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Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 01:18:11 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
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To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #51
TELECOM Digest Wed, 5 Apr 2000 01:18:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 51
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
4/4 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer
White House Claims: "We Don't Keep Call Detail Records!" (Jeremy Greene)
BellSouth and Separations (Tad Cook)
Bell Atl. Discriminating Against Resellers on 516/631 Switch? (R. Fishler)
Re: CPP, ATM Surcharges (Fred Goldstein)
Erlang Equations? "Watch Meister)
Bell-Atlantic to Be Renamed "Verizon" (The Old Bear)
Verizon!! (Jeremy Greene)
Book Review: "High-Speed Wireless ATM and LANs", Benny Bing (Rob Slade)
Re: Spring Ahead Season (wolf@ti.com)
Re: Spring Ahead Season (Arthur Ross)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 4/4 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 21:44:05 -0400
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution.
Current focus:
P - Roll-out of new toll free codes 866 and 855 is delayed
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1186
P - SNAC demands End to End Performance Commitments and Level of Service
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1255
P - Toll Free quietly falls under auspices of new INC Audit Committee
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=866
P - Domain Name Famous Marks and new gTLDs recommendations on deadline
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1260
P - Vapor-constituency: ICANN At Large Membership ...
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1224
P - ICANN called on the carpet by the three Regional Internet Registries
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1134
F - Do No Harm: Reform the Domain Dispute System
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1294
F - CyberHQ - THE NEW IMPERIALISM
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=558ALISM
*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR APRIL 4, 2000
F - DIAL 388 FOR EUROPE? This is not the first time that enterprises
have had an international dialing scheme at their disposal. There is
already Universal International Freephone, but uptake has been
limited. The reason, according to the International Telecommunications
User Group, is that international freephone is a heavy financial
burden to bear. "We were all very interested, but it's a very
expensive service," said Peters. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1362
P - NY COURT TO TACKLE NFL SUIT AGAINST CAL WEB SITE "Since he
apparently profits substantially from the activity that does damage to
the plaintiffs in New York, it does not offend due process to require
him to defend his actions in a New York courtroom," the judge added.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1364
F - FREEDSL GOES LIVE Company founder Ryan Steelberg said he is
testing a way to control subscribers' connections so that individual
Web sites would download considerably faster. Thus, if Yahoo paid for
advertising, anyone going to a Yahoo site would see pages load much
more quickly than nonpaying competition. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1366
P - MICROSOFT RULING ISSUED U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield
Jackson says Microsoft repeatedly violated U.S. antitrust laws; no
decision reached on what punishment to levy. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1368
*************************************************************************
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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 <<<<<<<<<<<<<
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 4, 2000
P - TYPO-SQUATTING IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC While Maly says his intention
in registering "jobspilot.cz" was not to hold the address ransom, he
admits it is a business ploy to steer traffic away from a competitor
— as he says jobpilot.cz did by using the word "job." It's a
technique, a sort of "typosquatting," that Maly has used repeatedly.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1358
F - GSM ASSOCIATION SCRAMBLING FOR IP ADDRESSES Larger-than-expected
rollout plans for 2.5-generation mobile networks have taken the
industry by surprise. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1360
F - YOU CAN'T HEAR A PIN DROP, BUT ``HEY, IT'S FREE!'' Pitrie, an
office manager from Chalmette, La., has discovered something even more
appealing than discounted evening rates and bare-bones long-distance
companies: an Internet service that she can use to make unlimited
long-distance calls. For free. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1367
*************************************************************************
Do a friend a favor - suggest ICB ...
Click Here to Recommend-It(r) http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=118920
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 4, 2000
P - NUMBER RESOURCE OPTIMIZATION REPORT & ORDER, FNPRM, DOCKET
NO. 99-200, FCC 00-104. Full text of Ruling and NPRM. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1370
P - USPTO BECOMES PERFORMANCE BASED
... has greater autonomy within the Commerce Department; complains
its lacking for funds. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1359
F - 'VERIZON' THE NEW BA/GTE ID The companies said they expect a full
rebranding of the combined company will take 12 to 24 months, and plan
to place the new logo that emphasizes the initials V and Z on "key
locations" such as payphones. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1361
F - ONE NUMBER WORLDWIDE SERVICE Coverage will be offered via
flat-rate payment plans based on the country from which customers are
calling. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1363
**************************************************advertisements*********
Haven't time to search? Get targeted telecom news every week from the
source. Put 'subscribe Pipe' in the subject line and reply to:
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*************************************************************************
That's a Great Name for a Web Site!
Get instant Internet brand recognition for your company by securing
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>>>>>>> iApplyNow.com, eTOLLFREE.com & iTOLLFREE.com <<<<<<<<
To request a bid package call Monte Cahn at 954-782-5426.
*************************************************************************
Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html
*************************************************************************
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
------------------------------
From: Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net>
Subject: White House Claims: "We Don't Keep Call Detail Records!"
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 01:03:42 -0400
Does anyone besides me have a hard time believing White House counsel
Beth Nolan when she makes this statement regarding call detail records
to Congressional investigators?
"Except for cellular telephones, billing records do not provide any
useful information. The vast majority of domestic long distance calls
are placed via an FTC number, for which there is no call detail. The
small number of domestic calls not placed on FTS lines reflect only
one of several trunk lines of origin. The bills do not reflect either
the originating number or the full destination number. Internal calls
similarly do not reflect the originating number, but do reflect the
destination number. Accordingly, there would be no way of ascertaining
the billing records for the telephones used by or assigned to the
individuals who placed the calls. "
So she's telling us that besides long-distance records (which they
also claim to have "lost"), the White House phone system does not keep
call detail records associating outgoing calls with extensions? Isn't
CDR a necessity for any major institution, let alone the EOP??
