 1 800 BRAND IT shared use marketing programs can help your sales skyrocket! http://www.1800BrandIt.com ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES FOR August 24, 2000 P - NIIF TO INC: QUALIFY TOLLFREE NXX ASSIGNMENT 800 (toll free) NXX assignment guidelines (i.e., INC guidelines) do not exist. This contradicts the INC's Central Office Code (NXX) Assignment Guidelines... Although the United States and Canada have moved to service provider portability by using the toll free database, the rest of the North American Numbering Plan has not. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4395 P - HOME OF MOVIE STARS AND SWIMMING POOLS ... California passed a new law prohibiting Internet users from registering in bad faith domain names that are "identical or confusingly similar" to the real names of other people, living or dead. It remains to be seen whether the California legislation will be challenged as an unlawful expansion of federal trademark law. Both the UDRP and the congressional cybersquatting law purport to protect fair use. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4394 F - 1-800 CONTACTS APPOINTS BRAD KNIGHT TO BOD Brad is GM and VP of Operations of Flextronics International, LTD, one of the leading electronics manufacturing services providers in the world, with over 49,000 employees at approximately 80 locations in North and South America, Europe and Asia. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4397 F - THE INTERNET NEEDS MORE DESCRIPTIVE DOMAIN NAMES ICANN will not say how many top-level domains it will add, which ones it favors, or how it wants them run. And it's requiring all applicants to supervise a new TLD to pay $50,000 up front, supposedly to cover the costs of evaluation. That move ``virtually ensures an unfair and political process,'' protested Jeff Field, chairman of Namesecure, a Concord-based domain name registrar, in a letter to ICANN. ``It's obvious to me that the board set the amount high enough to weed out emerging companies and effectively skew the competition toward large corporations.'' Guest editorial by Mercury News' John Fensterwald. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4396 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: 24 Aug 2000 23:02:43 -0400 From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) Subject: Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio In Mark J Cuccia writes: [snip] >(followed by a staff announcer, "This is the NBC Radio Network", and then >the NBC chimes, bong-bing-bung) and, just as a reminder, the NBC chimes are the musical notes... G - E - C yes, yung'uns. Once upon a time the National Broadcasting Corporation was owned, in part, by the Generel Electric Company. However, due to anti-trust action by the US gov't, they were forced to split apart. danny 'until recently, of course' burstein - -- _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 24 Aug 2000 23:35:07 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Private Phone Records on Web Private Phone Records on Web Managers at the largest regional telco pulled an all-nighter Sunday to take down a service that had undocumented features, and unlisted phone numbers. By Kevin Poulsen August 14, 2000 2:45 AM PT Verizon's twenty-eight million residential and business telephone subscribers from Maine to Virginia had portions of their private telephone records exposed on a company web site, SecurityFocus has learned. http://www.securityfocus.com/news/74 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 24 Aug 2000 23:35:11 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Update: Verizon Hole still Open Update: Verizon Hole still Open Managers at the largest regional telco pulled an all-nighter Sunday to fix a web application that allowed access to customer records. Today it's harder to find, but still up. By Kevin Poulsen August 14, 2000 1:49 PM PT Verizon's twenty-eight million residential and business telephone subscribers from Maine to Virginia continue to have portions of their private telephone records exposed on a company web site. http://www.securityfocus.com/news/75 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 24 Aug 2000 23:57:09 -0400 From: scsmediafmp@aol.com (Steven Scharf) Subject: Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio What are you smoking. NBC is still a wholly owned subsidary of General Electic and has been since RCA was sold to them in 1986. What you may be confusing is that RCA created both NBC and ABC as the Blue and Red networks. They were forced to give up one of those networks (don't know when, late 30s maybe). They sold the Red network which became ABC. Steven Scharf SCS Media Services 57 East 11th Street, 9th Floor New York, New York 10003 212-822-8555 201-547-3510 Direct Phone and Fax (Please call first before faxing) SCSMedia@aol.com dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) commented: and, just as a reminder, the NBC chimes are the musical notes... G - E - C yes, yung'uns. Once upon a time the National Broadcasting Corporation was owned, in part, by the Generel Electric Company. However, due to anti-trust action by the US gov't, they were forced to split apart. danny 'until recently, of course' burstein Mark J Cuccia writes: [snip] >(followed by a staff announcer, "This is the NBC Radio Network", and then >the NBC chimes, bong-bing-bung) - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 25 Aug 2000 00:08:05 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Critical Path Working on Critical Patch Critical Path Working on Critical Patch A flaw found in the firm's Web e-mail service could allow hackers to take over an account. By Elinor Abreu E-mail hosting provider Critical Path is working on a patch for a security hole discovered last month that could be used by a malicious Web site to take over customer e-mail accounts, read and delete e-mail, and impersonate a computer user via his or her e-mail. http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/1,1151,17933,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 25 Aug 2000 00:32:58 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Pretty Good Privacy Not Good Enough August 24, 2000 Pretty Good Privacy Not Good Enough A flaw found in PGP software could allow someone to read another person's encrypted e-mail. By Elinor Abreu UPDATE A German researcher has discovered a major security flaw in the latest versions of the PGP free e-mail encryption software that could allow someone to read another person's encrypted e-mail if he or she was able to intercept it. The problem arises from a feature that Network Associates added to PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) which allows for the recovery of data in encrypted messages. http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/1,1151,17978,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 25 Aug 2000 00:47:15 -0400 From: wollman@lcs.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) Subject: Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio In article , Mark J Cuccia wrote: >Re, Frank Messere request about Telco and network >radio -- here's another AT&T contribution - to RCA/NBC A much larger and more import connection: AT&T was an important early radio station operator. They had this notion that people would pay money for a few minutes of broadcast time to deliver a message -- called it ``toll broadcasting'', first implemented on WBAY, ``the telephone booth of the air'', in New York City. RCA was formed in 1919 when General Electric purchased American Marconi from its British parent company, with the help of the U.S. Navy. The following year, AT&T exchanged its broadcasting assets, including WEAF in New York, for a stake in RCA. WEAF would later become WNBC, the flagship of the National Broadcasting Company's Red Network, then WRCA, then WNBC again, and is now WFAN and owned by CBS, erm, make that Viacom. One of the other RCA partners, Westinghouse, originally owned WJZ, the flagship station of the NBC Blue Network; that station would later become the second WABC [1] and is now owned by Disney, but Westinghouse itself later merged with CBS and spun off its non-broadcasting assets. GE was required to separate from RCA (but not NBC) fairly early on, for anti-trust reasons, and developed its own radio (and later television) business. When GE much later purchased RCA outright, it sold all of the radio stations to various other companies (including in one case Westinghouse); GE also sold both RCA's and its own consumer-electronics business to the French company Thomson, and RCA's music business to Germany's Bertelsmann -- the only significant RCA asset kept by GE was the NBC Television Network and its owned-and-operated stations. The NBC Radio Network was sold to Westwood One, which is partially owned and managed by CBS subsidiary Infinity. (There it was later merged with Mutual and more recently CBS's radio network operations.) - -GAWollman [1] The first WABC was the antecedent of today's WCBS. - -- Garrett A. Wollman | O Siem / We are all family / O Siem / We're all the same wollman@lcs.mit.edu | O Siem / The fires of freedom Opinions not those of| Dance in the burning flame MIT, LCS, CRS, or NSA| - Susan Aglukark and Chad Irschick - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #32 ******************************* From ???@??? Sat Aug 26 05:43:53 2000 Date: 26 Aug 2000 06:15:11 -0400 Message-ID: <20000826101511.28655.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #33 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: f74ae78854863ec87ac5618d19950fc8 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Saturday, August 26 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 033 In this issue: Re: Is Private Citizen a good service? Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio Subject: Re: Wired News : New Toys for Cheating Students Re: Acceptable international DS3 error rates Big Business "trusts", was: Re: Another one of AT&T's Re: Is Private Citizen a good service? Privacy group accused of breaking own rules Yahoo to offer encrypted email option Re: bad mobile service 8/25/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES Time Warner posts a link it had banned ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 25 Aug 2000 08:33:43 -0400 From: Fred Atkinson Subject: Re: Is Private Citizen a good service? I've been using Private Citizen for several years. Bob has gotten my phone terribly quiet (except for legitimate calls). It's a great relief not to have to content with that all the time. Very occaisionally, one does come in. I just tell them to 'put me on your do not call list' and end the conversation. They rarely call again after that. The telemarketing folks love to target senior citizens. My parents were getting about four telemarketing calls per day. I got them on with Private Citizen and they rarely get one any more. In case someone reading this would like to contact Bob Bulmash at Private Citizen, his URL is http://www.private-citizen.com. His telephone number is easy to remember. It is (800) CUT-JUNK. Believe me when I say that twenty dollars is a small price to pay for your privacy. Fred - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 25 Aug 2000 08:55:32 -0400 From: Joseph Singer Subject: Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio 24 Aug 2000 23:02:43 -0400 dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) wrote: >and, just as a reminder, the NBC chimes are the musical notes... > > G - E - C > >yes, yung'uns. Once upon a time the National Broadcasting Corporation was >owned, in part, by the Generel Electric Company. > >However, due to anti-trust action by the US gov't, they were forced to >split apart. I'm not totally up on my history, but today NBC's parent company is in fact GE which was formerly RCA. If you watch NBC's night time programming sometimes they will show the studio building from which the broadcast originates. Whereas formerly there was a big RCA on top of the building (known then as the RCA building) there is now a very uninteresting looking pair of letters G E on top of the building now. NBC's parent company is now GEC! (BTW, those are very uninteresting to me... why didn't they use the "scripted" GE that the company has used for year?) Joseph - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joseph Singer Seattle, Washington USA [ICQ pgr] +1 206 405 2052 [voice mail] +1 206 493 0706 [FAX] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 25 Aug 2000 12:35:40 -0400 From: "Richards, Sandra" Subject: Subject: Re: Wired News : New Toys for Cheating Students >Most wireless industry experts, however, predict that someday teachers >in secondary and higher education will administer tests on PDAs, >formatting them so that every student has a different set of >questions. Imagine how upset you'd be if the answer you received from >your friend corresponded to a completely different question. Oh man ... do you realize this technology may blow the concept of standardized testing out the window (College Boards, GMAT, LSAT, GRE, etc) Separate tests also raise a fairness issue unless the professor is going to give a lot of partical credit and that means way more work than just looking at final answers with a scoring guide. Kasper - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ Actually it won't change much in the way of testing because you can ask the kids the same questions in a different order. Most students aren't going to have enough time to read both the test question and the electronic device to make sure that they get the answer in the correct location. Most Standardize test these days have multiple test that they administer at any given time already to avoid Cheating. In fact when I sat for my GRE exam the proctor told us that it wouldn't due us any good to look at the person's sheet next to us because we were given different test include the order in which the exam was given. All the sections required the same amount of time whether it was English, Math or Analytical. In other words if you can type the questions into some program and tell it to 30 copies of the test with the questions on each copy randomly arrange. There are already programs that perform random sampling therefore this shouldn't be an issue and would resolve the problem. Sandy - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 25 Aug 2000 13:22:02 -0400 From: Jonathan Seder Subject: Re: Acceptable international DS3 error rates I installed a 64K international private line in 1992. The circuit had to meet a CCITT/ITU-specified acceptance test standard which was something like 50 bit errors and 1 frame loss over a 24-hour period. We failed the test three times before determining that Pacific Bell had run a segment on copper, rather than fiber as required. After they fixed that, the circuit ran with zero errors. Your error rates sound high. Was gear getting moved around or reconfigured while you were running these tests? Maybe you should ask your vendor if some ITU quality standard applies. "Wineburgh, Joseph (Exchange)" wrote: > ... DS3 (clear channel, electrical coax interface) between NY USA & > London UK and are getting the following error rates; > > 50 frame losses over 3 days > > 2000 bit errors over 24 hr period. > > > ... acceptable levels of error for this type of connection... - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 25 Aug 2000 14:30:20 -0400 From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) Subject: Big Business "trusts", was: Re: Another one of AT&T's In <3.0.5.32.20000825055414.00884ca0@oz.net> Joseph Singer writes: >>and, just as a reminder, the NBC chimes are the musical notes... >> G - E - C >>yes, yung'uns. Once upon a time the National Broadcasting Corporation was >>owned, in part, by the Generel Electric Company. However, due to >>anti-trust action by the US gov't, they were forced to split apart. >I'm not totally up on my history, but today NBC's parent company is in fact >GE which was formerly RCA. That was my point, which I guess was missed by some folk. Once upon a time the US gov't took a dim view of monopolies and trusts, and broke companies apart if they were too dominant in a marketplace. For the most part that attitude has evaporated and replaced by one which seems more politically motivated and less consumer oriented. And yes, I'm aware of the battle against MicroSoft and a few others. - -- _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 25 Aug 2000 16:08:18 -0400 From: mrosen@ex-pressnet.com Subject: Re: Is Private Citizen a good service? Does the $20 include the junk mail too or is that an *extra* $10? Thanks, Mike In article <200008251233.HAA28831@celadon.propagation.net>, Fred Atkinson wrote: > I've been using Private Citizen for several years. Bob has gotten > my phone terribly quiet (except for legitimate calls). It's a great > relief not to have to content with that all the time. Very occaisionally, > one does come in. I just tell them to 'put me on your do not call > list' and end the conversation. They rarely call again after that. > > The telemarketing folks love to target senior citizens. My parents > were getting about four telemarketing calls per day. I got them on > with Private Citizen and they rarely get one any more. > > In case someone reading this would like to contact Bob Bulmash > at Private Citizen, his URL is http://www.private-citizen.com. His > telephone number is easy to remember. It is (800) CUT-JUNK. > > Believe me when I say that twenty dollars is a small price to pay > for your privacy. > > Fred > -- > The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail > messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 25 Aug 2000 16:53:41 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Privacy group accused of breaking own rules Privacy group accused of breaking own rules By The Associated Press Special to CNET News.com August 24, 2000, 10:00 p.m. PT WASHINGTON--Truste, an advocacy organization that runs a privacy seal-of-approval program for retail Web sites and shows companies how to write effective privacy policies, itself has tracked Web surfers with means not mentioned in its own privacy policy, a security group says. Interhack, a Columbus, Ohio, security consulting firm that has found other privacy breaches in the past, noticed that Truste's Web site contained "cookies," small text files used for online tracking and profiling, as well as invisible images and other tools aimed at identifying people's online habits. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-2607148.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 25 Aug 2000 16:59:24 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Yahoo to offer encrypted email option Yahoo to offer encrypted email option By Paul Festa Staff Writer, CNET News.com August 25, 2000, 4:00 a.m. PT Yahoo plans to let its email account holders use data scrambling to protect the privacy of their messages, marking a potentially significant advance for the mainstream use of encryption. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-2605437.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 25 Aug 2000 19:08:35 -0400 From: Eric Blondin Subject: Re: bad mobile service > > From: "Joey Lindstrom" > Subject: Re: bad mobile service (was So now I'm a Telus customer again) > We have four > cell carriers here (five if you count "Mike", but that's part of the > Clearnet network and uses the same system for the most part): Just one little correction, Mike and Clearnet PCS have only one thing in common: the company that markets it. Mike is based on the iDen proprietary (Motorola) technology which -IS- TDMA. It is an entirely separate network with its own set of antennas, even the voice-,ail system is different. iDen is marketed by Nextel in the states... > > I've never been able to hold a conversation longer than that without > the call mysteriously dropping (even when standing perfectly still, in > a high-signal area, for those 18 minutes). Ask Mark Cuccia about our > phone conversations from a couple of years ago, and how often he'd have > to redial me during ONE conversation. If you refer to calls made on those networks YEARS ago, I'd agree. I subscribed to Fido about 3 years ago and I had the type of service you described above, but the company had barely activated their network for a year then. In the past year I've had a total of one dropped call that I can remember, but then again my service is in Montreal where the company is actually based and as you said maybe it wasn't implemented as well in Calgary. > Furthermore, unless I've misread the folks in this forum, the majority > here believe that CDMA is superior to TDMA, so at least some of what > I've said must hold true outside of the Calgary area. For a complete evaluation of this affirmation I'd refer you to http://www.arcx.com/sites/default.htm which is a site with evaluations on all canadian providers mostly on a technical level. The TDMA vs CDMA debate is very well detailed and all testing on which the comments are based was done in Toronto. The only thing that I have say is that sound quality is not sorely dependant on wether its TDMA or CDMA, a lot of other factors must be taken into account. According to this site, CDMA implementation by Bell Mobility in Toronto is amazing whereas Clearnet's was the worst imaginable. > And as for your > statements about which mobile phone standard is the most used > worldwide, consider this: Windows is the most used operating system > worldwide and a lot of people buy new computers with Windows > preinstalled for that very reason. This does not change the fact that > it's a shitty operating system. Ask most technical people about the > merits of Windows versus, say, Linux. If 500 million people are using > a shitty operating system, it's STILL a shitty operating system. Have to agree with the example :) But I don't think it applies here. > Bottom line: TDMA is inferior, old technology. CDMA is superior, new > technology. Why on EARTH did they decide to use TDMA as part of the > GSM standard? I don't agree with that statement but nonetheless, we must remeber that GSM is much older than the current implementation of CDMA (IS-95) and I can guarantee you that in ideal conditions with good quality equipment and coverage you will not notice a difference between CDMA and IS-95 CDMA using your ears alone. But as you said, you refer to Calgary which sadly doesn't seem to have ideal conditions... > Hey, try this: hop in your car and bring along a blank cassette tape. > Put the cassette tape in your tape deck and press play. Then crank up > the volume (so that you can hear a fair amount of tape hiss). Now, > place a call to somebody on your TDMA phone. After a minute or two, > try moving your phone around the interior of your car, moving it closer > and further away from the speakers and the tape deck. Fun, eh? What's > that? You can't hear me above the loud buzzing noise coming from your > speakers? Golly, now THERE'S a surprise... Actually this is half dealt with on the phone hardware and half by the network, so my previous arguments stand. I actually experimented this with Clearnet vs Fido in Montreal and Clearnet ended up having horrible sound... > Anyways, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. (tm) Same here. Eric Blondin - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 21:26:43 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 8/25/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: WE ARE OUTTA HERE! ... for a week anyway ... ICB Staff is taking a well deserved, extended-Labor Day week of R&R in the Bahamas, and will be returning to your email box on Monday September 4th. Of course, ICB web site http://www.icbtollfree.com never closes, and is chock full of the latest domain name and toll free news and controversies for you to catch up on. And remember - SUMMER'S ALMOST OVER - this is the last week to take advantage of our $99 Summer Sale for Premium Service, so ACT NOW! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ************************************************************************* Here are the final stories posted to ICB today ... read them and more at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm NSI VP CALLS SERVER FAILURE "A MAJOR INCIDENT" ANOTHER REGISTRAR HOPS ON THE 800-DOMAIN TRAIN OVER 5,000 .CA DOMAINS IN QUESTION CANADA: 1ST G-8 NATION TO REJECT ICANN ADM SEX.COM JUDGE: PROPERTY ISSUE RESTS WITH LEGISLATURE THE WORLD ACCORDING TO THE IP CONSTITUENCY THE WORLD ACCORDING TO WIPO ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: 25 Aug 2000 22:36:46 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Time Warner posts a link it had banned Time Warner posts a link it had banned August 25, 2000 by Ryan Tate Time Warner's (TWX) CNN.com linked to download sites for DeCSS, the controversial DVD-cracking program, even after Time Warner won a ban on such links in court. The case is the latest example of a large media company contradicting its legal arguments with its own actions. Earlier this month, America Online (AOL) shut down an MP3 search engine operated by its Winamp division (see full story). The search engine was functionally similar to one operated by MP3Board.com, a website sued by AOL's merger partner, Time Warner. Time Warner filed the suit in conjunction with other major record labels. http://www.upside.com/News/39a6fef00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #33 ******************************* From ???@??? Mon Aug 28 01:27:53 2000 Date: 27 Aug 2000 06:15:10 -0400 Message-ID: <20000827101510.5425.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #34 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 2953698cba747d229817a408707b4354 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Sunday, August 27 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 034 In this issue: NYTimes.com Article: A Telephone Contract Set, Service Is Next Re: Update: Verizon Hole still Open Re: Update: Verizon Hole still Open Re: AT&T's contribution to network radio Re: Wired News : New Toys for Cheating Students Another Update: Verizon Compromising Customer Privacy New Computer Telephony Resource CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site COCOTs charging for 800 information? Re: COCOTs charging for 800 information? Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 26 Aug 2000 12:16:00 -0400 From: itsamike@yahoo.com Subject: NYTimes.com Article: A Telephone Contract Set, Service Is Next This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by Mike Pollock itsamike@yahoo.com. Telcom Digest Whatever you do, don't archive this! Mike Pollock itsamike@yahoo.com /-------------------- advertisement -----------------------\ Celebrate Summer with a NYTimes.com Photo Screensaver NYTimes.com's latest screensaver captures the unforgettable moments from Coney Island amusement park. Enjoy these images every day on your computer, absolutely free. http://www.nytimes.com/partners/screensaver/index.html?eta2 \----------------------------------------------------------/ A Telephone Contract Set, Service Is Next August 25, 2000 By SIMON ROMERO Verizon Communicationsand the remainder of its striking workers settled a walkout late Wednesday after an 18-day strike. It will take the company almost twice that long to work through its backlog of repairs and orders. Although about two-thirds of the strikers had reached an agreement with the company and returned to work in New York and New England earlier in the week, 35,000 members of the Communications Workers of America in several mid-Atlantic states remained on strike until yesterday. An agreement in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and Washington was reached after Verizon, which was created by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE, agreed to lower mandatory overtime to a maximum of 7.5 hours a week for customer service representatives, down from 15 hours previously. Other union members agreed to a maximum of 8 hours. Otherwise the settlements for the members of the unions that went on strike, the communications workers' union and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, are basically the same in the two regions. They include wage and benefit increases, stock options, greater job security and more flexibility to organize in Verizon's fast-growing wireless division. Other provisions of the settlement for both regions include coverage for obesity treatment, discounted laser eye surgery, coverage for reproductive and fertility treatment, adoption reimbursement, increased reimbursement for dental care and a bilingual pay differential of 3.5 percent for workers who do jobs that require more than one language. The agreement is subject to ratification by union members through the mail, in a process expected to take two to three weeks. Verizon is now turning to the demands of its customers. It will take about a month for the company to work through roughly 50,000 delayed repairs and more than 200,000 orders for new service as a result of the strike. But many customers are already frustrated. "I will never give Verizon another cent in my life," said Chiwoniso Kaitano, 25, a graduate student at Columbia University from Zimbabwe. "During the strike they told me it would take 48 hours to get a phone in my new apartment and now they're telling me it will be another month. This reminds me of the telecom services of an underdeveloped country." Customers in need of new phone service have few alternatives aside from acquiring a wireless phone, as Ms. Kaitano said she planned to do -- from a carrier other than Verizon. Even if customers try to get local dial-tone service from one of Verizon's competitors like AT&T or MCI Worldcom, there could be delays because those companies use parts of Verizon's network. "The main thing people can do is be patient," said Eric Rabe, Verizon's spokesman. Verizon customers in the 12 Eastern states and Washington where the strike took place can call customer-service numbers on their bills. Or they can use the Verizon Web site, www.verizon.com, to order new service or request repairs. Verizon also sought to reassure investors and press forward with its corporate strategies. The company said the settlement would not affect its earnings in coming quarters, and investors bid up the company's shares $1.13, to $41.63. The company's wireless division, which operates as a venture with Vodafone AirTouch of Britain, filed yesterday with the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell as much as $5 billion of shares in what would be one of the largest initial public offerings ever. The share sale, which is being managed by Goldman, Sachs & Company and Merrill Lynch & Company, is expected before the end of this year. Although Verizon and the union reached a settlement, they showed some evidence of lingering bad feelings. According to Verizon, negotiators for members of the communications' workers union in the mid-Atlantic states submitted several demands after their colleagues in New York and New England returned to work on Monday. Related Site This site are not part of The New York Times on the Web, and The Times has no control over its content or availability. www.verizon.com   The New York Times on the Web http://www.nytimes.com /-----------------------------------------------------------------\ Visit NYTimes.com for complete access to the most authoritative news coverage on the Web, updated throughout the day. Become a member today! It's free! http://www.nytimes.com?eta \-----------------------------------------------------------------/ HOW TO ADVERTISE - --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact Alyson Racer at alyson@nytimes.com or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com. Copyright 2000 The New York Times Company - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 26 Aug 2000 12:21:55 -0400 From: Alan Boritz Subject: Re: Update: Verizon Hole still Open Monty Solomon wrote: >Update: Verizon Hole still Open > >Managers at the largest regional telco pulled an all-nighter Sunday >to fix a web application that allowed access to customer records. >Today it's harder to find, but still up. It's not hard at all to find. I've got the "secure" status page up right now on IE5, and it was no problem at all to grab the java scripts out of one of the temporary internet file directories. This is the field that caused all the excitement, as loaded into my browser: It's from the script that begins:
- -- Perhaps the biggest risk that no one has addressed yet is that Verizon's web site loads a lot of confidential LMOS data with NO verification of who has the right to view it. The fact that Verizon is making account info available to EVERYONE in the entire world with a web browser is far more important than their loading the "Customer Is Irate" field value into a browser queue. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 26 Aug 2000 15:45:57 -0400 From: Alan Boritz Subject: Re: Update: Verizon Hole still Open Monty Solomon wrote: >Update: Verizon Hole still Open ... >http://www.securityfocus.com/news/75 BTW, there's something very bogus about this site. SecurityFocus.com apparently is not allowing either the page or the frame with this story to be printed within Netscape v4.74. Perhaps they've intended to only allow the page to be viewed with obnoxious ads intact, while not permitting the article to be printed? - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 26 Aug 2000 16:38:21 -0400 From: Dale Neiburg Subject: Re: AT&T's contribution to network radio Mark Cuccia wrote: >But seriously-NBC, CBS, Mutual, ABC and DuMont >were BIG customers of AT&T/The Bell System, >for leasing all of those telco-owned >lines and circuits to distribute network radio/TV, >so Telco made sure that these lines were in the >best operating order [....snip!] >I do remember that an AT&T Long Lines retiree >recently told me (and he started with Long Lines >in 1952) that at major AT&T centers around >the country where the radio and television network >feeds were controlled, in the OVERNIGHT period >(back then, the networks weren't usually >feeding programs on a 24-hour basis), >to make sure that the lines were in operational >order for the early morning 15-minute newscasts (CBS >World News Roundup, NBC News of the World, ABC News >Around the World, Mutual's 15-min morning newscast >and I can't really remember >its "catchy" title right now), AT&T would feed music >and programming of interest to telephone company >employees down the CBS/NBC/Mutual/ABC lines. >Testmen/techs and even Operators, particularly >in slow parts of the overnight, would frequently >listen in to these AT&T-fed music/news >programs over the AT&T-owned lines used for the radio networks. >If there were a "break" in the line somewhere, >or a circuit or equalizer/ amplifier went down somewhere, >there would have been SOME form of >program being fed in the overnight hours, that >would be interrupted, and telco techs could try >to trace the source of the outage and try to >either have it repaired, or the feeds re-routed, >so that when the local radio affiliates signed on >in the morning [...] and then opened up their "pot" >to CBS/NBC/Mutual/ABC, they could get >the program feeds, without even knowing that >things had to be re-routed or fixed[....] That procedure had fallen by the wayside when I joined NPR in the '70s, when we used telco land lines for program distribution, but we had our own variant. During off-hours, we fed country & western music down the lines. That was the telco test board techs' preferred genre, and they were careful to keep our lines sounding good! >You couldn't have CBS affiliates signing on >in the mornings expecting "Arthur Godfrey Time" >and not receiving it... or ABC affiliates not getting >"Don McNeil's Breakfast Club", or NBC stations >not getting "NBC Bandstand", or Mutual stations >not getting their morning news and >entertainment programs... And, in fact, they did so well that slipups stand out in my memory as distinctly rare events! (But there was the morning that NPR got swapped with CBS-TV, so that people tuning in to Morning Edition heard Captain Kangaroo, and kids turning on the TV to watch the Captain heard him speaking with the voice of Bob Edwards....) Dale Neiburg ** NPR Satellite Operations ** 202-414-2640 "To give an accurate and exhaustive account...would require a far less brilliant pen than mine." --Max Beerbohm - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 26 Aug 2000 16:38:22 -0400 From: Dale Neiburg Subject: Re: Wired News : New Toys for Cheating Students Sandra Richards wrote: >>Most wireless industry experts, however, predict that someday teachers >>in secondary and higher education will administer tests on PDAs, >>formatting them so that every student has a different set of >>questions. Imagine how upset you'd be if the answer you received from >>your friend corresponded to a completely different question. >> >>Oh man ... do you realize this technology may blow the concept >>of standardized testing out the window (College Boards, GMAT, LSAT, GRE, >>etc) [snip!] - - ------------------------------ >Actually it won't change much in the way of testing because you can ask the kids the same >questions in a different order. Most students >aren't going to have enough time to read both the test question and the electronic device >to make sure that they get the answer in the correct >location. Most Standardize test these days have multiple test that they administer at any >given time already to avoid Cheating. In fact when I >sat for my GRE exam the proctor told us that it wouldn't due us any good to look at the >person's sheet next to us because we were given >different test include the order in which the exam was given. The new computer-administered GRE, at least, creates the test as it goes, based on the applicant's answer to the previous question. As you miss questions the computer asks you easier ones, and when you give right answers it asks harder ones. In the good old days, everyone got the same questions and you were graded on the variable of how many you got right. Now (at least in theory) everyone will get about the same number of right answers and you're graded on the variable of the difficulty of the questions you're being asked. Dale Neiburg ** NPR Satellite Operations ** 202-414-2640 "Lutfen pasaportunuzu gorebilir miyim?" - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 26 Aug 2000 17:04:00 -0400 From: Alan Boritz Subject: Another Update: Verizon Compromising Customer Privacy I was following up the Verizon web based customer record privacy issue and discovered something even more interesting. In the script that retrieves ELMOS records from Bell Atlantic "secure" servers I discovered this little piece of code (reformatted to fit this space):
Telephone Number:
(201) XXX-XXXX [my phone number blanked out]
... [script continues] There's nothing at the Verizon web site to indicate what www.circleinteractive.com is, and they apparently don't have a public web site. A little searching came up with Snyder Communications, and an old press release that boasted "Circle Interactive" as their interactive services unit. Bell Atlantic is listed as a customer of both Snyder and Circle (who recently merged with Tsunami Consulting and Natural Intelligence, Inc.). However, this web site is registered to "Kevin Swope," of Marblehead, MA, who also registered kms.net. Both web sites are served by shore.net, in Lynn, MA. Verizon's privacy policy at their main web site states that non-identifiable customer information is provided to some agencies, but my phone number, email address, and telephone service address sure isn't "non-identifiable." Although Kevin Poulsen's 8/14/00 article on the Verizon web site problems suggested that Verizon pulled an "all-nighter," only four files in their javascript library appear to have been modified (within scripts.jar): Archive: scripts.jar Length Method Size Ratio Date Time CRC-32 Name ------ ------ ---- ----- ---- ---- ------ ---- 2393 Defl:N 1000 58% 08-15-00 17:38 4050eecf META-INF/MANIFEST.MF 5560 Defl:N 1486 73% 06-26-00 09:59 dac2c70e ALERT.js 1454 Defl:N 523 64% 06-14-00 11:44 16ed8924 CONFIRM.js 18660 Defl:N 4798 74% 08-08-00 18:54 f5fcae34 AutoTab.js 5999 Defl:N 797 87% 06-12-00 13:52 8288e489 CheckDate.js 795 Defl:N 326 59% 08-09-00 18:34 a2ce3568 CheckMaxInput.js 1173 Defl:N 424 64% 08-14-00 14:41 77fd33bb HC_ELEMENTS_MSG.js 6309 Defl:N 1849 71% 08-01-00 14:06 b9916790 HC_Modal.js 9614 Defl:N 2327 76% 06-22-00 18:41 8b7950df HandleCodes.js 2956 Defl:N 798 73% 06-12-00 13:24 46ee60ef LMOS_STATUS_CODES.js 5695 Defl:N 1337 77% 08-15-00 15:02 6ec86a64 Links.js 1592 Defl:N 441 72% 06-12-00 13:34 896d3aec TRBL_DESC_DECODE.js 10040 Defl:N 966 90% 08-14-00 14:44 7ba3dd87 TRBL_STATUS_DECODE.js 2011 Defl:N 743 63% 06-22-00 15:24 aaf21969 Tools.js 352 Defl:N 238 32% 08-14-00 14:44 0d493115 Variables.js 3468 Defl:N 1078 69% 08-01-00 15:52 f64a2141 hcEnv.js 2668 Defl:N 610 77% 08-02-00 10:38 7ca957b5 PreloadImages.js 4015 Defl:N 714 82% 08-09-00 16:45 a28caab8 NPA_NXX.js 93 Defl:N 55 41% 08-15-00 17:37 ff959bdf HC.js ------ ------ --- ------- 84847 20510 76% 19 files And, although a big fuss was made over the "Customer Is Irate" database field, which has been common knowledge in the telecom business for many years, this other ELMOS field seems to have gone unnoticed: Is this being used to track "adverse comments" from customers, or to pass "adverse comments" about customers between customer service reps? - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 26 Aug 2000 18:23:07 -0400 From: "Keith Harper" Subject: New Computer Telephony Resource GOOD NEWS!! A comprehensive resource for locating Interactive Voice Response, Call Center and Computer/Internet Telephony products & services has been launched! Visit - http://www.TelephonyIndex.co.uk Your feedback, suggestions & opinions would be most welcome! Regards, Keith Harper. keith@telephonyindex.co.uk - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 26 Aug 2000 21:38:59 -0400 From: Alan Boritz Subject: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site By now it's probably common knowledge that Verizon registered the domain name verizonsucks.com with their identity change: Registrant: Bell Atlantic Trademark Services LLC (VERIZONSUCKS-DOM) 1320 North Court House Road, 8th Floor Arlington, VA 22201 US Domain Name: VERIZONSUCKS.COM ... Record last updated on 31-May-2000. Record expires on 11-Nov-2001. Record created on 11-Nov-1999. Database last updated on 26-Aug-2000 08:39:26 EDT. Domain servers in listed order: NS13.WORLDNIC.COM 216.168.225.143 NS14.WORLDNIC.COM 216.168.225.144 But it may not be common knowledge that someone else grabbed the domain verizonreallysucks.com: Registrant: 2600 Enterprises (VERIZONREALLYSUCKS-DOM) PO Box 848 Middle Island, NY 11953 US Domain Name: VERIZONREALLYSUCKS.COM Administrative Contact, Technical Contact, Zone Contact, Billing Contact: Goldstein, Emmanuel (EG1) emmanuel@2600.COM P.O. Box 848 Middle Island, NY 11953-0848 (516) 751-2600 (FAX) (516) 474-2677 Record last updated on 04-Apr-2000. Record expires on 04-Apr-2001. Record created on 04-Apr-2000. Database last updated on 26-Aug-2000 08:38:55 EDT. Domain servers in listed order: PHALSE.2600.COM 216.66.24.2 FOO.NOTWORK.NET 207.99.30.40 http://www.verizonreallysucks.com brings up the Communications Workers of America web site, with special coverage of their strike against Verizon. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 26 Aug 2000 21:53:01 -0400 From: Dave Garland Subject: Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site It was a dark and stormy night when Alan Boritz first wrote: >But it may not be common knowledge that someone else grabbed the domain >verizonreallysucks.com: > >Registrant: >2600 Enterprises (VERIZONREALLYSUCKS-DOM) > Domain Name: VERIZONREALLYSUCKS.COM > > Administrative Contact, Technical Contact, Zone Contact, Billing Contact: > Goldstein, Emmanuel (EG1) emmanuel@2600.COM ;-> For those who don't recognize that name, Mr. Goldstein is the editor of "2600-The Hacker Quarterly" and defendant in the recent DeCSS trial. And, presumably, a dissatisfied Verizon customer. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 26 Aug 2000 23:50:46 -0400 From: Phil Earnhardt Subject: COCOTs charging for 800 information? Are the owners of COCOTs allowed to charge for calls to 800 information? A local pay phone was doing that. Particularly galling was that my prepaid calling card wouldn't complete the call either -- "because it's free". If the charges are a violation of a tarriff, who do I complain to? Any other suggestions? It was at a local Jiffy Lube (30th north of Arapahoe in Boulder, CO). I left a note for the District Manager that this particular COCOT was lousy for customer service and to get pay phone service with someone else. - --phil - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 02:34:06 -0400 From: John_David_Galt@acm.org Subject: Re: COCOTs charging for 800 information? Phil Earnhardt wrote: > Are the owners of COCOTs allowed to charge for calls to 800 > information? A local pay phone was doing that. Particularly galling > was that my prepaid calling card wouldn't complete the call either -- > "because it's free". It's against federal law to charge for calls to toll-free numbers. (Several years ago the FCC ordered 800 number owners to start paying COCOT owners a fee for each call "for tying up their equipment" for calls the COCOT couldn't charge the user for. Result: some 800/8xx numbers now refuse all calls from pay phones. I would have let the COCOTs charge the price of a local call instead.) I assume you'd complain to the FCC. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 05:58:05 -0400 From: "Ed Ellers" Subject: Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio Joseph Singer wrote: "I'm not totally up on my history, but today NBC's parent company is in fact GE which was formerly RCA." GE, which bought RCA. "If you watch NBC's night time programming sometimes they will show the studio building from which the broadcast originates. Whereas formerly there was a big RCA on top of the building (known then as the RCA building) there is now a very uninteresting looking pair of letters G E on top of the building now. (BTW, those are very uninteresting to me... why didn't they use the "scripted" GE that the company has used for year?)" Probably because the script would be harder to read at a distance. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #34 ******************************* From ???@??? Mon Aug 28 09:59:42 2000 Date: 28 Aug 2000 06:15:10 -0400 Message-ID: <20000828101510.27869.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #35 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: b8af5178ed8e6808953be9b1b85ea507 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Monday, August 28 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 035 In this issue: Re: COCOTs charging for 800 information? legality of automated telphone spam Verizon's sense of humor REALLY sucks Re: legality of automated telphone spam Re: legality of automated telphone spam Re: COCOTs charging for 800 information? Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site Re: Subject: Re: Wired News : New Toys for Cheating Students Re: legality of automated telphone spam Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site US West continues to burn?? Re: COCOTs charging for 800 information? Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio Re: US West continues to burn?? Re: COCOTs charging for 800 information? Re: legality of automated telphone spam Re: So now I'm a Telus customer again Re: AT&T's contribution to network radio Re: legality of automated telphone spam Re: COCOTs charging for 800 information? [RRE]telecom development ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 27 Aug 2000 08:07:30 -0400 From: andrew Subject: Re: COCOTs charging for 800 information? John_David_Galt@acm.org wrote: > (Several years ago the FCC ordered 800 number owners to start paying > COCOT owners a fee for each call "for tying up their equipment" for > calls the COCOT couldn't charge the user for. Just to clarify, does this fee apply just to COCOTs, or to all payphones? Andrew - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 09:00:45 -0400 From: Leszek Subject: legality of automated telphone spam I was wondering whether a war-dialing computer that plays a (commercial) recording to the people that pick up the phone could be construed to be illegal under the language of the law that prohibits fax spamming. Probably not, judging by the number of robo-calls I get. Andrew - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 09:27:46 -0400 From: Wlevant@aol.com Subject: Verizon's sense of humor REALLY sucks > http://www.verizonreallysucks.com brings up the Communications Workers of > America web site, with special coverage of their strike against Verizon. IIRC, one of Verizon's lawyers with too much time on her hands sent 2600 a cease-and-desist letter (parenthetical thought : can you cease without desisting?) about verizonreallysucks.com, in response to which 2600 registered verizonshouldspendmoretimefixingitsnetworkandlessmoneyonlawyers.com. No word on whether this generated another c&d letter, but 2600 isn't the only one with this opinion...try doing a "whois" query at whois.networksolutions.com using the phrase "verizons*" or "verizonr*. Verizon is apparently EVERYBODY'S favorite LEC. Bill - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 10:30:55 -0400 From: stevenl11@aol.com (Steven Lichter) Subject: Re: legality of automated telphone spam << I was wondering whether a war-dialing computer that plays a (commercial) recording to the people that pick up the phone could be construed to be illegal under the language of the law that prohibits fax spamming. Probably not, judging by the number of robo-calls I get. Andrew >> Yes it would, I believe under some state laws and Federal law there must me a real person to ask if yu want to here the crap they have, and must also allow you to disconnect. I use to get them all the time, but I got a Radio Shack CID box that allows me to place numbers in it that Telephone Co. CID does not block. It plays it little message then hangs up. If you do happen to get CID on any of those you can report them. Me I would just hunt them down and make their lives a living hell!!! Apple Elite II 909-359-5338. Home of GBBS/LLUCE, support for the Apple II and Macintosh 24 hours 2400/14.4. An OggNet Server. http://www.delphi.com/gbbs The only good spammer is a dead one, have you hunted one down today? (c) - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 10:32:16 -0400 From: Dave Garland Subject: Re: legality of automated telphone spam It was a dark and stormy night when Leszek first wrote: >I was wondering whether a war-dialing computer that plays >a (commercial) recording to the people that pick up the >phone could be construed to be illegal under the language >of the law that prohibits fax spamming. Probably not. But in Minnesota it is generally prohibited by state law. Perhaps your state has something similar. 325E.27 Use of prerecorded or synthesized voice messages. A caller shall not use or connect to a telephone line an automatic dialing-announcing device unless: (1) the subscriber has knowingly or voluntarily requested, consented to, permitted, or authorized receipt of the message; or (2) the message is immediately preceded by a live operator who obtains the subscriber's consent before the message is delivered. This section and section 325E.30 do not apply to (1) messages from school districts to students, parents, or employees, (2) messages to subscribers with whom the caller has a current business or personal relationship, or (3) messages advising employees of work schedules. 