Maybe the monthly AT&T statements will mysteriously "turn up" when
they are discovered next year by cleaning staff in Hillary's bedroom!
Alongside a cassette containing the infamous 18 minute gap of
Nixon-Haldeman conversations, perhaps!!??!!
Maybe Beth Nolan will go the route of Alexander Haig and claim that
"Some Sinister Force" took possession of the phone bills. Or maybe
Buddy the Dog ate them!
Click here for more of this incredible BS:
http://www.cpgg.com/insight/item52.shtml
------------------------------
From: Tad Cook <tad@aa.net>
Subject: BellSouth and Separations
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 23:13:17 -0700
BellSouth Response Statement Regarding NC Utilities Commission Order
in US LEC Dispute Copyright 1999 Nando Media
RALEIGH, N.C., April 3 (Apr 4, 2000 2:7:6 EST) --
BellSouth today issued the following:
Background
In September 1998 BellSouth filed a complaint with the North Carolina
Utilities Commission asking it to declare that US LEC, a competing
local exchange company, was improperly invoicing BellSouth for
reciprocal compensation resulting from telephone connections
established solely for the purpose of attempting to generate
reciprocal compensation. Reciprocal compensation is the payment a
local exchange company makes to another local exchange company that
completes (or "terminates") a call that originated on the other's
network. Reciprocal compensation is generally computed on a
minutes-of-use basis. The negotiated rate in the interconnection
agreement between the carriers and the number and length of the calls
determine the amount owed. The amount US LEC claimed for the traffic
at issue in the proceeding was approximately $150 million. The traffic
was not related to the companies' dispute regarding the payment of
reciprocal compensation for Internet Service Provider (ISP) traffic.
In August 1999, the NCUC conducted an evidentiary hearing in this
matter. US LEC vigorously advocated its position that reciprocal
compensation was due for all of the traffic at issue. On March 31,
2000, the Commission issued an order declaring that no reciprocal
compensation is due for any of the traffic. In its order, the NCUC
concluded, among other things, that: Metacomm, LLC, the entity
responsible for generating the traffic at issue and which is
indirectly owned by US LEC's Chairman of the Board and controlling
shareholder, was formed for the purpose of attempting to generate
reciprocal compensation for US LEC, which US LEC agreed to share with
Metacomm; Metacomm established thousands of connections between
BellSouth's network and US LEC's network and left them open nearly
continuously in order to attempt to create as much reciprocal
compensation revenue as possible; and US LEC and Metacomm took active
steps to not reveal their reciprocal compensation plan to
BellSouth. The NCUC ruled that the parties' interconnection agreements
did not provide for reciprocal compensation payments for the type of
traffic at issue. It further ruled that allowing for the payment of
reciprocal compensation, "in light of what US LEC and Metacomm
actually did in constructing their network," would be against the
public interest.
The following statement may be attributed to Clifton Metcalf,
Director- Regulatory & External Affairs:
"We are pleased by the decision reached by the Commission. The
Telecommunications Act of 1996 was designed to foster true competition
in the telecommunications marketplace. The NCUC's order upholds both
the letter and the spirit of that important legislation. It sends a
clear signal that the NCUC will not allow telecommunications carriers
doing business in this State to attempt to game the system for their
sole benefit and at the expense of the public interest.";
------------------------------
From: Reid Fishler <redhead@redbird.com>
Subject: Bell Atl. Discriminating Against Resellers on AC 516/631 Switch?
Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2000 01:29:43 -0400
The following is the text of my complaint to the NYS Public Service
Commission. It seems like BA is having fun with clients who left them,
by making people who are using someone other than BA pay the price,
making it look like their phone numbers have been disconnected, with
no mention of the area code change. For BA customers, however, the
recording clearly states the new area code ... BA is just SO nice ...
Reid
(If anyone needs the numbers to test this for any reason, slip me an
email removing the nospam)
Bell Atlantic is placing a "phone number not in service" recording for
all old 516, now 631 phone numbers served by a CLEC via resold Bell
Atlantic dial tone. Meanwhile, if you are a direct customer of Bell
Atlantic, you get a "this number has changed" recording. This has
caused me a great amount of lost business, as people believe my phone
has been disconnected. For an example, try the following, both numbers
are mine, one is billed thru RCN of New York, and one directly with
Bell Atlantic:
RCN Number: 516692XXXX
Bell Atlantic: 516692XXXX
Note how the RCN number gives a disconnected recording, where the BA
number gives the correct forwarding information.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2000 08:51:20 -0400
From: Fred Goldstein <fgoldstein@wn.net>
Subject: Re: CPP, ATM Surcharges
In V20I50, Michel Hartley wrote:
fg>> CPP operates rather like a collect call. The rate is NOT set by the
>> caller's carrier, but by the called carrier.
> Yes, at the basic level. But we're in a market here -- telcos neotiate
> for mega minute deals so although carrier x may pay a termination
> charge of x per minute for his say million minutes a month, carrier y
> may pay y (where x>>y) for their 100 million miunutes of terminating
> business.
That is how it works in the UK, I assume. CPP is based on the
"terminating minute" model, like local calls. That's how LOCAL
service is priced here, including cellular.
> <..>Thus the caller's carrier has no say at all.
> Not true. The caller's carrier is free to negotiate with either the
> called network or third party transit networks. In reality since
> capacity comes from a variety of places you may find that the caller's
> network routes calls of a number of different carriers depending on
> the time of day/called network.
Again, absolutely not the case in the USA. CPP cellular is NOT sold
as a terminating minute. It's sold as an information service,
chargeable directly to the originating mark, er, caller. It's handled
as a 900 service. Intermediate carriers have no say whatsoever over
that rate. They do dicker among themselves over the pennies of
billing cost, etc., but that's basically noise.
fg>> The fact that the rest of the planet uses it doesn't make it right, at
>> least for the USA;
> Hmm. This would be the same sort of reasoning that landed the USA with
> cellular systems which don't even provide contiguous *national*
> roaming would it? ;+)
Absolutely unrelated. The FCC created over 700 license areas for the
original freebie cellular licenses. Bad move, but unrelated to how it
was paid for. Roaming was hurt by the inability of Bells to carry
inter-LATA traffic; that was later relaxed (only) for wireless.
>> I think for once the USA got the right model (cellular subscriber pays for
>> their own convenience).
> I think you're wrong. What's more I don't think the market has moved
> on so far that the 'convenience' argument is a red herring. Here in
> the UK we're looking at mobile penetration approaching 80% by the end
> of this year. That's not convenience, that's a huge market. And it's
> all CPP. Go figure -- but in the end time will tell.
There in the UK, you pay 5c/minute for a daytime local wireline call.
Here we pay 0.00/minute. So cellular isn't the great bargain, even
though it's cheaper here -- my $30/month account (from Verizontal
Wireless) gives me 300 minutes plus unlimited nights/weekends, plus
the first incoming minute of a call doesn't even count. Compare that
to the UK plans.
------------------------------
Reply-To: Watch Meister <breitling@eisa.net.au>
From: Watch Meister <breitling@eisa.net.au>
Subject: Erlang Equations?
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 11:19:15 +0800
Hi,
Can anyone recommend a good place to find detailed 'Erlang' equations. I am
interested in a number of models including:
Erlang B
Erlang C
Engset
Binomial
Thanks in advance.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2000 11:31:28 -0400
From: The Old Bear <oldbear@arctos.com>
Subject: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon"
As summarized in NewsScan Daily for April 4, 2000:
> BELL-ATLANTIC LOOKS BEYOND THE BLUE VERIZON FOR A NEW NAME
> When it gets approval for its merger with GTE, Bell-Atlantic will be
> Bell-Atlantic no more: it will be Verizon, which rhymes with "horizon,"
> and is intended to suggest both "veritas" (Latin for "truth") and
> "horizon" (English for, well, "horizon").
> What was wrong with Bell-Atlantic? "The name literally did not give us
> the positives that we need going forward in terms of things that are
> innovative, global, able to provide technological expertise. The word
> 'Bell' signals voice. Voice, and stop there. We couldn't get to data
> with it."
> source: Washington Post (4 Apr 2000)
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/business/A5693-2000Apr3.html
To subscribe or unsubscribe to the test version of NewsScan Daily, send an
e-mail message to NewsScan@NewsScan.com with 'subscribe' in the subject
line. See http://www.newsscan.com/
------------------------------
From: Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net>
Subject: Verizon!!
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 01:10:55 -0400
NET^H^H^H ... no, NYNEX^H^H^H^H^H ... no, Bell
Atla^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H ... no, `we've got it now! Verizon!
That's the name of the combined Bell Atlantic / GTE company. Sounds
like an anti-impotence drug, if you ask me.
According to the press release, "The word Verizon (pronounced
vurr-EYE-zon) was selected from more than 8,500 names. The new name
comes from the Latin word "veritas," which means truth, and also
connotes certainty and reliability ..."
... I know there's a punch line here somewhere, but I'll leave that
up to you!
http://www.ba.com/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=21623
------------------------------
From: Rob Slade <rslade@sprint.ca>
Organization: Vancouver Institute for Research into User
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 08:30:46 -0800
Subject: Book Review: "High-Speed Wireless ATM and LANs", Benny Bing
Reply-To: rslade@sprint.ca
BKHSWAAL.RVW 20000217
"High-Speed Wireless ATM and LANs", Benny Bing, 2000, 1-58053-092-3,
U$75.00
%A Benny Bing bennybing@onebox.com
%C 685 Canton St., Norwood, MA 02062
%D 2000
%G 1-58053-092-3
%I Artech House/Horizon
%O U$75.00 617-769-9750 fax: +1-617-769-6334 artech@artech-house.com
%P 249 p.
%T "High-Speed Wireless ATM and LANs"
The preface promises a concise discussion of wireless data
technologies. The book delivers.
Chapter one limits the scope of the book a bit further, by restricting
the material to local (small extent and non-cellular) arrangements,
but gives a good introduction to wireless LANs, and a very good
overview of propagation problems. Classification of wireless LANs is
covered in chapter two, and although most of the time is spent with
spread spectrum technologies, even infrared gets a mention.
Implementation lists components, deployment considerations, and
performance tuning in chapter three. It also discusses, oddly late in
the book, applications and benefits of wireless LANs. Chapter four
deals with WLAN standards, including 802.11, HIPERLAN, HomeRF SWAP
(Shared Wireless Access Protocol), Bluetooth, and others. Performance
evaluation, in chapter five, provides detailed test specifications for
some products.