325E.30 Time of day limit. A caller shall not use an automatic dialing-announcing device nor make any commercial telephone solicitation before 9:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. - -Dave - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 11:29:32 -0400 From: Phil Earnhardt Subject: Re: COCOTs charging for 800 information? On 27 Aug 2000 02:34:06 -0400, John_David_Galt@acm.org wrote: >> Are the owners of COCOTs allowed to charge for calls to 800 >> information? A local pay phone was doing that. Particularly galling >> was that my prepaid calling card wouldn't complete the call either -- >> "because it's free". > >It's against federal law to charge for calls to toll-free numbers. >(Several years ago the FCC ordered 800 number owners to start paying >COCOT owners a fee for each call "for tying up their equipment" for >calls the COCOT couldn't charge the user for. Result: some 800/8xx >numbers now refuse all calls from pay phones. I would have let the >COCOTs charge the price of a local call instead.) I understand this. The COCOT's customer service droid said that they could legally charge for calls to 800 information. Is there a difference in the tariff between 800 information calls and all others? >I assume you'd complain to the FCC. How specifically? Can I e-mail a complaint to someone? Or do I need to send a snail-mail letter? Thanks. - --phil - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 11:56:44 -0400 From: hillary@hillary.net (hillary israeli) Subject: Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site On 26 Aug 2000 21:38:59 -0400, wrote: * *But it may not be common knowledge that someone else grabbed the domain *verizonreallysucks.com: You don't think? But doesn't everyone read 2600? - -h. - -- hillary israeli.....................................hillary@netaxs.com "So that's 2 T-1s and a newsfeed....would you like clues with that?" hillary@hillary.net: for debugging your net or deworming your pet Net Access...The NSP for ISPs....The NOC that rocks around the clock. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 11:57:08 -0400 From: Rob McMillin Subject: Re: Subject: Re: Wired News : New Toys for Cheating Students "Richards, Sandra" wrote: > >Most wireless industry experts, however, predict that someday teachers > >in secondary and higher education will administer tests on PDAs, > >formatting them so that every student has a different set of > >questions. Imagine how upset you'd be if the answer you received from > >your friend corresponded to a completely different question. > > > Oh man ... do you realize this technology may blow the concept of > standardized testing out the window (College Boards, GMAT, LSAT, GRE, > etc) I'm not sure how this could be true. Each year the SAT is different, yet each year it's a benchmark. My point is that if you apply a selected list of 200 questions from a list of 20000, applied in random order, it's still a standardized test, but cheating becomes harder. - -- http://www.pricegrabber.com | Dog is my co-pilot. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 12:38:05 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: legality of automated telphone spam >>From 'Leszek': >I was wondering whether a war-dialing computer that plays >a (commercial) recording to the people that pick up the >phone could be construed to be illegal under the language >of the law that prohibits fax spamming. Could be? Is. It's covered in a separate portion of the same law. - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 18:36:05 -0400 From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) Subject: Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site In hillary@hillary.net (hillary israeli) writes: >*But it may not be common knowledge that someone else grabbed the domain >*verizonreallysucks.com: Which is NOT run by the CWA, but sometimes points to it. see the spoiler at the end >You don't think? But doesn't everyone read 2600? (And yet another person grabbed "2600reallysucks.com") Or listen to "off the hook" on WBAI, 99.5 FM NYC Tuesdays 20:00 (or via RealAudio on the website) danny 'does "2600" have any telco history meaning?' burstein spoiler: There's a long-standing magazine called "2600, the Hacker's Quarterly" (formerly monthly), published by Emmanuel Goldstein. Among other annoyances to people with no sense of humo[u]r, the 2600 folk posted the DeCCus code on their website, and then, once a TRO was issued against them, added in links to other places that did. A couple of weeks ago Emmanuel's group lost the lawsuit about this. Appeals are underway. Anyway, he (like many other people in the NY area) has no love for NY Tel/BA/Verizon. So.. he tried registering the domain "verizonsucks.com" but discovered they had alrady done so. Then.. he registered "verizonreallysucks.com". Shortly afterwards, he received a most annoying "cease and desist" letter from Verizon. At which point he registered "verizonshouldspendmoremoneyonitsnetworkandlessonlawyers.com" In a show of something or another, people have registered just about any permuatation of Verizon possible.. further info: http://www.2600.com - -- _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 21:10:54 -0400 From: John De Hoog Subject: US West continues to burn?? ClariNet news service today ran a story on the wildfires raging in the Western US, under the title, "Thirteen new fires as US west continues to burn". Someone, or some computer program, mistakenly posted the article in the news groups clari.tw.telecom.misc, clari.tw.telecom.phone_service, and clari.tw.telecom. I imagine it caused some concern for a moment or two among those who believed it really was a telecom story. - -- John De Hoog http://dehoog.org - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 22:05:38 -0400 From: "Green, Andrew" Subject: Re: COCOTs charging for 800 information? >> Are the owners of COCOTs allowed to charge for calls to 800 >> information? A local pay phone was doing that. > > It's against federal law to charge for calls to toll-free > numbers. Er, by anyone? Hyatt Hotels will ding you a dollar for calling a toll-free access line from your hotel room. Interestingly, other toll-free numbers are no charge... - -- Andrew C. Green Datalogics, Inc. 101 N. Wacker, Ste. 1800 http://www.datalogics.com Chicago, IL 60606-7301 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 22:15:05 -0400 From: "Green, Andrew" Subject: Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio >> Whereas formerly there was a big RCA on top of the building >> (known then as the RCA building) there is now a very >> uninteresting looking pair of letters G E on top of the >> building now. (BTW, those are very uninteresting to me... >> why didn't they use the "scripted" GE that the company has >> used for year?)" You mean this? http://www.ge.com/images/mastlogo.gif I'm told that's known (fondly) inside the company as The Meatball. :-) > Probably because the script would be harder to read at a > distance. If memory serves, they do have it backlit on the outside of at least one of their offices in Cincinnati, and it's quite legible. Looks a lot classier than the "G E" they stuck up in New York, too. - -- Andrew C. Green Datalogics, Inc. 101 N. Wacker, Ste. 1800 http://www.datalogics.com Chicago, IL 60606-7301 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2000 21:23:54 -0500 From: Daniel Seagraves Subject: Re: US West continues to burn?? On 27 Aug 2000, John De Hoog wrote: > ClariNet news service today ran a story on the wildfires raging in > the Western US, under the title, "Thirteen new fires as US west > continues to burn". > > Someone, or some computer program, mistakenly posted the article in > the news groups clari.tw.telecom.misc, clari.tw.telecom.phone_service, > and clari.tw.telecom. I imagine it caused some concern for a moment > or two among those who believed it really was a telecom story. Well, I doubt the fires are any good for the COs in the area... ^_^ "Confuse, annoy, and DEE-STROY!" -- Jet Wolf | "Nothing Happens." -- ADVENT "You'd be surprised what you can live through..." -- Anonymous "...A man can pass his family and his name down through his sons, but it's his honour that gets passed through his daughters. He can see the best and worst of life in his girls. A daughter is something far too precious, and he'll do anything to protect her." -- Reichsfuehrer Siegfried Koenig, _Matrose_Mond_, David Oliver ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 22:20:38 -0400 From: stevenl11@aol.com (Steven Lichter) Subject: Re: COCOTs charging for 800 information? << Er, by anyone? Hyatt Hotels will ding you a dollar for calling a toll-free access line from your hotel room. Interestingly, other toll-free numbers are no charge... >> A few years ago a Best Western In Ojai, Calif. Hit me with charges for 800 calls, local calls, and for having a phone in my room. I took them to task with my credit card company over the charges which showed up after I had checked out, that got no real reply, so I went farther; to the PUC after they said it was PacBell charging, Both answered the complaint and the charges were removed, still don't understand, but I do know at the time they were not allowed to charge for 800 calls, that was per the PUC. Apple Elite II 909-359-5338. Home of GBBS/LLUCE, support for the Apple II and Macintosh 24 hours 2400/14.4. An OggNet Server. http://www.delphi.com/gbbs The only good spammer is a dead one, have you hunted one down today? (c) - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 23:39:57 -0400 From: djb0x7736d717@scream.org (Dan) Subject: Re: legality of automated telphone spam Steven Lichter wrote: > > I was wondering whether a war-dialing computer that plays a (commercial) > > recording to the people that pick up the phone could be construed to be > > illegal under the language of the law that prohibits fax spamming. > > > > Probably not, judging by the number of robo-calls I get. > > Yes it would, I believe under some state laws and Federal law there must > [be] a real person to ask if [you] want to [hear] the crap they have, and > must also allow you to disconnect. The new trend, strangely, is devices that hang up if a live person answers, and leave their commercial on your answering machine/voicemail if they get that instead. Quite annoying. I've got one such message saved right now - it included the sender's name and phone number in its spiel about a great home business opportunity. Once I get a chance to research the applicable laws, I hope to launch a tacnuke LART. I'm not sure whether the law applies to residential lines, business ones, or both, though. - -Dan - -- Dan Birchall - Palolo Valley, Honolulu HI - http://dan.scream.org Post your reviews; get paid: http://epinions.scream.org/join.html Free web-based e-mail: http://www.themail.com/ref.htm?ref=1163079 My address expires - take out the hex stamp if your reply bounces - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 2000 23:45:25 -0400 From: langlo6@ibm.net Subject: Re: So now I'm a Telus customer again Joey: You asked: >What gives? And why on earth is the CRTC approving this nonsense? I'm not an apologist for the Commission, but I think if you go back and look at their Telecom decisions, Letter Decisions and Public Notices issued since 1995 that there is a trend to a "hands off" attitude about the industry. This is definitely the case with the Broadcasting Decisions since just about everything to do with CanCon has been removed from Conditions of License for several years now. I even overheard one of the staff say that the Canadian Telecom industry was headed towards two players. Regards, David Langlois - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 00:02:11 -0400 From: "Ed Ellers" Subject: Re: AT&T's contribution to network radio Dale Neiburg wrote: "That procedure had fallen by the wayside when I joined NPR in the '70s, when we used telco land lines for program distribution, but we had our own variant. During off-hours, we fed country & western music down the lines. That was the telco test board techs' preferred genre, and they were careful to keep our lines sounding good!" ABC Radio still feeds music over its satellite channels between programs, both on its own networks and feeds it does for others (such as Rush Limbaugh, who also rents an ABC studio). "And, in fact, they did so well that slipups stand out in my memory as distinctly rare events! (But there was the morning that NPR got swapped with CBS-TV, so that people tuning in to Morning Edition heard Captain Kangaroo, and kids turning on the TV to watch the Captain heard him speaking with the voice of Bob Edwards....)" I remember one incident during a snowstorm in late fall 1966 where all three TV networks were going to the wrong affiliates in Louisville for a while -- the NBC affiliate got ABC (showing Batman), the ABC affiliate got CBS and the CBS affiliate got NBC. My father, knowing just that "the phone company" was somehow involved, went outside to see if any wires were down. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 00:20:00 -0400 From: stevenl11@aol.com (Steven Lichter) Subject: Re: legality of automated telphone spam djb0x7736d717 << The new trend, strangely, is devices that hang up if a live person answers, and leave their commercial on your answering machine/voicemail if they get that instead. Quite annoying. I've got one such message saved right now - it included the sender's name and phone number in its spiel about a great home business opportunity. Once I get a chance to research the applicable laws, I hope to launch a tacnuke LART. I'm not sure whether the law applies to residential lines, business ones, or both, though. >> What is worse then that is the trend to calling Cell phones. I was getting at least 2 calls a day and more on my voice mail. I tracked the source down and made a little trouble for them. I have heard that the FCC and the California PUC are looking into complaints since the Called party pays for the call, at least it does here. I have plenty of minutes but it adds up. Should it cut into my calls will do more then just make things hard. I'll hunt them down. Apple Elite II 909-359-5338. Home of GBBS/LLUCE, support for the Apple II and Macintosh 24 hours 2400/14.4. An OggNet Server. http://www.delphi.com/gbbs The only good spammer is a dead one, have you hunted one down today? (c) - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 00:40:05 -0400 From: quonk@my-deja.com Subject: Re: COCOTs charging for 800 information? > I understand this. The COCOT's customer service droid said that they > could legally charge for calls to 800 information. Is there a > difference in the tariff between 800 information calls and all others? > > >I assume you'd complain to the FCC. > > How specifically? Can I e-mail a complaint to someone? Or do I need to > send a snail-mail letter? > > http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/enforce/complaints.html And I seriously doubt that very many COCOT owners have filed tariffs, by the way. Which leads to an interesting question. Is AT&T really paying 28 cents per call they get to 800-555-1212 from a payphone? Are they charging this back to the person whose listing was asked for? No wonder they want to get out of the business. Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 01:06:50 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: [RRE]telecom development Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2000 06:49:48 -0700 From: Phil Agre Subject: [RRE]telecom development [I won't send these summaries of Telecommunications Policy regularly, but you can subscribe to them at . I've reformatted this message to 70 columns.] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This message was forwarded through the Red Rock Eater News Service (RRE). You are welcome to send the message along to others but please do not use the "redirect" option. For information about RRE, including instructions for (un)subscribing, see http://dlis.gseis.ucla.edu/people/pagre/rre.html =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 19:58:10 +0200 From: "Bruce Girard" Subject: telecom development - theme of TP 24 8/9 The editorial, abstracts, a book review and two articles from Telecommunications Policy 24-8 & 9 (September, October 2000) are now online at http://tpeditor.com . This theme of the issue is "Telecom Development", and it takes a timely look at the policies and institutional reforms associated with attempts to deal with the well-documented "digital divides"; between developed and developing countries, and between rural and urban areas within individual countries. In his editorial, William Melody writes: "Telecom Development used to be a special problem only for developing countries. It was essentially expanding fixed line voice telephone networks toward a universal national coverage, as defined by particular national governments. The causal relation between access to telephone service and economic and social development was unclear. The spread of telephone service was not seen by most policymakers and investors as a priority, or even a significant factor in promoting development. It could not compete with the needs for access to food, water, roads, health, education, electricity and other essential infrastructure resources. It was generally believed that telephones came after a certain level of development was achieved, and then facilitated the achievement of more advanced levels of development. Universal telephone service typically was seen more as a product of advanced development than an essential resource for development. "Over the past two decades the situation has changed dramatically. The changing role of telecom services in all economies, and an expanding research literature documenting the barriers, restrictions, costs and penalties of inadequate telecom service for participation in economic and social life in all countries has brought the issue of telecom development to the forefront of policy and investment analysis. Access to basic telecom services makes it much more feasible and efficient to establish and maintain access to food, water, health, education, etc., in the poor countries. Access to higher speed Internet services is essential for many small towns in the rich countries if they are to keep their businesses from moving elsewhere." On the tpeditor.com website you will find the issue's editorial, table of contents, abstracts as well as book reviews, links to some authors' pre-publication versions of their articles, and the complete Current Statistics article, "Investment and Growth of the Information Infrastructure: Summary Results of a Global Survey" by Bjorn Wellenius, Senior Telecommunications Adviser, the World Bank Carlos Alberto Primo Braga, infoDev, the World Bank and Christine Zhen-Wei Qiang, Economist, CITPO, the World Bank. See the table of contents below for more information on the issue, or visit the website at http://www.tpeditor.com - - - - Telecommunications Policy Volume 24, No. 8/9 (September/October 2000) Theme: Telecom Development TABLE OF CONTENTS FROM THE EDITOR -- William H. Melody CURRENT STATISTICS Investment and Growth of the Information Infrastructure: Summary Results of a Global Survey -- Bjorn Wellenius, Senior Telecommunications Adviser, the World Bank Carlos Alberto Primo Braga, infoDev, the World Bank and Christine Zhen-Wei Qiang, Economist, CITPO, the World Bank - Full article Online CASE STUDIES Institutional Roots of Post-Privatisation Regulatory Outcomes -- Manuel Abdala, LECG Consulting, Argentina Network Decompensation and Regional Imbalances in Rate Reform Processes: A Case Study in South America -- DarĚo Goussal and MarĚa Sandra UdrĚzar Lezcano, Rural Telecommunications Research Group (GTR-UNNE) Northeastern University at Resistencia - School of Engineering, Argentina FULL LENGTH ARTICLES Rohan Samarajiva, Visiting Professor, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands and School of Journalism & Communication, The Ohio State University, Columbus OH -- The Role of Competition in Institutional Reform of Telecommunications: Lessons from Sri Lanka Ping Gao and Kalle Lyytinen, University of Jyvaskyla, Faculty of Technology, Finland -- Transformation of China's Telecommunications Sector: A Macro Perspective Milton Mueller, Syracuse University School of Information Studies, USA and Peter Lovelock, Telecommunications Research Project, Hong Kong University, China -- The WTO and China's Ban on Foreign Investment in Telecommunication Services: A Game-Theoretic Analysis C. Ann Hollifield, The University of Georgia, Dept. of Telecommunications and Joseph Donnemeyer, Gwen H. Wolford and Robert Agunga, The Ohio State University, USA -- The Effects of Rural Telecommunications Self-Development Projects on Local Adoption of New Technologies G. C. Pentzaropoulos and D. I. Giokas, University of Athens, Department of Economics, Greece -- Evaluating the Productive Efficiency of Regionally-Structured Telecommunications Networks: Evidence from Greece BOOK REVIEWS Are Poor Countries Losing the Information Revolution? By Francisco Rodriguez and Ernest J. Wilson, III, infoDev Working Paper, The World Bank, Washington DC, May, 2000 (Heather E. Hudson, McLaren School of Business, University of San Francisco) - Book Review Online Are Poor Countries Losing the Information Revolution? By Francisco Rodriguez and Ernest J. Wilson, III, infoDev Working Paper, The World Bank, Washington DC, May, 2000 (Professor Nick von Tunzelmann, SPRU -- Science and Technology Policy Research, University of Sussex) - Book Review Online All Connected. Universal Service in Telecommunications by Bruce Langtry (Jill Hills, School of Communication, Design and Media, UK) TP Book Review Online - - - - Telecommunications Policy is concerned with the changing roles of telecommunications in the economy and society. It provides a forum for research and debate amongst academics, policymakers, regulators, industry managers, consultants and other professionals. Its orientation is multidisciplinary and international, encompassing issues of both theory and practice. Its scope includes issues of telecom reform at national, regional and international levels, including issues confronting both developed and developing countries. It pays particular attention to the implications of convergence for knowledge infrastructure development, management and regulation. - - info@tpeditor.com http://tpeditor.com - - - - Bruce Girard - bgirard@comunica.org or bruceg@sepa.tudelft.nl TU Delft: +(31-15) 278.8548 - Fax: +(31-20) 882.6517 Home office: +(31-15) 213.3830 - Mobile: +(31-6) 2039.6958 Kloksteeg 17b, 2611 BL Delft, The Netherlands - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #35 ******************************* From ???@??? Mon Aug 28 20:33:34 2000 Date: 28 Aug 2000 18:21:36 -0400 Message-ID: <20000828222136.2378.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #36 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: d9e0c62bae51e1f944fd2e3abbf1eee1 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Monday, August 28 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 036 In this issue: Re: Payphones charging for 800 Directory Assistance Re: COCOTs charging for 800 information? Re: legality of automated telphone spam Computerworld: Iridium satellite network prepares for decommissioning Re: COCOTs charging for 800- Directory? Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site Telecom Update (Canada) #247, August 28, 2000 Cannot change my long distance provider? Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? NYTimes.com Article: What City, Please? Vexation in Dialing Can Start With 411 Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? Telephony and billing ISDN and Billing Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 28 Aug 2000 07:55:47 -0400 From: Dave Levenson Subject: Re: Payphones charging for 800 Directory Assistance Under current FCC regulations, payphone operators are entitled to compensation for every completed call they handle. For calls to toll-free numbers, this compensation is paid to the payphone operator by the carrier who bills the destination number for the call. The amount is currently $0.24/call. Many carriers mark this up considerably and pass it along to the billed destination customer. This applies to both COCOTs and LEC-owned payphones, and the regulations to not permit payphone operators to require a coin deposit for these calls. The regulations also permit payphone operators to charge for calls to directory assistance. (Verizon has just begun to charge $0.35 for calls to 411 from their payphones in New Jersey.) The regulations to not specifically address the issue of calls to 800 directory assistance. A likely scenario, however, is that some smart payphones may be charging for 800 directory assistance unintentionally. In order to charge for interstate directory assistance (which is permitted and is widely done) the person who programs the payphone probably uses a wild-card macro like "1-???-555-1212 = 0.75". This will match 1-800-555-1212 unless that specific pattern precedes it in the list of special numbers. The syntax varies from one payphone manufacturer to another, but a similar capability is available in all of the instrument-implemented payphones, whether deployed by the LEC or an independent payphone provider. Dave Levenson Westmark, Inc. Voice: 908 647 0900 Email: dave@westmark.com Stirling, NJ, USA Fax: 908 647 6857 Web: http://www.westmark.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 08:21:45 -0400 From: Subject: Re: COCOTs charging for 800 information? Green, Andrew wrote: >> It's against federal law to charge for calls to toll-free >> numbers. > Er, by anyone? Hyatt Hotels will ding you a dollar for calling a toll-free > access line from your hotel room. Interestingly, other toll-free numbers are > no charge... So, that means they are only charging for "well known" toll free access numbers, or do they really keep track of *every* 800 access number for Fred's Long Distance and Towing Company? I suspect they are violating some regulations doing this. - -- ***************************************************************************** * Bill Ranck +1-540-231-3951 ranck@vt.edu * * Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Computing Center * ***************************************************************************** - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 09:05:02 -0400 From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine) Subject: Re: legality of automated telphone spam > What is worse then that is the trend to calling Cell phones. I was > getting at least 2 calls a day and more on my voice mail. I tracked > the source down and made a little trouble for them. I have heard > that the FCC and the California PUC are looking into complaints > since the Called party pays for the call, at least it does here. The TCPA specifically outlaws sales calls to cell phones. If you know who did it, you can sue them for $500/call, just like junk fax, tripled if you can show it was "wilful and knowing", i.e. if they knew or had reason to know it was illegal. - -- John R. Levine, IECC, POB 727, Trumansburg NY 14886 +1 607 387 6869 johnl@iecc.com, Village Trustee and Sewer Commissioner, http://iecc.com/johnl, Member, Provisional board, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 09:13:23 -0400 From: spam_i_am_not@yahoo.com Subject: Computerworld: Iridium satellite network prepares for decommissioning Rob Pierce has sent you a story from Computerworld.com, and wants you to see it! Story headline: Computerworld: Iridium satellite network prepares for decommissioning Author: Message: Instructions: Click on the link below, or copy and paste it into your browser to view the note. http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/story/0,1199,NAV47_STO49056,00.html You can visit us here http://www.computerworld.com to find out what we can offer - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 10:06:58 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: Re: COCOTs charging for 800- Directory? Regarding COCOT _PAY_phones charging for 800 Directory: The is a problem do to either _CHEAP_ chips/hardware, or else _SLOPPY_ programming of chips/hardware in the phone. The chips rating/translations tables are looking at the "555" of 800-555 and "assuming" it to be a chargeable Directory call, DESPITE the fact that SAC 800 is toll-free, even for 800-555-1212. This charging for 800-555-xxxx will also either charge or block for accessing Stentor's "Canada-Direct" card/operator platform for Canadians travelling/living in the US and wanting to call back to Canada collect, or call (virtually) anywhere in the World with a (Stentor) Canadian (incumbent) LEC-issued calling card (SBC-Ameritech-Bell Canada, Bell's Aliant group of: NBTel MT&T/NS PE-IslandTel and NewTel in NF/LB, MTS in MB, SaskTel, GTE/VeriZon-Telus of BCTel AGT/EdTel and QuebecTel in eastern PQ/QC, Bell's Northwestel in YT/NWT/VU, Bell's Northern Tel in northern ON and Telebec throughout PQ/QC, Ontario Northland Tel, and various incumbent independents throughout ON and PQ/QC as well as Prince Rupert City BC Telco). The access number for "Stentor-Long-Distance / Canada-Direct" as used throughout the US and Canada for Card and Operator-billed calling is 800-555-1111. From the eastern half of the US and Canada it routes to Bell's auto-platform/menu in Montreal PQ/QC. From the western half of the US and Canada it routes to GTE/VeriZon/Telus/BCTel in Vancouver BC. Because it is 800-555, there can be MANY COCOTs in the US which will either _CHARGE_ a "directory" rate for dialing it, or else _BLOCK_ it altogather! :( In Nov.1994, the industry agreed that 800-555 should be made available to "general" purpose toll-free numbers. (MCI "gobbled" up a whole batch of line-numbers right off). Previously, Bellcore-NANPA had stated that 800-555 would be strictly for Directory (800-555-1212) and certain other "grandfathered" 800-555-xxxx line numbers (all routing via AT&T within the US, Telecom-Canada/Stentor group within Canada) -- such "grandfathered" 800-555-xxxx line numbers have included the (now gone) 800-555-5000 "Bell Answer Center" for answering questions about divestiture, equal access, etc., and WECo/AT&T/Lucent Consumer Products 800-555-8111 for customer service mainly about little old ladies' leased WECo-made 500, Princess, 302, 202, etc. phones that were probably still hard mounted to the wiring block or WECo-made hard mounted 554, 352, etc. wall phones. As far as I know 800-555-8111 still routes to WECo/ AT&T/Lucent leased-phones customer service. There were probably a few other 800-555-xxxx line numbers in existance prior to Nov.1994, which were "grandfathered" when Bellcore-NANPA took over 800-NXX code administration - since replaced in 1993/94 by full 800/toll-free portability via database-lookup. So, COCOTs with either sloppy chip-hardware or programming of that chip-hardware might be blocking or charging for _ALL_ 800-555-xxxx numbers! :( BTW, for reasons still not "clear" to me, the FCC (with the concurance of Canada's CRTC?) has informed the toll-free numbering industry that for the time-being, 888-555, 877-555, 866-555, 855-555 are not to have any line-number assignments. When 888 first came online in early 1996, there were some Canadian Stentor LECs that were allowing 888-555 in their translations and routings for 888-555-1212, routing to the same toll-free directory center _in_Canada_ as if the caller had dialed 800-555-1212. (AT&T has their own 800-555-1212 centers in the US; you really get AT&T on 800-555-1212 in the US regardless of who your PIC happens to be, but what does it really matter since the call is toll-free to you). I don't know if any Canadian-Stentor LECs still route 888-555-1212 to 800-555-1212, or if they now block it. MARK_J._CUCCIA__PHONE/WRITE/WIRE/CABLE:__HOME:__(USA)__Tel:_CHestnut-1-2497 WORK:__mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu|4710-Wright-Road|__(+1-504-241-2497) Tel:UNiversity-5-5954(+1-504-865-5954)|New-Orleans-28__|fwds-on-no-answr-to Fax:UNiversity-5-5917(+1-504-865-5917)|Louisiana(70128)|cellular/voicemail- NWORLASKCG0 (BellSouth #1AESS Cl.5 Local "Seabrook" 504-24x-) to become a #5ESS (yeah!), NWORLASKDS0, 12:01am SAT-11-NOV-2000 NWORLAIYCM3 (BellSouth-Mobility Ericsson Cellular-MTSO NOL) NWORLAMT01T (BellSouth DMS-100 "Metairie" Tndm; Cellular routes thru) NWORLAMA0GT (BellSouth DMS-100/200 inTRA-LATA/fg.BCD Tndm "Main" 504+) NWORLAMA20T (BellSouth DMS-200 TOPS:inLATA OprSvcTndm "Main" 504+053+) NWORLAMA04T (AT&T #4ESS Class-2 Toll 060-T / 504-2T "Main" 504+) JCSNMSPS06T (AT&T #5ESS OSPS:Operator-Services-Tandem 601-0T 601+121) JCSNMSPS14T (AT&T #4ESS Class-3 Toll 040-T / 601-2T; OSPS routes thru) NWORLAELH01 (PBX NEC-2400 504-862-3/8xxx, 504-865-4/5/6xxx) NWORLACADS0 (BellSo.DMS-100 Cl.5 Lcl "Carrollton" 504-86x-;PBX 'homes' on) ======================================================================== - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 10:07:56 -0400 From: Joel B Levin Subject: Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site In <8oc547$rfo$1@panix5.panix.com>, dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) wrote: }danny 'does "2600" have any telco history meaning?' burstein You're kidding, right? /J - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 10:43:43 -0400 From: John Riddell Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #247, August 28, 2000 ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement's Weekly Telecom Newsbulletin http://www.angustel.ca Number 247: August 28, 2000 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: AT&T Canada ...................... http://www.attcanada.com/ Bell Canada ............................ http://www.bell.ca/ Lucent Technologies .................. http://www.lucent.ca/ Sprint Canada .................. http://www.sprintcanada.ca/ Teleglobe Business Solutions ...... http://www.teleglobe.ca/ Telus Communications.................. http://www.telus.com/ TigerTel Services ................. http://www.tigertel.com/ ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Videotron Refuses to Endorse Quebecor Bid ** Rates Set for Use of High-Speed Cable ** Gateway to Build Across West ** Call-Net Sells U.S. Fibre to 360 ** Bracknell to Buy WorldCom Contractor ** Another Bell Cable Break ** Look Portal Offers Streaming Audio, Video ** Videotron to Announce IP Calling Plans ** Bell Mobility Offers Flat-Rate Family Calling ** CRTC Rejects Challenge to NBTel Rates ** Cogeco Buys Belleville Cableco ** Motorola Equips Defense Network ** Surtees Leaves Globe and Mail, Joins IDC ** Norigen Puts Its Bills on the Web ** Major U.S. Telecom Show Dies ** Rogers Hires Another Telus Exec ** Strike Ends at Telus Call Centres ** Excel Enters European Market ** Is Dark Fibre in Your Future? ============================================================ VIDEOTRON REFUSES TO ENDORSE QUEBECOR BID: Videotron's Board declined August 25 to recommend Quebecor's $4.9 Billion takeover bid because the offer "contains certain problematic conditions," including complications related to the $241- Million fee that Videotron must pay Rogers if it terminates their deal. (See Telecom Update #245) RATES SET FOR USE OF HIGH-SPEED CABLE: CRTC Order 2000-789 sets the rates and conditions that will apply when Internet Service Providers use cable companies' high-speed facilities to deliver Internet service to end customers. The decision applies to Cogeco, Rogers, Shaw, and Videotron. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/Orders/2000/O2000-789.htm GATEWAY TO BUILD ACROSS WEST: Gateway Networks plans to build a fibre network from Vancouver to Winnipeg, connecting to its Central Canadian network through Chicago, by the end of 2001. Canadian Pacific Railway is providing the right-of-way. CALL-NET SELLS U.S. FIBRE TO 360: Call-Net Enterprises has agreed to sell two-thirds of its U.S. fibre network to 360networks for $240 Million. Call-Net will also buy local and intercity fibre in Canada from 360networks for $21 Million, and has committed to buy products and services worth another $15 Million over the next five years. BRACKNELL TO BUY WORLDCOM CONTRACTOR: Toronto-based Bracknell Corporation has agreed to buy Able Telecom, a U.S. builder of fibre optic networks. WorldCom, which owns 20% of Able, will now own 14% of Bracknell, and Bracknell will build at least 75% of WorldCom's new network facilities for the next six years. ** In May, a Florida Court found that Able used fraudulent means to block Markham-based Sirit Technologies from buying MFS Network Technologies from WorldCom in 1998. Able gave Sirit US$5 Million and 5 million Able shares to settle the case. ANOTHER BELL CABLE BREAK: Construction work in downtown Toronto damaged five Bell Canada cables August 22, cutting service to 3,300 business and residential lines. Service was fully restored by Friday. (See Telecom Update #246) LOOK PORTAL OFFERS STREAMING AUDIO, VIDEO: Look Communications has launched Looktvi.com, an Internet portal that delivers audio and video content to users of broadband access services. VIDEOTRON TO ANNOUNCE IP CALLING PLANS: Videotron, Cisco Systems, and Telcordia say they will announce in September the world's first Voice over IP project that uses cable TV facilities to deliver service to a large residential market. BELL MOBILITY OFFERS FLAT-RATE FAMILY CALLING: Bell Mobility has a new rate plan, RealTime Family, that offers unlimited calling among up to four family cellphones for no extra charge. Pricing starts at $35 for two phones and 100 minutes. CRTC REJECTS CHALLENGE TO NBTEL RATES: CRTC Order 2000-797 rejects an application by Dramis Cabling for an order requiring NBTel to provide rates on multiline business trunks that decline with volume, similar to the rates for BCS (Centrex) lines. The CRTC says that would be inappropriate because "the call carrying capacity of multiline groups increases as the multiline group size increases." http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/Orders/2000/o2000-797.htm COGECO BUYS BELLEVILLE CABLECO: Cogeco Cable is buying Cablevue (Quinte) Limited, which serves about 33,400 customers in Belleville, Ontario. MOTOROLA EQUIPS DEFENSE NETWORK: Motorola Canada has a $38.5 Million contract to build a secure e-mail system for the Department of National Defence, using Motorola's Military Message Handling System. SURTEES LEAVES GLOBE AND MAIL, JOINS IDC: Lawrence Surtees, veteran telecom reporter at the Globe and Mail, is resigning to join International Data Corporation Canada, an information technology analysis firm. ** Jordan Worth, IDC's former telecom research manager, has joined AT&T Canada as Senior Manager, Strategy & Business Development. NORIGEN PUTS ITS BILLS ON THE WEB: Customers of Norigen Communications can now view and analyze their invoices at Norigen's Web site. MAJOR U.S. TELECOM SHOW DIES: The Communication Managers Association, the most important telecom user group in the north-eastern U.S., has cancelled its annual trade show and conference, and is laying off its professional staff. The 52- year-old CMA's show, once one of the largest in the U.S., has been in decline for some time: this year it had only sold 75 booths by August. ** The Canadian counterpart of CMA, the Canadian Business Telecommunications Alliance, closed its doors and cancelled its annual trade show last year. (See Telecom Update #188) ROGERS HIRES ANOTHER TELUS EXEC: Rogers AT&T Wireless has named Arnie Stephens President of its Western Canada region (BC and Alberta). Stephens was formerly Acting President, Telus Mobility. (See Telecom Update #246) STRIKE ENDS AT TELUS CALL CENTRES: 1,000 employees at Telus call centres in BC returned to work August 24 after a two-day wildcat strike against changes in job classifications. Telus will postpone changes while it negotiates with the Telecommunications Workers Union. EXCEL ENTERS EUROPEAN MARKET: Excel Communications, a Teleglobe subsidiary, says it will begin offering long distance and other services in Europe this year. It has granted IBM a US$300-Million contract to supply call centre, billing, and IT services for its European operations. IS DARK FIBRE IN YOUR FUTURE? Bill St. Arnaud of CANARIE answers frequent questions about customer-owned optical networks in the September issue of Telemanagement, available this week. Also in Telemanagement #178: ** Allan Sulkin analyzes the latest in call centre systems and options; ** Michael Sone reviews major trends in Canada's wireless industry. To subscribe to Telemanagement, call 1-800-263-4415, ext 225, or visit the Telemanagement home page at http://www.angustel.ca. ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca FAX: 905-686-2655 MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement Group 8 Old Kingston Road Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7 =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web on the first business day of the week at http://www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: listmanager@postmastergeneral.com Insert as the subject of your message the two words: subscribe TelecomUpdate To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: listmanager@postmastergeneral.com Insert as the subject of your message the two words: unsubscribe TelecomUpdate =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER: All contents copyright 2000 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail rosita@angustel.ca or phone 905-686-5050 ext 225. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ============================================================ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 12:07:11 -0400 From: joemitchellsc@yahoo.com Subject: Cannot change my long distance provider? I don't know if this is the right ng, but here goes: I called my local phone provider this morning and requested that they change my long distance provider. The person I spoke with politely told me that "with SimCom, you cannot change your long distance provider". Is this possible? If this is true, I'm thinking about using 10-10-220 (or similiar codes) to get around my local provider. Any hidden charges (connection fees) that I should be aware of? Thanks, Joe Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 12:56:13 -0400 From: Joel B Levin Subject: Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? In <8oe1kd$ddf$1@nnrp1.deja.com>, joemitchellsc@yahoo.com wrote: }If this is true, I'm thinking about using 10-10-220 (or similiar codes) }to get around my local provider. Any hidden charges (connection fees) }that I should be aware of? No. Read the fine print for any dial-arounds you do use, though, to make sure. I haven't used 10-10-220. The ones I have used, including its sister service (whose number I forget)(well, my daughter used it without prior consent), have all been fair and above board. There are some mandatory charges, like universal service fund and taxes, that will be added on. The two I use most consistently, as found in my part of Arizona, are 1016868, at something like 7.9 cents/minute (more interlata intrastate, but still less than my "bargain" AT&T rate), and 1010811 which is only 5 cents/minute but minimum charge is 10 minutes. The latter is when I know it will be a long call. Mostly I use these on the two lines which do not have a default carrier. /JBL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 13:36:51 -0400 From: itsamike@yahoo.com Subject: NYTimes.com Article: What City, Please? Vexation in Dialing Can Start With 411 This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by Mike Pollock itsamike@yahoo.com. Telecom Digest For crying out loud, don't archive this! Mike Pollock itsamike@yahoo.com /-------------------- advertisement -----------------------\ Celebrate Summer with a NYTimes.com Photo Screensaver NYTimes.com's latest screensaver captures the unforgettable moments from Coney Island amusement park. Enjoy these images every day on your computer, absolutely free. http://www.nytimes.com/partners/screensaver/index.html?eta2 \----------------------------------------------------------/ What City, Please? Vexation in Dialing Can Start With 411 August 27, 2000 By SETH SCHIESEL Sandra L. Frankel, town supervisor of Brighton, N.Y., just east of Rochester, thinks of dialing 411 as a call for disinformation. "When someone uses directory assistance and asks for an individual or a business in the town of Brighton, directory assistance doesn't recognize that location," Ms. Frankel said recently. "It's as if Brighton and other similar communities don't exist to the telephone companies." Erin L. McKelvey, a technology executive in Maryland, is no fan of directory assistance, either. "I was trying to order takeout from Bennigan's in College Park and it took nine calls to get the number," Ms. McKelvey recalled. "I got an operator and each time I was getting the wrong number and they kept giving me a different wrong number. They even gave me a residence." Because the whole directory assistance system is a lot more complicated than it used to be, many consumers can attest to tales of woe about calling to find a phone number. Maybe they dialed 411 in Manhattan and could not get a listing for the Empire State Building. Or they called 555-1212 in Los Angeles and were asked to spell Sunset Boulevard. Or maybe they were among the thousands of people each day on the East Coast who heard a "We're sorry . . ." recording when they dialed 411 during the recent Verizon Communications strike. But anyone hoping for federal or state regulators to step in and fix directory assistance might find their time better spent reading the phone book. By most official measurements, at least, directory assistance is working pretty well. The Federal Communications Commission, which receives some 1,900 complaints a day from the public, could count only 15 that had anything to do with directory assistance in the six weeks from the beginning of July to the middle of August. And the New York State Public Service Commission, one of the nation's most active state telephone regulators, says that while it has received 8,200 complaints so far this year about phone companies, fewer than three dozen were about directory assistance. It is not that there is no problem. It just may be that directory assistance, when it does not work quite right, is one of those vexations of modern life that seldom rise to the level of formal complaint. "The degree of frustration I think is the issue," said Trip Agerton, who oversees the directory service operators for the BellSouth Corporation, the main phone company in the Southeast. "If I get a wrong phone number I'm frustrated, but it's not like I had a car wreck." So what is a frustrated consumer to do -- short of punching in numbers at random in hopes of hearing a familiar voice? As it turns out, there are actually some patterns of logic to today's bizarre directory assistance bazaar. And while understanding the underlying structure may not guarantee always getting the right number, it just might help a person navigate the network. The place to start is with the industry's glowing report cards. Verizon, the nation's biggest local phone company -- whose unions ended an 18-day strike last week -- says that data compiled before the strike indicates that the average time spent on hold by each of its nearly three million daily directory assistance callers in the area formerly served by Bell Atlantic declined from 5.5 seconds in 1996 to 3.6 seconds this year -- or, collectively, 65 fewer years on hold this year than four years ago. The trouble with the data compiled by big phone companies like Verizon is that it may cover a receding portion of the billions of directory assistance calls that Americans make each year. As more of the telecommunications industry has been deregulated in recent years -- bringing waves of competition in everything from pay phones to home phones, business phones and cell phones -- hundreds of companies around the country are now providing directory assistance. And they are doing so with varying degrees of accuracy and efficiency. After the breakup of AT&T's Bell System in 1984 and before 1996, almost all directory assistance calls were handled by the big local phone companies. Callers would dial 411 or 555-1212 to reach a local operator. And for a long-distance number, they could add an area code to 555-1212 and reach an operator actually in that area. Even now, dialing 411 from home or office, or a pay phone run by the main local phone company, still generally reaches a local operator. But other pay phone providers sometimes farm out directory assistance calls to companies that may cover many cities and states. And some corporations link their office phone systems to a carrier other than the dominant local phone provider, which means a 411 call might connect to an operator across the country who is looking up numbers from a national database. As for long-distance number inquiries, that game changed radically about four years ago when AT&T, the No. 1 long-distance carrier, began intercepting its customers' long-distance calls to 555-1212. So now, a caller in, say, Miami who dials (415) 555-1212 will not reach a Pacific Bell operator in the San Francisco area. Instead, the caller may well be routed to an AT&T subcontractor in Phoenix. "We wanted to run that business in a particular way and any time we wanted to make a change, we had to negotiate with 25 different companies," explained Howard E. McNally, AT&T's senior vice president for consumer services. "We couldn't guarantee a consistent experience by sending those calls to 25 different carriers." The other major long-distance carriers, including WorldCom and Sprint, have done essentially the same thing. The wireless phone industry, meanwhile, operates under its own system. A wireless subscriber who dials 411 is generally connected to a directory assistance operator affiliated with his wireless carrier. Those operators generally use a national database. But no one disputes that the quality of directory assistance service varies from provider to provider. The listings themselves are generally compiled and controlled by the roughly 1,300 individual local phone companies around the country. Big carriers like AT&T and Verizon contract with outside companies to pull together phone listings from the multitude of local phone databases around the nation. To save money, other, smaller companies, may sometimes try to compile listings by scanning phone books, property records or other sources that are less likely to be up to date and reliable. All in all, big phone companies say that directory assistance listings are about 95 percent accurate. But if there are, by some estimates, three billion directory assistance calls in a year (the actual figure may be higher), that adds up to 150 million wrong numbers annually. No wonder Louis S. Richman is restive. "I think it is a really annoying aggravation that when you call for the headquarters number for a major corporation that you get some branch office delivery dock," said Mr. Richman, finance editor of Consumer Reports magazine, in New York. "Or you call for a major hospital in a major city and they never heard of it, or a restaurant that you knew was there a week ago but they can no longer find it or you get a fax number." It may help if callers understand that there are gazetteering limitations with today's patchwork directory assistance. And the limitations begin with four words: United States Postal Service. Telephone listings are almost always governed by the post office address of the residence or business listed. Take Brighton, the town in upstate New York supervised by Ms. Frankel. A letter to her town must be addressed to Rochester; the Postal Service does not recognize Brighton as an official mailing location. Given this, and the fact that there is another community in New York known as Brighton, near Buffalo, it is understandable that a directory assistance operator in Omaha or elsewhere may become a bit confused. But the Postal Service rationale carries little weight with Ms. Frankel. "I would think that the telephone directory services are something that should be upgraded," she said. "The technology is there to do it." It may depend on which company is wielding the technology. Although the main local phone company for most of New York State is Verizon, the local phone company for the Brighton that is near Rochester, and for Rochester itself, is Frontier. In an unscientific test conducted from phones in Manhattan, directory assistance operators for AT&T and Verizon were routinely able to find numbers in Brighton for the Twelve Corners Apothecary, the Bagel Bin Cafe and Ms. Frankel's two home numbers, too. In most cases, though, the operator would note that the listing was in Rochester. And in a second unscientific test, directory assistance calls placed from Rochester and within Brighton, also succeeded without exception in finding those same numbers. The volunteer tester, Jennifer Leonard, president of the Rochester Area Community Foundation, a charitable group, called various directory assistance services to obtain the listings for the apothecary and Ms. Frankel's residence. Ms. Leonard, who lives in Brighton, called a Frontier operator from her office in Rochester, a Frontier operator from a pay phone in Brighton, an operator affiliated with her local phone company, Time Warner Communications, and a Verizon operator from her wireless phone. "All of the operators were located in Rochester and all of them had both numbers and had no problem with the location of Brighton, N.Y.," Ms. Leonard reported. Whether directory assistance in Brighton is as truly bad as Ms. Frankel has found it, or as reasonably good as this informal test might indicate, it is certain that there are many more paths than there used to be to that tantalizingly helpful operator's greeting, "What listing?" With all the variables, it may be that the best hope for a caller - -- besides keeping those keypad fingers crossed -- is to be very, very precise. "In most cases you can find the one you're looking for," said Mr. Agerton at BellSouth, which handles more than 500 million directory assistance calls a year. "But what happens a lot of the time," Mr. Agerton said, "is someone calls and says, 'I want Bill Smith in Roanoke, Va.' And so you pull it up and there's Bill Smith, so you put them through. But then they call back and in fact they wanted William T. Smith on Lovers' Lane."   