Chapter six opens the discussion of wireless ATM (Asynchronous
Transfer Mode) technologies, looking at a variety of implementations,
and briefly introducing satellite systems. Wireless ATM
standardization is covered in chapter seven.
In a brief space, Bing has provided a clear and readable introduction
to the topic. The illustrations are unusually useful and informative,
in comparison to so many authors who seem to throw in figures only to
fill up room on the page. When Bing uses a graphic, it is clear and
generally self-explanatory, but is also clearly lablelled and
captioned. The text is succinct and simple enough for the needs of
the busy manager, but still provides the technical specialist with
valuable information in regard to selection and deployment.
copyright Robert M. Slade, 2000 BKHSWAAL.RVW 20000217
====================== (quote inserted randomly by Pegasus Mailer)
rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@sprint.ca slade@victoria.tc.ca p1@canada.com
This message is in beta test, but should ship any day now.
http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev or http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 15:20:49 -0500 (CDT)
From: wolf@ti.com
Subject: Re: Spring Ahead Season
#> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: For how many ever years, Chicago had
#> CAThedral 8-8000 which was really the same as DEArborn 2-8000. Then
#> one day that vanished in lieu of a 976 number with a additional charge
#> for using it. Believe it or not, for many years in the 1920-30's era,
#> CAThedral 8000 was manually answered by operators who would answer the
#> call by announcing the time then hanging up. At some point or another,
#> that got to be a pain and they began using a pre-recorded
#> announcement. PAT]
Is time really a recording? Or is it synthesized (from recordings of
1, 2, 3, 'the time is now', etc. or whatever else) at the proper second?
-W
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: It is as you suggest. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 19:31:43 -0700
From: Arthur Ross <a.ross@ieee.org>
Subject: Re: Spring Ahead Season
Pat -
Gee - hasn't anyone noticed that those CDMA phones, of which I am so fond,
are synchronized to GPS time, +/- a few nanoseconds (like about 50, IIRC)?
If you just want to set your clock at a sortof button-pushing level of
accuracy, the nearest CDMA phone is about as accurate as anything that is
easily accessible. The displayed time is supposed to be adjusted, at the
discretion of the local operator, to the local time zone, and to daylight
vs standard time, as appropriate. The phone itself, internally, is
synchronized within a chip (about 800 ns) of what it is receiving, which
will differ from what the cell is transmitting by one propagation delay --
about 6 microseconds per mile -- from the cell site.
-- Best,
-- Arthur
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #51
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Apr 5 21:20:06 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id VAA21056;
Wed, 5 Apr 2000 21:20:06 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 21:20:06 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004060120.VAA21056@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #52
TELECOM Digest Wed, 5 Apr 2000 20:20:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 52
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Virus Dials 9-1-1 ? (Tad Cook)
Tone Phones Not Dialing (Robert McDonald)
Grammar to Play Prerecorded Voice Prompts (Balaji Sundara)
Area Code & Zip Code Data Base Wanted (Administrator)
Caller ID When I Tried Calling About the Census (Carl Moore)
Re: Recruitment (Penny Samec)
Re: Erlang Equations? (Diego Betancor)
Re: Erlang Equations? (Rick Ellis)
Re: Erlang Equations? (John Tombs)
Re: Erlang Equations? (B.L. Bodnar)
Re: Use of WWW in Domain Names (TelcoRock)
Re: Spring Ahead Season (Mike Pollock)
Re: Those White House Phone Records (Charles B. Wilber)
Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon" (Tony Pelliccio)
Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest (Fred Goldstein)
AT+T Transcontinental Cable Marker (Patrick Tufts)
Question about Access Network Information Model (Simon CaiMao)
3.4 GHz to 3.6 GHz - International Activity (D. E. 'Omar' Jennings)
CVAs (Hugh Pritchard)
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'.
TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.
Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
Post Office Box 259
Independence, KS 67301
Phone: 805-545-5115
Email: editor@telecom-digest.org
Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org
This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and
published continuously since then. Our archives are available for
your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/
mailing list on the internet in any category!
URL information: http://telecom-digest.org
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*************************************************************************
* TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from *
* Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate *
* 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. *
* http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com *
* Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing *
* views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. *
*************************************************************************
ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased.
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One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
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. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert
has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and
enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order
telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has
been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very
inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request
a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as
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is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars
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Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing
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All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages
should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Tad Cook <tad@aa.net>
Subject: Virus Dials 9-1-1 ?
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 22:08:26 -0700
FBI investigating computer virus that calls 911
HOUSTON (April 4, 2000 4:21 p.m. EDT
www.nandotimes.com - The FBI says a virus that erases hard drives and
makes bogus 911 calls may be threatening computers in the Houston
area.
Investigators with the National Infrastructure Protection Center, a
multi-agency task force charged with investigating cyber-related crime
in the United States and abroad, said it is looking for evidence of
the virus in other cities.
"Whenever this type of activity occurs over the Internet, all
possibilities of nationwide effects are looked into," Debbie Weierman,
an FBI spokeswoman, said Tuesday.
The virus surfaced in Houston Monday.
According to NIPC, the virus spreads by attacking computers with
Windows operating systems set up to allow users to share files over
the Internet.
Emergency call centers were first warned of the virus Monday morning,
said Sonya Lopez, spokeswoman for the Greater Harris County 911
Network. Only one bogus call has been received, she said.
Weierman said the NIPC's investigation is continuing and is looking at
the "scope of the damage and what effects this particular virus has
possibly caused."