The New York Times on the Web http://www.nytimes.com /-----------------------------------------------------------------\ Visit NYTimes.com for complete access to the most authoritative news coverage on the Web, updated throughout the day. Become a member today! It's free! http://www.nytimes.com?eta \-----------------------------------------------------------------/ HOW TO ADVERTISE - --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact Alyson Racer at alyson@nytimes.com or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com. Copyright 2000 The New York Times Company - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 14:15:16 -0400 From: "Bryan Bethea" Subject: Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? That all depends your local provider. If you use Qwest (USWest), then I see no reason that you should not be able to change your PIC. However, if you are using another local service provider, whether that be a reseller of Qwest's services or a CLEC, that company may indeed not offer long distance equal access. Bryan Bethea Pensacola, FL - ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Monday, August 28, 2000 11:07 AM Subject: Cannot change my long distance provider? > I don't know if this is the right ng, but here goes: I called my local > phone provider this morning and requested that they change my long > distance provider. The person I spoke with politely told me that "with > SimCom, you cannot change your long distance provider". Is this > possible? > > If this is true, I'm thinking about using 10-10-220 (or similiar codes) > to get around my local provider. Any hidden charges (connection fees) > that I should be aware of? > > Thanks, > Joe > > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ > Before you buy. > -- > The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail > messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 15:10:49 -0400 From: pete-weiss@psu.edu (Pete Weiss) Subject: Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? >>From what I can tell, not all dialarounds are available from every CO e.g., WxC is not available from 570-298-xxxxx /Pete - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 15:30:55 -0400 From: "Gunnar Liknes" Subject: Telephony and billing Hello, We are looking for a company in the US which can deliver 100 digital subscriber lines to a location in Florida. We also need 1000 numbers and a billing solution enabling us to charge 10-15USD per minute on inncomming calls. I have tried AT&T, Bell south and MCI but I just get put trough to a lot of people who doesnt understand what I want. Gunnar Liknes - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 15:30:54 -0400 From: "Gunnar Liknes" Subject: ISDN and Billing Hello, We are looking for a company in the US which can deliver 100 digital subscriber lines to a location in Florida. We also need 1000 numbers and a billing solution enabling us to charge 10-15USD per minute on inncomming calls. I have tried AT&T, Bell south and MCI but I just get put trough to a lot of people who doesnt understand what I want. Gunnar Liknes - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 18:18:25 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? >>From 'Joel B Levin': >In <8oe1kd$ddf$1@nnrp1.deja.com>, > joemitchellsc@yahoo.com wrote: >}If this is true, I'm thinking about using 10-10-220 (or similiar codes) >}to get around my local provider. Any hidden charges (connection fees) >}that I should be aware of? > >No. Read the fine print for any dial-arounds you do use, though, to make >sure. I haven't used 10-10-220. 10-10-220 is MCI (errr, Worldcom). I wouldn't touch them. - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 18:21:34 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site >>From 'Joel B Levin': >In <8oc547$rfo$1@panix5.panix.com>, > dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) wrote: >}danny 'does "2600" have any telco history meaning?' burstein > >You're kidding, right? I'd like to know its significance, myself. - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #36 ******************************* From ???@??? Tue Aug 29 11:59:09 2000 Date: 29 Aug 2000 06:15:11 -0400 Message-ID: <20000829101511.27292.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #37 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 04c78d4cc2350bb0b8346a0708087078 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Tuesday, August 29 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 037 In this issue: Re: Telephony and billing Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? Re: NYTimes.com Article: What City, Please? Vexation in Dialing Can Start With 411 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) 2600, was: Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site RE:NYTimes.com Article: What City, Please? Vexation in Dialing Can Start With 411 Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) Re : US West Continues (?) to Burn Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? FORW: 2600, was: Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) Ostankino Communications Tower fire in Moscow Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) Re: Wired News : New Toys for Cheating Students ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 28 Aug 2000 18:29:16 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: Telephony and billing >>From 'Gunnar Liknes': >Hello, > >We are looking for a company in the US which can deliver 100 digital >subscriber lines to a location in Florida. We also need 1000 numbers >and a billing solution enabling us to charge 10-15USD per minute on >inncomming calls. $10-$15? Ten to fifteen *dollars* per minute? For what? That's about five times more expensive than your typical 900-number... >I have tried AT&T, Bell south and MCI but I just get put trough to a lot of >people who doesnt understand what I want. I don't understand what you want. :) 1000 numbers is a lot of numbers. What's your justification for asking for that many? - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 19:07:08 -0400 From: Joseph Singer Subject: Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? 28 Aug 2000 12:07:11 -0400 joemitchellsc@yahoo.com wrote: >I don't know if this is the right ng, but here goes: I called my local >phone provider this morning and requested that they change my long >distance provider. The person I spoke with politely told me that "with >SimCom, you cannot change your long distance provider". Is this >possible? > >If this is true, I'm thinking about using 10-10-220 (or similiar codes) >to get around my local provider. Any hidden charges (connection fees) >that I should be aware of? You do not indicate who your local telephone company is, but as far as I know all the Bell companies (USWest/Qwest, SBC,) as well as Verizon should allow you to choose any carrier you wish unless you are in an apartment complex which has a special relationship with a telephone company or carrier. As for connection fees if you change to a new carrier your telco will probably levy a $5.00 service charge to change carriers. Many carriers will absorb this fee if you ask them to. As far as 10-10-220 (MCI dba Telecom USA) be aware of just what you're getting when you call this number. The rate may look attractive with 20 minutes for $.99, but what they don't make obvious is that you're going to pay $.99 even if you talk one minute! Could be a rather expensive short call! If you're going to be using a dialround you'd be advised to check out what their terms are. I recommend that you go to and read up on the different 'dialaround' carriers such as Telecom USA's 1010220 or 1010321. There are some gotcha's in there if you're not careful. Joseph - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joseph Singer Seattle, Washington USA [ICQ pgr] +1 206 405 2052 [voice mail] +1 206 493 0706 [FAX] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 19:18:13 -0400 From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) Subject: Re: NYTimes.com Article: What City, Please? Vexation in Dialing Can Start With 411 In <20000828173601.EB61C24521@email4.lga2.nytimes.com> itsamike@yahoo.com writes: [big snip] > As for long-distance number inquiries, that game changed radically >about four years ago when AT&T, the No. 1 long-distance carrier, >began intercepting its customers' long-distance calls to 555-1212. We discussed this way-back on CDT, and the question I raised was whether these intercepts were legal. When I call directory assistance I'm looking for a specific party to respond, namely the local telco servicing that area. Kind of like when I call Joe's Pizza, I want Joe's Pizza. Of course it's gotten more complicated with the CLEC issue and number portability and lots and lots of other issues... - -- _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 19:25:06 -0400 From: Joseph Singer Subject: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) 28 Aug 2000 18:21:34 -0400 jsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) wrote: >>>From 'Joel B Levin': >>In <8oc547$rfo$1@panix5.panix.com>, >> dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) wrote: >>}danny 'does "2600" have any telco history meaning?' burstein >> >>You're kidding, right? > >I'd like to know its significance, myself. 2600 hz is the tone that was used in MF (multifrequency) signalling as part of the connection tone to disconnect a connection. Someone discovered that this frequency could be used to hack the network and make toll calls without getting billed for it. It was for "phone phreaking" and used by the telephone hacker community for many years to circumvent the regular telephone billing system. 2600 quartely magazine and today the newsgroup alt.2600 are part of that community. The infamous "blue boxes" were used to mimick the frequencies that the operator would dial with "key pulse." I believe that the telephone system at present uses different switching technology so MF hacking isn't as "proffitable" as it once was. Joseph - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joseph Singer Seattle, Washington USA [ICQ pgr] +1 206 405 2052 [voice mail] +1 206 493 0706 [FAX] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 19:26:55 -0400 From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) Subject: 2600, was: Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site In sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) writes: >>From 'Joel B Levin': >>In <8oc547$rfo$1@panix5.panix.com>, >> dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) wrote: >>}danny 'does "2600" have any telco history meaning?' burstein >> >>You're kidding, right? >I'd like to know its significance, myself. I hear it had something to do with cereal boxes... spoiler alert spoiler alert spoiler alert last chance ok, one more last chance that's it: The automated Bell System long distance network used multi-frequency tones to set up the call. Occassionally you would hear them as a 'boop-beep-beep-boop-beep-boop-boop' right after you finished dialing. Multi frequency tones are similar in concept to the more familiar "touch tone" sets you get on a phone, but they are a different set of frequencies. If you inserted them yourself, you could do some pretty interesting things with your phone call. One of these tone sets, or rather, a _single_ tone, was 2,600hz. If you threw that across the circuit (and you were the original caller) you'd be disconnected from the person you had called _but_ would still have an active long distance trunk available. You could then send out the various other multi frequiency tones and do all sorts of fun things. Think of it as the telco equivalent to a buffer overflow bouncing you into root... Alas, these tricks no longer work. The phone network has moved away from this method (called "in-band signalling") to a system where the control channels are _separate_ from the voice channel. - -- _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 19:29:35 -0400 From: Joel B Levin Subject: Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site In , sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) wrote: }From 'Joel B Levin': }>In <8oc547$rfo$1@panix5.panix.com>, }> dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) wrote: }>}danny 'does "2600" have any telco history meaning?' burstein }>You're kidding, right? }I'd like to know its significance, myself. I may get the exact mechanism wrong, but in days gone by, a chirp of 2600 hz tone would disconnect the far end (for some definition of "far") of a long distance call, leaving a line open to the internal system multifrequency tones (not the touch tones but those used between switches and tandems etc). A blue (black?) box capable of emitting MF tones could do just about anything in the system once the 2600 hz tone had been given. Supposedly a whistle that came in Cap'n Crunch cereal emitted such a tone, hence the handle of a notorious phone hacker of those days. Filters and traps made this trick available from consumer phone lines years ago. (story told me ca 1971 by a supervisor at Boston 5, a wideband test center in AT&T Long Lines: test engineers arrayed along the long bench in the room were often diagnosing problems between there and New York. To talk to a tech in New York often took many tries to redial because of a shortage of trunks between the city. Occasionally some guy would be listening to line quality on a loudspeaker when the far end of his link disconnected and his speaker emitted a 2600 hz chirp. Much and loud was the swearing when everyone's voice call to New York or wherever was terminated by that chirp.) /JBL - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 20:07:37 -0400 From: Paul Hrisko Subject: RE:NYTimes.com Article: What City, Please? Vexation in Dialing Can Start With 411 Just a quick note re. wireless service & 411. I use Verizon for cell service in the NYC area because it (at least to me), has better call completion & fewer dropped calls, though quality can be (and usually is), poor. Either way, I needed to check a movie time last week and put a 411 call in to get the theater listing. The woman on the other end asked me what theater I was looking for, then what movie I wanted to see. She floored me by giving me the listed times, then asking if there were other movies I wanted to check because the closest showtime was only 15 min. away. I was a few blocks form the theater so I was fine. She thanked me, then hung up. And this was during the Verizon strike!!! I'm curious to know who or what service actually answered the call. Anyone know? P. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 20:36:33 -0400 From: kamlet@infinet.com Subject: Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) In article <3.0.5.32.20000828162446.0087e4c0@oz.net> you write: >28 Aug 2000 18:21:34 -0400 jsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) >wrote: > >>>>From 'Joel B Levin': >>>In <8oc547$rfo$1@panix5.panix.com>, >>> dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) wrote: >>>}danny 'does "2600" have any telco history meaning?' burstein >>> >>>You're kidding, right? >> >>I'd like to know its significance, myself. > >2600 hz is the tone that was used in MF (multifrequency) signalling as part >of the connection tone to disconnect a connection. Someone discovered Someone discovered? The detailed article appeared in the public "Bell System Journal" for one and all to read. >that >this frequency could be used to hack the network and make toll calls >without getting billed for it. It was for "phone phreaking" and used by >the telephone hacker community for many years to circumvent the regular >telephone billing system. 2600 quartely magazine and today the newsgroup >alt.2600 are part of that community. The infamous "blue boxes" were used >to mimick the frequencies that the operator would dial with "key pulse." I >believe that the telephone system at present uses different switching >technology so MF hacking isn't as "proffitable" as it once was. Back then the signaling and voice network was the same network, and call setup was done on the same circuit as the eventual voice path. So tricks like calling a known busy (no billing) and then re-routing to the desired call-ed number occurred after billing. Once Common Channel Interoffice Signalling went in, there were quite a few changes: Blue Boxes no longer worked on CCIS circuits since the call setup was done over the signalling network and calls were completed faster. A side effect was someone in NY calling LA, would be used to it taking 20-30 seconds before hearing ringing. When CCIS was used and ringing came in just 5 seconds, many people figured they misdialed, were not getting a toll call, and hung up to dial again! I worked with a fellow at Bell Labs whose job was writing software to detect odd patterned calls, such as a call to busy that stayed off hook for 20 minutes, and the software flagged those. He got to go along on raids of blue box users. The phone company (PNB was the first) would get the DA to request an arrest warrant and the police would then invite the phone company along to identify what a blue box was. (Not all blue boxes were blue :^) After the trial, he sometimes got to keep the blue box. - -- Art Kamlet Columbus, Ohio kamlet@infinet.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 21:38:19 -0400 From: Wlevant@aol.com Subject: Re : US West Continues (?) to Burn > Someone, or some computer program, mistakenly posted the article in > the news groups clari.tw.telecom.misc, clari.tw.telecom.phone_service, > and clari.tw.telecom. I imagine it caused some concern for a moment > or two among those who believed it really was a telecom story. Just another example of how computers "improve" our lives. No one proof-reads anything any more, either. And spellchecking doesn't count. Bill - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 21:50:32 -0400 From: charles Andrews Subject: Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? No-way. I've heard of PIC freezes but that is usually at the customers request. In fact I'm sure the FCC would be interested in hearing a comment like that. Make a report on the bastards On 28 Aug 2000 12:07:11 -0400, joemitchellsc@yahoo.com wrote: >is true, I'm thinking about using 10-10-220 (or similiar codes) >to get around my local provider. Any hidden charges (connection fees) >that I should be aware of? - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 22:26:20 -0400 From: davidll@toad.net (David Lee) Subject: FORW: 2600, was: Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site Found this <8oesfo$irm$1@panix5.panix.com> in comp.dcom.telecom: == BEGIN forwarded message == From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: 2600, was: Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site In sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) writes: >>From 'Joel B Levin': >>In <8oc547$rfo$1@panix5.panix.com>, >> dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) wrote: >>}danny 'does "2600" have any telco history meaning?' burstein >> >>You're kidding, right? >I'd like to know its significance, myself. I hear it had something to do with cereal boxes... spoiler alert spoiler alert spoiler alert last chance ok, one more last chance that's it: The automated Bell System long distance network used multi-frequency tones to set up the call. Occassionally you would hear them as a 'boop-beep-beep-boop-beep-boop-boop' right after you finished dialing. Multi frequency tones are similar in concept to the more familiar "touch tone" sets you get on a phone, but they are a different set of frequencies. If you inserted them yourself, you could do some pretty interesting things with your phone call. One of these tone sets, or rather, a _single_ tone, was 2,600hz. If you threw that across the circuit (and you were the original caller) you'd be disconnected from the person you had called _but_ would still have an active long distance trunk available. You could then send out the various other multi frequiency tones and do all sorts of fun things. Think of it as the telco equivalent to a buffer overflow bouncing you into root... Alas, these tricks no longer work. The phone network has moved away from this method (called "in-band signalling") to a system where the control channels are _separate_ from the voice channel. - -- _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. == END forwarded message == The name we're all looking for is Captain Crunch (a toy whistle inside every box just happened to be 2600 hz). He's still around, at: http://webcrunchers.com/crunch/ The "Phone Hacking Stories" link makes for some good reading. Dave - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 23:15:01 -0400 From: BH Subject: Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio RCA did not create ABC. The Red and Blue networks were both NBC. RCA had to divest itself of one of the networks when the FCC upheld the chain broadcasting rule in 1943. The Blue (not Red) network was sold to WMCA whose owner was Edward J. Noble, for $8 million. Nobel made his fortune in Life Savers candy. In 1945 the Blue network became ABC. On the subject of the NBC Chimes, there is an article that tells the complete history of the chimes at: http://home.flash.net/~billhar/chimes.htm Bill Harris Steven Scharf wrote: > What are you smoking. NBC is still a wholly owned subsidary of General Electic > and has been since RCA was sold to them in 1986. What you may be confusing is > that RCA created both NBC and ABC as the Blue and Red networks. They were > forced to give up one of those networks (don't know when, late 30s maybe). > They sold the Red network which became ABC. > > Steven Scharf > SCS Media Services > 57 East 11th Street, 9th Floor > New York, New York 10003 > 212-822-8555 > 201-547-3510 Direct Phone and Fax (Please call first before faxing) > SCSMedia@aol.com > > dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) commented: > > and, just as a reminder, the NBC chimes are the musical notes... > > G - E - C > > yes, yung'uns. Once upon a time the National Broadcasting Corporation was > owned, in part, by the Generel Electric Company. > > However, due to anti-trust action by the US gov't, they were forced to > split apart. > > danny 'until recently, of course' burstein > > Mark J Cuccia writes: > [snip] > > >(followed by a staff announcer, "This is the NBC Radio Network", and then > >the NBC chimes, bong-bing-bung) > -- > The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail > messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 28 Aug 2000 23:15:01 -0400 From: BH Subject: Re: Another one of AT&T's contribution to network radio RCA did not create ABC. The Red and Blue networks were both NBC. RCA had to divest itself of one of the networks when the FCC upheld the chain broadcasting rule in 1943. The Blue (not Red) network was sold to WMCA whose owner was Edward J. Noble, for $8 million. Nobel made his fortune in Life Savers candy. In 1945 the Blue network became ABC. On the subject of the NBC Chimes, there is an article that tells the complete history of the chimes at: http://home.flash.net/~billhar/chimes.htm Bill Harris Steven Scharf wrote: > What are you smoking. NBC is still a wholly owned subsidary of General Electic > and has been since RCA was sold to them in 1986. What you may be confusing is > that RCA created both NBC and ABC as the Blue and Red networks. They were > forced to give up one of those networks (don't know when, late 30s maybe). > They sold the Red network which became ABC. > Steven Scharf > SCS Media Services > 57 East 11th Street, 9th Floor > New York, New York 10003 > 212-822-8555 > 201-547-3510 Direct Phone and Fax (Please call first before faxing) > SCSMedia@aol.com > > dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) commented: > > and, just as a reminder, the NBC chimes are the musical notes... > > G - E - C > > yes, yung'uns. Once upon a time the National Broadcasting Corporation was > owned, in part, by the Generel Electric Company. > > However, due to anti-trust action by the US gov't, they were forced to > split apart. > > danny 'until recently, of course' burstein > > Mark J Cuccia writes: > [snip] > > >(followed by a staff announcer, "This is the NBC Radio Network", and then > >the NBC chimes, bong-bing-bung) > -- > The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail > messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 29 Aug 2000 00:42:36 -0400 From: AES Subject: Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) In article <200008290026.UAA03635@shell.oh.voyager.net>, kamlet@infinet.com wrote: > > Someone discovered? The detailed article appeared in the public > "Bell System Journal" for one and all to read. > Just to preserve the memory of a once truly important technical journal which over many decades published pioneering and landmark papers in many areas of electronics, signal processing, optics, and lasers, it was the "Bell System Technical Journal", aka BSTJ. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 29 Aug 2000 00:57:22 -0400 From: The Old Bear Subject: Ostankino Communications Tower fire in Moscow THE NEW YORK TIMES Monday, August 28, 2000 Firemen Put Out Blaze in Moscow - ------------------------------- By Michael Wines MOSCOW, Aug. 28 -- Dodging falling globs of molten cable, firemen finally put out a searing blaze today that turned the television tower that is Europe's tallest structure, Russia's pride and Moscow's communications hub into a 1,772-foot kitchen match. As the television screens of an estimated 20 million Russians flickered with snow, firefighters battled for nearly 26 hours before smothering the fire in the Ostankino tower. As they fought, they were forced to retreat steadily as flames licked downward through makeshift asbestos barriers and across firebreaks where flammable wiring had been torn away. Late today, officials announced that the bodies of a firefighter and an elevator operator had been found in one elevator that had fallen nearly 1,000 feet sometime during the fire into a basement. A third body was believed pinned in the debris of the crash. Before the firemen declared victory about 6 p.m. today, the fire had engulfed all of the pre-stressed concrete section of the tower above the 225-foot level, as well as much of a 410-foot metal antenna planted at the top. The concrete part appeared in no danger of collapse, engineers said, although they refused to say the same of the heat-seared antenna. To Russian leaders and the public alike, the disaster delivered yet another blow to the nation's diminishing standing as a technological power of the first rank. As with the explosion and sinking of the nuclear submarine Kursk two weeks ago, rescuers proved to lack the equipment and know-how to deal with the emergency, even when it reached the level of an ordinary high-rise. And like the Kursk, the Ostankino tower has long been regarded as a triumph of Russian know-how -- which is to say Soviet know-how, in the days when the Kremlin was bent on impressing friends and enemies with its ability to think in gargantuan terms. The Ostankino tower was the world's tallest free-standing structure when it was built in 1967 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Soviet revolution. One writer then compared it to a giant syringe for ideological injections. In 1993, when communist plotters tried to seize Ostankino in a failed coup against President Boris N. Yeltsin, it came to symbolize the importance of the free exchange of information in a democracy. Today, President Vladimir V. Putin suggested it was a metaphor for Russia's current status as a pitiful, helpless giant. "This latest accident shows the shape of our vital installations and the overall state of our country," he said. "We should not forget the large-scale problems or current economic issues here." The fire apparently began about 3:20 p.m. Sunday on that antenna, in a mass of wiring at about 1,500 feet, and burned its way earthward for most of the next day. The battle against it was fatally hamstrung by the fact that the only safe way to fight the blaze -- as firefighters belatedly discovered -- was to carry extinguishers by hand up more than 1,000 feet of stairs. The victims of the fire apparently were trapped sometime Sunday after power to an elevator failed as they were ferrying supplies upward to firefighters. Officials said they probably died of suffocation or heat even before the fire melted cables and caused the elevator to plunge into the basement, more than 21 feet below ground. They were the only human casualties in the harrowing emergency. Seven other firefighters were rescued from an elevator that plunged several hundred feet Sunday evening, only to be stopped by emergency brakes about 950 feet above ground. Vadim Romanchik, a 36-year-old banker who lives with his wife and daughter in the tower's reedy shadow, said he took the fire to heart. "My wife was born here in 1965, and I moved here in '72," he said today. "This tower can be viewed as one of the symbols of Moscow. I'm proud to say I live here, and if it ceases to exist, it will be a great loss." "I don't want it to fall down," he continued. "But they can't leave it like this." While the fire briefly knocked out television across the entire nation, its effects were mostly confined to Moscow, where the overwhelming majority of viewers rely on over-the-air broadcasts instead of more expensive cable programming. Virtually the entire line of television channels, from state-controlled RTR and ORT to the independent NTV network to Russia's version of MTV, were knocked off the air, as was one frequency of the popular news radio station Echo Moskvy and a host of specialized radio and paging services. About all that remained was the Russian movie channel TNT -- no relation to the identically named Time-Warner channel in the United States -- which quickly converted its broadcasts to accommodate NTV and RTR newscasts. But reception for even that station was quirky. In fact, no one today seemed sure of the 51,400-ton tower's fate. The tower's designer, Nikolai Nikitin, shared a birthday with France's Gustave Eiffel, whose tower was a bit over half as tall. Mr. Nikitin frequently said his work would withstand the elements for at least 300 years. But he apparently was thinking of wind and rain, not fire. While the concrete rings that comstitute the tower's frame seemed structurally intact today, 80 of its 149 high-tension steel cables -- strings that hold the tower upright -- had melted or warped in the heat. Engineers said the structure was built to withstand such damage, but government officials also said it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to repair it, money this cash-strapped nation can ill afford. Eduard Sagalayev, the president of Russia's National Association of Television and Radio Broadcasters, slipped into a eulogy today when talking about the fire, telling Echo Moskvy that the tower "was a unique structure." "Let us not speak in the past tense," an interviewer said. "It gives you a funny feeling." But Mr. Sagalayev replied: "Unfortunately, one has to speak in the past tense. If it does not collapse, I doubt that it will be able to perform its functions." Mr. Putin, who was criticized for a lackadaisical response to the Kursk disaster, wasted no time today, ordering engineers to restore television and other communications to Moscow within a week. By day's end, brainstormers were proposing to mount transmitters everywhere from beneath helium balloons to atop the roofs of Moscow's hilltop state university. The fire could have been much worse. It surprised the city on a brilliant Sunday afternoon, when throngs of sightseers had come to the Ostankino tower for the elevator ride to its 1,105-foot-high observation platform and a meal in the nearby Seventh Heaven restaurant. The fire began above them, in a section of the antenna used by a paging service, and tourists and workers were safely evacuated before it spread. As the fire sputtered out this afternoon, hundreds of onlookers and nearly as many journalists gathered several hundred yards from the tower -- as close as police would allow -- to take pictures, gawk and speculate about whether the spire looked as if it were leaning. (It was not; workers for the city's geological agency monitored the tilt, and said it was within normal limits.) Most people here seemed to suffer the loss of entertainment good-naturedly. "I watch MTV practically all the time," 12-year-old Ivan Lionov said as he stood along a cordoned-off street in north Moscow that provided a good view of the tower. "But we'll live. Of course it's bad. But soon we'll be in school." And an elderly woman selling sunflower and pistachio seeds to the throngs of gawkers on the street had a contrarian view some Westerners might appreciate. "You can bury my TV," she said. "There's nothing to watch; just bad things and naked people." Copyright 2000 The New York Times Company - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 29 Aug 2000 02:59:48 -0400 From: Terry Kennedy Subject: Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) Joseph Singer writes: > 2600 hz is the tone that was used in MF (multifrequency) signalling as part > of the connection tone to disconnect a connection. Someone discovered that > this frequency could be used to hack the network and make toll calls > without getting billed for it. It was for "phone phreaking" and used by > the telephone hacker community for many years to circumvent the regular > telephone billing system. 2600 quartely magazine and today the newsgroup > alt.2600 are part of that community. The infamous "blue boxes" were used > to mimick the frequencies that the operator would dial with "key pulse." I > believe that the telephone system at present uses different switching > technology so MF hacking isn't as "proffitable" as it once was. Actually, it was the idle tone (continuous) on a trunk. If you called an 800 number (so you didn't get billed, and allegedly so there was no record of the call) and sent a 2600 down the line, it would tear down some part of your call, leaving you connected to a digit receiver that you could then send tones to. Using this, you could dial pretty much anything operators could dial, including normally non-dialable numbers and operators in other areas. Of course, you could call regular numbers, too... This didn't work on the oldest trunks, which signaled using 10 or 20 PPS pulses instead of tones. If you heard "braaaaap brap brap braaap" after you dialed but before ringing, you had a pulse trunk, while if you got "boop beep boop bleep", you had a tone trunk. Most long-distance calls went across at least one tone trunk, so you could box them. AFAIK, every digital-fabric switch has a feature to detect 2600 (mostly for humor purposes these days). 2600 detectors were a hardware option on the 1AESS, if I remember correctly. Terry Kennedy http://www.tmk.com terry@tmk.com Jersey City, NJ USA - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 29 Aug 2000 03:13:21 -0400 From: ebohlman@netcom.com (Eric Bohlman) Subject: Re: Wired News : New Toys for Cheating Students Dale Neiburg (DNeiburg@npr.org) wrote: : The new computer-administered GRE, at least, creates the test as it goes, : based on the applicant's answer to the previous question. As you miss : questions the computer asks you easier ones, and when you give right answers : it asks harder ones. : : In the good old days, everyone got the same questions and you were graded on : the variable of how many you got right. Now (at least in theory) everyone : will get about the same number of right answers and you're graded on the : variable of the difficulty of the questions you're being asked. This actually makes a lot of sense because it allows the test to make meaningful distinctions between high performers. The problem with traditional tests is that they can't draw fine distinctions between high performers (or low performers, but that doesn't matter for something like the GRE) because if you have a group of test-takers who have gotten at least a certain (high) score, that means that they've answered almost all of the questions correctly and therefore there are only a few questions left to distinguish between them. For example, if you have a 100-question test and you need to answer 98 of them correctly to achieve a certain score, you've got only two questions left to determine how much better than that score anyone can do. Since performance on only two questions is much more likely to be influenced by random chance than performance on a lot of questions, scores become less and less reliable the higher they get because even if all the questions are of equal difficulty, the higher someone scores, the more each question contributes to the score (IIRC, the difference between a 750 and an 800 on the SAT verbal test is only one question, whereas the difference between a 500 and a 550 is about ten questions). And of course, the fewer questions you have left at any point, the fewer levels of performance you can distinguish; if you've got, say, 100 people who scored at least 98, you can distinguish only four levels of performance among them. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #37 ******************************* From ???@??? Wed Aug 30 09:16:28 2000 Date: 30 Aug 2000 06:15:11 -0400 Message-ID: <20000830101511.17755.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #38 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 0ceb65f6776d6b9bf02bd221bc9676a5 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Wednesday, August 30 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 038 In this issue: Re: NYTimes.com Article: What City, Please? Vexation in Dialing Can Start With 411 Re: ISDN and Billing 101 Boat Anchor Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? Voice Frequency Repeaters Re: ISDN and Billing Akamai anti-censorship trick still working Make Your E-Mail Disappear Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 29 Aug 2000 09:51:18 -0400 From: 73115.1041@compuserve.com Subject: Re: NYTimes.com Article: What City, Please? Vexation in Dialing Can Start With 411 Paul Hrisko wrote: >Either way, I needed to check a movie time last week and put a 411 call in >to get the theater listing. The woman on the other end asked me what >theater I was looking for, then what movie I wanted to see. She floored me >by giving me the listed times, then asking if there were other movies I >wanted to check because the closest showtime was only 15 min. away. I was a >few blocks form the theater so I was fine. She thanked me, then hung up. I had something similar happen while roaming in Seattle two weeks ago. I called 411 and asked for the number of a local, well known restaurant. The operator asked if I'd like her to make the reservations, took the relevant data and said someone would call me back in 30 minutes. 15 minutes later someone from "concierge services" called me back. I was so surprised I never asked if this was an extra charge service. I guess I'll see when the bill shows up. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 29 Aug 2000 09:53:07 -0400 From: "Wineburgh, Joseph \(Exchange\)" Subject: Re: ISDN and Billing I'm not clear on what you're looking for either. Sounds like you want 100 DSL lines? Is that right? And 1,000 DID numbers? Running to where? PBX? VOIP box? FX to Norway? A bit more detail, please. #JOE - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 28 Aug 2000 15:30:54 -0400 From: "Gunnar Liknes" Subject: ISDN and Billing Hello, We are looking for a company in the US which can deliver 100 digital subscriber lines to a location in Florida. We also need 1000 numbers and a billing solution enabling us to charge 10-15USD per minute on inncomming calls. I have tried AT&T, Bell south and MCI but I just get put trough to a lot of people who doesnt understand what I want. *********************************************************************** Bear Stearns is not responsible for any recommendation, solicitation, offer or agreement or any information about any transaction, customer account or account activity contained in this communication. *********************************************************************** - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 29 Aug 2000 10:44:38 -0400 From: jsw@ivgate.omahug.org Subject: 101 Boat Anchor >>The Bell System introduced 101ESS as a PBX switch about the same time as >>1ESS for central offices. I gather it was pretty unsuccessful and >>disappeared; but can anyone fill in the details? >I can't, but I did hear some stories. I heard it referred to as "the Edsel of >the Bell System". Kludgey, with an ancient CPU (well, it was designed in 1963 >or so) shared among a number of remotes. Each remote used analog time division >(PAM, later used in the Dimension PBXs). New York Tel had a few in service, >but I don't know who else did, and I doubt they lasted a decade. Coincidentally there was a recent thread in one of the local groups about the 101. My former employer's offices were 'served' by this all-electronic answer to the panel switch. ;-) This one lasted until the early 80's when it was replaced with Centrex-CO from a 1A. Even though 1200bps modems were around, they would simply refuse to connect through this switch. A distinct buzz could be heard softly in the background of most conversations. Most funky feature was the ring cadence. First ring was always very long, with subsequent rings being normal cadence. We joked about them using a 555 timer to generate the cadence, since it was not unlike the long first cycle of a 555 astasble being powered up. The switch was supposed to have such things as 3-way calling, but trying to use them would almost always result in a disconnect. I seriously doubt if there are any of those left in commercial service. Good day JSW - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 29 Aug 2000 12:39:30 -0400 From: Hugh Pritchard Subject: Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? Joseph Singer writes, >I recommend that you go to and read up on >the different 'dialaround' carriers such as Telecom USA's 1010220 or >1010321. There are some gotcha's in there if you're not careful. Note that Telecom USA was bought by MCI several years ago. And MCI was bought by WorldCom last year. For a time, some adjunct processing (billing) for 1010-321 was done in one of the data centers in my MCI (now WorldCom) building. Lesson: Under the covers, you may be REALLY surprised! Hugh Pritchard - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 29 Aug 2000 14:00:05 -0400 From: "Paul Cook" Subject: Voice Frequency Repeaters Does anyone have any recommendations for voice frequency repeaters, perhaps similar to the old Lorain or R-Tec amplifiers? I need these to boost the audio in some DISA (Direct Inward System Access) circuits. A DISA box has a line ring into it, the caller dials a code, and is hooked to an outgoing line where he gets dial tone and can dial forward. Sometimes the loss on these two POTS lines is enough that when they are combined through the DISA box, they need a little boost. I've got some brochures on some Wilcom telephone line treatment equipment, but these units look like they are set automatically by dialing into a 1KHz test tone, and calibrated so that the individual line meets some spec. This wouldn't work for us, because we need to manually compensate for the combined loss of the two lines. Any suggestions? Paul Cook - Applications Engineer pcook@proctorinc.com 425-881-7000, ext 566 Proctor & Associates 15305 NE 95 St Redmond WA 98052-2517 www.proctorinc.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 29 Aug 2000 18:04:34 -0400 From: "Gunnar Liknes" Subject: Re: ISDN and Billing "Wineburgh, Joseph (Exchange)" wrote > I'm not clear on what you're looking for either. > > Sounds like you want 100 DSL lines? Is that right? > > And 1,000 DID numbers? Running to where? PBX? VOIP box? FX to Norway? > > A bit more detail, please. We need 4x ISDN PRI or similar terminated in a Cisco 5300. I have got some very interresting offline replies to my post, so I think I may be helped. Gunnar - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 29 Aug 2000 18:31:31 -0400 From: Bennett Haselton Subject: Akamai anti-censorship trick still working [sent to journalists on Peacefire's press contacts list] A week ago when we announced the Akamai method for getting around blocking software, at http://www.peacefire.org/bypass/Proxy/akamai.html an Akamai public relations officer was quoted as saying, "Akamai has a lot of mechanisms in our system that would render this approach ineffective immediately." In case anyone saw that quote a week ago and thought that this would be short-lived, we are happy to report that the trick is still working: http://a1.g.akamaitech.net/6/6/6/6/www.yahoo.com/ In fact, in one CNet story, Akamai and the censorware industry are both blaming each other for the problem: http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-2586200.html >>> "We don't commit to filtering," said George Kurian, Akamai's vice president of product management. "The filtering companies need to fix it." >>> [...] >>> "We have talked to Akamai about this and have not gotten a response," said Kevin Fink, chief technology officer at N2H2. "We discovered this quite some time ago, but I don't think they did anything about it." >>> so the bug will probably not get fixed any time soon. This is reminiscent of the situation surrounding the "Local JavaScript" browser security hole that Peacefire released in May: http://www.peacefire.org/security/localjs/ The bug allows a malicious Web site to steal passwords from your computer, simply by getting you to view a remote Web page using Internet Explorer. But according to quotes at http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-1820959.html , both Netscape and Microsoft said the bug was the other company's fault and they weren't going to do anything about it. With all the hype surrounding fairly minor browser security holes that get fixed within three days, this is actually one of the most serious holes ever discovered, and it still hasn't been fixed after four months for political reasons. -Bennett bennett@peacefire.org http://www.peacefire.org (425) 649 9024 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 29 Aug 2000 22:27:02 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Make Your E-Mail Disappear Make Your E-Mail Disappear Disappearing's free Outlook plug-in lets you send encrypted messages that become unreadable after time. http://www.pcworld.com/pcwtoday/article/0,1510,18135,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 30 Aug 2000 00:32:05 -0400 From: David Lind Subject: Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? In article <8oe1kd$ddf$1@nnrp1.deja.com>, joemitchellsc@yahoo.com wrote: > I don't know if this is the right ng, but here goes: I called my local > phone provider this morning and requested that they change my long > distance provider. The person I spoke with politely told me that "with > SimCom, you cannot change your long distance provider". Is this > possible? > > If this is true, I'm thinking about using 10-10-220 (or similiar codes) > to get around my local provider. Any hidden charges (connection fees) > that I should be aware of? > I couldn't find a CLEC (competing local exchange carrier) named SimCom. What state are you in? Is there an option to sign up with some other local carrier? If you were talking about Suncom, a wireless carrier in the south east, then the question and reply would make more sense. In the case of a wireless provider you would then use a calling card to bypass their long distance service. -- David Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #38 ******************************* From ???@??? Thu Aug 31 08:48:00 2000 Date: 31 Aug 2000 06:15:11 -0400 Message-ID: <20000831101511.10981.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #39 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: ed5839b813a6149e275fdb3eb2d266d6 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Thursday, August 31 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 039 In this issue: Road Runner News Re: 2600 Cannot change my long dis Voice Over IP/Lucent Equipment Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? Re: Make Your E-Mail Disappear Microsoft Word Documents, Among Others, Can Be "Bugged" Re: Make Your E-Mail Disappear Verizon's 411 Directory Assistance Re: US West continues to burn?? Re: Update: Verizon Hole still Open ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 30 Aug 2000 11:33:40 -0400 From: davidesan@my-deja.com Subject: Road Runner News It seems that Time-Warner here in Rochester has decided that some users are soaking up too much of the bandwidth on their system, so they are reducing the throughput for everyone. You can read about it at: dbease.democratandchronicle.com/dbEase/cgi-bin/go_get.pl? tableName=Biz_viewstory&PubDate=08/30/2000&PubDate+match=EXACT&Optional= 3435&Optional+match=EXACT - -- David Esan InformationView Solutions david.esan@informationview.com Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 30 Aug 2000 12:00:21 -0400 From: Tony Harminc Subject: Re: 2600 On 29 Aug 2000 02:59:48 -0400 Terry Kennedy wrote: > Actually, it was the idle tone (continuous) on a trunk. If you called an >800 number (so you didn't get billed, and allegedly so there was no record >of the call) and sent a 2600 down the line, it would tear down some part of >your call, leaving you connected to a digit receiver that you could then >send tones to. Using this, you could dial pretty much anything operators >could dial, including normally non-dialable numbers and operators in other >areas. Of course, you could call regular numbers, too... > > This didn't work on the oldest trunks, which signaled using 10 or 20 PPS >pulses instead of tones. If you heard "braaaaap brap brap braaap" after >you dialed but before ringing, you had a pulse trunk, while if you got >"boop beep boop bleep", you had a tone trunk. Most long-distance calls >went across at least one tone trunk, so you could box them. But 2600 Hz supervision was used on many pulse trunks, in which case you could dial using short pulses of 2600. Some people got quite good at doing this with no hardware at all, particulary as the code needed to reach an inward operator was simply 121. Tony H. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 30 Aug 2000 17:58:15 -0400 From: "Andy Ball" Subject: Cannot change my long dis FamilyNet HQ: Telnet:\\www.family-bbs.net Hello Joe! JM> I'm thinking about using 10-10-220 (or similiar codes) > to get around my local provider. Any hidden charges > (connection fees) that I should be aware of? Hidden charges are worth looking out for, but so are hidden 'costs'. Look for a company that has readily available customer support (and not just via the web, when their web site goes down you don't want to be left stranded). I discovered that you can spend more than a month's phone bill just in terms of wasted time when a long distance provider screws up. Obviously, it's not always easy to find out in advance who is going to work well for you. Hopefully someone here will be able to recommend a long distance provider that they've had a good experience of. My own experience would make me avoid Vartec Telecom (10-10-811), BigZoo.com and MCI Worldcom. Regards, - Andy. * SLMR 2.1a * FamilyNet <> Internet Gated Mail http://www.fmlynet.org - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 30 Aug 2000 18:37:20 -0400 From: "David De Trolio" Subject: Voice Over IP/Lucent Equipment Hello: We at my company have cutover to a new Lucent Definity Prologix switch in our North Carolina office using IP to connect it back to our central voice mail here in New Jersey. We are using Point-To-Point and Frame Relay in other offices, this is all part of our project to get all of our offices tied together with a common voice mail and telephone system. We are also allowing users in these offices to connect to our LAN to access electronic mail, MS Office resources and the Internet. The working portion of this project so far has one Definity G3i with V8.2 (main office) and three ProLogix switches outside of New Jersey. The voice mail and total connection is working great, but we need to look at costs, which was one of the reasons we are looking at IP. There are also plans to connect some of the offices together using the Definity extenders due out with V10 which will handle 24 extensions off a common switch. Any feedback or ideas and opinions are appreciated. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 30 Aug 2000 18:54:15 -0400 From: joemitchellsc@yahoo.com Subject: Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? I'm in Dallas, Tx. SimCom seems to have an arrangement w/my apt complex, to provide phone and cable tv services. I do have the option to use SW Bell, but then I'd have to find an alternative to cable (direct TV, Dish network, etc...) SimCom gives me .07/mi long distance, but I have to pay them 4.95/mo for that plan. I wanted to switch to Broadwing (they took over Coastal Telephone who I used previously, and was pleased with). Broadwing (http://www.longdistanceusa.com/) will give me .07/mi w/no monthly fee. I'm not soliciting for them (intentionally), I just included their url in case someone is interested. If I switch to SW Bell, my local monthly service will go up also. So, I guess I have to live w/ SimCom. Thanks, Joe In article <8oi2nu$6bv$1@nnrp1.deja.com>, David Lind wrote: > In article <8oe1kd$ddf$1@nnrp1.deja.com>, > joemitchellsc@yahoo.com wrote: > > I don't know if this is the right ng, but here goes: I called my local > > phone provider this morning and requested that they change my long > > distance provider. The person I spoke with politely told me that "with > > SimCom, you cannot change your long distance provider". Is this > > possible? > > > > If this is true, I'm thinking about using 10-10-220 (or similiar codes) > > to get around my local provider. Any hidden charges (connection fees) > > that I should be aware of? > > > > I couldn't find a CLEC (competing local exchange carrier) named SimCom. What > state are you in? Is there an option to sign up with some other local > carrier? > > If you were talking about Suncom, a wireless carrier in the south east, then > the question and reply would make more sense. In the case of a wireless > provider you would then use a calling card to bypass their long distance > service. -- David > > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ > Before you buy. > -- > The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail > messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 30 Aug 2000 21:25:19 -0400 From: David Lind Subject: Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? In article <8ok392$j6m$1@nnrp1.deja.com>, joemitchellsc@yahoo.com wrote: > I'm in Dallas, Tx. SimCom seems to have an arrangement w/my apt > complex, to provide phone and cable tv services. I do have the option > to use SW Bell, but then I'd have to find an alternative to cable > (direct TV, Dish network, etc...) SimCom gives me .07/mi long > distance, but I have to pay them 4.95/mo for that plan. > If I switch to SW Bell, my local monthly service will go up also. So, > I guess I have to live w/ SimCom. > > > I couldn't find a CLEC (competing local exchange carrier) named > SimCom. What > > state are you in? Is there an option to sign up with some other local > > carrier? This is pretty complex issue and beyond my knowledge. Just to get clear on the problem...are you getting your telephone service and tv through the same cable or seperate wires? You state if you give up Simcom telephone service then you would lose cable. So you can't cancel the 4.95 long distance and still keep cable and use dial arounds (1010#'s)? Does Simcom bill you for both local and long distance and cable? - -- David Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 30 Aug 2000 21:40:01 -0400 From: "Gunnar Liknes" Subject: Re: Make Your E-Mail Disappear "Monty Solomon" wrote > Make Your E-Mail Disappear > > Disappearing's free Outlook plug-in lets you send encrypted messages > that become unreadable after time. The way I understand the technology this means the reader has to be online everytime he needs to read the message (in order to get the decryption key). Interresting technology, but not very practical for dial up users. Gunnar - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 30 Aug 2000 21:58:23 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Microsoft Word Documents, Among Others, Can Be "Bugged" Full advisory can be found at http://www.privacyfoundation.org/advisories/advWordBugs.html http://www.privacyfoundation.org/story2.html Microsoft Word Documents, Among Others, Can Be "Bugged," According to New Research From the Privacy Foundation The Previously Undocumented Feature Can Allow the Surreptitious Tracking of Computer Files on the Internet DENVER - 8/30/00 - Readers of email document attachments beware: the author of a computer file may be able to track the path of the file to your computer and others through the use of "Web bugs," the Privacy Foundation reported today. The finding could have broad implications for businesses, public agencies and other entities, which may seek to use this tracking ability - and for individuals, who are unlikely to know that the file they are reading is communicating back through the internet to the author through the Internet. "We are not aware of Web bugs being used in this way," said Richard M. Smith, chief technology officer of the Privacy Foundation. "But the possibility is troubling given the trend of using the Internet and monitoring software to track individual behavior." A detailed Privacy Advisory, along with demonstrations and graphics of how the document Web bug works, plus a list of questions and answers, is available at the foundation's website at www.privacyfoundation.org. The tracking potential occurs when a file sent through the Internet, typically as an email attachment, contains an image file located on a remote Web server. This can happen through a range of popular Microsoft programs, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. (The Privacy Foundation continues to investigate this issue with regard to other software programs.) If the document contains an invisible marker called a Web bug, then when the request for the image is made and acted upon within the displaying program, a signal will be sent back to the document author. This signal, obtained through server logs, will contain the IP number, from which a host name of the computer can usually be obtained. In addition, if the bugged document is forwarded to any another computers and opened, it can send back the IP number and host name of those computers to the original sender. In some cases, combined with the use of cookies in Internet Explorer, an author could match up the computer viewers of a document to their visits to the author's Web site. The Privacy Foundation findings were presented to Microsoft Corp. earlier this month for review. The company acknowledged the potential use of Web bugs to track Word documents, but said that there is no evidence that such activities are occuring. The Privacy Advisory, authored by Smith, notes a myriad of potential uses for document Web bugs: tracking the path of confidential files, detecting copyright infringement, and surreptitious market research. In most cases, it is unlikely that the person who opens such a document on a computer would know that the Web bug exists. "The potential use of Web bugs in Word points to a more general problem," said Smith. "Any file format that supports automatic linking to Web pages or images can lead to the same problem. Software engineers should take this privacy issue into consideration when designing new file formats." Smith noted, for instance, that Web bugs could be used within text material that accompanies downloaded MP3 music files to track how many times a song is played and on which computer. The investigation into this matter by the Privacy Foundation was triggered by a tip from Barry Shell, research communications editor at the Centre For Systems Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada. As part of a quarterly program to acknowledge privacy research, the Privacy Foundation will present Shell with a check for $1,000. Based in Denver, the Privacy Foundation is a non-profit and non-partisan organization dedicated to research on electronic privacy issues and efforts to educate the public. The Foundation's research on the privacy implications of communications technologies is conducted at the Privacy Center at the University of Denver, under the direction of computer science professor David Martin, in consultation with Richard M. Smith. Contact: Richard M. Smith or Stephen Keating at the Privacy Foundation. Phone: 303-717-2607. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 30 Aug 2000 22:10:23 -0400 From: John De Hoog Subject: Re: Make Your E-Mail Disappear Gunnar Liknes wrote... >> Disappearing's free Outlook plug-in lets you send encrypted messages >> that become unreadable after time. > >The way I understand the technology this means the reader has to be online >everytime he needs to read the message (in order to get the decryption key). >Interresting technology, but not very practical for dial up users. How many times do you normally read the same message? Besides, dialup access is quickly being replaced by cheap, permanent connections even here in Japan (cable, OCN, ADSL, SDSL, always-on ISDN, wireless, etc.). It's only natural that technologies will increasingly be designed with that reality in mind. - -- John De Hoog, Tokyo dehoog@nifty.com http://dehoog.org - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 30 Aug 2000 22:10:34 -0400 From: Gerry Belanger Subject: Verizon's 411 Directory Assistance This morning I heard a Verizon ad on the radio touting their 411 Directory Assistance service. It tried to emphasize the training the operators get. So by example they played a "quiz" session where the instructor asked a question and a rep answered. The instructor asks "Georgia?", and the rep answers "Four Area Codes..." followed by some more stats. I was flabbergasted that they let this on the air! Even my SNET/SBC June 2000 phone book shows 5 NPAs. And with 229 and 478 going active August 1, that makes seven. A complaint e-mailed to WCBS-AM in NY this morning has gone unanswered. gerryb ______________________________________________________ Get your free web-based email at http://www.xoom.com Birthday? Anniversary? Send FREE animated greeting cards for any occasion at http://greetings.xoom.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 31 Aug 2000 01:43:31 -0400 From: quonk@my-deja.com Subject: Re: US West continues to burn?? In article <200008280110.KAA28322@mail151.nifty.com>, John De Hoog wrote: > ClariNet news service today ran a story on the wildfires raging in > the Western US, under the title, "Thirteen new fires as US west > continues to burn". > > Someone, or some computer program, mistakenly posted the article in > the news groups clari.tw.telecom.misc, clari.tw.telecom.phone_service, > and clari.tw.telecom. I imagine it caused some concern for a moment > or two among those who believed it really was a telecom story. > A few months ago, the same news groups contained a long article about Hillary Clinton's moving in to her new home in New York state. I couldn't figure out why it was there. It mentioned nothing about phone service at her new home (or anywhere else). Then I noticed the title of the article: "Clintons to begin long distance relationship." Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 31 Aug 2000 01:55:28 -0400 From: texmex@starbase.neosoft.com (Steve Patlan) Subject: Re: Update: Verizon Hole still Open In article , Alan Boritz wrote: >Monty Solomon wrote: > >>Update: Verizon Hole still Open >... >>http://www.securityfocus.com/news/75 > >BTW, there's something very bogus about this site. SecurityFocus.com >apparently is not allowing either the page or the frame with this story to be >printed within Netscape v4.74. Perhaps they've intended to only allow the page >to be viewed with obnoxious ads intact, while not permitting the article to be >printed? Works fine for me with Lynx. Try disabling JavaScript (which every right-thinking person should do most of the time anyway) and Style Sheets and just looking at: - - Steve "I also don't auto-load Images" Patlan - -- - -- texmex@starbase.neosoft.com "Press any key to return to Windows and wait" - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #39 ******************************* From ???@??? Fri Sep 01 08:29:38 2000 Date: 1 Sep 2000 06:15:10 -0400 Message-ID: <20000901101510.6575.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #40 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 06969e962fa5e83130f2dfb3331f6866 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Friday, September 1 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 040 In this issue: Re: BellSouth (LA) gets it WRONG re BellSouth (GA) NPAs 229,478 Re: Passionate reactions online to the DVD decision Re: Verizon's 411 Directory Assistance Re: legality of automated telphone spam Re: Make Your E-Mail Disappear Re: Microsoft Word Documents, Among Others, Can Be "Bugged" Ameritech Feels August Heat (Akron, OH Beacon-Journal) Re: Passionate reactions online to the DVD decision Re: Verizon's 411 Directory Assistance Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? What does it take to be a CLEC? Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) Ado or Not Ado? AOL nabs Quack.com for voice recognition Updated cookie-alert software released for IE 5.5 Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 31 Aug 2000 07:16:02 -0400 From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) Subject: Re: BellSouth (LA) gets it WRONG re BellSouth (GA) NPAs 229,478 Mark J Cuccia writes: > It may come to where state regulatory and the FCC will be contacted if > BellSouth continues these delay tactics. What the FCC (and state > regulatory) should consider is maybe FINING the local telcos that are late > in loading new NPA codes, central office codes, routing changes, etc. into > switch translations if the local telco (or LD company) has been notified, > yet still won't take action in a timely manner. The documentation > resources (NANPA's website, Telcordia-TRA's website, the LEC websites > themselves, etc) _ARE_ available to the service providers, so "ignorance" > is absolutely _NO_ excuse. Yeah, I prepare a list of local exchanges (in the form of tables used by various software packages) for some other folks here in Portland. And I find that there are *huge* variations between the time the NNAG (and NANPA "utilized codes") files show an exchange as active and when it actually is *reachable*. Some of that is some of the CLECs taking their own sweet time. Some of it isn't. But I don't have any way of telling. All I can do is try dialing a number in the new exchange. If I get a "disconnected or no longer in service" recording, or reach someone (in which case I apologize for bothering them) then I know the exchange is active. And if I get routed to a recording immediately after dialing the exchange, but before dialing the last 4 digits, I know that it's definitely not "loaded" into US West's switch. If something else happens (and it's amazing just how many *different* things *do* happen), I don't know *what* the situation is. And if the exchange isn't loaded into the switch at my exchange, I still don't know if it's not up yet, or if they've screwed up. Any suggestions on how to find out what's *really* going on with the new exchanges? BTW, there are some supposedly "active" exchanges that still don't work several *years* after the turn on date. I used to have a contact inside US West, but he retired. :-( - -- Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow) shadow@krypton.rain.com <--preferred leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com <--last resort - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 31 Aug 2000 09:47:24 -0400 From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) Subject: Re: Passionate reactions online to the DVD decision tbetz@pobox.com writes: > The big problem is with the Digital Millenium Copyright Act itself. The > law permits DVD manufacturers to, for example, require you to watch all > the commercials at the beginning of a DVD before you can watch the movie > (as is the case with the "The Sixth Sense" -- you have to watch six minutes' > worth of commercials with skip and fast-forward disabled) -- setting > ridiculous terms for something YOU HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR. Actually, on my friend's new DVD player, the first time we played the disk, it skipped the commercials. And even now you can just hit the skip button as each preview starts. It's still annoying as hell, but it's not *quite* as bad as you describe. - -- Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow) shadow@krypton.rain.com <--preferred leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com <--last resort - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 31 Aug 2000 16:15:01 -0400 From: "Peter F. Dubuque" Subject: Re: Verizon's 411 Directory Assistance In accordance with the prophecy, Gerry Belanger wrote: > This morning I heard a Verizon ad on the radio touting their > 411 Directory Assistance service. It tried to emphasize > the > training the operators get. So by example they played > a "quiz" > session where the instructor asked a question and a rep > answered. > The instructor asks "Georgia?", and the rep answers > "Four Area Codes..." followed by some more stats. > I was flabbergasted that they let this on the air! > Even my SNET/SBC June 2000 phone book shows 5 NPAs. > And with 229 and 478 going active August 1, that makes > seven. > A complaint e-mailed to WCBS-AM in NY this morning has gone > unanswered. "There are too many area codes. Please eliminate three. P.S. I am not a crackpot." :) Seriously, though, if you had to complain to somebody, why did you choose the radio station instead of the ad agency or Verizon itself? - -- Peter F. Dubuque - peterd@shore.net - Enemy of Reason(TM) O- - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 31 Aug 2000 16:46:41 -0400 From: Klassen@UVic.CA (Melvin Klassen) Subject: Re: legality of automated telphone spam On Mon, 28 Aug 2000 03:39:57, djb0x7736d717@scream.org (Dan) wrote: > The new trend, strangely, is devices that hang up if a live person answers, and leave their commercial on your answering machine/voicemail if they get that instead. Quite annoying. The voice-mail system optionally used by Telus (Alberta & British Columbia) residental subscribers lets one call the "message-pickup" number, e.g., 250-881-9000 in Victoria, and then select a mailbox for any subscriber, by entering their telephone-number, and then leave a message. The recipient's home-telephone does not ring (this handy if you want to leave a message when you know that the recipient is sleeping), but the next time they go "off-hook", they will be informed that they have a message. Nah, nobody would abuse this feature, would they? - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 31 Aug 2000 17:20:07 -0400 From: pw@panix.com (Paul Wallich) Subject: Re: Make Your E-Mail Disappear In article <200008310210.LAA14070@coral.ocn.ne.jp>, John De Hoog wrote: >Gunnar Liknes wrote... > >>> Disappearing's free Outlook plug-in lets you send encrypted messages >>> that become unreadable after time. >> >>The way I understand the technology this means the reader has to be online >>everytime he needs to read the message (in order to get the decryption key). >>Interresting technology, but not very practical for dial up users. > >How many times do you normally read the same message? Besides, dialup >access is quickly being replaced by cheap, permanent connections even >here in Japan (cable, OCN, ADSL, SDSL, always-on ISDN, wireless, etc.). >It's only natural that technologies will increasingly be designed with >that reality in mind. What I don't understand, once the decrypted text is on the user's screen, is what prevents it from being saved, printed, photographed or otherwise archived. Since the recipient doesn't need a plug-in, that would appear to mean that some kind of cleartext is being delivered to their machine. Perhaps it's a downloadable plugin that miraculously does the work, but if that's the case I wouldn't lay odds on being able to read the message reliably the first time. paul - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 31 Aug 2000 17:23:26 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: Microsoft Word Documents, Among Others, Can Be "Bugged" >>From 'Monty Solomon': >The tracking potential occurs when a file sent through the Internet, >typically as an email attachment, contains an image file located on a >remote Web server. This can happen through a range of popular >Microsoft programs, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. (The >Privacy Foundation continues to investigate this issue with regard to >other software programs.) >If the document contains an invisible marker called a Web bug, then >when the request for the image is made and acted upon within the >displaying program, a signal will be sent back to the document >author. This signal, obtained through server logs, will contain the >IP number, from which a host name of the computer can usually be >obtained. Those apps are programmable through the Microsoft Office macro language and Visual Basic for Applications. Any app that can render remote content as described above, or is programmable in the way that Office apps are, will have issues. >"The potential use of Web bugs in Word points to a more general >problem," said Smith. "Any file format that supports automatic >linking to Web pages or images can lead to the same problem. Software >engineers should take this privacy issue into consideration when >designing new file formats." 100% correct. - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 31 Aug 2000 17:24:21 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Ameritech Feels August Heat (Akron, OH Beacon-Journal) PUCO receives more complaints about phone company in month than it did during all of last year. Utility says it is trying to improve http://www.ohio.com/bj/business/docs/031848.htm - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 31 Aug 2000 17:58:24 -0400 From: "Ed Ellers" Subject: Re: Passionate reactions online to the DVD decision Leonard Erickson wrote: "Actually, on my friend's new DVD player, the first time we played the disk (sic), it skipped the commercials. And even now you can just hit the skip button as each preview starts. "It's still annoying as hell, but it's not *quite* as bad as you describe." That's dependent on the disc, and it *is* often quite as bad as tbetz@pobox.com described. The DVD Video spec allows a disc to be encoded to deny access to any specified player function(s) during a given chapter; this was originally intended to allow "kiosk" discs, for example, to lock out the stop function so that a user wouldn't accidentally stop a disc and walk away, but many movie discs do use this to prevent the user from skipping through the FBI (and often Interpol) warnings and/or the distributor's logo. Another possible use would be for a director who insists that his films should be viewed only straight through, by locking out the still frame, slow motion and visual search features. As best I can tell the DMCA has no impact on this, except by making it illegal to make a player that can decrypt CSS without authorization (the CSS license reportedly carries with it the requirement to implement Macrovision, region coding and the other DVD Video features that could be left out otherwise). - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 31 Aug 2000 21:41:26 -0400 From: wa1hoz@xoommail.com (Gerry Belanger) Subject: Re: Verizon's 411 Directory Assistance In article , "Peter F. Dubuque" wrote: >Seriously, though, if you had to complain to somebody, why did you choose >the radio station instead of the ad agency or Verizon itself? Because I have no clue who the ad agency might be, and I am not a Verizon customer. Just a regular WCBS listener. gerryb Gerry Belanger, WA1HOZ wa1hoz@ct2.nai.net Newtown, CT g.belanger@ieee.org - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 31 Aug 2000 22:03:40 -0400 From: Alan Boritz Subject: Re: Cannot change my long distance provider? joemitchellsc@yahoo.com wrote: >I'm in Dallas, Tx. SimCom seems to have an arrangement w/my apt >complex, to provide phone and cable tv services. I do have the option >to use SW Bell, but then I'd have to find an alternative to cable >(direct TV, Dish network, etc...) SimCom gives me .07/mi long >distance, but I have to pay them 4.95/mo for that plan. I wanted to >switch to Broadwing (they took over Coastal Telephone who I used >previously, and was pleased with). Broadwing >(http://www.longdistanceusa.com/) will give me .07/mi w/no monthly >fee. I'm not soliciting for them (intentionally), I just included >their url in case someone is interested. > >If I switch to SW Bell, my local monthly service will go up also. So, >I guess I have to live w/ SimCom. No you don't. SimCom appears to be an aggregator that provides local telephone service (among other services), and is therefore required to permit equal access. This same issue was the source of embarrassment to quite a few clueless university telephone system administrators who also found themselves in the legal role of aggregator, forced to allow equal access, and nailed by state tax authorities for failing to assess and collect state taxes and appropriate municipal surcharges. Suggest you call the Texas PUC at 888-782-8477 to discuss the situation and make it clear that this is the company that delivers your *local* service, and that they're refusing to allow you access to other long distance telephone companies. Suggest following it up with a letter so they can investigate. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 31 Aug 2000 22:13:35 -0400 From: Roy Smith Subject: What does it take to be a CLEC? I had a visit a few days ago from some guys trying to sell us DSL service in one of our campus residential buildings. Two interesting factoids came out of the conversation: 1) they're a CLEC, and 2) the entire company consists of 30 people. I was a little amazed a 30 person company could be a CLEC. What exactly does it involve? Just file some paperwork with the FCC and hang out a shingle? - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 31 Aug 2000 22:31:09 -0400 From: Alan Boritz Subject: Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) kamlet@infinet.com wrote: >In article <3.0.5.32.20000828162446.0087e4c0@oz.net> you write: >>28 Aug 2000 18:21:34 -0400 jsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) >>wrote: >> >>>>>From 'Joel B Levin': >>>>In <8oc547$rfo$1@panix5.panix.com>, >>>> dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) wrote: >>>>}danny 'does "2600" have any telco history meaning?' burstein >>>> >>>>You're kidding, right? >>> >>>I'd like to know its significance, myself. >> >>2600 hz is the tone that was used in MF (multifrequency) signalling as part >>of the connection tone to disconnect a connection. Someone discovered > >Someone discovered? The detailed article appeared in the public >"Bell System Journal" for one and all to read. Wow, we're impressed. Really. The (now) famous "someone" was an acquaintance of John T. Draper, aka 'captain crunch,' the grandfather of phone phreakers. This acquaintance had literally "discovered" it with a toy whistle from Captain Crunch cereal, in 1972 (Draper never claimed credit for doing that himself). The rest is history. ... >I worked with a fellow at Bell Labs whose job was writing software >to detect odd patterned calls, such as a call to busy that stayed >off hook for 20 minutes, and the software flagged those. He got >to go along on raids of blue box users. The phone company (PNB >was the first) would get the DA to request an arrest warrant and >the police would then invite the phone company along to identify >what a blue box was. (Not all blue boxes were blue :^) After the >trial, he sometimes got to keep the blue box. Don't you think that it would have been a much more efficient use of a programmer's time to write code for switches to DISCONNECT busy calls, rather than "buffing" police calls? - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Sep 2000 00:31:33 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Ado or Not Ado? Ado or Not Ado? The Denver-based Privacy Foundation has revealed yet another way your actions can be tracked across the Web. A Microsoft Word document (or Excel spreadsheet or Powerpoint presentation) can contain an invisible graphic that phones home over the Net whenever you open the document. The glitch was widely reported today, but no one had much of an angle on it. All the reporters talked to Richard Smith, the researcher who identified the problem, and to someone at Microsoft. Only MSNBC's Bob Sullivan bothered to get a comment from an outside security expert. http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,18130,00.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Sep 2000 00:35:51 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: AOL nabs Quack.com for voice recognition AOL nabs Quack.com for voice recognition America Online said today it has acquired start-up Quack.com in a bid to make AOL services available over an ordinary telephone. With the purchase, the online giant steps into territory staked out by "voice portals" like Tellme Networks and BeVocal. These services provide information over the phone, such as stock quotes, driving directions and news headlines, through a voice-recognition interface. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1004-200-2663210.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Sep 2000 00:40:41 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Updated cookie-alert software released for IE 5.5 Updated cookie-alert software released for IE 5.5 Microsoft issued a software patch to the public today for its latest Internet browser that tells customers when third-party Web sites try to place "cookies" on their computers for tracking purposes. The update for Internet Explorer 5.5 will also let people designate preferences about accepting different types of cookies, or electronic tags, which can often be helpful for delivering personalized services such as Web-based email. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-2664055.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Sep 2000 06:02:27 -0400 From: andrew Subject: Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) Alan Boritz wrote: > kamlet@infinet.com wrote: >>In article <3.0.5.32.20000828162446.0087e4c0@oz.net> you write: >>>28 Aug 2000 18:21:34 -0400 jsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) >>>wrote: >>> >>>>>>From 'Joel B Levin': >>>>>In <8oc547$rfo$1@panix5.panix.com>, >>>>> dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) wrote: >>>>>}danny 'does "2600" have any telco history meaning?' burstein >>>>> >>>>>You're kidding, right? >>>> >>>>I'd like to know its significance, myself. >>> >>>2600 hz is the tone that was used in MF (multifrequency) signalling as part >>>of the connection tone to disconnect a connection. Someone discovered >> >>Someone discovered? The detailed article appeared in the public >>"Bell System Journal" for one and all to read. > Wow, we're impressed. Really. > The (now) famous "someone" was an acquaintance of John T. Draper, aka 'captain > crunch,' the grandfather of phone phreakers. This acquaintance had literally > "discovered" it with a toy whistle from Captain Crunch cereal, in 1972 (Draper > never claimed credit for doing that himself). The rest is history. No, the whistle came after the 2600Hz exploit was revealed to him. After some experimentation, Draper found that a Captain cruch whistle with the third hole glued up produced 2600Hz. http://www.webcrunchers.com/crunch/Play/history/home.html Andrew - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #40 ******************************* From ???@??? Sat Sep 02 07:58:48 2000 Date: 2 Sep 2000 06:15:09 -0400 Message-ID: <20000902101509.20315.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #41 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 761711800502c240f5cb3f3812a726ec Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Saturday, September 2 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 041 In this issue: Re: What does it take to be a CLEC? Re: What does it take to be a CLEC? Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) Caller ID and answer supervision? Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 1 Sep 2000 09:10:45 -0400 From: Fred Goldstein Subject: Re: What does it take to be a CLEC? In V2000 #40, Roy Smith asks, >I was a little amazed a 30 person company could be a CLEC. What exactly >does it involve? Just file some paperwork with the FCC and hang out a >shingle? I've seen CLECs operate with many fewer than that! Quite effectively, too. A "CLEC" can be lots of different things -- unlike an ILEC, which attempts to be all things to all people under its historical monopoly, a CLEC can focus on certain services, like DSL or PRI. And a CLEC (like some ILECs, actually) can outsource many of its functions. Switch vendors will install their equipment, and third-party network operations, billing, first-level customer service, engineering and installation services are available. So the CLEC may only have 30 people of its own, but can operate quite effectively, acting more as a systems integrator. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Sep 2000 10:41:33 -0400 From: "Bryan Bethea" Subject: Re: What does it take to be a CLEC? It is a bit more involved than filing paperwork (although it's filed with state regulators, not the FCC). Each state varies it's requirements so no blanket list of qualifications can be given. Check with your state's public utility regulators for more specific information. - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roy Smith" To: Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2000 9:13 PM Subject: What does it take to be a CLEC? > I had a visit a few days ago from some guys trying to sell us DSL > service in one of our campus residential buildings. Two interesting > factoids came out of the conversation: 1) they're a CLEC, and 2) the > entire company consists of 30 people. > > I was a little amazed a 30 person company could be a CLEC. What exactly > does it involve? Just file some paperwork with the FCC and hang out a > shingle? > -- > The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail > messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Sep 2000 14:27:03 -0400 From: kamlet@infinet.com (Art Kamlet) Subject: Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) In article , Alan Boritz wrote: >kamlet@infinet.com wrote: > >>In article <3.0.5.32.20000828162446.0087e4c0@oz.net> you write: >>>28 Aug 2000 18:21:34 -0400 jsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) >>>wrote: >>> >>>>>>From 'Joel B Levin': >>>>>In <8oc547$rfo$1@panix5.panix.com>, >>>>> dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) wrote: >>>>>}danny 'does "2600" have any telco history meaning?' burstein >>>>> >>>>>You're kidding, right? >>>> >>>>I'd like to know its significance, myself. >>> >>>2600 hz is the tone that was used in MF (multifrequency) signalling as part >>>of the connection tone to disconnect a connection. Someone discovered >> >>Someone discovered? The detailed article appeared in the public >>"Bell System Journal" for one and all to read. (As someone corrected, it's the Bell System Technical Journal) >Wow, we're impressed. Really. > >The (now) famous "someone" was an acquaintance of John T. Draper, aka 'captain >crunch,' the grandfather of phone phreakers. This acquaintance had literally >"discovered" it with a toy whistle from Captain Crunch cereal, in 1972 (Draper >never claimed credit for doing that himself). The rest is history. Finding a disconnect tone is a part of the puzzle. Without the combination tones used to redirect the call all you have done is opened the door. The BSTJ article made it all crystal clear. Sort of like the bank putting its cash out on the tables for all to see. Or grab. >>I worked with a fellow at Bell Labs whose job was writing software >>to detect odd patterned calls, such as a call to busy that stayed >>off hook for 20 minutes, and the software flagged those. He got >>to go along on raids of blue box users. The phone company (PNB >>was the first) would get the DA to request an arrest warrant and >>the police would then invite the phone company along to identify >>what a blue box was. (Not all blue boxes were blue :^) After the >>trial, he sometimes got to keep the blue box. > >Don't you think that it would have been a much more efficient use of a >programmer's time to write code for switches to DISCONNECT busy calls, rather >than "buffing" police calls? Remember, CCIS didn't go in until the mid 1970s, and most of the switches were still step by step or crossbar. That's relays, period. And before CCIS, you had only a relatively few 1ESSs scattered around. And the 1ESSs that were around didn't get many programming changes, and certainly not a change to disconnect long busy's. Each memory board -- a memory board was very very large - I seem to remember they were around 2' x 2' or so, but I could be high, and I seem to remember they all had actual core memory so only a very limited amount of word memory per 4 ft sq board. (You remember words, right? Cores? ) And the first 4ESS toll switch, which is really where you might even consider putting such software, didn't come out until 1976 ( I think they timed the date to coincide with the 200th bicentennial celebrations?) So a software solution in what was still an elctromechanical world was not a solution at all. And, perhaps, the police or the phone ocmpany wanted some high profile arrests, not unlike the income tax arrests being made during income tax season? One of the first high profile arrests for blue box use was a TV actor, Bob Cummings. - -- Art Kamlet Columbus, Ohio kamlet@infinet.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Sep 2000 14:27:04 -0400 From: kamlet@infinet.com Subject: Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) In article , Alan Boritz wrote: >kamlet@infinet.com wrote: > >>In article <3.0.5.32.20000828162446.0087e4c0@oz.net> you write: >>>28 Aug 2000 18:21:34 -0400 jsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) >>>wrote: >>> >>>>>>From 'Joel B Levin': >>>>>In <8oc547$rfo$1@panix5.panix.com>, >>>>> dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) wrote: >>>>>}danny 'does "2600" have any telco history meaning?' burstein >>>>> >>>>>You're kidding, right? >>>> >>>>I'd like to know its significance, myself. >>> >>>2600 hz is the tone that was used in MF (multifrequency) signalling as part >>>of the connection tone to disconnect a connection. Someone discovered >> >>Someone discovered? The detailed article appeared in the public >>"Bell System Journal" for one and all to read. (As someone corrected, it's the Bell System Technical Journal) >Wow, we're impressed. Really. > >The (now) famous "someone" was an acquaintance of John T. Draper, aka 'captain >crunch,' the grandfather of phone phreakers. This acquaintance had literally >"discovered" it with a toy whistle from Captain Crunch cereal, in 1972 (Draper >never claimed credit for doing that himself). The rest is history. Finding a disconnect tone is a part of the puzzle. Without the combination tones used to redirect the call all you have done is opened the door. The BSTJ article made it all crystal clear. Sort of like the bank putting its cash out on the tables for all to see. Or grab. >>I worked with a fellow at Bell Labs whose job was writing software >>to detect odd patterned calls, such as a call to busy that stayed >>off hook for 20 minutes, and the software flagged those. He got >>to go along on raids of blue box users. The phone company (PNB >>was the first) would get the DA to request an arrest warrant and >>the police would then invite the phone company along to identify >>what a blue box was. (Not all blue boxes were blue :^) After the >>trial, he sometimes got to keep the blue box. > >Don't you think that it would have been a much more efficient use of a >programmer's time to write code for switches to DISCONNECT busy calls, rather >than "buffing" police calls? Remember, CCIS didn't go in until the mid 1970s, and most of the switches were still step by step or crossbar. That's relays, period. And before CCIS, you had only a relatively few 1ESSs scattered around. And the 1ESSs that were around didn't get many programming changes, and certainly not a change to disconnect long busy's. Each memory board -- a memory board was very very large - I seem to remember they were around 2' x 2' or so, but I could be high, and I seem to remember they all had actual core memory so only a very limited amount of word memory per 4 ft sq board. (You remember words, right? Cores? ) And the first 4ESS toll switch, which is really where you might even consider putting such software, didn't come out until 1976 ( I think they timed the date to coincide with the 200th bicentennial celebrations?) So a software solution in what was still an elctromechanical world was not a solution at all. And, perhaps, the police or the phone ocmpany wanted some high profile arrests, not unlike the income tax arrests being made during income tax season? One of the first high profile arrests for blue box use was a TV actor, Bob Cummings. - -- Art Kamlet Columbus, Ohio kamlet@infinet.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Sep 2000 15:40:03 -0400 From: richw@webcom.com (Rich Wales) Subject: Caller ID and answer supervision? Can answer supervision be triggered by caller ID, even if no person or answering machine ever picks up the line at the receiving end? My mother (who lives in the San Francisco area) told me yesterday about a problem with her phone bill. She uses a specific "10-10" provider (which will, for the moment at least, remain unidentified to protect the guilty) for most of her long-distance calls. Recently, she tried several times (without success) to reach a cousin in another state. Each time, the phone rang about six times, but no one answered. When her phone bill arrived, she discovered that the "10-10" provider had billed each of these unsuccessful calling attempts as a one-minute call (and charged her about a dollar per call, since the plan is one of those "up to X minutes for only Y cents" deals). When she called the "10-10" provider to complain, the provider insisted the charges were legitimate, even though there had been no answer on any of the calls. The "customer service" (?) person told my mom that perhaps the person she was calling had caller ID -- and that if this were the case, the call would be considered answered on the first ring, regardless of whether a person or answering machine ever picked up the line or not. Not surprisingly, my mom was not satisfied by this answer. She called back the next day and got somebody else. The "customer service" (?) person she got the second time agreed to refund the disputed charges "this time" -- but apparently still stood by the first person's claim that the calls in question were chargeable, even though no one had answered the phone. This all sounds very fishy to me. Any comments? Rich Wales richw@webcom.com http://www.webcom.com/richw/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Sep 2000 18:09:53 -0400 From: kamlet@infinet.com (Art Kamlet) Subject: Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? In article <20000901191536.74002.richw@wyattearp.stanford.edu>, Rich Wales wrote: >Can answer supervision be triggered by caller ID, even if no person >or answering machine ever picks up the line at the receiving end? No, caller id will not provide answer supervision. But who says an IEX has to get answer supervision in order to bill? All they need is the call attempt data, and bingo! you have enough to bill for a minimal call. Add call completion and you can bill for a longer call. - -- Art Kamlet Columbus, Ohio kamlet@infinet.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Sep 2000 21:09:59 -0400 From: haggerty@coralberry.net (Joe) Subject: Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) Radio Shack sold a small cylindrical unit about 1.5" x half-dollar diameter, 9 volt., that produced a "warble" tone at 2500 or so for small alarm systems or such. Not as loud as a home smoke alarm of today, but getting close. It worked very well as a source of the required 2600 Hz idle circuit tone. plenty loud enough. using audio also had the advantage of no physical connection to a phone wire/line, just hold the receiver near the speaker of the "blue box". - -- Joe - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Sep 2000 02:33:31 -0400 From: quonk@my-deja.com Subject: Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? In article <20000901191536.74002.richw@wyattearp.stanford.edu>, [snip] > When she called the "10-10" provider to complain, the provider insisted > the charges were legitimate, even though there had been no answer on > any of the calls. The "customer service" (?) person told my mom that > perhaps the person she was calling had caller ID -- and that if this > were the case, the call would be considered answered on the first ring, > regardless of whether a person or answering machine ever picked up the > line or not. > > Not surprisingly, my mom was not satisfied by this answer. She called > back the next day and got somebody else. The "customer service" (?) > person she got the second time agreed to refund the disputed charges > "this time" -- but apparently still stood by the first person's claim > that the calls in question were chargeable, even though no one had > answered the phone. > > This all sounds very fishy to me. Any comments? > This is very interesting. In another newsgroup where I used to lurk several months ago, a person reported that while he was on an extended vacation, he was charged $6.18 per call for several dozen on minute calling card calls. He protested that the rate was exhorbitant and that most of the calls were unanswered. He claimed to be calling his home where there is no answering machine or any other special arrangement and all of the unanswered calls were charged as one minute calls. He was using the major long distance company that is bigger than the company you were most likely refering to. Well, it turns out that $6.18 is indeed the proper charge for a one minute US interstate call using an LEC calling card from a payphone on this long distance company. The customer service rep asked him if he had caller id. He said yes, at which point they explained to him the same theory about billing starting when caller id is sent. However, this company refused to offer any credit or compromise on the charges at all. What I'm thinking here is that CS reps must no longer be required to receive any training whatsoever in the basics of the business. They must be thrown out into the jungles in a sort of "Lord of the Flies" fashion and left to try to make sense of what is going on themselves and make up their own theories of how the system works, leading to their own mythology. It is just too eerie how the CS reps at two different companies have made up the same story. Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Sep 2000 04:21:39 -0400 From: Terry Kennedy Subject: Re: 2600 (was Re: CWA Operating verizonREALLYsucks Web Site) Art Kamlet writes: > So a software solution in what was still an elctromechanical world > was not a solution at all. The TT translators on the XBAR switches could be optioned to detect 2600 and alarm. Steppers in my area never supported tone, and the trunks out of the steppers didn't use MF, so there was no need to guard them there if something was listening further down the line. Terry Kennedy http://www.tmk.com terry@tmk.com Jersey City, NJ USA - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Sep 2000 06:02:38 -0400 From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) Subject: Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? richw@webcom.com (Rich Wales) writes: > Can answer supervision be triggered by caller ID, even if no person > or answering machine ever picks up the line at the receiving end? No. > My mother (who lives in the San Francisco area) told me yesterday > about a problem with her phone bill. She uses a specific "10-10" > provider (which will, for the moment at least, remain unidentified > to protect the guilty) for most of her long-distance calls. > > Recently, she tried several times (without success) to reach a cousin > in another state. Each time, the phone rang about six times, but no > one answered. When her phone bill arrived, she discovered that the > "10-10" provider had billed each of these unsuccessful calling attempts > as a one-minute call (and charged her about a dollar per call, since > the plan is one of those "up to X minutes for only Y cents" deals). > > When she called the "10-10" provider to complain, the provider insisted > the charges were legitimate, even though there had been no answer on > any of the calls. The "customer service" (?) person told my mom that > perhaps the person she was calling had caller ID -- and that if this > were the case, the call would be considered answered on the first ring, > regardless of whether a person or answering machine ever picked up the > line or not. > > Not surprisingly, my mom was not satisfied by this answer. She called > back the next day and got somebody else. The "customer service" (?) > person she got the second time agreed to refund the disputed charges > "this time" -- but apparently still stood by the first person's claim > that the calls in question were chargeable, even though no one had > answered the phone. > > This all sounds very fishy to me. Any comments? The company is likely not *using* supervision. Instead, they charge as soon as the call has lasted for more than some number of seconds (30, 45 or 60). A lot of the sleazier outfits have pulled this stunt for *years*. - -- Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow) shadow@krypton.rain.com <--preferred leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com <--last resort - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #41 ******************************* From ???