------------------------------
From: Robert McDonald <r-mcdonald@nwu.edu>
Subject: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 16:13:19 -0500
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, US
This is a question about POTS. All of a sudden, three identical vintage
1983 touchtone telephones have stopped working properly at one
house. They work fine at other houses, and other phones work fine at
this house.
The problem is that several weeks ago the phones stopped dialing,
after years of working correctly. There is a dial tone, but when you
press a number nothing happens and you still have the dial tone when
you release the number. This happens on three phones and not on more
recent phones. It seems quite unlikely to me that three phones would
suffer identical simultaneous failures, so my hypothesis is that
something has changed on the telco end. However, as you might guess,
the phone company (Bell Atlantic) is no help, saying that as long as
any phones work, they don't consider it a problem.
My question is: what could be making this happen? Where do I begin to
look for an answer? Many thanks in advance.
Bob
r-mcdonald@nwu.edu
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: What may have happened is the phone
company quit providing touch tone service to the lines. They usually
do not do that, but if it comes to their attention that tone dial
phones are being used in a case where the fee for same is not being
paid, they reserve the right to remove the gizmo which listens to
and detects the tone dialing. Does the line still work correctly
with rotary dialing? PAT]
------------------------------
From: Balaji Sundara <bsundara@cisco.com>
Subject: Grammar to Play Prerecorded Voice Prompts
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 17:14:33 -0400
Organization: Ye 'Ol Disorganized NNTPCache groupie
I am looking for resources which describe the following:
For example:
I need to play 1200.56 (a currency amount) in let's say American English
1. I have pre-recorded prompts for
one
thousand
two
hundred
fifty
six
dollars
cents
and
2. If I wanted my application to play the amount in American English
it would dynamically (based on rules) say
"one thousand two hundred dollars and fifty six cents"
I want to find out if there is a standard grammar to describe this in
English and other languages.
Balaji Sundara
CCBU - Network Applications
978-275-7688
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 11:01:17 -0700
From: Administrator <admin@ideaintl.com>
Organization: Idea International, Inc.
Subject: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted
Do you happen to have a working database for the area codes in
relation to their zip codes? One in Access or CGI scripting (or any
other format for that matter) would be great.
Information regarding this would be appreciated,
Dave
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 15:42:36 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@ARL.MIL>
Subject: Caller ID When I Tried Calling About the Census
I made a couple of calls to offices for census 2000 and was told of a
toll-free number I could call. So I called the toll-free number from
my office, reached an automated system, and during that call it read
back the number I was supposedly calling from! It turns out the
number it read back was not my office number, but the same number that
shows up on bills for calling card calls from my office. It asked if
that was my home telephone number; it wasn't, so I had to punch in my
home telephone number.
Before the toll-free call, I was told that many people didn't receive
census forms. In my case, it may have been that my home is rather new
(built 1996).
(All of the above happened before I learned about that young woman in
Rochester, NY getting flooded with census-related calls.)
------------------------------
From: pennys@wardvinge.com (Penny Samec)
Subject: Employment Opportunity: PBX Installation Technician
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 13:39:12 -0600
Senior PBX Installation Technician - Calgary
An immediate need currently exists for a qualified senior PBX
installation technician. You are a hands-on, roll your sleeves up
type of leader who enjoys mentoring others. You have a solid
background in the telecommunications industry, direct PBX installation
experience and a great foundation to build upon with respect to
leading, customer service and quality work.
Product experience required includes - Nortel Meridian 1 (option
11-81's), Call Centre - Meridian MAIL, Meridian MAX, CCR, Meridian
LINK, Symposium, Call Pilot, Octel experience an asset.
Full benefits, ongoing training and support, a SUPERB organization and
totally dedicated people to work with! Some travel required. Salary
is commensurate with experience.
If you or anyone you know would be interested in this and other related
opportunities becoming available, please forward a resume to:
e-mail: pennys@wardvinge.com
Fax: 266-3386
Attn: Penny Samec Re: PBX Technician
------------------------------
From: dbetancorNOSPAM@duocom.net (Diego Betancor)
Subject: Re: Erlang Equations?
Organization: Duo Business Communications LLC
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 15:26:23 GMT
go to www.erlang.com
Watch Meister <breitling@eisa.net.au> wrote:
> Can anyone recommend a good place to find detailed 'Erlang' equations. I am
> interested in a number of models including:
> Erlang B
> Erlang C
> Engset
> Binomial
Diego Betancor @ Duo Business Communications
for email: dbetancor is my userid and my company's domain is duocom.net
** Do not send me unsolicited commercial e-mail spam of any kind **
------------------------------
From: ellis@ftel.net (Rick Ellis)
Subject: Re: Erlang Equations?
Date: 5 Apr 2000 15:53:11 GMT
Organization: Franklin interNet http://www.franklin.net
In article <telecom20.51.6@telecom-digest.org>,
Watch Meister <breitling@eisa.net.au> wrote:
> Can anyone recommend a good place to find detailed 'Erlang' equations. I am
> interested in a number of models including:
> Erlang B
> Erlang C
> Engset
> Binomial
Try http://members.iinet.net/~clark/EquationsMask-991101.pdf
http://www.fnet.net/~ellis/photo/
------------------------------
From: John Tombs <John.Tombs@ecitelebn.com>
Subject: Re: Erlang Equations?
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 12:49:33 -0400
Organization: MindSpring Enterprises
Try http://www.erlang.com
John
> Can anyone recommend a good place to find detailed 'Erlang' equations.
------------------------------
From: bohdan@ihgp4.ih.lucent.com (B.L. Bodnar)
Subject: Re: Erlang Equations?
Date: 5 Apr 2000 12:59:11 GMT
Organization: Lucent Technologies
In article <telecom20.51.6@telecom-digest.org>,
Watch Meister <breitling@eisa.net.au> wrote:
> Can anyone recommend a good place to find detailed 'Erlang' equations. I am
> interested in a number of models including:
Any textbook on queueing theory will cover all four cases. Many do
not explicitly cover the Engset distribution (look for "machine
service model" -- the Engset distribution is the distribution of the
number of active repairmen, I think). The binomial distribution is
covered in any probability textbook.
Try:
Cooper, Robert, B., "INTRODUCTION TO QUEUEING THEORY,", second
edition, North-Holland, 1981. Everything you want is covered in the
first 100 pages. You can also purchase a solution manual for this
book. Cooper's notation is, in my opinion, somewhat atrocious, but it
is certainly readable.
Regards,
Bohdan Bodnar
Lucent Technologies, Inc.
------------------------------
From: TelcoRock <info@telcorock.com>
Subject: Re: Use of WWW in Domain Names
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 10:01:44 -0500
What those ads mean when they say "Internet Keyword: blah" is that
they have a "Realname" registered (with appropriately
"realnames.com").
Some browsers (IE 5 and NeoPlanet, I believe) and search engines
(About, Altavista and MSN as well as others) will first check for a
registered 'realname' corresponding to the person's input. Those ads
with the Internet Keyword are probably referring to this Realnames
stuff.
John Dirgo
TelcoRock
http://www.telcorock.com
<Hahn>; "Ki Suk" <kshahn@datalogics.com> wrote in message
news:telecom20.45.17@telecom-digest.org...
>> From: JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca>
>> Subject: Use of WWW in Domain Names
>> Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2000 17:53:22 -0500
>> A while ago, there was some discussion on the redundant use of
>> "www"in domain names for web sites. More and more sites seem to be
>> ditching the WWW, but wait, the story isn't over...
> I remember that some browsers will "help" you and add the initial
> 'www.' and the trailing '.com' when you enter just a word in the
> address box. Now, I've seen buses with dot-com ads on them and in the
> lower right corner there is this: "Internet keyword: blah", where blah
> is the company in www.company.com <http://www.company.com> . I guess
> this is similar to the "AOL keyword" also seen in lots of places. But
> going back to the redundancy of the initial Ws, I've been to places
> that will only take company.com but not www.company.com
> <http://www.company.com> , and, I don't know, to me that's kinda
> irritating.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 06:38:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mike Pollock <itsamike@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Spring Ahead Season
While we're on the subject, get a BeepwearPro Watch at
http://www.beepwear.com. It's a Timex watch and a Motorola
Alphanumerica pager that sets its own time using Motorola's FlexTime
protocol.
Mike
> Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 19:31:43 -0700
> From: Arthur Ross <a.ross@ieee.org>
> Subject: Re: Spring Ahead Season
> Gee - hasn't anyone noticed that those CDMA phones,
> of which I am so fond,
> are synchronized to GPS time, +/- a few nanoseconds
> (like about 50, IIRC)?
> If you just want to set your clock at a sortof
> button-pushing level of
> accuracy, the nearest CDMA phone is about as
> accurate as anything that is
> easily accessible. The displayed time is supposed to
> be adjusted, at the
> discretion of the local operator, to the local time
> zone, and to daylight
> vs standard time, as appropriate.
------------------------------
Date: 05 Apr 2000 09:47:21 EDT
From: Charles.B.Wilber@Dartmouth.EDU (Charles B. Wilber)
Reply-To: Charles.B.Wilber@Dartmouth.EDU (Charles B. Wilber)
Subject: Re: Those White House Phone Records
--- You wrote:
> Does anyone besides me have a hard time believing White House counsel
> Beth Nolan when she makes this statement regarding call detail records
> to Congressional investigators?
That is not just difficult to believe ... it is impossible to
believe. Some of us still recall the vigorously suppressed scandal
that occurred shortly after the Clinton bunch took up residence in the
White House. As one of his first official actions, Clinton purchased a
brand new PBX for the White House. It was scandalous becuase the
contract was gratuitously awarded with no pretense of putting it out
to bid. I don't recall which vendor received the contract but I cannot
believe that a PBX purchased new in 1992 would not easily accommodate
CDR (SMDR) collection and archiving. It is simply not believable that
these records are not generated and stored. Nor do I believe that the
'lost' records are any more lost than Hillary's Rose Law Firm billing
records were lost. This thing walks like a duck, swims like a duck and
quacks like a duck. I think it's a duck.
Charles Wilber
Dartmouth College
------------------------------
From: nospam.tonypo1@nospam.home.com (Tony Pelliccio)
Subject: Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon"
Organization: Providence Network Partners
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 22:25:47 GMT
In article <telecom20.51.7@telecom-digest.org>, oldbear@arctos.com
says:
> As summarized in NewsScan Daily for April 4, 2000:
>> BELL-ATLANTIC LOOKS BEYOND THE BLUE VERIZON FOR A NEW NAME
>> When it gets approval for its merger with GTE, Bell-Atlantic will be
>> Bell-Atlantic no more: it will be Verizon, which rhymes with "horizon,"
>> and is intended to suggest both "veritas" (Latin for "truth") and
>> "horizon" (English for, well, "horizon").
Verizon? I suppose Veriphone was already taken, or that they just
couldn't buy it.