@??? Mon Sep 04 05:34:12 2000 Date: 3 Sep 2000 06:15:10 -0400 Message-ID: <20000903101510.20582.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #42 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 01f8f7b820a8311b58775b3778671cbc Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Sunday, September 3 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 042 In this issue: slight possibility, was: Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? NYTimes.com Article: Flaws in Digital Wireless Technology Said to Allow Eavesdropping improper "supervision", was: , was: Re: Caller ID and answer re - billing/answer supervision... Re: What does it take to be a CLEC? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 2 Sep 2000 06:44:37 -0400 From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) Subject: slight possibility, was: Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? In <00902.011535.1x9.rnr.w165w@krypton.rain.com> shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) writes: >richw@webcom.com (Rich Wales) writes: >> Can answer supervision be triggered by caller ID, even if no person >> or answering machine ever picks up the line at the receiving end? >No. Not entirely correct. There's one possibility which is rare, but legit. I'll describe it at the end. >> This all sounds very fishy to me. Any comments? >The company is likely not *using* supervision. Instead, they charge as >soon as the call has lasted for more than some number of seconds (30, >45 or 60). A lot of the sleazier outfits have pulled this stunt for >*years*. That's the strangest mipselling I've heard of lately for 'lots of the cellular carriers'. Anyway, getting to the legit, rare, possibility which probably doesn't apply here, but does exist: There are quite a few combined answering machine/fax switch units) or, for that matter, external fax/modem/voice "switches") which could cause this. These units work by _picking up_ the ringing phone line (i.e. "answering" it), and feeding back a fake ringing sound. While doing this, they're "listening" to the line to see if a fax calling tone (the "beep", "wait three or or secs", then another "beep") is present. If so, then they'll activate a fax amchine. If not, they'll kick the call to the phones and start ringing them, or will direct the call to an answering machine. Note that part about "picking up" or "answering" the line. You, as the calle,r will often not realize this has happened since you're hearing the fake ring the box is pushing back at you. However, once this has happened, the call has been "supervised" and is considered answered. - -- _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Sep 2000 11:06:31 -0400 From: HALinNY77@aol.com Subject: Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? In a message dated 09/02/00 06:17:04 Eastern Daylight Time, owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org writes: > The company is likely not *using* supervision. Instead, they charge as > soon as the call has lasted for more than some number of seconds (30, > 45 or 60). A lot of the sleazier outfits have pulled this stunt for > *years*. > This is true, although the "sleaziness" IMHO is arguable. Many of these carriers do not terminate the calls but rather pass them through a maze of interconnects. As these interconnections increase there is a very real possibility that answer supervision is lost ... it just takes one weak link in the chain. The theory is that a caller is not going to listen to a busy signal for a half a minute or more (the original post said 6 rings and that's equal to 36 seconds) so we can assume the call completed even though there was no supe. The sleaze factor should be based not merely on whether or not this happens but how a carrier responds to a customer complaint when this happens. Sometimes we forget that there are hordes of people out there trying to rip-off telecom carriers; witness the other posts on the 2600 topic. Fraud is a major problem for telecoms and they have a legitimate right to attempt to control it and react to it within reason. Hal Kaplan Orion Telecommunications Corp. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Sep 2000 12:04:23 -0400 From: richw@webcom.com (Rich Wales) Subject: Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? Earlier, I wrote: > > Can answer supervision be triggered by caller ID, > > even if no person or answering machine ever picks > > up the line at the receiving end? Art Kamlet replied: > No, caller id will not provide answer supervision. > But who says an IEX has to get answer supervision in > order to bill? All they need is the call attempt data, > and bingo! you have enough to bill for a minimal call. OK. From a technical point of view, then, a company =could= decide to generate billing info based solely on call attempt data -- either on the theory that any call lasting more than ~30 seconds must have been completed (even without checking for supervision), or just by saying in the fine print that this is how they're going to bill. >>From a legal (regulatory) standpoint, though, are they =permitted= to do this? If the caller complains to regulators, can an IEX be forced to accept a reversal of the charges in question? Is this a federal issue, or is it up to individual state PUC's? In case it matters, my mom's call attempts were state-to-state (California to Minnesota). As for the "caller ID" explanation / excuse / pretext, is there any way for an IEX to know if a call's recipient has caller ID -- and if they do know, do the tariffs allow them to bill an unanswered call on this basis? Also, BTW, I'm quite confident that the person my mom was trying to call did =not= have a fax -- so the "machine picks up the line and generates fake ringing" explanation would not apply here. FWIW, in the days before answering machines, my recollection of the "phone etiquette" I learned as a kid was that I should always let the phone ring about ten times before assuming no one was home and hanging up. Now that so many people have answering machines that pick up after four rings, things are clearly different -- but even so, one still might let the phone ring five or six times before concluding that the call is not going to be answered (either in person or by machine). Rich Wales richw@webcom.com http://www.webcom.com/richw/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Sep 2000 13:05:12 -0400 From: Alan Boritz Subject: Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? richw@webcom.com (Rich Wales) wrote: >Can answer supervision be triggered by caller ID, even if no person >or answering machine ever picks up the line at the receiving end? > >My mother (who lives in the San Francisco area) told me yesterday >about a problem with her phone bill. She uses a specific "10-10" >provider (which will, for the moment at least, remain unidentified >to protect the guilty) for most of her long-distance calls. > >Recently, she tried several times (without success) to reach a cousin >in another state. Each time, the phone rang about six times, but no >one answered. When her phone bill arrived, she discovered that the >"10-10" provider had billed each of these unsuccessful calling attempts >as a one-minute call (and charged her about a dollar per call, since >the plan is one of those "up to X minutes for only Y cents" deals). > >When she called the "10-10" provider to complain, the provider insisted >the charges were legitimate, even though there had been no answer on >any of the calls. The "customer service" (?) person told my mom that >perhaps the person she was calling had caller ID -- and that if this >were the case, the call would be considered answered on the first ring, >regardless of whether a person or answering machine ever picked up the >line or not. There's no such "answer supervision with CLASS caller-id." Find another long distance service, this sleazoid provider is a liar. I nailed Telesphere, Sprint, and MCI on charges for ring-no-answer calls, and they wrote off many thousands over the years. Many other telecom people have the same experience. The economy of the cheaper OCC's is always offset by the time required to reconcile the bogus ring-no-answer charges, which is why so many companies decided to use A.T. & T., even though they're always more expensive. ... >This all sounds very fishy to me. Any comments? Don't fall for their line of bull. Refuse to pay for ring-no-answers, regardless of what is on the other end of the line. If they won't credit the charges, write it off yourself and find another long distance service. If they're billing to your credit card, follow the procedure for disputing the charges using the Fair Credit Billing Act (described at the US Federal Trade Commission web site http://www.ftc.gov). - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Sep 2000 13:15:27 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? HALinNY77@aol.com wrote: > Leonard Erickson (shadow@krypton.rain.com) wrote: >> The company is likely not *using* supervision. Instead, they charge as >> soon as the call has lasted for more than some number of seconds (30, >> 45 or 60). A lot of the sleazier outfits have pulled this stunt for >> *years*. > This is true, although the "sleaziness" IMHO is arguable. Many of > these carriers do not terminate the calls but rather pass them through > a maze of interconnects. As these interconnections increase there is a > very real possibility that answer supervision is lost ... it just takes > one weak link in the chain. The theory is that a caller is not going > to listen to a busy signal for a half a minute or more (the original > post said 6 rings and that's equal to 36 seconds) so we can assume the > call completed even though there was no supe. > The sleaze factor should be based not merely on whether or not this > happens but how a carrier responds to a customer complaint when this > happens. > Sometimes we forget that there are hordes of people out there trying > to rip-off telecom carriers; witness the other posts on the 2600 topic. > Fraud is a major problem for telecoms and they have a legitimate right > to attempt to control it and react to it within reason. Well, I dunno about the "loss" of (backwards direction) answer-supervision information these days. Most of these "service" providers, even when there is a large maze of interconnecting, SHOULD (these days) would have some form of SS7 interconnection for supervision data. And with better quality transmission circuits, etc. any use of old fashioned "electical balance/ impedence" supervision on non-SS7 long-trunks "should" be kept intact for backwards delivery of supervision information, IMO. I thought that the FCC (and other agencies such as FTC?) years ago mandated actual network supervision data as much as possible on long-haul circuits, instead of "simple timing" to allow no billing on "short time" busies and six rings unanswered, also brief "intercept/vacant code" messages. It was discovered and publicized sometime in the 1980's that MCI and Sprint were billing people for busies, no answers and reaching (non-billable) non-suped telco recorded announcement messages. BTW, GTE has SUPED on some NPA-change messages where the NPA has changed in their terminating territory (AT&T, MCI, and Sprint play their own NPA-change messages, but the LECs play their own in their own LATA territory as well, and for the Qwests, Frontiers, etc. who have a long-haul network but don't play their own NPA-change messages. And many LECs here and there have been KNOWN to SUPE on intercepts, vacant code messages, re-orders, busies, etc. It isn't "rare", but it isn't as widespread as I might be describing here... Also in this thread, Art Kamlet (kamlet@infinet.com) replied: > Caller id will not provide answer supervision. > But who says an IEX has to get answer supervision in order to bill? > All they need is the call attempt data, and bingo! you have enough to > bill for a minimal call. Add call completion and you can bill for a > longer call. My response to that... who says that a sleazeball IXC even needs "dialed" call data! ??? Some of these sleazers are known to bill collect calls or 3d-pty billing to payphone numbers, restricted numbers, non-existant numbers, and numbers that: exist- are not restricted - and not payphones --- but never received a collect call nor authorized 3d Pty billing on such "phantom" calls. While the incumbent local telco (usually the final-end billing agency) will usually remove such CRAMMED charges from your bill, they tell you that the actual billing originating company could still bill you directly or turn you over to a "collection agency". Calls to these "tele-billing" sleazeballs don't do ANY good. They REFUSE to belive you when you say you never accept collect calls, you don't recognize the city/number of the collect call, you never dial 900/976/etc., you never call the Caribbean/Overseas (especially when you have a 900/976/etc. block and/or overseas or even full-toll blocking. However, the sleazers know that direct billing for phony or even legit charges may not be effective, and as such they can CRAM such charges (whether phony or legit, tariffed rates or hyper-inflated unregulated) via your local telco's billings, since local telco has to deal with any company that approaches them to contract for billing, on a non-discriminiatory basis. And even though local telco can NOT cut off your dialtone / local access/service for non-payment of various non-LEC or non-regulated charges, the sleazers will frequently put big notices on their pages associated with your LEC's monthly billing threatening that non-payment of their charges "will" result in disconnecting of your local dialtone. BULL-SH**!!! Even Bull-Sh** um... I mean BellSouth has recently put their OWN notices at the top of the bill indicating what is considered "regulated" charges that THEY say you must pay (or make arrangements for) to keep your dialtone up and running, and what is considered "unregulated" and "could" be turned over to the ultimate bill-entity or collection agency but won't result in disconnection of your local dialtone --- all itemized in a brief two/three line bold indication near the top of page one - and not just for BellSouth landline charges, but the ENTIRE bill that you get mailed from them - other carriers' charges as well included in the totals. I guess this is all associated with what the FCC/FTC/etc. has in mind to prevent slamming and cramming! And IMO cramming is simply pulling telephone numbers out of "thin air" to 'attempt' to bill to -- this is the ultimate in tele-sleaze. 900/976/etc, Overseas/Caribbean, "Conference" features, various "recurring monthly charges" that go unidentified as to the REAL purpose or service(?), "phantom" collect/3d-party billed calls, "phantom" and exhorbitant credit/calling card billings, etc. None of this even really requires a "real" ticket showing call set-up details whether or not anything actually "suped" or not! :( And "quonk@my-deja.com" replied in the thread about the $6.18 for one-min calling card calls from payphones, via a "major" LD carrier, for calls which didn't "supe". That's obviously AT&T. Here's what happened, as far as the exhorbitant rate, not necessarily the one-min situation of whether or not the call actually "suped": the call was placed as a "0+" type call... AT&T's rates for card calls placed via 0+ as opposed to 800- dialups, ESPECIALLY 800-CALL-ATT, and where the card is a LEC-issued card rather than an AT&T-issued card, and whether or not one is on a discount plan or not.... The "basic" 0+ domestic (state-to-state) card rates, 24/7, for the past several months are: 89-c per min !!! (OUCH) PLUS a $2.25 per-call surcharge (when billed to an AT&T-issued card) PLUS a $4.99 per-call surcharge (when billed to a LEC-ussued card) (DOUBLE/TRIPLE OUCH) And if originating the card call from a payphone, there's that extra 30-c per call surcharge that the COCOT industry has extorted out of us, via the LD carriers. SO, add that up: 4.99 LEC-card surcharge, plus 0.89 one-min, plus 0.30 payphone-origination extortion, and you get.... $6.18 for one minute. Don't even ask how much the surcharge would have been had you asked the AT&T Operator to dial the destination number or even just key-in the card number (if you were on a rotary dial phone)-- you probably don't want to know that the Operator-Handled surcharge is (probably now) as high as aprrox $10.00 per call. AT&T Customer Service is "usually" good about removing questioned charges, just like most local telcos are as well. Sometimes, you do need to call back and ask for a supervisor... Even MCI and Sprint will try to extend this to their customers as well. There is STILL a "certain" degree of state/federal regulation over AT&T, MCI, Sprint, other big/medium players as well as the locals, so they will try to accomodate you to a certain degree, so that you won't get "totally pissed-off" and complain to state regulatory and/or the FCC - or corporate - or media/press. MJC - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Sep 2000 13:51:43 -0400 From: itsamike@yahoo.com Subject: NYTimes.com Article: Flaws in Digital Wireless Technology Said to Allow Eavesdropping This article from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by Mike Pollock itsamike@yahoo.com. Telecom Digest In the name of all that is holy, don't archive this! Mike Pollock itsamike@yahoo.com /-------------------- advertisement -----------------------\ \----------------------------------------------------------/ Flaws in Digital Wireless Technology Said to Allow Eavesdropping September 2, 2000 By JOHN MARKOFF Two researchers have found flaws in a widely heralded new wireless technology that could permit an eavesdropper to listen in on a digital conversation or determine the user's identity. The researchers are from Lucent Technologies, one of nine corporations cooperating to develop the technology, known as Bluetooth, whose backers say it will make possible a new era of effortless and untethered communication between all kinds of hand-held devices. Several companies have recently begun shipping sample quantities of the Bluetooth technology, which has been expected to be widely available in the first half of next year, and more than 1,000 companies are backing the standard. Paul Kan, a member of the Bluetooth technical standards group and a Lucent marketing manager, said he expected that the problem could be fixed "relatively quickly" and would not seriously delay the technology's deployment. The Bluetooth system is intended to permit cellular phones, portable computers, headsets and other mobile devices to exchange digital information easily without cords or wires. It has a potential range of 30 feet to 300 feet, but is initially planned for devices in relatively close proximity. Bluetooth devices also require less power than existing cellular phones and give off far less radiation. The flaws were discovered by Markus Jacobson and Susanne Wetzel, researchers in the secure systems research department at Lucent's Bell Laboratories unit. One shortcoming would have permitted an eavesdropper in a cybercafe to place a bugging device in such a way that the encryption key used by the Bluetooth devices could be obtained, Mr. Jacobson said. Obtaining the key would let the intruder listen in on a conversation between two Bluetooth devices. The flaw was not in the basic encryption formula used to protect the information being transmitted, but in the protocol used by two devices to exchange a key -- in this case, a large number -- that is used by the formula to encode and unlock the data. The researchers also discovered that it was possible to obtain the identity of a Bluetooth device, making it traceable and potentially compromising the security of a user. The researchers are suggesting that the Bluetooth standard be altered so that the identity numbers are masked by a constantly changing pseudonym when transmitted. An independent security expert said that the Bluetooth security model was still untested and that other flaws were likely to be discovered. "There are probably dozens of vulnerabilities," said the expert, Bruce Schneier, founder and chief technical officer of Counterpane Internet Security. "The basic problem is that you're building a system that allows devices who don't know each other to communicate. I believe there are too many things that can go wrong."   The New York Times on the Web http://www.nytimes.com /-----------------------------------------------------------------\ \-----------------------------------------------------------------/ HOW TO ADVERTISE - --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact Alyson Racer at alyson@nytimes.com or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help@nytimes.com. Copyright 2000 The New York Times Company - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Sep 2000 14:21:15 -0400 From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) Subject: improper "supervision", was: , was: Re: Caller ID and answer In Mark J Cuccia writes: >BTW, GTE has SUPED on some NPA-change messages where the NPA has changed >in their terminating territory (AT&T, MCI, and Sprint play their own >NPA-change messages, but the LECs play their own in their own LATA >territory as well, and for the Qwests, Frontiers, etc. who have a >long-haul network but don't play their own NPA-change messages. >And many LECs here and there have been KNOWN to SUPE on intercepts, vacant >code messages, re-orders, busies, etc. It isn't "rare", but it isn't as >widespread as I might be describing here... Which brings up a question I'd love to know the answer to, namely: what types of "answers" are supposed to be "unsupervised"? Presumably there's some list somewhere which, while perhaps not perfect, should give some guidance. For example, we're probably all in agreement that true "busy" signals shouldn't generate a charge. Similarly, a telco intercept advising you of an area code split should be a freebie. But going down the list, we start getting into grey areas. For example, if you misdial a number in a paging company (let's say 800 of the 1000 numbers are in use, but you hit one of the blank ones) and you get an intercept saying 'you've reached a nonworking number at everlost-paging, our main number is foo-xxx'. Should that be charged? Or 'no such number here at the White House, please call our switchboard'? - -- _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Sep 2000 15:44:45 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: re - billing/answer supervision... danny burstein wrote: > Mark J Cuccia writes: >> BTW, GTE has SUPED on some NPA-change messages where the NPA has >> changed in their terminating territory (AT&T, MCI, and Sprint play >> their own NPA-change messages, but the LECs play their own in their >> own LATA territory as well, and for the Qwests, Frontiers, etc. who >> have a long-haul network but don't play their own NPA-change messages. >> And many LECs here and there have been KNOWN to SUPE on intercepts, >> vacant code messages, re-orders, busies, etc. It isn't "rare", but it >> isn't as widespread as I might be describing here... (Ameritech is also known to frequently "supe" on vacants, re-orders, intercepts, etc) > Which brings up a question I'd love to know the answer to, namely: > > what types of "answers" are supposed to be "unsupervised"? > > Presumably there's some list somewhere which, while perhaps not > perfect, should give some guidance. > > For example, we're probably all in agreement that true "busy" signals > shouldn't generate a charge. > > Similarly, a telco intercept advising you of an area code split should > be a freebie. I'd go as far as have _ALL_ vacant code/number, all ccts busy, number changes, no such number, etc. recordings as NON-suping (non-billing). > But going down the list, we start getting into grey areas. > > For example, if you misdial a number in a paging company (let's say 800 > of the 1000 numbers are in use, but you hit one of the blank ones) and > you get an intercept saying 'you've reached a nonworking number at > everlost-paging, our main number is foo-xxx'. Should that be charged? I'd make it "free" non-suping. The wording on the announcement is up to the paging company -- maybe they could give a "cold" vacant type of recording -- even a "re-order" (fast busy)... > Or 'no such number here at the White House, please call our > switchboard'? PBXes, cellular/wireless companies, etc. are all able (and should be encouraged) to return non-suping "vacant" or "intercept" announcements, IMO. Area Code "test/validation" announcement numbers (as indicated in TRA, NANPA, and LEC/etc. documentation have frequently indicated the test number as "free", but many NPA-test/validation numbers have been known to "supe" - about half of the new NPAs in the Caribbean had "suping" test numbers, but they aren't the only ones who have "suped" them. Maybe there should be a "pair" of NPA test numbers for every LATA/tandem region to use that new NPA -- one that is "free" (non-suping) to simply check routings/translations, and another that "supes" if someone wants to check their billing equipment or if they are going to get properly billed/etc. when that new area code gets "real" customers on it. When 250 split from 604 in BC back in 1996, there was a "pair" of test numbers - consecutive TOO -- line-number -0123 was NON-billing, while - -0124 returned supervision for billing. The actual announcement on each number was IDENTICAL, probably coming from the same machine too! Note -- for those who aren't aware, AT&T (and possibly others) certainly do _BLOCK_ forward voicepath on their networks until the distant end returns off-hook billing/answer supervision. If one of the few remaining live "intercept operators" comes on a line asking "special operator, what number have you dialed", and you placed that call over AT&T, since she won't "supe back" to you, AT&T still has forward voicepath blocked, and she won't be able to hear you. AT&T started doing this twenty-plus years ago in the AT&T Long-Lines parts of the network, to reduce fraudulent use of their network. If you ask an AT&T Operator to call a number where you get a live intercept operator, the AT&T Opr can "RING FORWARD" to open up forward voicepath, yet you still haven't received backwards supervision -- nor billing for the call! Of course, the AT&T Operator will probably want to place a call for you at _OPERATOR_HANDLED_Rates_ to the (potential) "new" number quoted by the distant LEC intercept operator. As for reaching "tests", "announcements" (vacants, intercepts, etc), busies, etc. from a PBX or Cellular (or CLEC), while it isn't "that" difficult to arrange such terminations as NON-suping-back, with all of the competition/confusion in the industry today, many might not know "how" to fix their MTSO, PBX, etc. so that such terminating special numbers do not return back supervision.... Oh - and for network/switching/routing tests (not NPA tests), some are set deliberately to "supe" to do billing/rating studies, etc. Other test line numbers can be specifically set NOT to supe! MJC - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 2 Sep 2000 23:06:09 -0400 From: djb0x7736f467@scream.org (Dan) Subject: Re: What does it take to be a CLEC? Roy Smith wrote: > I had a visit a few days ago from some guys trying to sell us DSL > service in one of our campus residential buildings. Two interesting > factoids came out of the conversation: 1) they're a CLEC, and 2) the > entire company consists of 30 people. > > I was a little amazed a 30 person company could be a CLEC. What exactly > does it involve? Just file some paperwork with the FCC and hang out a > shingle? Thinking of my days with IDT (hey! ouch, stop, it was years ago!) I think you'd need some warm bodies to do office tasks, someone to make deals with the dominant LEC, and someone to man the phones and slam^Wswitch over new customers. You might need a billing system and maybe even some telecom hardware, but I dunno, the alpha LEC might handle that. No, IDT is not a LEC. But they're a something-or-other, and they didn't strike me as having vast amounts of installed plant at the time. I kinda suspect only the big guys are actually buying serious amounts of gear, and everyone else is just getting the bare minimum to interface/whatever with them, and picking up bodies. - -Dan - -- Dan Birchall - Palolo Valley, Honolulu HI - http://dan.scream.org Post your reviews; get paid: http://epinions.scream.org/join.html Free web-based e-mail: http://www.themail.com/ref.htm?ref=1163079 My address expires - take out the hex stamp if your reply bounces - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #42 ******************************* From ???@??? Mon Sep 04 05:36:44 2000 Date: 4 Sep 2000 06:15:09 -0400 Message-ID: <20000904101509.26255.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #43 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: b86c4fa86c175e73898a44622b3ccfbf Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Monday, September 4 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 043 In this issue: Re: What does it take to be a CLEC? Re: re - billing/answer supervision... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 3 Sep 2000 07:05:42 -0400 From: Roy Smith Subject: Re: What does it take to be a CLEC? djb0x7736f467@scream.org wrote: > Thinking of my days with IDT (hey! ouch, stop, it was years ago!) > I think you'd need [...] someone to make deals with the dominant LEC Interesting you mention that. There was an engineering type and the president of the company who came on the sales call. We were down in the phone room in the basement talking about getting access to the house pairs (owned by NYTel, oh sorry, NYNEX, oh no wait a minute, Bell Atlantic, oh no, wait, Verizon, that's it) so they could put their own DSLAM in there. The engineering guy said there would be no technical problems, but wasn't sure it was legal. The president's response was, "Don't worry about that, Joe [or whatever his name was] will get you in here in a minute". I got the strong impression that Joe's job was not so much "someone to make deals with the dominant LEC", but a lawyer who spent his days sending out nastygrams so they could fight their way into premises and CO's. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 4 Sep 2000 01:32:17 -0400 From: Alan Boritz Subject: Re: re - billing/answer supervision... Mark J Cuccia wrote: >danny burstein wrote: > >> Mark J Cuccia writes: > >>> BTW, GTE has SUPED on some NPA-change messages where the NPA has >>> changed in their terminating territory (AT&T, MCI, and Sprint play >>> their own NPA-change messages, but the LECs play their own in their >>> own LATA territory as well, and for the Qwests, Frontiers, etc. who >>> have a long-haul network but don't play their own NPA-change messages. > >>> And many LECs here and there have been KNOWN to SUPE on intercepts, >>> vacant code messages, re-orders, busies, etc. It isn't "rare", but it >>> isn't as widespread as I might be describing here... > >(Ameritech is also known to frequently "supe" on vacants, re-orders, >intercepts, etc) Bell Atlantic/Verizon does that intentionally when the intercept is within a centrex number block. They consider the call "completed," even though (NY) PSC-900 requires a PBX operator to NOT return supervision for the same intercepts. A colleague brought that to my attention once long ago with respect to our respective NYC government agencies, and the point was driven home when I lost a quarter calling an invalid number on our own switch. Note also that the tone and recording intercepts for which Bell Atlantic routinely returns answer supervision are NOT treated the same way if the number called was a regular (non-centrex) telephone number. >> Which brings up a question I'd love to know the answer to, namely: >> >> what types of "answers" are supposed to be "unsupervised"? >> >> Presumably there's some list somewhere which, while perhaps not >> perfect, should give some guidance. The "list" is usually contained within the state tariff for that particular LEC. An informal list can usually be found in PBX programming manuals. Lucent, Siemens, NEC, and other switch manufacturers are very specific on the types of tone and recorded intercepts that are not intended to return answer supervision. Keep in mind that those features would not be present on most state-of-the-art PBX's if there wasn't a legitimate need. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #43 ******************************* From ???@??? Wed Sep 06 08:08:41 2000 Date: 6 Sep 2000 06:15:13 -0400 Message-ID: <20000906101513.10292.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #44 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 31ef0b53d11dcf8d8f66569018527a3d Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Wednesday, September 6 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 044 In this issue: Re: slight possibility, was: Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? 9/5/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES 'Opting In': A Privacy Paradox Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service An Open Letter to Jeff Bezos Amazon Hoses Us All wanted: anglophonic customer service contact at airtel spain (preferably with e-mail) Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 5 Sep 2000 21:07:17 -0400 From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) Subject: Re: slight possibility, was: Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) writes: > In <00902.011535.1x9.rnr.w165w@krypton.rain.com> shadow@krypton.rain.com > (Leonard Erickson) writes: > >>richw@webcom.com (Rich Wales) writes: > >>> Can answer supervision be triggered by caller ID, even if no person >>> or answering machine ever picks up the line at the receiving end? > >>No. > > Not entirely correct. There's one possibility which is rare, but > legit. I'll describe it at the end. > >>> This all sounds very fishy to me. Any comments? > >>The company is likely not *using* supervision. Instead, they charge as >>soon as the call has lasted for more than some number of seconds (30, >>45 or 60). A lot of the sleazier outfits have pulled this stunt for >>*years*. > > That's the strangest mipselling I've heard of lately for 'lots of the > cellular carriers'. "A difference which makes no difference is no difference." :-) > Anyway, getting to the legit, rare, possibility which probably doesn't > apply here, but does exist: > > There are quite a few combined answering machine/fax switch > units) or, for that matter, external fax/modem/voice "switches") > which could cause this. > > These units work by _picking up_ the ringing phone line > (i.e. "answering" it), and feeding back a fake ringing sound. > > While doing this, they're "listening" to the line to see if > a fax calling tone (the "beep", "wait three or or secs", then > another "beep") is present. If so, then they'll activate > a fax amchine. If not, they'll kick the call to the phones > and start ringing them, or will direct the call to an > answering machine. > > Note that part about "picking up" or "answering" the line. You, as the > calle,r will often not realize this has happened since you're hearing the > fake ring the box is pushing back at you. However, once this has happened, > the call has been "supervised" and is considered answered. Which is why I pay for distinctive ring and bought a decoder box. The box is just for the phone, the modem can recognize the different ring patterns on its own. - -- Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow) shadow@krypton.rain.com <--preferred leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com <--last resort - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 22:03:39 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 9/5/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS 1 800 CAR CLUB ICANN ELECTION TAMPERING? FRENCH NEWSPAPER LE MONDE WINS UDRP NY TIMES SEEKS END TO DOMAIN DISPUTE NEW ICANN RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT 'SPECIAL' BOARD MEETING CHINESE DOT COMS ON AUCTION COUNTRY OF TUVALU, HOME OF .TV DOMAIN, TO JOIN THE UN 'BODACIOUS TATAS' IS ... NEW GEOGRAPHIC NAME RULING OBF RFI ISSUED DOMAIN OWNERS FIGHTING TO KEEP NAMES A DOT ORG BY THE SAME NAME, DOES NOT A DOT COM MAKE UDRP ANOMALY: GRANTING BENEFIT OF DOUBT NSI CNRP PILOT IS ONLINE ICANN AND U.S. AGREE TO EXTEND AGREEMENTS WEBER WALKS; E-TAILER KEEPS "WEBERGRILLS.COM" ICANN ELECTION UPDATE NIIF ASKS ADVERTISERS & BROADCASTERS FOR MASS CAMPAIGN NOTICE CAN SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS HIJACK THE ICANN ELECTION? ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) LAST WEEK - SALE ENDS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 8TH! ACT NOW! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ TARGET YOUR CUSTOMERS - ADVERTISE ON ICB HEADS UP HEADLINES Advertise your products and services to Telecom and Internet Vendors, Professionals & End Users in ICB's HeadsUp Headline emails, which go out daily to ICB Toll Free News' member list and Telecom Digest's subscriber list, and weekly to inter800.com's (The Internet 800 Directory) member list, totaling over 108,000 impressions/month. Cost is .0375 cents/impression, and space is limited. Place your ad by Monday, September 11th for a $550.00 discount on your first months' placement. Order by email to editor@icbtollfree.com. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES for September 5, 2000 P - 1 800 CAR CLUB Very few of the more than 200 million cars on American roads today are equipped with global positioning systems or wireless Internet access, but 100 million Americans have cellular telephones. "Help, I'm Lost" is accessible from any telephone by dialing 1-800-CAR-CLUB. The service is free for members of Carclub.com, and available to non-members for a fee of $2.95. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4411 F - ICANN ELECTION TAMPERING? ICANN staff, in what looks a lot like election tampering, has decided to keep member "activation" and nomination open until Sept. 8. ICANN CFO Andrew McLaughlin said in a statement that "we would like to see a greater percentage of the applicants get activated to participate in the member- nomination process." But if more members become active without realizing that a separate step is needed to help an independent candidate get on the ballot, Auerbach (an advocate of ICANN reform) could slip below 2 percent, which seems to be ICANN's desired result. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4410 P - FRENCH NEWSPAPER LE MONDE WINS UDRP Fremy argued that "concerning the phrase itself -- 'the world' -- its generic character prevents any exclusive appropriation," according to the ruling. He said he planned to open an information portal on the site, but had been prevented from doing so by lack of funding. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4409 F - NY TIMES SEEKS END TO DOMAIN DISPUTE Earlier this month, a panel of judges with the US Court of Appeals in California scolded the Augusta National golf club, saying there was evidence the famed host of the Masters golf tournament had attempted such a tactic to keep a small company named Bancroft & Masters Inc. from using the domain Masters.com. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4408 P - NEW ICANN RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT 'SPECIAL' BOARD MEETING At its meeting on 30 August 2000, the ICANN Board of Directors adopted resolutions pertaining to Agreements with United States Government, and payment approval of a Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue legal invoice for $110,670.96, which appears to be solely attributable to the Afternic litigation, which was dismissed on July 7th, just days after it was filed. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4407 F - CHINESE DOT COMS ON AUCTION Foreign companies will be able to bid on equal footing with domestic buyers for domain names, technologies, Web content and dot-com companies. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4406 P - COUNTRY OF TUVALU, HOME OF .TV DOMAIN, TO JOIN THE UN Tuvalu, an island nation in the South Pacific which made news earlier this year for licensing its country code Internet address to California's dotTV for $50 million, will formally be inducted into the United Nations on September 5. The only country admitted to the United Nations this year, Tuvalu is using a portion of the funds generated from the sale of its .tv address to pay for the yearly U.N. fees. "Rarely does the Internet have such a direct economic impact on developing nations," said Lou Kerner, CEO of dotTV. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4412 P - 'BODACIOUS TATAS' IS ... (a) American slang for "large female breasts" (b) An audacious Transportation Aviation Test And Support (c) the title of a pornographic movie distributed in the United States (d) associated with the goods and services of "internationally famous mark", the "House of Tata" of India. WIPO says (d), of course. Yea, right. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4419 P - NEW GEOGRAPHIC NAME RULING A WIPO arbitrator has rejected an attempt by the community of St. Moritz to obtain stmoritz.com from the owner, who is using the domain as a portal about St. Moritz. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4405 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* Are you a local or regional business that advertises in newspapers, direct mail, on radio or tv? 1 800 BRAND IT shared use marketing programs can help your sales skyrocket! http://www.1800BrandIt.com ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES for September 5, 2000 P - OBF RFI ISSUED Existing database content, formats, and access methods, without significant change, will not fully support the information needed to resolve problems resulting from the onset of local competition and the loss of geographic significance and company specificity for telephone numbers. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4421 F - DOMAIN OWNERS FIGHTING TO KEEP NAMES WIPO's quick and cheap arbitration system for settling disputes over who has the right to names ending in .com, .net and .org is destroying the Internet. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4420 P - A DOT ORG BY THE SAME NAME, DOES NOT A DOT COM MAKE Pueblo.org is clearly different, because the top level domain, .org, is not the same as the .com domain that would normally be associated with a supermarket. Moreover, the Judge discusses in some detail the 1997 IAHC plan to create 7 new gTLDs, which he said were designed to permit more than one firm to use the same name in different gTLDs. The decision itself should be useful for those applying for new TLDs, who are faced with questions regarding how they will address trademark concerns. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4418 F - UDRP ANOMALY: GRANTING BENEFIT OF DOUBT While other UDRP arbitrators have used confusing contact information or the lack of a functioning site to help fashion decisions in favor of complainants, Harris said he would accept at face value Holt's explanation of the US address for his international Web operations and documentation that suggested the Webmaster might actually be planning an ink-jet service business. While Harris agreed that the domain in dispute met the UDRP's first test of being confusingly similar with a trademark owned by a complainant, he said: "There are insufficient grounds to doubt Mr. Holt's version of the facts, and consequently ... EasyJet has failed to fulfill the necessary second leg of the requirements in the rules, namely showing that Mr. Holt has no rights or legitimate interests in respect of the domain name." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4417 F - NSI CNRP PILOT IS ONLINE The pilot includes a service that has been seeded with data from the over 8 million domain-names found in Network Solutions' registrar domain-name database. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4416 P - ICANN AND U.S. AGREE TO EXTEND AGREEMENTS ICANN announced yesterday that its agreements with the United States Government will be extended for up to one year. Also included in the agreed extensions are two subsidiary agreements: a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between ICANN and the U.S. Department of Commerce for enhancements to the root-nameserver system and a contract for operation of the Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA). CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4414 P - WEBER WALKS; E-TAILER KEEPS "WEBERGRILLS.COM" Weber-Stephen's withdrawal of its federal case comes three months after losing a similar case against Armitage Hardware before the World Intellectual Property Organization. For both cases, winning law firm: Competition Law Group. Losing law firm: Baker & MacKenzie. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4413 F - ICANN ELECTION UPDATE The Member Nominations phase of the ICANN elections ends this Friday (September 8). With just a few days left, we can begin to see some likely nominations and some electoral trends. Analysis courtesy of the CyberFederalist. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4424 P - NIIF ASKS ADVERTISERS & BROADCASTERS FOR MASS CAMPAIGN NOTICE A significant network reliability concern to the telecommunications industry is the impact of Media Stimulated Mass Calling (MSMC) Events when telecommunications providers are not advised of them in advance. MSMC events occur when the public is motivated by the media to place calls to a specific number (Call-ins, give-aways, contests etc.). The impact of unknown MSMC events on the telecommunications network could range from minor inconveniences to major network outages. The sponsor of the event could be adversely impacted by telecommunications network congestion resulting from an unanticipated MSMC event. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4423 F - CAN SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS HIJACK THE ICANN ELECTION? A German hacker group looks set to win a seat on the board of domain name regulator ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, possibly confirming fears that the controversial election procedure could be hijacked by special interest groups. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4422 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: 5 Sep 2000 22:20:26 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: 'Opting In': A Privacy Paradox 'Opting In': A Privacy Paradox By John Schwartz Washington Post Staff Writer Monday , September 4, 2000 ; H01 Some big computer out there knows all about Joan Schram. Its massive memory has stored the birth dates of family members and friends, the fact that she drives a Ford Explorer, and the names and birth dates of her American shorthair cat and rare Brazilian fila dog. And she's thrilled about it. http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63843-2000Sep1.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Sep 2000 00:13:57 -0400 From: oldbear@arctos.com (The Old Bear) Subject: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service Now I realize that Bell Atlantic / Verizon just settled a strike about a week ago and has a backlog of work orders, but this is a bid ridiculous: This afternoon a high truck took down an overhead drop across a major street near where I live. I saw cars trying to steer around the wire which was hanging down into one lane. I stopped, identified that it was a telco (not power!) line, and pulled it down from the tree branch it was caught on and rolled it up in a coil by the side of the road. I then tried to call Verizon repair service at 1-617-555-1611. First try: busy signal. Second try: call allocator... press 1 if this is a new call, press 2 to check on an existing repair order, etc. Start by entering the number you are reporting... press 0 at any time to speak to representative. Well, I had no phone number to report, just a downed wire, so I pressed 0. And got a busy signal. Hung up, tried again. Pressed 0, got a message saying to please hold while my call is transferred, then -- do you beleive this -- a recording which said "We are unable to take your call. Bell Atlantic repair service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please call back at another time." I made two more attempts, all with the same result. Figured they don't care if they have a cable down. I'm just glad it wasn't a pole. Cheers, The Old Bear - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Sep 2000 01:18:56 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: An Open Letter to Jeff Bezos An Open Letter to Jeff Bezos Hello! Earth to Bezos! What the hell are you doing? You've built a great brand, created a great preference information system, and combined that information with other users' behavior in helping loyal customers find new products. You've taken the rarely heard customer's voice and incorporated it into the site, allowing customers to make better buying decisions. The result? The dot-com poster-child that the rest of us mere mortals can only aspire to. And now you're throwing it all away. http://www.clickz.com/cgi-bin/gt/article.html?article=2354 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Sep 2000 01:21:54 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Amazon Hoses Us All Amazon Hoses Us All Amazon.com's latest privacy directive is not just a direct assault on privacy, but a direct assault on the industry and its attempts to maintain self-regulation. When you type "www.amazon.com" into the address line on-screen, any personal information Amazon might then collect on you becomes the site's property, to do with as it wishes. The FTC has already moved against policies similar to Amazon's. It's not just customers who are being hosed by this new policy, it's the whole industry. http://www.clickz.com/cgi-bin/gt/article.html?article=2353 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Sep 2000 03:13:58 -0400 From: henry mensch Subject: wanted: anglophonic customer service contact at airtel spain (preferably with e-mail) i'm trying to resolve some issues with my airtel (spain) formula gsm service and i'm not getting much help with the online forms at their website http://www.airtel.es/ (all the replies i receive from here instruct me to dial numbers on my GSM phone that won't get me anywhere since i'm in north america where there's no GSM service) ... a referral to someone at airtel spain who can use e-mail and help with some service issues (in english, or in spanish) would be appreciated. thanks! - -- # henry mensch / / http://www.verve.org/henry/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Sep 2000 05:17:44 -0400 From: Roy Smith Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service oldbear@arctos.com (The Old Bear) wrote: > I made two more attempts, all with the same result. > Figured they don't care if they have a cable down. I'm > just glad it wasn't a pole. If you really want to get hold of somebody at any large company, you need to call an office which is a high corporate priority for them. For Verizon, repairs would be a poor choice. Try mergers and acquisitions; it's probably better staffed. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #44 ******************************* From ???@??? Fri Sep 08 07:02:40 2000 Date: 8 Sep 2000 06:15:14 -0400 Message-ID: <20000908101514.17895.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #45 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 0beb4fb3613849eb36d7ed73424fdad6 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Friday, September 8 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 045 In this issue: IDMS 2000: Call for Posters and Demonstrators Re: legality of automated telphone spam Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service Re: wanted: anglophonic customer service contact at airtel spain (preferably with e-mail) Verizon to cut prices for N.E. DSL customers Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service Re: ISDN and Billing Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service on CNN tonight to talk about video game ratings Re: Cannot change my long dis Computer Telephony Resource on CNN tonight to talk about video game ratings telecom digest Toll-free numbers that lead to charges on phone bill 9/7/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 6 Sep 2000 06:21:14 -0400 From: Johan Kunnen Subject: IDMS 2000: Call for Posters and Demonstrators [Our apologies if you receive multiple copies of this Call] Call for Posters and Demonstrators IDMS 2000 7th International Workshop on Interactive Distributed Multimedia Systems and Telecommunication Services CTIT/Univ. of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands October 17-20, 2000 http://www.ctit.utwente.nl/Docs/news/idms_2000.htm In cooperation with ACM SIGCOMM and SIGMM Sponsored by KPN Research, Lucent Technologies and Philips The goal of the IDMS series of workshops is to bring together researchers, developers, and practitioners from academia and industry; and to provide a forum for discussion, presentation, and exploration of technologies and advances in the broad field of interactive distributed multimedia systems and telecommunication services. Topics covered in IDMS workshops range from basic system technologies such as networking and operating system support to all kinds of teleservices and distributed multimedia applications. IDMS 2000 consists of a full day of tutorials, a three days technical program, and demonstrations during the workshop. For the latter, we solicit proposals for posters and demonstrators associated with the scope of the workshop. Posters and demo's offer oppertunities to researchers and developers to present and discuss their work in progress and practical results through more informal interaction. Posters and demo's will be selected based on their suitability for the workshop and their technical feasibility. Posters should be presentable on 1 or 2 A0 sheets; demo proposals should indicate which technical infrastructure facilities are required. Selected posters and demo's will be announced on the IDMS website, together with short descriptions, if provided. Proposals can be sent to: Richard Bults, bults@ctit.utwente.nl Deadline for receipt of proposals: October 2nd, 2000 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Sep 2000 08:39:45 -0400 From: Ian Phillipps Subject: Re: legality of automated telphone spam Melvin Klassen wrote: > On Mon, 28 Aug 2000 03:39:57, djb0x7736d717@scream.org (Dan) wrote: > The voice-mail system optionally used by Telus (Alberta & British > Columbia) residental subscribers lets one call the "message-pickup" > number, e.g., 250-881-9000 in Victoria, and then select a mailbox for > any subscriber, by entering their telephone-number, and then leave a > message. > Nah, nobody would abuse this feature, would they? Orange, the UK mobile operator, has a feature like that on its voice mail, with the added twist that you can compile lists of numbers, and leave a message for all of them at one go. It would be difficult to do any major spams this way, though - you'd have to implement a robot to navigate the inevitable "press 1 to select this" menus and continually reconfigure the lists. I have received two or three spam messages in as many years of phone service. If there were more, I'd raise stink, since I have to pay to listen to them. At least one Orange tariff has no line rental, and no charge to access answerphone... Hmm... Ian - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Sep 2000 11:01:29 -0400 From: ackphnman@my-deja.com Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service yeah these poor guys are so back logged that .They all decided to have breakfast @ 0930 (Just saw 6 bucket trucks @ the local greasy spoon)there super must be off the island today!!! Nantucket that is In article , Roy Smith wrote: > oldbear@arctos.com (The Old Bear) wrote: > > I made two more attempts, all with the same result. > > Figured they don't care if they have a cable down. I'm > > just glad it wasn't a pole. > > If you really want to get hold of somebody at any large company, you > need to call an office which is a high corporate priority for them. For > Verizon, repairs would be a poor choice. Try mergers and acquisitions; > it's probably better staffed. > -- > The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail > messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 6 Sep 2000 13:57:52 -0400 From: Brad Ackerman Subject: Re: wanted: anglophonic customer service contact at airtel spain (preferably with e-mail) In article <4.3.2.7.2.20000906000814.00c4c370@pop.verve.org>, henry mensch wrote: > (all the replies i receive from here instruct me to dial numbers on > my GSM phone that won't get me anywhere since i'm in north america > where there's no GSM service) If that's the case, then you'd better get the tinfoil hat out -- I'm in Cambridge (Massachusetts), my phone shows an S9+ signal, and it doesn't do anything other than GSM. Of course, that doesn't really matter in this case, because the Deutsche Telekom or Microcell network[1] (depending on your location) would be the one trying to parse those numbers. Airtel's HQ address appears to be: (from www.nic.es) Airtel Movil S.A. Avda. Europa, 1 Parque Empresarial La Moraleja. Alcobendas, Madrid E-28108 Get their main switchboard number from directory enquiries (00), then call it. [1] Yes, I know there are still a few more unmerged GSM nets left here, but it won't be long now. - -- Brad Ackerman N1MNB "It is in fact our contention that...the U.S.-Canada bsa3@cornell.edu border is likely to disappear before any politician PGP: 0x62D6B223 finds the political courage to negotiate its removal." http://skaro.pair.com/ -- Papademetriou and Meyers, ceip.org, June 2000 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Sep 2000 11:26:33 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon to cut prices for N.E. DSL customers Throw in dinner with James Earl Jones and it's a deal. Verizon says it will cut the price of digital subscriber line high-speed Internet access for business and residential customers in New England, including waiving installation charges and the $99 modem fee for customers taking DSL for a year. BOSTON GLOBE http://www.digitalmass.com/news/daily/09/06/verizon_dsl.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Sep 2000 11:26:59 -0400 From: "Ed Ellers" Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service The Old Bear wrote: "This afternoon a high truck took down an overhead drop across a major street near where I live. I saw cars trying to steer around the wire which was hanging down into one lane. I stopped, identified that it was a telco (not power!) line, and pulled it down from the tree branch it was caught on and rolled it up in a coil by the side of the road. "I then tried to call Verizon repair service at 1-617-555-1611." Next time, call 911. Even if it isn't a power line, if the cable is hanging down into a lane it's a traffic hazard. They'll know how to get hold of the right department at the phone company. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Sep 2000 12:13:46 -0400 From: "Kurtiak, David" Subject: Re: ISDN and Billing > In article "Telecom Digest V2000 #36" Gunnar Liknes wrote: > >Hello, > > > >We are looking for a company in the US which can deliver 100 digital > >subscriber lines to a location in Florida. We also need 1000 numbers > >and a billing solution enabling us to charge 10-15USD per minute on > >inncomming calls. > > > >I have tried AT&T, Bell south and MCI but I just get put trough to a lot > of > >people > >who doesnt understand what I want. > > > >Gunnar Liknes > > > > You might want to try TelcoExchange -- they specialize in ISDN ordering. > I've placed several orders through them and have been nothing short of > delighted with the service responsiveness. The primary contact I have > there is Ray Dunetz, at "ray@telcoexchange.com". They also have a website > you can get some addition information from: www.telcoexchange.com > > I have no affiliation with Telco Exchange other than being a very > satisfied customer of theirs. Hope this helps! > > -David M. Kurtiak > Sr. Network Engineer > Loral Skynet, Bedminster, NJ > dkurtiak@loralskynet.com > 908-470-2458 > - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Sep 2000 15:13:35 -0400 From: abuse@cabal.org.uk (Peter Corlett) Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service Roy Smith wrote: [...] > If you really want to get hold of somebody at any large company, you need > to call an office which is a high corporate priority for them. For > Verizon, repairs would be a poor choice. Try mergers and acquisitions; > it's probably better staffed. I certainly note that it takes 30 minutes in a queue to get to speak to a human[0] at BT. Even calling Sales takes a few minutes. The "I'm fed up with BT, I'm switching to cable" line gets answered on the second ring by people asking you to stay. [0] For small values of human, IME. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Sep 2000 15:50:49 -0400 From: Bennett Haselton Subject: on CNN tonight to talk about video game ratings [sent to journalists on Peacefire's press contacts list] CNN's Newsstand is doing a piece tonight on KMart's decision to start carding purchases of "M"-rated video games: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000907/bs/violent_videos_1.html Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) will be on arguing in favor of video game restrictions; I'll be on arguing that they do more harm than good. This is off the topic of Internet censorship that Peacefire usually focuses on, but CNN couldn't find any formal organizations supporting "video game First Amendment rights", since most anti-censorship types tend to focus on "serious" media like _Schindler's List_ as opposed to _Mortal Kombat 3_. The core arguments are similar anyway (I'll be arguing that when rulemakers come across as not knowing how much teenagers are capable of handling, teenagers tend to lose all respect for the rulemakers, for one thing). The "Newsstand" show starts tonight on CNN at 10 PM Eastern time, but the video game piece doesn't start until 10:30. This is a live broadcast, so if you're watching, you might be able to make me screw up just by sheer psychic power of concentration. -Bennett bennett@peacefire.org http://www.peacefire.org (425) 649 9024 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Sep 2000 17:42:45 -0400 From: wierdo@ulna.net (Nathan) Subject: Re: Cannot change my long dis Andy.Ballp0.f2.n8.z8@fmlynet.org (Andy Ball) wrote in <0001.39ad9c7c@fmlynet.org>: > Obviously, it's not always easy to find out in advance >who is going to work well for you. Hopefully someone here will be able >to recommend a long distance provider that they've had a good experience >of. My own experience would make me avoid Vartec Telecom (10-10-811), >BigZoo.com and MCI Worldcom. Long Distance service needs depend completely on the person. In your case, reliability appears to be your main concern. In mine, it's the rate, since I use between 3000 and 5000 minutes of long distance a month. If it was for my business use, I'm sure that the lack of rock-solid reliability which BigZoo.com gives would be distressing to me, but since it's only out every once in awhile, and then usually not for long, I don't mind it. For 3.9c a minute, I find that I'm getting what I pay for, and it works for me. If I have a need to make a call right now and BigZoo doesn't work, some dial-around provider will. In the case of the original poster, if, somehow it turns out that it's not illegal for them to not provide equal access (which I would highly doubt) the best course of action would probably be to use some sort of cheap calling card, since they're regular toll-free numbers. - -Nathan - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Sep 2000 18:09:22 -0400 From: "Keith Harper" Subject: Computer Telephony Resource NEW!! If you are interested or involved in IVR, CTI, VoIP, Computer Telephony, visit our telephony resource website. TelephonyIndex provides a comprehensive resource for locating Computer Telephony products and services. You can include your own telephony related website in our directory for FREE. The site also includes a forum where you can buy or sell surplus equipment. Visit - http://www.TelephonyIndex.co.uk/ Enjoy! keith@telephonyindex.co.uk - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Sep 2000 20:00:27 -0400 From: Bennett Haselton Subject: on CNN tonight to talk about video game ratings [sorry if you received this twice, it doesn't look like it went through the first time] [sent to journalists on Peacefire's press contacts list] CNN's Newsstand is doing a piece tonight on KMart's decision to start carding purchases of "M"-rated video games: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000907/bs/violent_videos_1.html Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) will be on arguing in favor of video game restrictions; I'll be on arguing that they do more harm than good. This is off the topic of Internet censorship that Peacefire usually focuses on, but CNN couldn't find any formal organizations supporting "video game First Amendment rights", since most anti-censorship types tend to focus on "serious" media like _Schindler's List_ as opposed to _Mortal Kombat 3_. The core arguments are similar anyway (I'll be arguing that when rulemakers come across as not knowing how much teenagers are capable of handling, teenagers tend to lose all respect for the rulemakers, for one thing). The "Newsstand" show starts tonight on CNN at 10 PM Eastern time, but the video game piece doesn't start until 10:30. This is a live broadcast, so if you're watching, you might be able to make me screw up just by sheer psychic power of concentration. -Bennett bennett@peacefire.org http://www.peacefire.org (425) 649 9024 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Sep 2000 22:09:13 -0400 From: "James Keryan" Subject: telecom digest Heard about Pat's troubles through Mike Sandman. I was wondering what happened to the Digest since there has been no activity since May. John, I guess you are running the show for now. Please sign me up for the Digest. Mike sent a picture of Pat during a recent visit. He looks pertty well considering his health problems. Jim Keryan - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 7 Sep 2000 22:27:50 -0400 From: "Damon Brownd" Subject: Toll-free numbers that lead to charges on phone bill I know I've seen discussions about this here, but I can't find them in the archives. Info or pointers will be greatly appreciated. The courtesy phones on our PBX are restricted to calling local and toll-free numbers. I recently had several international calls appear on our phone bill that were submitted by OAN on behalf of Martel communications. Examination of our call logs showed that they had been dialed via a toll-free number that doesn't require any identifying info before placing a call. I have blocked that number to prevent future charges, but wonder if there are others I need to block. OAN has placed a block on this number for us, but refused to block all of their clients and refused to remove the charges. A call to Southwestern Bell removed it from our bill and it will be a cold day in hell before OAN gets a dime out of me. Is billing calls to an 800 number like this legal? It seems that the ONLY reason for a service like this to exist is to shaft companies with publicly accessible phones. After much searching of the FCC web site, I'm still not sure. Is there a source that provides a list of such numbers so I can block them in our phone system or do I have to be burned once by each one? We can't block all toll free numbers because we frequently have to have our patients call their insurance company from our waiting rooms. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2000 23:51:48 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 9/7/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - PROBLEMS FACED BY OWNERS OF INCOMING 800 NETWORKS - - UDRP PANELISTS LOSING SIGHT OF MANDATE - - I-DNS AND THAI URL DISPUTES UNRESOLVED - - EMAIL-SQUATTING - - LIQUIDATION DOMAIN NAMES - - FREETELEPHONE.COM - - DOT TV OPENS EU AND ASIAN OFFICES - - NO SURPRISE WHO TOP 10 POLITICAL DONORS ARE ************************************************************************* CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTES: ICB Premium Service is on Summer Sale for $99 for a 12 month subscription, including access to all 'P' articles and Premium areas of the web site. (regular price $549) LAST WEEK - SALE ENDS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 8TH! ACT NOW! - http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ !!! YOUR TEXT AD HERE !!! 17,000+ weekly readership, over 108,000 targeted impressions every month! Space is limited -- ORDER NOW! -- email editor@icbtollfree.com. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES for September 7, 2000 P - PROBLEMS FACED BY OWNERS OF INCOMING 800 NETWORKS ... ... And Some of Their Solutions. “Logical networks” can be complex animals. Much is lost when the “logical network” gets translated into the raw “physical network”. The details are further masked by the load to the 800 number vendor’s equipment. Part 3 of a series by Bud Jay. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4435 F - UDRP PANELISTS LOSING SIGHT OF MANDATE ... in favor of respect for a trademark owner's famous reputation. "I believe that the fact that Crew.com was a functioning Web site, which actually earned receivables, makes this UDRP decision an excellent example of the arbitrariness of the current process." Editorial by Brian Livingston, Contributing Editor of InfoWorld and CNET News.com. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4434 F - I-DNS AND THAI URL DISPUTES UNRESOLVED Seven tentative names are dot-com and dot-net for companies, dot-ongkorn for organisation, dot-suksa for education, dot-taharn for military, dot-rat for government and dot-isara for individuals. Regarding the new Thai domain name standard family, Mr Pipat said once the standard was announced, existing customers would receive all those extensions automatically since ThaiURL.com believed that the name should belong to the legitimate owner solely, he added. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4437 F - EMAIL-SQUATTING "This is not only in breach of property rights and user agreements, but more fundamentally, it is violating the very values that our company is built upon," said Lars-Odin Mellemseter, Nameplanet CEO. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4436 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* Are you a local or regional business that advertises in newspapers, direct mail, on radio or tv? 1 800 BRAND IT shared use marketing programs can help your sales skyrocket! http://www.1800BrandIt.com ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES for September 7, 2000 F - LIQUIDATION DOMAIN NAMES Bid4Assets.com sells off assets of dying internet companies including domain names, and is currently conducting an auction of the assets of Latinofon.com, a telecommunications provider. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4441 F - FREETELEPHONE.COM "Free long distance market is finally catching up with the technology," says Mike Lloyd. "This means the money and focus on the technology will be greatly increased. We should be seeing incredible improvements in internet communication and enormous drops in telephone companies prices by the end of y2k." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4440 F - DOT TV OPENS EU AND ASIAN OFFICES With the objective of further accelerating the company's international growth, the new offices will facilitate localized marketing and regional business development. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4439 P - NO SURPRISE WHO TOP 10 POLITICAL DONORS ARE The communications and electronics industry has now surpassed Big Oil and commercial banks in contributions to political candidates and parties nationwide. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4438 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: 8 Sep 2000 00:10:27 -0400 From: quonk@my-deja.com Subject: Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? > Here's what happened, as far as the exhorbitant rate, not necessarily the > one-min situation of whether or not the call actually "suped": > > the call was placed as a "0+" type call... AT&T's rates for card calls > placed via 0+ as opposed to 800- dialups, ESPECIALLY 800-CALL-ATT, and > where the card is a LEC-issued card rather than an AT&T-issued card, > and whether or not one is on a discount plan or not.... > > The "basic" 0+ domestic (state-to-state) card rates, 24/7, for the past > several months are: > > 89-c per min !!! (OUCH) > > PLUS a $2.25 per-call surcharge (when billed to an AT&T-issued card) > PLUS a $4.99 per-call surcharge (when billed to a LEC-ussued card) > > (DOUBLE/TRIPLE OUCH) > > And if originating the card call from a payphone, there's that extra > 30-c per call surcharge that the COCOT industry has extorted out of us, > via the LD carriers. > > SO, add that up: > > 4.99 LEC-card surcharge, plus > 0.89 one-min, plus > 0.30 payphone-origination extortion, and you get.... > > $6.18 for one minute. > > Don't even ask how much the surcharge would have been had you asked the > AT&T Operator to dial the destination number or even just key-in the card > number (if you were on a rotary dial phone)-- you probably don't want to > know that the Operator-Handled surcharge is (probably now) as high as > aprrox $10.00 per call. > Geez, Mark, do you work as a customer service rep? Their rates are bad enough that you don't have to exagerate them! The standard non-special-plan rate is $.89 per minute plus a service charge. The service charge is: If placed using 1-800-CALL-ATT: $1.25 using an AT&T card. $2.25 using a "commercial" card (MC, AMEX, etc.) $4.99 using an LEC card. If not placed using 1-800-CALL-ATT: $2.25 using an AT&T card. $4.99 all other cards. So there is no advantage to dialing 1-800-CALL-ATT with an LEC card. The rate for a live operator assisted calling card or collect call is $5.50 plus $.89/minute. (Collect rate is new as of 9/1/00). No difference how you dial or what type of card you use. The rate for most other kinds of live operator assisted calls is $9.99 plus $.89 per minute. Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #45 ******************************* From ???@??? Sat Sep 09 09:19:51 2000 Date: 8 Sep 2000 23:33:36 -0400 Message-ID: <20000909033336.16182.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #46 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 9ada3dca5f945a73052525170a5ef569 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Friday, September 8 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 046 In this issue: H.110 bus Toll-free numbers that lead to charges on phone bill AT&T Operator Rates These Days (re: C-ID and Answr Suping) Dialing the US from France Re: Toll-free numbers that lead to charges on phone bill Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service phone cables down, was: Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service PFIR Statement on Government Interception of Internet Data Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service Punch-down for a Premier SLS 612 9/8/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 8 Sep 2000 07:33:13 -0400 From: "Lokesh Johri" Subject: H.110 bus On c-pci racks how much support is there H.110 bus on WIndows NT, provided the bus extends upto the system controller? thanks, - -Lokesh - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Sep 2000 09:25:07 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: Toll-free numbers that lead to charges on phone bill Damon, a query on TOLLFREE-L might result in useful information. It's at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html. Judith Judith Oppenheimer, +1 212 684-7210, 1 800 The Expert Publisher, http://www.icbtollfree.com/testimny.cfm Register for FREE 800/Dot Com Headlines here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm LAST DAY OF ICB $99 PREMIUM SERVICE SALE http://www.icbtollfree.com/order.cfm - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Sep 2000 11:51:38 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: AT&T Operator Rates These Days (re: C-ID and Answr Suping) quonk@my-deja.com wrote in "Re: Caller ID and answer supervision?": > Mark J. Cuccia wrote: >> Here's what happened, as far as the exhorbitant rate, not necessarily >> the one-min situation of whether or not the call actually "suped": >> the call was placed as a "0+" type call... AT&T's rates for card calls >> placed via 0+ as opposed to 800- dialups, ESPECIALLY 800-CALL-ATT, and >> where the card is a LEC-issued card rather than an AT&T-issued card, >> and whether or not one is on a discount plan or not.... >> The "basic" 0+ domestic (state-to-state) card rates, 24/7, for the >> past several months are: >> >> 89-c per min !!! (OUCH) >> >> PLUS a $2.25 per-call surcharge (when billed to an AT&T-issued card) >> PLUS a $4.99 per-call surcharge (when billed to a LEC-ussued card) >> >> (DOUBLE/TRIPLE OUCH) >> >> And if originating the card call from a payphone, there's that extra >> 30-c per call surcharge that the COCOT industry has extorted out of >> us, via the LD carriers. >> >> SO, add that up: >> >> 4.99 LEC-card surcharge, plus >> 0.89 one-min, plus >> 0.30 payphone-origination extortion, and you get.... >> >> $6.18 for one minute. >> >> Don't even ask how much the surcharge would have been had you asked >> the AT&T Operator to dial the destination number or even just key-in >> the card number (if you were on a rotary dial phone)-- you probably >> don't want to know that the Operator-Handled surcharge is (probably >> now) as high as aprrox $10.00 per call. > Geez, Mark, do you work as a customer service rep? Their rates are bad > enough that you don't have to exagerate them! > > The standard non-special-plan rate is $.89 per minute plus a service > charge. > > The service charge is: > If placed using 1-800-CALL-ATT: > $1.25 using an AT&T card. > $2.25 using a "commercial" card (MC, AMEX, etc.) > $4.99 using an LEC card. > > If not placed using 1-800-CALL-ATT: > $2.25 using an AT&T card. > $4.99 all other cards. > > So there is no advantage to dialing 1-800-CALL-ATT with an LEC card. That's right, there's no advantage to using 800-CALL-ATT and billing to a Local Telco (LEC) card. But using 800-CALL-ATT (and POSSIBLY 800-3210-ATT, 800-TTA-CARD = 800-882-CARD remember 882 is ATT spelled backwards, and the 800- dialups to AT&T automated OSPS card/opr svcs with alternate language platforms) and using an AT&T Card _IS_ cheaper than using (101-0288)-0+/01+ access to AT&T-OSPS or (101-0288)-00 "menu" access to AT&T-OSPS. (There's been a menu/platform now on AT&T '00' Operator/Card services for several years now, although certain types of originating lines, such as payphones, PBXes, cellular, etc., when reaching AT&T's '00' access to OSPS _might_, depending on the trunk group interface and/or ANI / ANI-II-digits, could route to the auto-voice "AT&T-Please Hold for Operator Assistance", without giving a "menu"). If you are on a special discount plan, especially one of the AT&T Card discount plans, using 800- access to OSPS _IS_ cheaper than 0+/01+ or 00-menu access to AT&T-OSPS. And the "best" AT&T discount (card) plans, such as their "one-rate" card plan for domestic card calling (I think it is 25-c/min 24/7, for $1.00/month fee), "One Rate Global" or other card plans allowing international, and grandfathered "Personal Network" customers (rate for US/Canada/UK on card is 10-c/min 24/7, rates to other countries on card is comparable to the 011+ rates or 1+non-US-NANP rates for "One Rate Intl/Global" or other intl.discount plans) -- to get the "best" card discount rates, you _MUST_ access AT&T-OSPS on 1-800-CALL-ATT menu. Of course, you must also be using the _AT&T_ issued card on the account that is "subscribed" to the particular plan as well. These discount plans do _NOT_ apply to LEC-issued cards (not even the 1980's era "LEC" cards that have the AT&T name/logo, that were "reclassified" as LEC issued/managed cards circa 1990/91). REMEMBER - originating from (most) payphones _WILL_ incur a 30-c per call (and a sequence-card-calling session with multiple "suped" calls -- each individual "suped" call during that session is an individual call for billing purposes) payphone originiation surcharge, a "kick-back" extorted from us on "behalf" of the COCOT industry. This applies regardless of whether the ultimate destination number entered (and "suped") is local, intra-LATA, inter-LATA, intra-state, inter-state, Canada, Caribbean, Mexico, or Intl/Ovs (non-NANP), etc. > The rate for a live operator assisted calling card or collect call is > $5.50 plus $.89/minute. (Collect rate is new as of 9/1/00). No > difference how you dial or what type of card you use. > > The rate for most other kinds of live operator assisted calls is $9.99 > plus $.89 per minute. A few months ago, I'd asked an AT&T Operator (supervisor) about rates for the AT&T Operator to assist on a call to a "non-dial ring-down/toll-stn" type of line/service in Nevada... there are still several of them around mostly in remote parts of Nevada, California, Oregon, Canada, possibly Alaska, and in the Caribbean -- and maybe even Mexico as well. The AT&T Operator must ring the local telco operator in the LATA or terminating homing region where the "non-dialable toll station" customer is located. (BTW, most of these are somewhat semi-automated these days- they actually are connected via a real central office, not on a magneto type line anymore; but because of their remoteness, the expense to provide service to these points is re-couped by the LECs and AT&T by having _ALL_ calls to/from the location be billed at Operator _HANDLED_ rates. The actual customer(s) in the remote location are proabably billed at a monthly tariffed rate that is FAR below the actual cost to telco to maintain the loop to the customer -- thus the expensive Operator rates to recoup that "loss". The local telco "inward" operator these days actually dials (keys) a real "POTS/geographic" telephone number that is NON-pub'd. Even the customer with the "non-dial toll-stn" service probably doesn't even know that number. They have an "account" number when they do business with Telco Business Office or Repair Service. Their outgoing calls - they frequently get DIALTONE from the DMS or 5E 50-miles away, but any single digit '1' thru '9' will give re-order or "vacant" recording. Entering/dialing '0' will get them their LEC/LATA TOPS operator who will see the "class of service" of their line... Anyhow... I had asked an AT&T Operator Supervisor about the rates to call a non-dial toll-point... and since AT&T Operator/Special rates change all the time, since these were quoted to me about three months ago, things may have changed... It matters not how you reach the live AT&T Operator, whether you use '00' or any 800- access number and then time-out or enter '0(pound)' to cut-thru to the live AT&T Operator... but if you want to bill the call to your calling number/line, you MUST come into AT&T-OSPS as '00' (AT&T Operators won't bill to the calling number/line on 800- access to AT&T-OSPS, though)... also, the calling line must show up on her board as "non-restricted", the rate quoted was something like $9.99 for the first min (or three mins?) and 90-c each add. minute. Even if you are an AT&T Customer -- even if you have discount plans with AT&T -- none of this matters -- EVERYONE is going to pay this same rate! :( If you bill to your AT&T-issued card, the rate was something like $6.00 for the first min (or three mins?) and 90-c each add. minute. (AT&T Discount / card-discount plans do _NOT_ apply) If you bill to a (valid/honored) LEC-issued card, the rate was something like what billing to your calling (non-restricted) line is - $9.99 initial and 90-c additional. Of course, calling from a payphone will probably add an extra 30-c to the card bill. And if you are calling from a "traditional" c.o.controlled / AT&T-OSPS / LEC-TOPS/OSPS "ACTS" coin-controlled payphone, you could PROBABLY pay in coins, but the operator must live-monitor and ring-fwd first to make sure that the line is working, since anything over $6.00 is too much for the "escrow bucket" in the coin phone to handle -- the Operator must do a "post-pay" type operation - get the party on the line first and THEN collect money in $3.00 or $5.00 intervals. Of course, this is impossible at "COCOT" and "COCOT-like" interface phones. AT&T Operator-assisted/handled rates have been CLIMBING for the past several years now... AT&T Person-to-Person and "Time & Charges" rates have gone sky high! :( Where state-regulatory has approved it for inTRA-state in that state, and the FCC already HAS approved it for inTER-State, AT&T Operator rates for Busy-Line-Verify and Emergency-Interrupt (on verified as "busy" lines) can run from rates as high as $10.00 to $20.00. The LEC Operator can do BLV and Emergency-Interrupt as well (probably at "less expensive" but still EXPENSIVE rates, state-regulatory 'approved'), but LEC TOPS/OSPS oprs can only do such for desired numbers in the same LATA. AT&T-OSPS must be used for anything outside of the LATA, which could still be in the home state, though. AT&T (with the LECs) is still probably the ONLY IXC that ever has done 1+/011+ toll coin from "traditional" payphones. For the most part over the past couple of years, while semi-automated (thus reducing or frequently ELIMINATING the need for a live operator), the rates have CLIMED (mostly on inTER-State and US->Canada) to such a degree, that US->Canada 1+ coin from "traditional" interface telco payphones can't be "automated" anymore. The first min (or 3-min?) 1+ US->Canada coin rate (as of several months ago) was over $6.00. Because "escrow bucket" in the phone can't handle that much coin for potential refund, you now get a LIVE operator who first informs you of the rate, so that you can start digging thru your pockets and spilling the coins on the "shelf" at the payphone, then she must ring-fwd to get the party on the line (something like a "person" call), and then collect the coins deposited in intervals, on a "post-pay" type of operation. No, I don't work as a Service Rep nor as an Operator with AT&T (nor a LEC). And while these services and functions have diminished over the years (BLV, Emer.Interrupt, Non-Dial Toll-Stations, Collect, Person, etc), there is still use of them and still a NEED for them. They are still "traditional" Bell System functions. Some other carriers/Operator entities do "provide" some of these services/functions, but some of these things can still ONLY be handled by an AT&T or LEC Operator! While I rarely (and even NEVER) have used some of these "traditional" Bell System provided features/functions, IMO, it's just a SHAME that the rates for them have climbed as high as they have! :( And I try to find (for myself) the BEST rate plans from AT&T (and others) for my 1+ and card calling. But I also want to know HOW MUCH such a call would cost if I placed/billed it in another manner... Mark J. Cuccia mcuccia@tulane.edu - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Sep 2000 13:34:06 -0400 From: Barry Lustig Subject: Dialing the US from France Does anyone know what the dialing sequence is to make a direct dialed call from France to the US? I have a friend who is vacationing in Paris and he asked me how to do this. Thanks, Barry Lustig - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Sep 2000 14:48:18 -0400 From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine) Subject: Re: Toll-free numbers that lead to charges on phone bill >Is billing calls to an 800 number like this legal? That's cramming, and its illegal. The FCC says: Toll-free numbers may not be used to charge callers for information services unless the caller has a written agreement to obtain and be charged for the service or has agreed to pay for the service by prepaid account, or through a debit, credit, or calling card. - -- John R. Levine, IECC, POB 727, Trumansburg NY 14886 +1 607 387 6869 johnl@iecc.com, Village Trustee and Sewer Commissioner, http://iecc.com/johnl, Member, Provisional board, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Sep 2000 15:58:54 -0400 From: "Mark Swope" Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service Maybe you were having trouble getting through because a whole lot of trunks went down....somewhere.... ;-) mas "The Old Bear" wrote in message news:oldbear.7626.077D9929@arctos.com... > > Now I realize that Bell Atlantic / Verizon just settled a > strike about a week ago and has a backlog of work orders, but > this is a bid ridiculous: > > This afternoon a high truck took down an overhead drop across > a major street near where I live. I saw cars trying to steer > around the wire which was hanging down into one lane. I > stopped, identified that it was a telco (not power!) line, > and pulled it down from the tree branch it was caught on and > rolled it up in a coil by the side of the road. > > I then tried to call Verizon repair service at 1-617-555-1611. > First try: busy signal. Second try: call allocator... press > 1 if this is a new call, press 2 to check on an existing > repair order, etc. Start by entering the number you are > reporting... press 0 at any time to speak to representative. > > Well, I had no phone number to report, just a downed wire, > so I pressed 0. And got a busy signal. > > Hung up, tried again. Pressed 0, got a message saying > to please hold while my call is transferred, then -- do > you beleive this -- a recording which said "We are unable > to take your call. Bell Atlantic repair service is > available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please call > back at another time." > > I made two more attempts, all with the same result. > Figured they don't care if they have a cable down. I'm > just glad it wasn't a pole. > > Cheers, > The Old Bear > -- > The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail > messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Sep 2000 18:36:56 -0400 From: "Adam H. Kerman" Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service comp.dcom.telecom.tech dropped from crosspost; don't need to post to two similar newsgroups. Ed Ellers wrote: >The Old Bear wrote: >"This afternoon a high truck took down an overhead drop across a major >street near where I live. I saw cars trying to steer around the wire which >was hanging down into one lane. I stopped, identified that it was a telco >(not power!) line, and pulled it down from the tree branch it was caught on >and rolled it up in a coil by the side of the road. >"I then tried to call Verizon repair service at 1-617-555-1611." >Next time, call 911. Even if it isn't a power line, if the cable is hanging >down into a lane it's a traffic hazard. They'll know how to get hold of the >right department at the phone company. Do not make such an assumption. A month or so ago, we had a discussion in a railroad newsgroup that after a reorganization, the railroad failed to notify all the local police departments how to contact dispatch in an emergency. Likely, some utilities are better than others at notifying the cops as to their emergency numbers. Here you would be talking about the phone company where it's unlikely that 411 has the correct number for 911. I disagree that it's a 911 call, though, as it isn't an immediate threat to life. If possible, I'd call Public Works. If after hours, I'd call the police non-emergency number. Downed power line? Yeah, that's a 911 call. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Sep 2000 19:57:31 -0400 From: dannyb@panix.com (danny burstein) Subject: phone cables down, was: Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 [lots snipped] >>Next time, call 911. Even if it isn't a power line, if the cable is hanging >>down into a lane it's a traffic hazard. They'll know how to get hold of the >>right department at the phone company. >I disagree that it's a 911 call, though, as it isn't an immediate threat to >life. If possible, I'd call Public Works. If after hours, I'd call the police >non-emergency number. Ah, but I'll disagree with your disagreement. a) you and i have no way of knowing (ok, well maybe some of us do...) whether that phone line is just killing off five houses, or if a neighborhood is out. Or, for that matter, if it's an inter-CO tie and has knocked out half the 911 service in the county. It's better to give the PSAP [1] a heads up in this in case they have to take action. b) Even if it's just a small phone cable, it's still attached to something overhead. Which means it can pull down other and nastier stuff. [1] PSAP =Public Safety Answering Position. Basically think of it as the "911 center". - -- _____________________________________________________ Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key dannyb@panix.com [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Sep 2000 20:39:54 -0400 From: Dave Garland Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service It was a dark and stormy night when "Adam H. Kerman" wrote: >I disagree that it's a 911 call, though, as it isn't an immediate threat to >life. If possible, I'd call Public Works. If after hours, I'd call the police >non-emergency number. 911 policies vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Around here (Minneapolis), you call 911 for any situation where the cops may need to dispatch a car, not just "emergencies". So here, if the wire could be considered to be a traffic hazard, 911 would be the right call. - -Dave - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Sep 2000 21:51:34 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: PFIR Statement on Government Interception of Internet Data Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2000 17:40:23 -0700 (PDT) Subject: PFIR Statement on Government Interception of Internet Data From: pfir@pfir.org (PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility) PFIR Statement on Government Interception of Internet Data September 7, 2000 http://www.pfir.org/statements/interception PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org [ To subscribe or unsubscribe to/from this list, please send the command "subscribe" or "unsubscribe" respectively (without the quotes) in the body of an e-mail to "pfir-request@pfir.org". ] Given the realities of today's society, most of us would agree that there clearly are times when it is necessary for the sanctity of private communications to be breached for the common good. The most commonly known such interception is the wiretap, which dates to the very dawn of telecommunications. We've come a long way since the invention of the telegraph and the development of the telephone. The Internet in particular, through its vast reach and increasingly ubiquitous nature, has opened up a Pandora's Box of problems when considering the ramifications of wiretap-type interceptions, even when they are for the most laudable of purposes. When considering these issues, it is all too easy to fall into the trap of focusing our attention on particular instances and specific hardware or software systems. At this moment, the spotlight is blaring brightly on the FBI's Carnivore system, which, according to the Bureau, is used to monitor Internet e-mail addressing and related data under court authorization. Since the inner workings and operational parameters of this system have not been known publicly (in fact, the system's existence was only recently revealed to the public), considerable skepticism has been voiced regarding whether or not the system actually functions "as advertised" and would always be operated in an appropriate and correct manner. As important as these considerations are, we feel that it is a serious mistake for so much attention to be focused on these specific issues and this specific system, instead of on the much more serious and broader policy implications and questions related to the entire area of Internet "wiretaps," regardless of the specific instrumentality through which they are implemented. To a significant extent, it appears that the ongoing controversy regarding an "independent review" of the Carnivore system is actually diverting public attention from the more significant issues that desperately need to be addressed. With regard to any officially-authorized Carnivore analysis, the U.S. Department of Justice has severely constrained the possible results. In particular, their requirements prevent any meaningfully independent evaluation; they reserve the right to censor and edit all resulting reports, and they confine the analysis solely to the source code -- ignoring important considerations such as the operational environment. In the final analysis, the results of any such Carnivore review will contribute little or nothing towards resolving the much more important policy questions relating to this entire area. The essential nature of these questions revolve around the fundamental issue of when it is appropriate to intercept private telecommunications channels in the first place, and under what conditions. There has been a disturbing trend for increasing amounts of data that most observers would consider to be integral parts of communications, to be treated instead as "addressing" information for interception and legal purposes. This is not an unimportant distinction. In general, the procedure for obtaining authorization to intercept communication address data is much less rigorous than that for obtaining communication contents. In a telephone context, this is the difference between monitoring the specific phone numbers dialed from a particular telephone line (the so-called "pen register" system) and actually overhearing the parties speaking on the calls. Even before the Internet issues moved to center stage, the blurring of these demarcations was becoming increasingly problematic. It has become common, for example, for the actual message data sent to pagers to be treated merely as addressing information from the standpoint of interception authorizations. The rationale for this determination is difficult to understand, because by any normal analogy, the contents of a pager message are comparable to the contents of a telephone call. It appears that the specific mechanisms of the technology have been used as an excuse for treating pager message contents in this sort of seemingly illogical (but convenient) manner. When we move into the Internet universe, similar kinds of issues arise, but in guises that are orders of magnitude more complex. One obvious issue is the question of control. Most traditional wiretaps (at least until very recently) have usually been under the ostensible control of the telephone companies themselves, and involved specific telephone lines. It would have been unthinkable in most "routine" law enforcement interception situations for Ma Bell or her descendents to hand over masses of calls relating to non-targeted individuals (a "trunk-side tap") to officials for them to pick through as they saw fit, without telephone company supervision or control. Systems such as Carnivore are very much an analogue of trunk taps and by definition cannot be controlled by the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who must install them deep within their networks. In contrast, the correct venue for the control of interceptions should actually be the ISPs themselves, not black boxes under outside control. Such ISP control might entail the creation of standards to assist the ISPs in responding to such matters in a reasonably uniform manner from a technical standpoint, but it does not follow that "tapping" systems need to be designed into the networks themselves (an intrusive concept which has been roundly rejected by most network technologists). Perhaps most importantly, ISP technical standards in this regard can be completely *open* and *public* in nature. Closed standards and secret software source code do not and can not engender public confidence. The argument that the source code for a system such as Carnivore must be kept secret to protect it from hackers or from being bypassed seems overstated. As discussed above, whereas we feel that too much emphasis on the technical side of these issues misses the critical points, it is at least prudent that the technical systems operate in as open an environment as possible. We appreciate that even the availability of source code is of only limited value due to its ephemeral nature and ease of alteration, but there's simply no excuse for a completely closed approach in this kind of situation. There is nothing magical or even particularly complex about packet filters (the heart of such systems), but it is possible for implementation errors or intentionally placed Trojan horses to cause them to behave in inappropriate manners. Such errors would be best exposed by wide public inspection -- sunlight remains the best disinfectant. Properly implemented, the availability of source code would not permit anyone to bypass the systems based on such knowledge. The key to the usefulness of such interception systems is that the targets of surveillance must not be aware of the systems' use. Once a target realizes that it is under surveillance, the probability of its using easily available mechanisms (such as encryption, alternative addresses, etc.) to complicate the task of observers rises dramatically. Neither source-code dissemination, nor the placing of interception systems under responsible ISP control as we recommend, is likely to alter any of these factors. Another stated reason for the source code secrecy in the Carnivore case is to protect the commercial interests of the software firm that wrote the original source code upon which Carnivore is based. This may be a reasonable attitude from a commercial standpoint, but it demonstrates again why a better course would be open systems where such commercial considerations could not easily warp crucial public policy considerations. Other aspects of these issues regarding the Internet relate back to our earlier discussion of addresses versus information content. A given packet of Internet data may contain text, segments of an image, a piece of a voice phone call, or innumerable other sorts of data. The specificity with which determinations are made regarding which kinds of data may be intercepted in any given situation are extremely important. Current trends in this regard are not at all encouraging. For example, from the standpoint of interception and other law enforcement purposes, the record of visited Web addresses (URLs) is often treated as roughly analogous to addresses on conventionally mailed envelopes. This is an inappropriate and incorrect analysis. URLs allow for the tracing of complete interactions deep into specific areas of Web sites, including keyword searches and other information lookups, and in many cases data submissions, login/password information and other detailed data as well. Web users' URL histories are effectively a diary of nearly every aspect of their Web use, and are more properly analogous to the *contents* of an envelope, not to what was written on the outside. However, given the abuse of this same sort of URL data for commercial purposes (such as tracking users via Web cookies and other means), this unfortunate state of affairs should not be at all surprising. When we look at the overall situation, a continuum of both policy and technical system issues is apparent and most important. At a minimum on the technical side of the equation, it is crucial that system architecture and operation continually satisfy the system requirements for security and privacy, and that they be independently verified. For this to be possible, the detailed system requirements must be known to the public, and independent assurances are needed that the system in operation remains consistent with those requirements into the future. The analysis of source code can lend some credibility to the process, and should be among the minimum requirements, but this only represents a snapshot -- such code can be perpetually changing over time. Therefore, these processes must also include some demonstrable assurances that the code subjected to analysis was actually the code in use, and that any subsequent changes have left the entire system operationally compatible with the previously verified requirements. Any seemingly positive analysis of a particular piece of source code is inherently incomplete in and of itself. Given the serious vulnerabilities that exist in most commercial operating systems and application software programs today, it is the overall *interaction* of system issues, taken in their totality, that matters most in this regard. Beyond such technical considerations, the policy issues that play into all aspects of these questions and systems must be rigorously analyzed and understood by all concerned. This is too important a complex of issues to be handled in sloppy or offhanded fashions. The Internet is rapidly becoming the foundation of all manner of society's most basic functions. Routine purchases, bill payments, personal and business phone calls, education, law enforcement -- the myriad aspects of the most public and private aspects of our lives -- are finding their way onto the conduits of the Internet. Society must have the will to apply the basic precepts and protections of our cultures to the Internet. We must not be seduced into permitting these basic concepts to be undermined by technological details or related diversionary tactics in any environments, either on or off the Internet. These principles apply regardless of whether we're dealing with physical mail, electronic mail, pagers, conventional phone calls, Internet telephony, or the various component parts of the World Wide Web. Society should be unwilling to accept anything less. Lauren Weinstein lauren@pfir.org or lauren@vortex.com or lauren@privacyforum.org Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy Peter G. Neumann neumann@pfir.org or neumann@csl.sri.com or neumann@risks.org Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org Moderator, RISKS Forum - http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks Chairman, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy http://www.csl.sri.com/neumann - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Sep 2000 22:06:35 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service >>From 'Adam H. Kerman': >I disagree that it's a 911 call, though, as it isn't an immediate threat to >life. If possible, I'd call Public Works. If after hours, I'd call the police >non-emergency number. > >Downed power line? Yeah, that's a 911 call. Some of us can't tell the difference between a downed phone line and a downed power line. - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 8 Sep 2000 22:23:21 -0400 From: "Grego" Subject: Punch-down for a Premier SLS 612 I am installing a Premier SLS 612 system, but I dont have an installation manual. I need to find the punch-down schematics, so I can get my system running. If anyone has any info please email me. Thanx Greg - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2000 23:28:18 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 9/8/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - WHITHER ART THOU, 800 CODE? - - AOL GETS INTO VOICE PORTAL BUSINESS - - ARE TM OWNERS USURPING FREE SPEECH DOMAINS? - - ONE MAN'S "CONSUMER" IS ANOTHER'S "NON-COMMERCIAL CONSTITUENT" - - "LEASE SLAMMERS" REPORTED TO FCC - - MADONNA WHO? - - CHINA ISSUES DOMAIN NAME REGS - - NSI FACES NEW CLASS ACTION SUIT ************************************************************************* !!! YOUR TEXT AD HERE !!! 