>> What was wrong with Bell-Atlantic? "The name literally did not give us
>> the positives that we need going forward in terms of things that are
>> innovative, global, able to provide technological expertise. The word
>> 'Bell' signals voice. Voice, and stop there. We couldn't get to data
>> with it."
To some Bell means voice, to others of us it has a whole different
meaning. It brings up memories of a phone company that just doesn't care.
I think a more appropriate choice of names for Bell Atlantic would be to
simply change the name to Hell Atlantic. It says everything about BA that
needs to be said and most people alread know them by that name anyhow.
Tony Pelliccio, KD1S formerly KD1NR
Trustee WE1RD
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 09:58:46 -0400
From: Fred Goldstein <fgoldstein@wn.net>
Subject: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest
Last June 22, I announced here in the Digest a contest to "name that
domain". Bell Titanic had announced its intent to acquire GTE, and needed
a name that worked better than "Bell Atlantic" in such diverse GTE
territories as California, Hawaii, Saipan and Redmond, WA. But there was
no new name. So the contest was to guess the name, register it in the
".com" space, and wait for Bell to buy it. This wouldn't be cybersquatting,
since it was not based on taking any extant corporate name or trademark,
rather it would just be getting there first.
The contest is over. So far as I can tell, no Digest readers have won.
Ditching years of brand equity built up in the shared "Bell" trademark
which it acquired when it was spun off of AT&T, Bell Titanic's branding
company (anybody know which one they used?) came up with the toe-tapping
"Verizon". (At least it doesn't end in -ent! To think that Agilent
actually *paid* for that name.) From what I can tell, "Verizon" is a
shortened form of the portmanteau "Verizontal", from "we control the
vertical, we control the horizontal". Maybe it's an allusion, then, to
"the Outer Limits of Telecommunications". Or perhaps, given their
newly-fattened mobile empire (a JV with Vodaphone Airtouch), they are
worrying about vertical towers blown over by a storm into a horizontal
position. I can't wait for the artwork. One can imagine all sorts of
other images around "horizontal". But then it's hard to understand the
kind of creative minds (and I use that term loosely) work in those
brand-name consultancies.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2000 22:59:58 -0700
From: Patrick Tufts <zippy@cs.brandeis.edu>
Subject: AT+T Transcontinental Cable Marker
Organization: SBC Internet Services
Do markers for underground "AT+T transcontinental cable" always mean
cold-war era communications lines like the L-4 system?
http://www1.shore.net/~mfoster/L4.html
Or are there any other communications systems marked this way?
The markers are near the phone switch building in the Presidio of San
Francisco. The Presidio was an Army base until around 1990, and was
also a Nike missile site.
Pat
------------------------------
From: Simon CaiMao <simon@dset.com.cn>
Subject: Question About Access Network Information Model
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 16:55:51 +0800
There are two MO in AN information model:anBearerChannelCurrentData,
anBearerChannelHistoryData, commChannelCurrentData, and
commChannelHistoryData. I searched Q.822 Q824.5 but still can't find
their attributes' meaning, anyone met them before? Thanx in advance.
------------------------------
From: D. E. 'Omar' Jennings <donald.jennings@wfinet.com>
Subject: 3.4 GHz to 3.6 GHz - International Activity
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 07:19:00 -0400
Organization: WFI, Inc.
Is Japan setting aside 3.4 GHz to 3.6 GHz for point to multipoint or
anything ? How about other countries?
WFI - Telecom Strategy Group
D.E. 'Omar' Jennings, Director
Desk: 703.481.1113
FAX: 703.481.2390
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2000 14:27 EDT
From: Hugh Pritchard <Hugh.Pritchard@WCom.com>
Subject: CVAs
Organization: MCI WorldCom ITO
I too had a CVA. It was 26 years ago, in 1974, when I was 20.
At that time, 90% of people who had aneurisms died. You were lucky.
I did not have an aneurism. I had some kind of blockage (thrombus
or embolism, they weren't sure which) of my middle cerebral artery.
The statistics for my kind of CVA were
35% died within 1 to 10 days,
50% had some major impediment (needed a wheelchair or cane,
couldn't talk, etc.),
15% were (mostly) all right. I'm in this last category.
Hugh
Hugh Pritchard, M.Sc.
Mailto: Hugh.Pritchard@WCom.com
metro Washington, DC
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My paternal grandfather had an
aneurism in the early 1960's when I was in my twenties. He died
on the spot. I was *very* lucky to survive, even though in the
first month home from the hospital, I wished a few times I had
died instead. I am still feeling sort of miserable about the
whole thing. I still have not gotten used to the fact that I am
not going to be able -- ever again -- to do a lot of the things
I used to do; and go the places I used to go and meet the kinds
of people I used to meet. Now I just hobble around with my cane
and grow tired very easily. But God did not take me this time;
I guess there is still work for me to do. I still have a hard
time concentrating on things like my web sites, my Digests, etc.