17,000+ weekly readership, over 108,000 targeted impressions every month! Space is limited -- ORDER NOW! -- email editor@icbtollfree.com. ************************************************************************ CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTE: ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************* HEADLINES for September 8, 2000 F - WHITHER ART THOU, 800 CODE? A matching toll-free number can be great-assuming you can get the domain name you want. "For a high-value customer, one really looking to build a business around a domain name-this is a necessary piece of the puzzle that we're working with TeleDomains.com to provide," says Anthony Moody, director of strategic development at Register.com. But does a high-value customer really want an 877 number? CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4448 P - AOL GETS INTO VOICE PORTAL BUSINESS According to the Associated Press, "Quack's 1-800 number has been shut down. It's unclear if Dulles-based AOL will use a toll-free number to run the service." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4447 F - ARE TM OWNERS USURPING FREE SPEECH DOMAINS? "They care about [sucks]," Love said. "... That's why [trademark owners are] fighting against its use, suing to get the name back when they don't own it and buying it if it's free. It's a powerful form of criticism, and they want to control it." Of course, none of the companies interviewed said its goal was to squelch free speech. But a few said they didn't mind making it a bit harder. "You build a lot of brand equity in a name," said Hansen of Stonepath. "The last thing you want to do is see it tarnished." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4446 F - ONE MAN'S "CONSUMER" IS ANOTHER'S "NON-COMMERCIAL CONSTITUENT" "Early adopter" non-business registrants of domain names are those planning to buy one *next* year. What's wrong with this picture? CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4445 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* Are you a local or regional business that advertises in newspapers, direct mail, on radio or tv? 1 800 BRAND IT shared use marketing programs can help your sales skyrocket! http://www.1800BrandIt.com ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Book before 1/09/00 to receive your 10% discount. www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES for September 8, 2000 P - "LEASE SLAMMERS" REPORTED TO FCC ... some landlords are insisting new and existing tenants switch to a single local, long-distance and broadband provider, in apparent contravention of FCC guidelines. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4449 F - MADONNA WHO? Domain names are handed out on a first-come, first-served basis. Trademarks, by contrast, are harder to get. Companies have to jump through hoops to be awarded them. So one man’s trademark often turns out to be somebody else’s domain name. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4444 P - CHINA ISSUES DOMAIN NAME REGS The State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) has issued the "Provisional Regulations on the Registration of Web Site Names" and the rules for implementing them. These regulations went into force on Sept. 1. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4443 P - NSI FACES NEW CLASS ACTION SUIT Bode says NSI is only authorized to charge its costs for the service. While NSI currently asks $70 to register for two years a dot-com, dot-org, or dot-net, the complaint alleges it actually costs the company about $1 to do the work. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4442 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/advertiz.cfm ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #46 ******************************* From ???@??? Sat Sep 09 09:20:40 2000 Date: 9 Sep 2000 06:15:11 -0400 Message-ID: <20000909101511.13805.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #47 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: a88450c4f18b5501f1b02bdb667b7998 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Saturday, September 9 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 047 In this issue: Re: Dialing the US from France Re: wanted: anglophonic customer service contact at airtel spain (preferably with e-mail) Re: Dialing plans Re: Dialing the US from France Railroad Teletype use, 1959 to 1964 PC based Voice Switches lucent installation ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 8 Sep 2000 23:42:43 -0400 From: John David Galt Subject: Re: Dialing the US from France Barry Lustig wrote: > Does anyone know what the dialing sequence is to make a direct dialed call > from France to the US? I have a friend who is vacationing in Paris and he > asked me how to do this. 00-1-areacode-number. The prefix for international calls is 00 in most of the world. I wonder if we'll ever conform to the standard. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 2000 01:00:23 -0400 From: "Michael D. Sullivan" Subject: Re: wanted: anglophonic customer service contact at airtel spain (preferably with e-mail) "Brad Ackerman" wrote, > henry mensch wrote: > > > (all the replies i receive from here instruct me to dial numbers on > > my GSM phone that won't get me anywhere since i'm in north america > > where there's no GSM service) > > If that's the case, then you'd better get the tinfoil hat out -- I'm in > Cambridge (Massachusetts), my phone shows an S9+ signal, and it doesn't > do anything other than GSM. > > Of course, that doesn't really matter in this case, because the Deutsche > Telekom or Microcell network[1] (depending on your location) would be > the one trying to parse those numbers. If Henry has a true GSM-only phone, it doesn't work in North America, since true GSM uses the 900 MHz band, and there are no N. Am. GSM systems in that band. There are N. Am. systems using GSM adapted to the 1900 MHz PCS band. The principal GSM-1900 operators are VoiceStream, PowerTel, and BellSouth. VoiceStream and PowerTel have agreed to be acquired by DT, but the acquisition won't occur, if at all, until some time next year. The FCC applications haven't even been filed, and Fritz Hollings is trying to enact legislation that will stop them. At present, DT has no wireless holdings in N. Am. If Henry has a GSM multiband phone (i.e., works on both 900 and 1900 MHz), he should have access to all of his system's functions when in an area served by VoiceStream (not sure about the other operators). VoiceStream sells an Ericsson GSM "WorldPhone" that is multiband, and gives one access to all functions when in Europe. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 2000 01:22:58 -0400 From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine) Subject: Re: Dialing plans > The prefix for international calls is 00 in most of the world. I > wonder if we'll ever conform to the standard. It's very unlikely. North America uses fixed length numbers and "en bloc" signalling, most other places use variable length numbers and "compelled" signalling. Computerized switching has pretty much wiped out the technical advantages of one over the other, but the cost of switching would be enormous. I occasionally hear the argument that 00, compelled signalling, etc. are international standards, implying that the US and Canada are telephonic rogue states. The reality is that the US phone system grew with a single dominant non-governmental phone company, AT&T, which developed its standards for use in the US, and anywhere else that wanted to use them, Canada and parts of the Caribbean. In Europe, the phones were run by each country's mutually suspicious government owned post office, so they needed a treaty organization to provide the political cover for the post offices to talk to each other. They could perfectly well have used AT&T's system, but for reasons having more to do with parochial national pride than technical merit, they invented their own. A similar dysfunctional process caused the bureaucrats to invent OSI networking rather than the American dominated TCP/IP, but OSI failed due to the minor problem that it didn't work. - -- John R. Levine, IECC, POB 727, Trumansburg NY 14886 +1 607 387 6869 johnl@iecc.com, Village Trustee and Sewer Commissioner, http://iecc.com/johnl, Member, Provisional board, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 2000 01:23:47 -0400 From: Joseph Singer Subject: Re: Dialing the US from France 8 Sep 2000 13:34:06 -0400 Barry Lustig wrote: > Does anyone know what the dialing sequence is to make a direct dialed call >from France to the US? I have a friend who is vacationing in Paris and he >asked me how to do this. >>From most of Europe to direct dial to anywhere there is IDDD i.e. international direct distance dialing you dial 00 + the country code + area or city code + subscriber number. In the case of the USA a typical call to New York, New York USA would be dialed 00 1 212 736 5000 (00 to signify that it's international, 1 for the USA country code, 212 for the area code for New York, and 736 5000 for the subscriber number. Similarly to dial a call to Amsterdam, the Netherlands you would dial 00 31 20 647 4747 which is 00 for international, 31 for the country code for the Netherlands, 20 for the city code for Amsterdam and 647 4747 and you will reach KLM airlines. Odds are that this information should be readily available either in the telephone directory or if it is from a public phone there will be instructions on or nearby the phone. 00+ for international is pretty much a standard access in most countries in the world but noticeably not in North America. Also, if you dial the local access in France for the international operator they would probably tell you the same instructions. Even the local operator would probably be able to tell you how to dial your call. Joseph BTW, if the person direct dials the USA from their hotel they may be in for a big shock as many hotels put a hefty "surcharge" for international direct dial calls from rooms. Better to use a "home country direct" number. Many carriers in the USA have local toll-free numbers where you will talk to an operator in the US and the rate will be considerably lower though if you get the local debiting card that is used in that country's card phone you will probably get close to the regular direct dial rate which will be debited from the card. - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joseph Singer Seattle, Washington USA [ICQ pgr] +1 206 405 2052 [voice mail] +1 206 493 0706 [FAX] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 2000 01:59:20 -0400 From: Nigel Allen Subject: Railroad Teletype use, 1959 to 1964 Some interesting photographs and text about the Buffalo Central Terminal Telegraph Office are available at http://central.terminal.railfan.net/termtty.html - -- Nigel Allen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada http://www.ndallen.com/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 2000 05:26:24 -0400 From: Peter R Cook Subject: PC based Voice Switches I am in the process of selecting the voice solution for a new small office - initially 20 staff - expansion to 60 plus conference rooms, reception etc. etc. etc. Trunking is ISDN-PRI The decision boils down to a traditional switch (Probably a Lucent Index) or one of the new "soft" PBX's based on a W2k PC server with voice processing cards (Artisoft's Televantage with Dialogic cards?). The costs are about the same once like for like facilities (operator console, voice mail etc.) are factored in. The main arguments in favour of the soft PBX are the very flexible and intuitive interface presented to users on their desktop PC, coupled with the ability to use cheap POTS analogue handsets (just to speak into!) This contrasts well with the "traditional" system that needs relatively expensive digital handsets to provide a decent human interface without long voice prompted menu systems. The downside of the "soft" PBX is (I suspect and am being told by the switch provider!) reliability and failure mode operations. A traditional switch is designed for reliability, failure management and has lower power consumption - hence longer power fail life than is possible (at a sensible cost) than a PC server based switch can currently achieve. Have any of the list members any experiences (bad or good) of the new generation of soft PBX's, and any comments on the choice I am trying to make. Regards - -- Peter R Cook - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 2000 06:04:53 -0400 From: jcdweaver@aol.com (JCDWEAVER) Subject: lucent installation not sure if anyone would know anything about this,but I heard a rumor about lucent selling off their installation and or their manufacturing in all or part.any info? - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #47 ******************************* From ???@??? Sun Sep 10 12:58:25 2000 Date: 10 Sep 2000 06:15:12 -0400 Message-ID: <20000910101512.24088.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #48 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: c2be62b33264ff01e8e8691c70fb166b Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Sunday, September 10 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 048 In this issue: Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service Re: PC based Voice Switches Re: lucent installation CellOne San Francisco and AT&T Wireless Re: Dialing plans New Local/EAS Calling expansions w/in New Orl. Metro Re:CellOne San Francisco and AT&T Wireless Company unresponsive to adding toll-free 866 and 855 Re: lucent installation Verizon won't do "inside moves" Re: Verizon won't do "inside moves" Re: Verizon won't do "inside moves" Re: Verizon won't do "inside moves" USWest changing LD carrier without user's knowledge! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 9 Sep 2000 11:19:14 -0400 From: briroy@gcfn.org (Brian C Roy) Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic redefines 24x7 service Dave Garland (dave.garland@wizinfo.com) wrote: : It was a dark and stormy night when "Adam H. Kerman" : wrote: : >I disagree that it's a 911 call, though, as it isn't an immediate threat to : >life. If possible, I'd call Public Works. If after hours, I'd call the police : >non-emergency number. : 911 policies vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Around here : (Minneapolis), you call 911 for any situation where the cops may need : to dispatch a car, not just "emergencies". So here, if the wire could : be considered to be a traffic hazard, 911 would be the right call. : -Dave In this area (Columbus OH) The fire department is the primary responder to 'wires down' incidents. We'll come out, assess the hazard, and secure the scene and wait for the power company. Our dispatcher has the 'secret' numbers at the utilities, and presumably the cable companies, and I have yet to hear back from them that they can't get an answer/can't get through, even at the most busy times. The electric company dispatcher will prioritize calls based on the hazard. Please call 911, that's what it's there for. If you call the police non-emergency line on a busy night, they may not even answer it (!) ( personal experience on that one- I gave up after 20+ rings). I seem to remember reading here Pat relating being told to call 911 in the Chicagoland area to get someone to take a report on something- he had called his local police station.Public works won't touch someone else's lines, and it's the PD's responsibility to divert traffic. It should go without saying to not touch/approach any downed wire, and to stay at LEAST one pole away from any damaged/broken power pole. That downed cable TV line could be laying on someone's service drop 2 doors down, and you could get a 220 volt surprise from it. Brian Roy firefighter,paramedic,etc. briroy@gcfn.org - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 2000 12:19:19 -0400 From: "Nortec" Subject: Re: PC based Voice Switches I've seen a few of these PC PBX's and, while they have a few slick features, have steered away from them. Having to have a PC, everywhere there is a phone would be a major pain in the A$$! I would not want a phone system that makes me wait to boot my PC to use the phone (Are you going to put PC's in all your conference rooms, lobby areas, warehouses, etc.?) What if you are at someone else's desk and want to use the phone? (Do you know everybody's password to log into their PC's?). I'd go with a Nortel Norstar or the Lucent Magix. Dependable products with no need to have a PC to control the phone, no signaling codes to remember, digital phones for better sound quality. And the most important part - good support. "Peter R Cook" wrote in message news:X2DCLLAGeUu5Ewt+@wisty.demon.co.uk... > I am in the process of selecting the voice solution for a new small > office - initially 20 staff - expansion to 60 plus conference rooms, > reception etc. etc. etc. Trunking is ISDN-PRI > > The decision boils down to a traditional switch (Probably a Lucent > Index) or one of the new "soft" PBX's based on a W2k PC server with > voice processing cards (Artisoft's Televantage with Dialogic cards?). > The costs are about the same once like for like facilities (operator > console, voice mail etc.) are factored in. > > The main arguments in favour of the soft PBX are the very flexible and > intuitive interface presented to users on their desktop PC, coupled with > the ability to use cheap POTS analogue handsets (just to speak into!) > This contrasts well with the "traditional" system that needs relatively > expensive digital handsets to provide a decent human interface without > long voice prompted menu systems. > > The downside of the "soft" PBX is (I suspect and am being told by the > switch provider!) reliability and failure mode operations. A traditional > switch is designed for reliability, failure management and has lower > power consumption - hence longer power fail life than is possible (at a > sensible cost) than a PC server based switch can currently achieve. > > Have any of the list members any experiences (bad or good) of the new > generation of soft PBX's, and any comments on the choice I am trying to > make. > > > Regards > -- > Peter R Cook > -- > The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail > messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 2000 13:32:47 -0400 From: Peter R Cook Subject: Re: lucent installation In article <20000908212344.14326.00000183@ng-cq1.aol.com>, JCDWEAVER writes >not sure if anyone would know anything about this,but I heard a rumor about >lucent selling off their installation and or their manufacturing in all or >part.any info? >-- >The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail >messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. I saw a lucent sales support person the other day who said that they were spinning off the piece of the company that deals with the corporate business into a separate unit (and floating it?). That seemed to be the PBX, handset, systems installations business. It sounded like a complete vertical unit. She used the new name on the presentation slides - but I can't remember what it was (an a and an x come to mind!) The central office switches etc. and the carriers business stays as Lucent. This may be what you have heard. regards - -- Peter R Cook - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 2000 16:53:50 -0400 From: "H. Peter Anvin" Subject: CellOne San Francisco and AT&T Wireless Hello folks, Does anyone happen to know what the current scoop is as far as CellOne/San Francisco and AT&T Wireless? It looks to the untrained observer as though the latter is in the process of absorbing the former, but they seem to be rather careful at not saying it outright (AT&T Digital OneRate plan is called "Cellular One USA Plan"; checking the AT&T Wireless site for anything in these zipcodes tells you to go look at the www.cellone-sf.com instead, etc.) Personally, I think it would be nice if Cellular One turned into AT&T Wireless lock, stock, and barrel. I haven't been too thrilled will Cellular One in the past; unfortunately, all the cellphone carriers in this area seem to suck, although in slightly different ways. -hpa - -- at work, in private! "Unix gives you enough rope to shoot yourself in the foot." http://www.zytor.com/~hpa/puzzle.txt - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 2000 16:57:53 -0400 From: "H. Peter Anvin" Subject: Re: Dialing plans Followup to: <8pchfg$opq$1@xuxa.iecc.com> By author: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine) In newsgroup: comp.dcom.telecom > > > The prefix for international calls is 00 in most of the world. I > > wonder if we'll ever conform to the standard. > > It's very unlikely. North America uses fixed length numbers and "en > bloc" signalling, most other places use variable length numbers and > "compelled" signalling. Computerized switching has pretty much wiped > out the technical advantages of one over the other, but the cost of > switching would be enormous. > > I occasionally hear the argument that 00, compelled signalling, > etc. are international standards, implying that the US and Canada are > telephonic rogue states. The reality is that the US phone system grew > with a single dominant non-governmental phone company, AT&T, which > developed its standards for use in the US, and anywhere else that > wanted to use them, Canada and parts of the Caribbean. In Europe, the > phones were run by each country's mutually suspicious government owned > post office, so they needed a treaty organization to provide the > political cover for the post offices to talk to each other. They > could perfectly well have used AT&T's system, but for reasons having > more to do with parochial national pride than technical merit, they > invented their own. > John, you've got to be kidding. I think the fixed-length formats and the resulting avalanche of area code changes wouldn't exactly be something to emulate. This is not even counting the fact that a whole bunch of U.S. protocols don't seem to be able to handle anything that involves international numbers. I got a call from a Swedish cell phone the other day (+46-70-XXXXXXX) and my caller ID box displayed it at (467) 0XX-XXXX; obviously missing the fact that this isn't a +1 number, and cutting off the last digit. -hpa - -- at work, in private! "Unix gives you enough rope to shoot yourself in the foot." http://www.zytor.com/~hpa/puzzle.txt - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 2000 16:58:12 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: New Local/EAS Calling expansions w/in New Orl. Metro [It took me SEVERAL hours to compose this, because while my 56K dialup connection from home to BellSouth.net was okay/stable, the Telnet to tulane.edu kept dropping on me - maybe twenty times total! :( I hope I don't have any serious/major typo or factual errors or have omitted anything that may be "important"] The Friday 8-Sept-2000 New Orleans "Times-Picayune" didn't seem to have any details on any '504' Relief discussion at Thursday's La.PSC monthly public meeting... and the La.PSC website doesn't have anything "new", either. But the Friday "Picayune" did have an article on expansion of local (EAS?) calling in southeast Louisiana... I don't know if there is going to be "ratecenter/exchange area consolidation" or if it is simply expansions of local (EAS- Extended Area Service) unlimited 'free' calling available to _ALL_ customers! (I wonder how long it will take the DAMN COCOTs to reprogram their phones for new tariffed LOCAL calling, the PBXes to correct their translations, cellular to take away any "toll" if there is toll+airtime for calling some of these points - but cellular/wireless is another thing as well, and any CLECs in the areas expanding --- to all comform and comply!) Presently, there are the following ratecenters and "bare-bones / base" local/EAS calling arrangemnets in southeast Louisiana (New Orleans LATA) along the Miss.River... (The expansions of EAS - if that is only what it is and not 'yet' ratecenter consolidation also applies to the "Northshore" area, and while I can pull up lists of their ratecenters, I don't know offhand what their "bare-bones / base-rate" local/EAS is, without going through the three directories or pulling up the BellSouth tariffs online)... NEW ORLEANS (and vicinity) ratecenter coverage area: - - Orleans Parish, east and west banks of the Miss.R. (except for LAKE CATHERINE ratecenter 504-662, easternmost part of Orleans Parish), - - northern Jefferson Parish, east and west banks of the Miss.R. (except for LAFITTE ratecenter 504-689 on west bank, and KENNER ratecenter east and west banks) - - northern west bank of Plaquemines Parish/Belle Chasse area (but not JESUIT BEND ratecenter 504-656) - - "upper" St.Bernard Parish: Arabi/Chalmette/Mereaux localities (but not the ST.BERNARD ratecenter 504-682 5ESS, nor YSCLOWSKY 504-676 nor DELACROIX 504-684 ratecenters) each of the seven ratecenters listed above all have EAS with New Orleans, but not necessarily with each other... but the ST.BERNARD, YSCLOWSKY, DELACROIX ratecenters all _DO_ have EAS with each other; The ST.BERNARD ratecenter (5ESS) 504-682 also extends further downriver to include a large portion of "rural" east bank of northern Plaquemines Parish - the "Braithwaite" locality... All eight ratecenters listed above - the EAS calling area based with the NEW ORLEANS ratecenter, are what has been chosen to retain the 504 area code in the planned split relief - everything else presently with 504 (New Orleans LATA, S.Osyka LA 504-548 in Jackson MS LATA, Pearlington LA 504-531 in Gulfport/Biloxi MS LATA, "Offshore LA" 504-444 in LATA#999) is to change to the new area code, numerics TBA. The KENNER ratecenter listed above has EAS with the NEW ORLEANS ratecenter, but is _NOT_ (base-rate/bare-bones) EAS'd with any of the other ratecenters that are EAS'd with NEW ORLEANS. The KENNER ratecenter geographically covers the Kenner, Harahan, River Ridge, and "Westgate" localities in Jefferson Parish (east bank), as well as the Waggaman and S.Kenner localities on the west bank of Jeff.Parish. The St.Rose locality (east bank of St.Charles Parish) and Ama LA locality (west bank of St.Charles Parish) - both being the downriver-most parts of St.Charles Parish, bordering the upriver-most parts of Jefferson Parish (Kenner and S.Kenner localities). My understanding is that the KENNER ratecenter / downriver-most parts of St.Charles Parish (St.Rose LA locality on the east bank, Ama LA locaility on the west bank) will also keep 504; The telco industry and (most of) the La. Public Svc.Commission (with the possible exception of 'that chair-woman' who can't command the English language - and makes all kind of 'grandstanding' political bs speeches), realizes that splitting ratecenters 'just to conform' to political boundaries (municipal or parish/county) is COUNTER-productive. (Actually, the PSC even realizes that the OVERLAY is the BEST method, but they are scared of political repercussions if they were to approve an overlay) The KENNER ratecenter also has "base-rate / bare-bones" EAS (local) calling (both directions), with four "River Parishes" ratecenters (and the four "River Parish" area ratecenters are perfectly EAS'd with each other as well): - - NORCO (east bank of St.Charles Parish) (5ESS) 504-764,725 - - LA PLACE (east bank of St.John Parish) (5ESS) 504-651,2,3 - - LULING (west bank of St.Charles Parish - two BellSouth landline central offices traditionally providing service in the Luling Ratecenter: Boutte-5E-remote (off New Orl:Avondale 5E) 504-785,331 and Hahnville-DCO 504-783) - - PARADIS (west bank of St.Charles Parish and possibly a VERY SMALL part of Lafourche Parish) (Stromberg-Digital-Remote off Hahnville Strmbrg-DCO, 504-758) (ALL above prefixes are the "traditional" landline prefixes or prefix ranges, although there can now be cellular/CLEC/etc. new prefixes) The four "River Parish" ratecenters are EAS'd with each other and with the KENNER ratecenter -- KENNER will retain NPA 504, the four others are to change to the new NPA code; TEN-digit local dialing will become mandatory for such local (EAS) calls crossing the NPA-boundary. Another ratecenter on the west bank of St.John Parish, EDGARD 504-497, is local unto itself ONLY; It will have to change to the new NPA though. It is a Stromberg-Digital-Remote, hosted by the Hahnville Stromberg-DCO. ALL of these "River Parishes" ratecenters, INCLUDING EDGARD -- according to the article in today's paper -- will become LOCAL (EAS) with the NEW ORLEANS ratecenter! (I don't know if the ratecenters in St.Bernard Parish, or Lake Catherine, or Lafitte, or Jesuit Bend ratecenters will now all be EAS'd with each other and now with the River Parish area). NOT MENTIONED in the article regarding River Parish area ratecenters was what will happen regarding EAS between the two "Reserve Telephone Comapny" (independent) ratecenters of RESERVE LA and GARYVILLE LA, on the east bank of St.John Parish, right upriver from LaPlace LA (Bell), and right at the border with Ascension Parish / beginning of the Baton Rouge LATA. Reserve Telco is right at the end of the New Orleans LATA, going along River Rd, Airline Hwy (US-61) or I-10, between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. There is also the "lower" (downriver) Plaquemines Parish area of four ratecenters... Three on the westbank (which are EAS'd with each other), and POINTE-A-LA-HACHE ratecenter (504-333, Stromberg-Digital-Remote off Buras-DCO host, PT-A-LA-HACHE is local ONLY UNTIO ITSELF) on the eastbank. The three westbank of (lower/downriver) Plaq.Parish ratecenters, going downriver (NW to SE), all EAS'd with each other, are: - - PORT SULPHUR 504-564 (Stromberg Digital Remote off Buras-DCO host) - - BURAS 504-657 Stromberg-DCO (host to all lower Plaq.Parish remotes, Pt.Sulphur and Venice on the west bank, and Pt-a-la-Hache on the eastbank; Buras was the only 5XB in these parts until ten-years ago) - - VENICE 504-533 (Stromberg Digital Remote off Buras-DCO host) All four of these "lower Plaq.Parish" ratecenters (westbank and eastbank) will need to change to the new NPA code (whatever its numericals will be). The new LOCAL (EAS) calling arrangement will have all four of these ratecenters now EAS'd with NEW ORLEANS. I assume that they will also be EAS'd with "lower/outer St.Bernard Parish" ratecenters of ST.BERNARD, YSCLOWSKY, DELACROIX; I also would guess that they would become EAS'd with JESUIT BEND (northern Plaquemines Parish, east bank), and LAFITTE (Jefferson Parish, west bank, southbound on La.Hwy 45 paralleling/swinging with Bayou Barataria...) I don't know about the Plaquemine Parish ratecenters going EAS with KENNER ratecenter (which could seem likely, though - the Kenner region is part of the congiguous New Orleans Metro area) or LAKE CATHERINE ratecenter. The newspaper article did say that calls between the lower Plaquemines Parish area and the River Parishes area would still be toll (inTRA-LATA). Also, the newspaper article mentioned that the expanded local (EAS) calling is NOT going to affect the plans already agreed upon for the split boundaries of 504 next year. ********* The article also mentioned that the new three-digit NPA code will be made public on Tuesday (12-Sept-2000) ********** As for expansion of EAS on the northshore of Lake Pontchartrain: St.Tammany Parishes' ratecenters will all now become EAS'd with each other. Washington Parishes' ratecenters will all now become EAS'd with each other. There have been several individual pairs of EAS between Wash.Parish ratecenters, and likewise within St.Tammany Parish between some of its ratecenters. But now the "entire" parish for each parish will become perfectly EAS with its ratecenters. The article did say that calls _between_ Washington Parish and St.Tammany Parish will still be "toll". Of course, since political boundaries (Parish/County, municipal, etc) don't always perfectly co-incide with ratecenter/wirecenter bounaries, there will be some borderline customers in one parish but associated with the ratecenter of the adjacent parish. Also, I think that there are some EAS "pairs" of ratecenters, one in Washington Parish, the other in St.Tammany Parish. Pearlington LA 504-531 is on the La.side of the Pearl River dividing LA/MS, is in St.Tammany Parish, but gets its dialtone from Pearlington MS 228-534 (formerly 601-534) remote off Bay St.Louis MS host -- and all associated with the Biloxi/Gulfport MS LATA -- I do _NOT_ think that they will necessarily become part of the St.Tammany Parish-wide EAS, though. Crossroads MS 601-772 in Pearl River County MS, is part of the New Orl. LATA. They get dialtone from the Bogalusa LA 5ESS-remote in Wash.Parish (host is Slidel 5E in St.Tammany Parish). Crossroads MS has EAS with Bogalusa LA ratecenter and possibly some other Wash.Parish ratecenters EAS'd with Bogalusa. I wonder if with the expansion of EAS, will Crossroads MS now becomes part of the Wash.Parish (LA) EAS region? The article also mentioned that calls between the Northshore and New Orleans Metro (Southshore) will continue to be TOLL. That calling is what MANY would like to see become local/EAS/free! For those northshore customers who are subscribing to OPTIONAL enhanced plans (Circle Calling, LOS, or Area Plus) for discount or "free" Parish-wide calling, then with the new EAS plan, the optional extra plan becomes "obsolete". HOWEVER, most northshore (and southshore/New Orl Metro) customers have Circle Calling, LOS, or Area Plus for discounted or "free" calling between the north and south shores, and will probably keep the plan. I'm not all that familiar with "Circle Calling", but I _think_ it is something "comparable" to the old AT&T Reach-Out America plans, where you "purchase" hours or half-hour evening/night/weekend blocks of calling, and using up all those purchased time-blocks is cheaper than the same amount of time billed at "full-tariffed-rates". LOS (Local Optional Service) is a calling area that extends beyond the bare-bones base-EAS calling area, which is something like "Measured Rate" local in other places. In fact, LOS replaced the optional (1980s-era) Local Measured Rate (for calling within your Local/EAS area). LOS has two major bands - the inner band (outside of the base/traditional EAS area) which has a maximum monthly charge-cap - if you make less than that amount, you still pay a "base" fee, but then only for the calls you make, priced no higher than the maximum charge-cap... and the outer band (which may or may not extend to all of the LATA, depending on other geopolitical/wirecenter/ratecenter factors) has no max charge cap - the clock is always ticking, but the per-min rates are WELL BELOW the full tariffed rates. Parish boundaries, and rate/wirecenters for locations outside of your traditional EAS calling area define your LOS inner and outer bands, and how much out into the LATA the outer band could extend. Area Plus - the top-of-the-line - gives you the ENTIRE LATA (for a FIXED extra monthly charge) of unlimited calling per month! regardless of where you are geo-politically situated within the LATA for origination. The newspaper article does NOT mention Tangipahoa Parish calling - on the northshore, nor the "Cajun" parish areas of the New Orleans LATA (all which will go into the new NPA). The "Cajun" areas include Morgan City, Thibodeaux and Houma LA -- and, another independent (which has its own Inward and DA Operators on 504+022+121/131 in LaRose LA) in lower Lafourche Parish - LATELCO (Lafourche Telephone Company). Their wireless subsidiary is called Mobiltel. Latelco territory also extends (landline only) down La#1 to GRAND ISLE ratecenter, a Gulf-of-Mexico barrier island (that might wash away if "the big one" hurricane is to hit), that is actually part of Jefferson Parish. B-side (AMPS) Cellular for Grand Isle is _NOT_ Mobiltel, but BellSouth Mobility (New Orleans MTSO/service area). The newspaper article did mention that this enhancement of EAS was an agreement between the La.PSC and BellSouth/incumbent indeps, regarding a change in the way the state taxes the incumbent Bell/indep telcos in Louisiana. While not mentioned in the article, I do wonder if there is to be enhancements of "base" EAS in other parts of the state as well! This will be the first real enhancement of "base" EAS for the New Orleans Metro area in about 40 years! BTW, with the new NPA to split from 504, there will be increased 10-digit LOCAL/EAS dialing because the split boundary is based on the existing (older) EAS calling area "from/with" New Orleans. There is no "date" for the enhanced EAS indicated other than "next year". The dialing arrangements for the 504/??? split will be: - - "home" NPA local/EAS: seven-digits (I don't know if ten or 1+ten digits will be permissive though; it presently is NOT) - - "adjacent/different" NPA local/EAS: (straight) ten-digits (I don't know if 1+ten-digits will be permissive - it presently is NOT) - - TOLL calls, regardless of NPA, LATA or State: 1+ten-digits, including "home"-NPA toll, where you have to dial your own NPA code. This is already in effect. - - similarly, all 0+ type calls, regardless of local (ie. card/collect/etc coinless from payphones), toll, NPA, LATA or State: 0+ten-digits including 0+ calls home-NPA dialing your own NPA code. This is already in effect. - - LOS customers will have to include the NPA code for a (straight) ten-digit call if the call is across the NPA boundary. "Straight" 7-digit LOS dialing will be maintained for such LOS calls within the "home" NPA as is now. NON-LOS customers will (and presently) dial 1+ten-digits if the same destination for them happens to be "toll", regardless of NPA. - - Area Plus customers will probably have the same dialing plan as LOS customers, but for Area Plus points that are not LOS (the most distant points in the LATA), even though they are "free" (unlimited), the dialing plan presently is _1+_504+seven-digits (or _1+_601-772-xxxx for Crossroads MS). The "requirement" for the _1+_ (and NPA even if same) for Area-Plus customers, even though LATA-wide calling for us is "free/unlimited", is probably due to (or so I've been told) to certain "limitations" on additional "class-of-service" options in translations in the 1AESS. New Orleans still has several #1As, but they are slowly being cut to DMSes and 5ESSes. MARK_J._CUCCIA__PHONE/WRITE/WIRE/CABLE:__HOME:__(USA)__Tel:_CHestnut-1-2497 WORK:__mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu|4710-Wright-Road|__(+1-504-241-2497) Tel:UNiversity-5-5954(+1-504-865-5954)|New-Orleans-28__|fwds-on-no-answr-to Fax:UNiversity-5-5917(+1-504-865-5917)|Louisiana(70128)|cellular/voicemail- NWORLASKCG0 (BellSouth #1AESS Cl.5 Local "Seabrook" 504-24x-) to become a #5ESS (yeah!), NWORLASKDS0, 12:01am SAT-11-NOV-2000 NWORLAIYCM3 (BellSouth-Mobility Ericsson Cellular-MTSO NOL) NWORLAMT01T (BellSouth DMS-100 "Metairie" Tndm; Cellular routes thru) NWORLAMA0GT (BellSouth DMS-100/200 inTRA-LATA/fg.BCD Tndm "Main" 504+) NWORLAMA20T (BellSouth DMS-200 TOPS:inLATA OprSvcTndm "Main" 504+053+) NWORLAMA04T (AT&T #4ESS Class-2 Toll 060-T / 504-2T "Main" 504+) JCSNMSPS06T (AT&T #5ESS OSPS:Operator-Services-Tandem 601-0T 601+121) JCSNMSPS14T (AT&T #4ESS Class-3 Toll 040-T / 601-2T; OSPS routes thru) NWORLAELH01 (PBX NEC-2400 504-862-3/8xxx, 504-865-4/5/6xxx) NWORLACADS0 (BellSo.DMS-100 Cl.5 Lcl "Carrollton" 504-86x-;PBX 'homes' on) ========================================================================= - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 2000 17:29:05 -0400 From: "Andy Berry" Subject: Re:CellOne San Francisco and AT&T Wireless >"H. Peter Anvin" Writes........ >Does anyone happen to know what the current scoop is as far as >CellOne/San Francisco and AT&T Wireless? It looks to the untrained >observer as though the latter is in the process of absorbing the >former, but they seem to be rather careful at not saying it outright >(AT&T Digital OneRate plan is called "Cellular One USA Plan"; checking >the AT&T Wireless site for anything in these zipcodes tells you to go >look at the www.cellone-sf.com instead, etc.) > >Personally, I think it would be nice if Cellular One turned into AT&T >Wireless lock, stock, and barrel. I haven't been too thrilled will >Cellular One in the past; unfortunately, all the cellphone carriers in >this area seem to suck, although in slightly different ways. Its already a done deal. ATT announced plans to buy Verizon's (From Vodaphone/Airtouch) half of C1 SF back in June. It was announced a week or so ago that the deal was complete and to expect full branding by the end of the year. From the conference call back in June, they said to expect to see changes starting as soon as the transaction was complete. BTW, that was the last ATT partnership left that is not ATT branded. Houston Cellular is an ATT partnership w/BellSouth, but will not be next year. Andy B. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 2000 17:52:10 -0400 From: Joseph Singer Subject: Company unresponsive to adding toll-free 866 and 855 I've been after VoiceStream my mobile phone provider for three weeks now to add 866 and 855 so that I can make calls to those who have toll-free numbers with these SAC prefix. Today when I spoke with a "customer care" person they informed that the reason that I can't make any calls to these numbers is the person's carrier won't let me dial their number. They said that they would not do anything about it as it was "out of their control." How do I convince them that *they* need to add these SACs into their system? Do I have to involve the FCC in this before they will make a move? TIA Joseph - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joseph Singer Seattle, Washington USA [ICQ pgr] +1 206 405 2052 [voice mail] +1 206 493 0706 [FAX] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 9 Sep 2000 22:49:50 -0400 From: "Bruce Kille" Subject: Re: lucent installation JCDWEAVER wrote in message news:20000908212344.14326.00000183@ng-cq1.aol.com... > not sure if anyone would know anything about this,but I heard a rumor about > lucent selling off their installation and or their manufacturing in all or > part.any info? The small/medium key/PBX division was bought by Exp@nets. Expanets is the result of Northwestern Growth buying about 30 interconnect and data companies and combining them into one entity. Later, Expanets acquired the above mentioned division of Lucent. If you are interested in more information about Expanets check out their web site: www.expanets.com . Bruce - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 00:10:00 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: Verizon won't do "inside moves" Long story short, I spoke at length today with Verizon re attempting to move a local phone number from one problematic jack in my home, to a cleaner one that used to house a different, now disconnected phone number. Neither repair nor sales or billing was willing to help - said they don't do "inside moves" or some such thing, although they will move a number from one address to another. I actually had to buy service (a new phone number!) to place on the clean jack, plus $4.50/monthly charge call forwarding on the original local phone number to have calls sent to the new (unnecessary!) number. Who says there's a number shortage?! Verizon has (212) numbers to spare ... (but can anyone tell me why they won't do "inside moves?", something that should take about 3 minutes, I'd think, technically ... ?) Judith Judith Oppenheimer, +1 212 684-7210, 1 800 The Expert Publisher, http://www.icbtollfree.com/testimny.cfm Register for FREE 800/Dot Com Headlines here: http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 00:46:49 -0400 From: Dave Garland Subject: Re: Verizon won't do "inside moves" It was a dark and stormy night when "Judith Oppenheimer" wrote: >I actually had to buy service (a new phone number!) to place on the clean jack, >plus $4.50/monthly charge call forwarding on the original local phone number to >have calls sent to the new (unnecessary!) number. I can't tell you why Verizon wouldn't do it. But is there some reason why you/a handyman/an electrician (in ascending order of expense) couldn't just hook the unused run up to the demarc? Indeed, if the unused line and the existing line weren't too old, they probably terminated in the same box, and merely required switching a pair of wires from one set of screws to another. Even hiring an electrician (serious overkill) would pay back pretty quick. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 01:19:33 -0400 From: "Ed Ellers" Subject: Re: Verizon won't do "inside moves" Dave Garland wrote: "But is there some reason why you/a handyman/an electrician (in ascending order of expense) couldn't just hook the unused run up to the demarc?" I don't think that would help. It sounds as though Judith had two pairs coming into the house, and Verizon was refusing to move her service from one pair to the other. No amount of rearranging inside wiring would fix that. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 03:03:58 -0400 From: Joel B Levin Subject: Re: Verizon won't do "inside moves" In , "Judith Oppenheimer" wrote: }Long story short, I spoke at length today with Verizon re attempting to move a }local phone number from one problematic jack in my home, to a cleaner one that }used to house a different, now disconnected phone number. } }Neither repair nor sales or billing was willing to help - said they don't do }"inside moves" or some such thing, although they will move a number from one }address to another. This sounds surprising to me. My understanding was that NYNEX / BA was always willing to do such work -- but at some outrageous $/hour, with a minimum charge. This also applies to repairs on your side of the network interface. In fact, if you called it in as a noisy line, if they were to come out and discover the noise source to be your wiring, they would offer to fix it then and there (and they'd be happy to use your other jack) at the hourly rate. If you're in the GTE part of Verizon I have no idea what their policy was, but if it was different (from BA's) before, I'd be pretty confident that it is still different. /JBL - -- Nets: levin/at/bbn.com | I wanna buy a ranch. With horsies. or jbl/at/levin.mv.com | -- Sprint PCS commercial or levinjb/at/gte.net | ARS: KD1ON | http://home1.gte.net/levinjb/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 03:12:01 -0400 From: craigm@earthling.net (Craig Macbride) Subject: USWest changing LD carrier without user's knowledge! I have a friend who lives in Washington state and has just made the unpleasant discovery that USWest (now QWest) changed her long distance carrier on one of her two phone lines without her knowledge or consent. This was done late last year. It was only when she made a long overseas call recently that she discovered that it was billed to AT&T (over US$200), instead of the carrier she had chosen, which would have charged about US$20. She has a calling card with AT&T and gets billed directly by them. When she contacted her preferred carrier, they told her USWest had instructed them last December that their service was no longer required! Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get USWest to pay the US$200 they are responsible for? Any ideas why USWest might have changed a customer's long distance carrier without their knowledge? Surely this behaviour should be illegal? - -- Craig Macbride - -----------------------http://www.nyx.net/~cmacbrid------------------------ "It's a sense of humour like mine, Carla, that makes me proud to be ashamed of myself." - Captain Kremmen - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #48 ******************************* From ???@??? Mon Sep 11 09:35:25 2000 Date: 11 Sep 2000 06:15:13 -0400 Message-ID: <20000911101513.11089.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #49 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: f086807177850075de5089a2d65f7879 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Monday, September 11 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 049 In this issue: Re: USWest changing LD carrier without user's knowledge! Re: Lucent Spinoff Re: Verizon won't do "inside moves" Dialing the US from France Re: USWest changing LD carrier without user's knowledge! Re: billing/answer supervision on recorded announcements Re: Dialing plans RE: USWest changing LD carrier without user's knowledge! Re: Verizon won't do "inside moves" mci problems Re: Lucent Spinoff Re: Lucent Spinoff New turnkey Buisness Models Re: Verizon won't do "inside moves" Re: Dialing the US from France ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 10 Sep 2000 08:29:08 -0400 From: Joseph Singer Subject: Re: USWest changing LD carrier without user's knowledge! 10 Sep 2000 03:12:01 -0400 craigm@earthling.net (Craig Macbride) wrote: >I have a friend who lives in Washington state and has just made the >unpleasant discovery that USWest (now QWest) changed her long distance >carrier on one of her two phone lines without her knowledge or consent. >This was done late last year. It was only when she made a long overseas >call recently that she discovered that it was billed to AT&T (over US$200), >instead of the carrier she had chosen, which would have charged about US$20. > >She has a calling card with AT&T and gets billed directly by them. When >she contacted her preferred carrier, they told her USWest had instructed >them last December that their service was no longer required! > >Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get USWest to pay the US$200 >they are responsible for? Any ideas why USWest might have changed a >customer's long distance carrier without their knowledge? Surely this >behaviour should be illegal? You're assuming that Qwest made the switch because they wanted to switch the service from the carrier (which you don't mention) to AT&T. If she was switched to AT&T it may be because either she was slammed or if for some reason she signed something somewhere without her knowledge to AT&T in some sort of promotion for something else. Qwest would have nothing to gain by switching her from one carrier to another as they don't even have permission to offer their own Qwest service in any former USWest area. What happens when she dials 1-700-555-4141? If she gets "Thank you for choosing AT&T." If she was indeed slammed by AT&T they will be fined for doing the switch (slam.) You should be able to get a credit from AT&T for the difference in amount that calls were charged that is different from the carrier you expected. You paid a high rate in most probability because you paid regular tarriffed rates which can be sky high. Also, you and anyone with telephone service should see to it that you get a PIC (preferred interstate carrier) freeze placed on all your lines so that only you can initiate a change in carrier. Joseph - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joseph Singer Seattle, Washington USA [ICQ pgr] +1 206 405 2052 [voice mail] +1 206 493 0706 [FAX] - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 10:11:30 -0400 From: HALinNY77@aol.com Subject: Re: Lucent Spinoff In a message dated 09/10/00 06:18:29 Eastern Daylight Time, owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org writes: > I saw a lucent sales support person the other day who said that they > were spinning off the piece of the company that deals with the corporate > business into a separate unit (and floating it?). That seemed to be the > PBX, handset, systems installations business. It sounded like a complete > vertical unit. She used the new name on the presentation slides - but I > can't remember what it was (an a and an x come to mind!) I heard the name of the new entity is Loose Ends :) Hal Kaplan Orion Telecommunications Corp. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 11:01:14 -0400 From: Dave Garland Subject: Re: Verizon won't do "inside moves" It was a dark and stormy night when "Ed Ellers" wrote: > It sounds as though Judith had two pairs >coming into the house, and Verizon was refusing to move her service from one >pair to the other. No amount of rearranging inside wiring would fix that. I thought she was saying that the problem was with the inside wiring, but reading her post your way does make more sense. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 11:08:38 -0400 From: "earle robinson" Subject: Dialing the US from France France uses 00 to dial all international calls. So, to dial the usa one dials 00-1-xxx-yyy-zzzz. If one lives here the cost through alternate carriers is quite low. I pay 8 cents a minute myself. -er - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 12:30:08 -0400 From: stevenl11@aol.com (Steven Lichter) Subject: Re: USWest changing LD carrier without user's knowledge! > >You're assuming that Qwest made the switch because they wanted to switch >the service from the carrier (which you don't mention) to AT&T. If she >was >switched to AT&T it may be because either she was slammed or if for some >reason she signed something somewhere wit Not that I like AT&T, I don't, but they were slammed from AT&T to an un-named carrier!!!! Apple Elite II 909-359-5338. Home of GBBS/LLUCE, support for the Apple II and Macintosh 24 hours 2400/14.4. An OggNet Server. http://www.delphi.com/gbbs The only good spammer is a dead one, have you hunted one down today? (c) - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 12:35:02 -0400 From: "Dean Forrest Wright" Subject: Re: billing/answer supervision on recorded announcements Paraphrasing from the manufacturer's documentation for one of the dominant central office announcement machines: To meet regulatory requirements, answer supervision MUST be provided on ANY announcement which allows the caller to interact with the announcement. For example, any announcement which allows the caller to select by voice or DTMF Tone from a menu or enter information should return answer supervision. Included would be an announcement which allows the caller to select a succeeding announcement from a menu, or an announcement which allows the caller to change his/her call forwarding remotely (Remote Access Call Forwarding). As Mr. Cuccia states, certain announcements not normally reached by end-users may intentionally be set up to provide answer supervision, for testing/study purposes. BTW, RBOC Qwest (formerly U.S. West) provides a toll-free number for its Remote Access Call Forwarding customers to reach the interactive announcement for the service. - -- Dean Forrest Wright, P.E. Wright Engineers, P.C. Telecommunications (Central Office Equipment) Engineer dean imt net - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ------------- "When one lacks a sense of awe, there will be disaster" Date: 2 Sep 2000 15:44:45 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: re - billing/answer supervision... danny burstein wrote: > Mark J Cuccia writes: >> BTW, GTE has SUPED on some NPA-change messages where the NPA has >> changed in their terminating territory (AT&T, MCI, and Sprint play >> their own NPA-change messages, but the LECs play their own in their >> own LATA territory as well, and for the Qwests, Frontiers, etc. who >> have a long-haul network but don't play their own NPA-change messages. >> And many LECs here and there have been KNOWN to SUPE on intercepts, >> vacant code messages, re-orders, busies, etc. It isn't "rare", but it >> isn't as widespread as I might be describing here... (Ameritech is also known to frequently "supe" on vacants, re-orders, intercepts, etc) > Which brings up a question I'd love to know the answer to, namely: > > what types of "answers" are supposed to be "unsupervised"? > > Presumably there's some list somewhere which, while perhaps not > perfect, should give some guidance. > > For example, we're probably all in agreement that true "busy" signals > shouldn't generate a charge. > > Similarly, a telco intercept advising you of an area code split should > be a freebie. I'd go as far as have _ALL_ vacant code/number, all ccts busy, number changes, no such number, etc. recordings as NON-suping (non-billing). > But going down the list, we start getting into grey areas. > > For example, if you misdial a number in a paging company (let's say 800 > of the 1000 numbers are in use, but you hit one of the blank ones) and > you get an intercept saying 'you've reached a nonworking number at > everlost-paging, our main number is foo-xxx'. Should that be charged? I'd make it "free" non-suping. The wording on the announcement is up to the paging company -- maybe they could give a "cold" vacant type of recording -- even a "re-order" (fast busy)... > Or 'no such number here at the White House, please call our > switchboard'? PBXes, cellular/wireless companies, etc. are all able (and should be encouraged) to return non-suping "vacant" or "intercept" announcements, IMO. Area Code "test/validation" announcement numbers (as indicated in TRA, NANPA, and LEC/etc. documentation have frequently indicated the test number as "free", but many NPA-test/validation numbers have been known to "supe" - about half of the new NPAs in the Caribbean had "suping" test numbers, but they aren't the only ones who have "suped" them. Maybe there should be a "pair" of NPA test numbers for every LATA/tandem region to use that new NPA -- one that is "free" (non-suping) to simply check routings/translations, and another that "supes" if someone wants to check their billing equipment or if they are going to get properly billed/etc. when that new area code gets "real" customers on it. When 250 split from 604 in BC back in 1996, there was a "pair" of test numbers - consecutive TOO -- line-number -0123 was NON-billing, while - - -0124 returned supervision for billing. The actual announcement on each number was IDENTICAL, probably coming from the same machine too! Note -- for those who aren't aware, AT&T (and possibly others) certainly do _BLOCK_ forward voicepath on their networks until the distant end returns off-hook billing/answer supervision. If one of the few remaining live "intercept operators" comes on a line asking "special operator, what number have you dialed", and you placed that call over AT&T, since she won't "supe back" to you, AT&T still has forward voicepath blocked, and she won't be able to hear you. AT&T started doing this twenty-plus years ago in the AT&T Long-Lines parts of the network, to reduce fraudulent use of their network. If you ask an AT&T Operator to call a number where you get a live intercept operator, the AT&T Opr can "RING FORWARD" to open up forward voicepath, yet you still haven't received backwards supervision -- nor billing for the call! Of course, the AT&T Operator will probably want to place a call for you at _OPERATOR_HANDLED_Rates_ to the (potential) "new" number quoted by the distant LEC intercept operator. As for reaching "tests", "announcements" (vacants, intercepts, etc), busies, etc. from a PBX or Cellular (or CLEC), while it isn't "that" difficult to arrange such terminations as NON-suping-back, with all of the competition/confusion in the industry today, many might not know "how" to fix their MTSO, PBX, etc. so that such terminating special numbers do not return back supervision.... Oh - and for network/switching/routing tests (not NPA tests), some are set deliberately to "supe" to do billing/rating studies, etc. Other test line numbers can be specifically set NOT to supe! MJC - - -- - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 12:41:27 -0400 From: Steve Tihor Subject: Re: Dialing plans Its rather deeper than that. I was speaking witha Lucnet repreresetnative and our phone people who run a respectable little lucent switch and they can't even tell me how an internation call will appear internally much less how its displayed on the smart phone displays. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 14:15:50 -0400 From: Bill Leidy Subject: RE: USWest changing LD carrier without user's knowledge! If my understanding is correct, you have misplaced the responsibility here. As a local exchange carrier (LEC), USWest is obligated to accept LOA's (Letters of Authorization) from Long Distance Companies to switch your service. In short, if AT&T told USWest to switch your service, they are obligated to do so. If AT&T did this without your knowledge and approval, AT&T acted fraudulently (this is called "slamming"), and is subject to fines and penalties. USWest is obligated to change your service back to your preferred carrier at no charge to you, and you are not obligated to pay AT&T for any of the calls made over their service. I, too have been slammed. In my case, I was changed without my permission from AT&T to another carrier that turned out to be an AT&T reseller! My first clue was when I received a bill from my "new" carrier. I examined my previous phone bills and found that my LEC, Southwestern Bell, had charged me two months previously for changing my carrier (not only to they slam you, but you normally pay the LEC for the change!). I contacted Southwestern Bell, and they immediately (1) changed my service back to AT&T at no charge to me, and (2) credited my account back for the unauthorized change billed two months ago. This was done without any arguement whatsoever. I also made one call to carrier now billing me, and informed them that I had not authorized the change, and would not pay for the calls. Many LECs now offer an "LOA block" service. This puts a flag on your account that says not to accept carrier change authorizations from anyone other than the customer themselves. If they offer this, you have to specifically order it. Your friend should ask USWest (now QWest). Bill Leidy - -----Original Message----- From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org [mailto:owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org] Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2000 5:15 AM To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #48 Telecom Digest Sunday, September 10 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 048 - ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 03:12:01 -0400 From: craigm@earthling.net (Craig Macbride) Subject: USWest changing LD carrier without user's knowledge! I have a friend who lives in Washington state and has just made the unpleasant discovery that USWest (now QWest) changed her long distance carrier on one of her two phone lines without her knowledge or consent. This was done late last year. It was only when she made a long overseas call recently that she discovered that it was billed to AT&T (over US$200), instead of the carrier she had chosen, which would have charged about US$20. She has a calling card with AT&T and gets billed directly by them. When she contacted her preferred carrier, they told her USWest had instructed them last December that their service was no longer required! Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get USWest to pay the US$200 they are responsible for? Any ideas why USWest might have changed a customer's long distance carrier without their knowledge? Surely this behaviour should be illegal? - - -- Craig Macbride - - - -----------------------http://www.nyx.net/~cmacbrid------------------------ "It's a sense of humour like mine, Carla, that makes me proud to be ashamed of myself." - Captain Kremmen - - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. - ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #48 ******************************* - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 14:18:58 -0400 From: Art Rice Subject: Re: Verizon won't do "inside moves" On 10 Sep 2000 00:46:49 -0400, in comp.dcom.telecom you wrote: >It was a dark and stormy night when "Judith Oppenheimer" > wrote: > >>I actually had to buy service (a new phone number!) to place on the clean jack, >>plus $4.50/monthly charge call forwarding on the original local phone number to >>have calls sent to the new (unnecessary!) number. > >I can't tell you why Verizon wouldn't do it. > >But is there some reason why you/a handyman/an electrician (in >ascending order of expense) couldn't just hook the unused run up to >the demarc? Indeed, if the unused line and the existing line weren't >too old, they probably terminated in the same box, and merely required >switching a pair of wires from one set of screws to another. Even >hiring an electrician (serious overkill) would pay back pretty quick. Quite possibly you are NOT paying extra for Verizon to maintain the inside wiring. They won't touch anything past the demarc if you don't. Should have had the local handyman do the job for you. If Verizon had come out it probably would have been $80/hr payable in 15 min increments as it is down here in Florida, IIRC. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 14:56:01 -0400 From: mikegackst@aol.com (Mikegackst) Subject: mci problems I have a customer that has 6 pri and 2 t-1 configureation, being provided by MCI. They were saying that the circuits are working fine and their construction of the rollovers to the different channels of the t-1 and pri were fine. I have spent more evenings at the call center monitoring the circuits and operations of the equipment than I care to mention. Only to determine the problem of drop calls and call not dialing out to be MCI. I have talked to repair techs, engineers and sales reps. (bs artists), repeating the same senareal, of how when the circuits get busy, @1500 to 2500 calls an hour, the circuits start acting up. As a call center, the customer lives and dies by the phone. MCI give a good appearance of caring for the first month. Afterwards, it's to stonewall our requests for answer to the questions of what is going on with the circuits. MCI swears, that all circuits are separated from each other. however, when one pri bulches, all of the pri's get gas. The t-1's are the same way, like twins. one gets a cold they all get a cold. Has anyone else have the same type of response and service from MCI as I????!!@$##. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 16:26:10 -0400 From: rodeocomm@aol.com (Rodeocomm) Subject: Re: Lucent Spinoff The name of the spinoff is AVAYA COMMUNICATION. There is a big ad campaign due out any day, explaining what goes with the new company and what stays with the old name. Steve Rowland RODEO Communications - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 17:12:40 -0400 From: kamlet@infinet.com (Art Kamlet) Subject: Re: Lucent Spinoff In article , wrote: >In a message dated 09/10/00 06:18:29 Eastern Daylight Time, >owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org writes: > >> I saw a lucent sales support person the other day who said that they >> were spinning off the piece of the company that deals with the corporate >> business into a separate unit (and floating it?). That seemed to be the >> PBX, handset, systems installations business. It sounded like a complete >> vertical unit. She used the new name on the presentation slides - but I >> can't remember what it was (an a and an x come to mind!) > >I heard the name of the new entity is Loose Ends :) http://www.avaya.com - -- Art Kamlet Columbus, Ohio kamlet@infinet.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 21:44:16 -0400 From: "Nguyen Doan" Subject: New turnkey Buisness Models Greetings All Does anyone have any feedbackon telecom and fiber otpics turnkey assembly bisness models? Are they profitable and what types of services or distinctions best support this structure? Would anyone have any examples? Thank you - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 10 Sep 2000 23:30:43 -0400 From: davidll@toad.net (David Lee) Subject: Re: Verizon won't do "inside moves" On 10 Sep 2000, you wrote in comp.dcom.telecom: >Long story short, I spoke at length today with Verizon re attempting to >move a local phone number from one problematic jack in my home, to a >cleaner one that used to house a different, now disconnected phone >number. > >Neither repair nor sales or billing was willing to help - said they >don't do "inside moves" or some such thing, although they will move a >number from one address to another. > >I actually had to buy service (a new phone number!) to place on the >clean jack, plus $4.50/monthly charge call forwarding on the original >local phone number to have calls sent to the new (unnecessary!) number. > >Who says there's a number shortage?! Verizon has (212) numbers to spare >... > >(but can anyone tell me why they won't do "inside moves?", something >that should take about 3 minutes, I'd think, technically ... ?) > >Judith > >Judith Oppenheimer, +1 212 684-7210, 1 800 The Expert >Publisher, http://www.icbtollfree.com/testimny.cfm >Register for FREE 800/Dot Com Headlines here: >http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm >-- >The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail >messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. This seems bizarre considering BA has an organization (BACCSI) dedicated to inside wiring. According to my BA white pages , BA does inside work for a service fee plus time and material charges. OTOH, BA is just coming off a strike, and everything is still backed up. It may be that they are not accepting any inside work until the backlog is cleared up. It would probably be easier to just move it yourself or hire someone to do it for you (alot of "phone companies" have popped up since 1984). Dave - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Sep 2000 03:33:55 -0400 From: Peter Morgan <$nospam$@webnet.clara.net> Subject: Re: Dialing the US from France In comp.dcom.telecom I saw that on 10 Sep 2000 11:08:38 -0400 "earle robinson" wrote: >If one lives here the cost through alternate carriers is quite low. >I pay 8 cents a minute myself. In the UK there are services charging ~5c/min (prepaid and a few which bill monthly). There are also a couple of services which only operate weekdays, but need no registration. Dialling just a "national" rate number (about 12c/min peak [08:00-18:00], and 6c/min) one then dials the international destination. There's a web site for one www.just-dial.com which lists the countries served (inc USA/Canada) and the other number is 0870 794 0000. [I am not employed or associated with either company. The cost is standard BT charge - it may be more from a phone box or any other telephone company. Info provided simply to show how the international charges are dropping - these firms make a tiny amount of income per minute - hence weekdays only - from the income for calling an 0870 compared with the discount charges they're paying for the international calls, one assumes.] PGM webnet at technologist.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #49 ******************************* From ???@??? Tue Sep 12 10:16:26 2000 Date: 12 Sep 2000 06:15:09 -0400 Message-ID: <20000912101509.14505.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #50 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 99abd12c8e88a3b734a5f57fbc6cf008 Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Tuesday, September 12 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 050 In this issue: Lucent spinoff Re: CellOne San Francisco and AT&T Wireless REVIEW: "Big Book of IPsec RFCs", Pete Loshin Further re Enhanced EAS/Local Calling in Louisiana Re: USWest changing LD carrier without user's knowledge! Re: CellOne San Francisco and AT&T Wireless When Big Brother knows you watch "Big Brother" IE feature can track Web surfers without warning 9/11/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES Re: CellOne San Francisco and AT&T Wireless Re: When Big Brother knows you watch "Big Brother" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 11 Sep 2000 07:43:50 -0400 From: "Michael N. Marcus" Subject: Lucent spinoff The recent Lucent phone equipment spinoff is called "AVAYA." The name means nothing, but looks good. You can read about ATT/Lucent's spinoffs, name changes, failed alliances and dumb decisions at www.connect-9.com . Michael N. Marcus AbleComm, Inc. www.ablecomm.com m=20 - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Sep 2000 12:12:39 -0400 From: "Michi Kaifu" Subject: Re: CellOne San Francisco and AT&T Wireless AT&T bought the remaining shares of Cellular One, which were held by Vodafone Airtouch, and took total control in June this year, as a part of the concession to the government in relation to the formation of Verizon Wireless. I understand that they are in process of transerring the operation to AT&T, and I don't know when exactly it will be completed. The purpose is to eliminate the overlap between Airtouch (CellOne) and GTE, and GTE remains as Verizon Wireless. I have always been puzzled about this Airtouch situation, because they are based in SF but didn't have their brand service at their HQ location. Michi Kaifu ENOTECH Consulting michi@pop.net - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Sep 2000 14:28:14 -0400 From: "Rob Slade, doting grandpa of Ryan and Trevor" Subject: REVIEW: "Big Book of IPsec RFCs", Pete Loshin BKBBIPSR.RVW 20000614 "Big Book of IPsec RFCs", Pete Loshin, 2000, 0-12-455839-9, U$34.95/C$48.95 %E Pete Loshin pete@loshin.com %C 340 Pine Street, 6th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104-3205 %D 2000 %G 0-12-455839-9 %I Morgan Kaufmann Publishers %O U$34.95/C$48.95 415-392-2665 fax: 415-982-2665 mkp@mkp.com %T "Big Book of IPsec RFCs: Internet Security Architecture" RFC (Request For Comments) documents are the standard references of the Internet. (Not that all of them are standards as such: some are discussion papers or even opinion pieces. RFC 1796 has an interesting take on this fact.) IPsec is that group of articles dealing with security. The RFCs are important materials. They are also available online, for free. Why, then, would you pay for a collection of them? Fortunately for the ease of my review, Loshin asks this question, and gives a detailed answer, in the introduction. In the first place, you'll probably want to print out the documents at some time, and this is probably one of the cheapest ways to do it. (Certainly one of the most convenient.) Also, this is a collection of the IPsec standards, and therefore the compilation work has been done for you. Finally, Loshin has provided an extensive index, which greatly increases the value of the text. (Original formatting has been retained, and the individual manuscripts preserve their page numbering: the index can be used to point to items in the RFCs even for those referring to the online forms.) Twenty three RFCs are included in the book. Fortunately for Loshin's effort, one of the documents provides an overview of net security and another presents a structure for the RFCs themselves. Each contains its own definitions of terminology, although an aggregated glossary would have been helpful. The items are listed in numerical order, as is suitable for a reference work: RFC 2401, on security architecture, is possibly the best starting point for newcomers, but is roughly in the middle of the book, and RFC 2411, describing the relationships among the RFCs, comes near the end. Topics include the MD4 and MD5 digest algorithms, using MD5 for IP authentication, ESP (Encapsulating Security Payload) encryption, RC5 encryption, hashed message authentication code (HMAC), the CAST-128 algorithm, test cases for message digests, RC2 encryption, security architecture, the authentication header, Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP), security associations, Internet Key Exchange (IKE), NULL encryption, a document roadmap, OAKLEY key determination, and the Diffie-Hellman key agreement method. For those needing, or even wanting, to know about IPsec, this is the reference. copyright Robert M. Slade, 2000 BKBBIPSR.RVW 20000614 ====================== (quote inserted randomly by Pegasus Mailer) rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@sprint.ca slade@victoria.tc.ca p1@canada.com The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you. - B. B. King http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev or http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Sep 2000 14:42:49 -0400 From: Mark J Cuccia Subject: Further re Enhanced EAS/Local Calling in Louisiana The Baton Rouge "Morning Advocate" had an article on Friday 8-Sept-2000 on the Enhanced EAS Calling proposed for many regions and Parishes in Louisiana... It listed approximately ELEVEN Parishes in the state where there is proposed enhancement of EAS for "Parish-Wide" or nearly Parish-wide local calling, which will be the first EAS for some ratecenters/exchange areas which for decades have been local only unto themselves! The agreement between BellSouth/incumbent independent telcos in the state, with the La.PSC/State Legislature comes from a recent decision by the Legislature to reduce/eliminate certain property taxes that have been levied against the telcos, as well as reduction/elimination of certain other taxes. BellSouth and the independent telcos agreed to pass on much of the savings to them to customers by enhancing (base/bare-bones) local/ EAS calling within many Parishes. The article did mention that _certain_ proposed Parish-Wide EAS calling arrangements may require FCC approval. It didn't exactly state "why", but "hinted" at the fact that many of the Parishes proposed for Parish-wide local/EAS dialing are split between two LATAs, thus possible FCC review and/or approval. St.Mary Parish _is_ split between the Lafayette LA LATA / NPA 337 (previously part of NPA 318, but recently went mandatory in its split), and the New Orleans LA LATA / presently NPA 504 (but soon to split to a new code TBA). The three Lafayette LA LATA side ratecenters/wirecenters are BALDWIN, FRANKLIN (which happens to be the Parish Seat), and CENTREVILLE. All three are perfectly EAS'd with each other, and all are DMS-remotes, off of a host in the New Orleans LA LATA. The two New Orleans LA LATA side ratecenters are PATTERSON (two DMS-remotes: Main and Bayou Vista) and MORGAN CITY (a DMS-remote in Amelia, and a DMS-100 host to all of St.Mary Parish, both LATAs/NPAs in Morgan City at Inglewood). Both ratecenters are EAS'd with each other. There are several other Parishes in the central part of the state which are split between the Shreveport-Alexandria-Monroe LA LATA (retained NPA 318), and the Lafayette LA LATA (now NPA 337 split from NPA 318). It is also possible that certain state-borderline situations served out of Mississippi LATAs, Arkansas LATAs, or Texas LATAs, but where there are customers in Louisiana (with a LA NPA code) might be proposed for incorporation into their Parish's Parish-Wide Local/EAS calling, or maybe even be re-associated with a Louisiana LATA. This has happened in the past - Vidalia LA homed on Mississippi pre-1984, and for a brief time post 1984 was part of the Jackson MS LATA. There was Local (EAS) between Vidalia LA and Natchez MS. Vidalia LA is now associated with the Shreveport-Alexandria-Monroe LA LATA, and homes on (most likely) BellSouth's Alexandria tandem for its Louisiana LATA. However, EAS between Vidalia LA and Natchez MS has been GRANDFATHERED, as inTER-LATA (and also inTER-state)! There are also a few other inTER-LATA (but inTRA-state) EAS situations in Louisiana, which were "grandfathered" when the LATA boundaries were finalized for 1984 (although LATA boundaries can and HAVE changed)... In some cases (as mentioned above in the St.Mary's Parish situation), a remote switch in one LATA can be _hosted_ by a digital-host in another LATA. Local/EAS (inTER-LATA) between the two can be allowed, or it has been possible that the call _is_ billed as inTER-LATA toll. The Baton Rouge "Morning Advocate" newspaper article did mention that the La.PSC would like for the enhanced (Parish-wide) EAS/local calling to take effect no later than 1-Jan-2001, but that those certain (obviously the inTER-LATA) EAS proposals might take longer due to FCC review/approval. There was no mention in the article about Ratecenter Consolidation. But if these EAS proposals make many more ratecenters "perfectly" EAS'd with each other, I wonder if Ratecenter Consolidation (which would CONSERVE NXX c.o.code assignments, and make paperwork/database management MUCH MORE efficient) could also be in the works! The BellSouth Website does have tariffs that can be viewed/downloaded/ printed, as .pdf Adobe-Acrobat files... Local/EAS calling areas (as the have PRESENTLY existed) are indicated within the tariff filings: http://cpr.bst.bellsouth.com/ http://cpr.bst.bellsouth.com/index3.htm http://cpr.bst.bellsouth.com/index2.html BellSouth Network Notification: http://www.interconnection.bellsouth.com/carrier/carrier_let_00.html BellSouth Press Releases: http://www.bellsouthcorp.com/headlines/ The La.PSC's website is http://www.lpsc.org MARK_J._CUCCIA__PHONE/WRITE/WIRE/CABLE:__HOME:__(USA)__Tel:_CHestnut-1-2497 WORK:__mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu|4710-Wright-Road|__(+1-504-241-2497) Tel:UNiversity-5-5954(+1-504-865-5954)|New-Orleans-28__|fwds-on-no-answr-to Fax:UNiversity-5-5917(+1-504-865-5917)|Louisiana(70128)|cellular/voicemail- NWORLASKCG0 (BellSouth #1AESS Cl.5 Local "Seabrook" 504-24x-) to become a #5ESS (yeah!), NWORLASKDS0, 12:01am SAT-11-NOV-2000 NWORLAIYCM3 (BellSouth-Mobility Ericsson Cellular-MTSO NOL) NWORLAMT01T (BellSouth DMS-100 "Metairie" Tndm; Cellular routes thru) NWORLAMA0GT (BellSouth DMS-100/200 inTRA-LATA/fg.BCD Tndm "Main" 504+) NWORLAMA20T (BellSouth DMS-200 TOPS:inLATA OprSvcTndm "Main" 504+053+) NWORLAMA04T (AT&T #4ESS Class-2 Toll 060-T / 504-2T "Main" 504+) JCSNMSPS06T (AT&T #5ESS OSPS:Operator-Services-Tandem 601-0T 601+121) JCSNMSPS14T (AT&T #4ESS Class-3 Toll 040-T / 601-2T; OSPS routes thru) NWORLAELH01 (PBX NEC-2400 504-862-3/8xxx, 504-865-4/5/6xxx) NWORLACADS0 (BellSo.DMS-100 Cl.5 Lcl "Carrollton" 504-86x-;PBX 'homes'on) ========================================================================= - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Sep 2000 16:58:34 -0400 From: craigm@earthling.net (Craig Macbride) Subject: Re: USWest changing LD carrier without user's knowledge! Bill Leidy writes: >If my understanding is correct, you have misplaced the responsibility here. >As a local exchange carrier (LEC), USWest is obligated to accept LOA's >(Letters of Authorization) from Long Distance Companies to switch your >service. USWest received no LOA at all. It turns out that they "reset" the line when they were trying (unsuccessfully) to get ADSL working on the line. They "reset" the line to use their default long distance carrier (AT&T), despite it being set to another carrier _and_ having told them to block LOAs! Apparently, USWest's account-keeping is so poor that they looked up the records as they were when ADSL had first been ordered, rather than the current records for the phone line. Even more amazing is that they have not changed the other phone line in the house to AT&T (and should not have done so) despite their records for the other phone line showing AT&T as the long-distance carrier on it too! In keeping with their policy of extreme incompetence, USWest will also not chase up the results of their mistake themselves, but make the customer waste time on it. They will not refund the money unless they can be shown that AT&T refuse to re-imburse the charge, and then only once they receive a copy of the AT&T bill. (In this instance, the AT&T bill is entirely electronic, being something that exists purely on AT&T's web site.) - -- Craig Macbride - -----------------------http://www.nyx.net/~cmacbrid------------------------ "It's a sense of humour like mine, Carla, that makes me proud to be ashamed of myself." - Captain Kremmen - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Sep 2000 19:55:20 -0400 From: Anthony Argyriou Subject: Re: CellOne San Francisco and AT&T Wireless "Michi Kaifu" wrote: >AT&T bought the remaining shares of Cellular One, which were held by >Vodafone Airtouch, and took total control in June this year, as a part of >the concession to the government in relation to the formation of Verizon >Wireless. I understand that they are in process of transerring the >operation to AT&T, and I don't know when exactly it will be completed. The >purpose is to eliminate the overlap between Airtouch (CellOne) and GTE, and >GTE remains as Verizon Wireless. I have always been puzzled about this >Airtouch situation, because they are based in SF but didn't have their brand >service at their HQ location. Airtouch is a spinoff of PacBell. When analog cellular service areas were doled out by the FCC, each area got two - one "wireline provider" (limited to ILECs, IIRC), and one "non-wireline provider", which ILECs were not allowed to bid for. In the SF Bay Area, the wireline provider was GTE Mobilenet, and the non-wireline was MacCaw Cellular, operating under the Cellular One brand. In some areas where GTE was the dominant ILEC and got the wireline franchise, they went under the Cellular One brand because their own brand was too unpopular to be an easy sell. Anthony Argyriou Unix _is_ user-friendly. It's just selective about its friends. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Sep 2000 21:59:36 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: When Big Brother knows you watch "Big Brother" When Big Brother knows you watch "Big Brother" TiVo helps you find and record TV shows it thinks you'll like, and shares your viewing habits with networks and advertisers. http://salon.com/tech/view/2000/09/11/tivo/index.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 11 Sep 2000 22:02:51 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: IE feature can track Web surfers without warning IE feature can track Web surfers without warning By Paul Festa Staff Writer, CNET News.com September 11, 2000, 12:50 p.m. PT People surfing the Web incognito may want to think twice before using Internet Explorer. Microsoft today said it is investigating a possible privacy loophole in its Internet Explorer browser that could thwart efforts by people who want to surf the Web anonymously. The feature in IE 5 and above, referred to by Microsoft as "persistence," is designed to let Web pages remember information, such as search queries, entered by visitors. http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-2751843.html - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2000 23:01:17 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 9/11/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* NOTABLE QUOTES: “Any presumption that a corporate logo, despite all its owner-manipulated and managed representation, must nonetheless remain some venerated, visually unassailable and completely untouchable icon is an absurd and undemocratic contradiction, in a nation where it is still legally-protected free speech to burn the American flag... itself a symbol of far loftier human ideals than the cult-inspired CBS 'Eye Device.'” - Phil Patiris, Modern Television "For all intents and purposes, this [UDRP] process is creating a new body of international trademark law." - David G. Post, Associate Professor of Law at Temple University Law School ************************************************************************* GUEST EDITORIALS - - REGULATORY "CREEP" - - IS TEN DAYS FAIR NOTICE TO FILE AN ANSWER? CONTENTS - - NANC TO MEET SEPTEMBER 19 - - USER-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE TO URLS DUE SOON - - DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR NEW DOMAINS APPROACHING FAST - - CISCO RELEASING VOIP SOFTWARE - - PHONE.COM GETS NEW CEO/PRESIDENT - - ALTERNATIVE ROOT SERVERS CREEPING UP ON ICANN - - TM COMPLIANCE, OR GOOD PR? - - LAW FIRM PLAYS BALL WITH MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL - - INDIA TO INCLUDE 'CYBERSQUATTING' IN ITS COPYRIGHT LAWS - - IN REM DOMAIN ACTIONS ARE DISCOVERABLE - - 1ST HIJACKING RULING IN UDRP-VILLE - - UDRP RULING: REVERSE DOMAIN HIJACKER GUILTY - - JAL UDRP RULING: JOHN A LETTELLIER GOT THERE FIRST - - ICANN GRANTED TAX EXEMPT STATUS - - JURIES AND THE NEW COMMON LAW IN CYBERSPACE - - FINAL CANDIDATES FOR ICANN BOARD BALLOT NAMED ************************************************************************* !!! YOUR TEXT AD HERE !!! 18,000+ weekly readership, over 112,000 targeted impressions every month! Space is limited -- ORDER NOW! -- email editor@icbtollfree.com. ************************************************************************ CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTE: ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************ GUEST EDITORIALS F - REGULATORY "CREEP" The last thing that anyone in the Internet business needs is for the Internet to be recast as just another form of telecommunication ripe for regulation. Guest Editorial by A.M. Rutkowski, VP for Internet Strategy, VeriSign-NSI CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4468 F - IS TEN DAYS FAIR NOTICE TO FILE AN ANSWER? What's the current UDRP procedure for knowing you can get an arbitration extension of time due to overtime work demands at the factory, birth of a child, strep and three missed days of work for the single parent coordinating child care with less than cooperative ex, .... Guest Editorial by Daniel Kegan, PhD, JD. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4459 ************************************************************************ HEADLINES for September 11, 2000 P - NANC TO MEET SEPTEMBER 19 Busy agenda includes Toll Free Access Codes Issue Management Group (IMG) Report. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4466 F - USER-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE TO URLS DUE SOON Engineers at Network Solutions, RealNames, Netword, and AT&T have developed the Common Names Resolution Protocol (CNRP). CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4465 P - DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR NEW DOMAINS APPROACHING FAST Potential takers for the new top-level domains have until October 2 to apply, but ICANN's failure to release information about the process has caused many to stall. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4464 F - CISCO RELEASING VOIP SOFTWARE The benefits of Internet-based voice systems are potentially numerous. Corporations can use the same network wiring to connect PCs and phones and thereby can create communications between the two. Net telephony also promises to reduce costs, because voice traffic can ride across a private corporate network rather than the public telephone network--a trend often called "convergence." But some companies have been slow to adopt the technology, choosing to tinker with it in labs. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4463 F - PHONE.COM GETS NEW CEO/PRESIDENT Phone.com is in the process of merging with Internet software developer Software.com in a bid to jointly become the top provider of the technology that delivers Internet access over cellular phones, handheld computers and other wireless devices. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4462 P - ALTERNATIVE ROOT SERVERS CREEPING UP ON ICANN ASLAN remained above the 1 million hit per month during August, receiving 1,373,912 hits during the month. In addition to this, the number of unique computers that now point away from ICANN controlled root servers to alternative name servers jumped by over 72% from July. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4461 F - TM COMPLIANCE, OR GOOD PR? A Flycode representative said that despite today's name change, the company plans to keep the URL and redirect people to its new site. As of today, AppleSoup.com remains live on the Web. The Flycode.com site links to similar pages. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4460 F - LAW FIRM PLAYS BALL WITH MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL It seems simple enough - first come, first serve is the rule of the Internet. But there was one little problem: Major League Baseball has been a valued Morgan Lewis client for well over a decade. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4458 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* Are you a local or regional business that advertises in newspapers, direct mail, on radio or tv? 1 800 BRAND IT shared use marketing programs can help your sales skyrocket! http://www.1800BrandIt.com ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Register online to receive your 10% discount. http://www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES for September 11, 2000 F - INDIA TO INCLUDE 'CYBERSQUATTING' IN ITS COPYRIGHT LAWS Nasscom president Dewang Mehta said the law would not be against the selling of domain names but would focus on cases of clear abuse, often directed at famous and well known trademarks. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4457 P - IN REM DOMAIN ACTIONS ARE DISCOVERABLE A federal court in Virginia has ruled that traditional rules of discovery apply to the in rem provisions found in the anticybersquatting act. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4456 P - 1ST HIJACKING RULING IN UDRP-VILLE Despite what the Complainant represented in the Cease and Desist Letter, and in Paragraph 4(1)(c)(i) of the Complaint, it has not yet succeeded in registering a trademark to "QTRADE" in either Canada or the United States. Furthermore, the record shows that the Complainant only filed trademark applications in both countries after almost a year of attempting to purchase the domain name from the Respondent. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4455 P - UDRP RULING: REVERSE DOMAIN HIJACKER GUILTY The panel, by a majority, finds the complaint was filed as an attempt at Reverse Domain Name Hijacking and was brought in bad faith primarily to deprive a registered domain-name holder of a domain name. Under these circumstances, pursuant to Rule 15(e), the panel declares the complaint was brought in bad faith and constitutes an abuse of the administrative proceeding. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4454 P - JAL UDRP RULING: JOHN A LETTELLIER GOT THERE FIRST The Panel does not agree with the Complainant’s characterization that the Respondents have demanded $50,000 as a ransom. Given that the registration of the domain name was bona fide, the Respondents subsequent offer to sell it, does not in itself constitute bad faith. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4453 P - ICANN GRANTED TAX EXEMPT STATUS But -- "Because you are a newly created organization, we are not now making a final determination of your foundation status under section 509(a) of the Code. However, we have determined that you can reasonably be expected to be a publicly supported organization described in the section(s) indicated above. Accordingly, you will be treated as a publicly supported organization, and not as a private foundation, during an advance ruling period. This advance ruling period begins and ends on the dates indicated above." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4452 F - JURIES AND THE NEW COMMON LAW IN CYBERSPACE Is the UDRP "law"? ICANN will not permit anyone to offer *.COM, *.ORG, or *.NET domain names to the public to become, in the jargon, a "registrar" of domain names unless they agree to abide by the decisions of UDRP panels. As a result, whomever you may have obtained your domain name from has already agreed to revoke your domain name registration, and to transfer the registration to someone else, if told to do so by one of these UDRP arbitrators. For all intents and purposes, this process is creating a new body of international trademark law. by David G. Post. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4451 F - FINAL CANDIDATES FOR ICANN BOARD BALLOT NAMED ICANN has reported over 76,000 activated At Large Members, who will now select 5 members of the ICANN Board of Directors in a worldwide online election. One Director will be elected from each of five geographic regions: Africa, Asia/Australia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America/Caribbean, and North America. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4450 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. Please feel free to pass along a copy to a friend, within reason so long as the message is not modified or used unfavorably. To unsubscribe mailto:editor@icbtollfree.com, subject: unsubscribe. *************************** ADVERTISING INFORMATION *************************** For information on advertising in ICB HeadsUp Headlines emails, see http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4415 ************************************************************************* Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site will be able to access all or some of the full text of URLs provided. ************************************************************************* Copyright © 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************* ------------------------------ Date: 12 Sep 2000 00:15:55 -0400 From: tknab@nyx.net (Terry Knab) Subject: Re: CellOne San Francisco and AT&T Wireless Michi Kaifu wrote: : AT&T bought the remaining shares of Cellular One, which were held by : Vodafone Airtouch, and took total control in June this year, as a part of : the concession to the government in relation to the formation of Verizon : Wireless. I understand that they are in process of transerring the : operation to AT&T, and I don't know when exactly it will be completed. The : purpose is to eliminate the overlap between Airtouch (CellOne) and GTE, and : GTE remains as Verizon Wireless. I have always been puzzled about this : Airtouch situation, because they are based in SF but didn't have their brand : service at their HQ location. They didn't for one big reason. ATT was a part owner of the system. ATT also owned half of the KC Cell One franchise, and sold it to Airtouch/Verizon last October. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 12 Sep 2000 00:18:36 -0400 From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net (Steve Sobol) Subject: Re: When Big Brother knows you watch "Big Brother" >>From 'Monty Solomon': > >When Big Brother knows you watch "Big Brother" >TiVo helps you find and record TV shows it thinks you'll like, and shares >your viewing habits with networks and advertisers. >http://salon.com/tech/view/2000/09/11/tivo/index.html I don't know that I'd call this a bad thing. I'd be very happy if, for example, I never had to watch any more ads for feminine hygiene products. Give me content that's RELEVANT to my life! I already like the idea behind the technology, and I especially like the fact that TiVo runs Linux (a big plus for this Penguin follower). - -- North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net Steve Sobol, BOFH - President, Chief Website Architect and Janitor Linux Instructor, PC/LAN Program, Natl. Institute of Technology, Akron, OH sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ End of Telecom Digest V2000 #50 *******************************