Somehow I'll survive in life; I always have, but this past
winter has been one of my hardest. At the Kansas Rehabilitation
Hospital, my therapists all admired the several gifts which
arrived for me every couple days. Those were my darkest days,
after coming out of the coma (three weeks), being literally
unable to care for myself at all. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #52
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Apr 5 23:09:10 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id XAA25351;
Wed, 5 Apr 2000 23:09:10 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 23:09:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004060309.XAA25351@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #53
TELECOM Digest Wed, 5 Apr 2000 23:09:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 53
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Bounced Mail Get Me in Trouble (TELECOM Digest Editor)
4/5 ICBTollFree.Com Heads up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Undernet Serves as Hearth and Home for High-Tech Anarchists (Monty Solomon)
Lauren Meets The Art Bell Radio Show (Lauren Weinstein)
Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon" (L. Winson)
Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon" (Paul Coen)
Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon" (Joel B. Levin)
Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon" (John McHarry)
Re: White House Claims: "We Don't Keep Call Detail Records!" (John McHarry)
ACLU and Peacefire Appeal Cyber Patrol Ruling (Bennett)
Re: CPP, ATM Surcharges (John R. Levine)
Re: Privacy Pervasive in Policy (Rob McMillin)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (L. Winson)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (Rich Greenberg)
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'.
TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.
Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
Post Office Box 259
Independence, KS 67301
Phone: 805-545-5115
Email: editor@telecom-digest.org
Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org
This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and
published continuously since then. Our archives are available for
your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/
mailing list on the internet in any category!
URL information: http://telecom-digest.org
Anonymous FTP: hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives
(or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives)
Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org
Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for
a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system
for archives files. You can get desired files in email.
*************************************************************************
* TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from *
* Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate *
* 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. *
* http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com *
* Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing *
* views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. *
*************************************************************************
ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased.
Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription.
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
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. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert
has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and
enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order
telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has
been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very
inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request
a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as
yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help
is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars
per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above.
Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing
your name to the mailing list.
All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages
should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 21:43:30 EDT
From: TELECOM Digest Editor <ptownson@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: Bounced Mail Gets Me in Trouble
Please read the letter attached. This person persists in asking me
to add him to the mailing list, yet look at how attempts to mail
him are bouncing. Any suggestions?
Here is the most recent bounce, then several letters from him.
From MAILER-DAEMON Wed Apr 5 21:25:06 2000
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by massis (8.9.1/8.9.1) with SMTP id VAA21241
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Subject: Telecom Digest Subscription Fee
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This is a typical bounce, no one answers any mail there at all.
Now some of his letters.
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Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 15:50:00 -0700
To: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org, editor@telecom-digest.org,
ptownson@telecom-digest.org
From: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
Subject: [telecom-digest.org] Subscribe me to Telecom Digest already please ...
Cc: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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Status: RO
Sixth request, please ...
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2000 07:19:22 -0800
To: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org, editor@telecom-digest.org,
ptownson@telecom-digest.org
From: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
Subject: Subscribe me to Telecom Digest already please ...
Cc: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
Fifth request, please ...
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2000 02:34:34 -0800
To: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org, editor@telecom-digest.org,
ptownson@telecom-digest.org
From: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
Subject: Subscribe me to Telecom Digest already please ...
Cc: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
PAT,
This is now my fourth request in four weeks that you please subscribe
me, Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>, directly to the Telecom
Digest email distribution list.
I have been sending you your requested $20 once a year for many years.
You are currently actively soliciting such money. The least you could
please do in exchange for my money is to subscribe me to your list
already.
Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 02:16:00 -0800
To: editor@telecom-digest.org
From: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
Subject: Subscribe me to Telecom Digest please ...
Cc: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
PAT,
Please subscribe me, Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>,
directly to the Telecom Digest email distribution list.
I have been sending this request for two weeks (attached) to
<subscriptions@telecom-digest.org>, but that hasn't got me any
useful response at all, so I thought I had better try this to
<editor@telecom-digest.org>.
Thanks,
Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
Date: Fri, 03 Mar 2000 12:01:37 -0800
To: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org
From: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
Subject: subscribe
Cc: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
subscribe
end
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 04:46:37 -0800
To: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org
From: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
Subject: Subscribe me to Telecom Digest please ...
Cc: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
PAT,
Please subscribe me, Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>,
directly to the Telecom Digest email distribution list.
I have been a subscriber of Telecom Digest since nearly its inception,
but only indirectly, via a Xerox-internal redistribution. Xerox is
now aiming to close out its re-distribution, so I would like please to
be subscribed directly. (I have been personally mailing you $20/year
subscription checks for many years.)
Thank you, welcome back, hope your recovery goes fast and well!,
Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 4/5 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 22:04:44 -0400
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution.
Current focus:
P - Roll-out of new toll free codes 866 and 855 is delayed
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1186
P - SNAC demands End to End Performance Commitments and Level of Service
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1255
P - Toll Free quietly falls under auspices of new INC Audit Committee
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=866
P - ICANN DNSO seeks public comment on Famous Marks & gTLD's >> NEW <<
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1393
P - Vapor-constituency: ICANN At Large Membership ...
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1224
P - ICANN called on the carpet by the three Regional Internet Registries
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1134
F - Do No Harm: Reform the Domain Dispute System
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1294
F - CyberHQ - THE NEW IMPERIALISM
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=558ALISM
*************************************************************************
>>>> NOTABLE QUOTE:
"The trademark lobby must be placated because of its potential ability
and inclination to bankrupt new registrars and wreck havoc on their
registrant databases."
P -http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1393
>>>> PATENT PENDING:
... for "800WEB" approach: uses 800 numbers as web addresses in
direct response commercials. Allows TV viewers to either call the
800 number or enter it into their web browser and order online through
the 800WEBMALL.com site.
P - http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1389
>>>> MUST-READ (LONG AND WORTH IT) EDITORIAL:
A major implication of the Internet model is that value is not created
in the network, but at the edges, by users. This means that new
applications,
new value, can be created without the permission, control, or involvement
of the network owner. Carriers derive no benefit from this new value
beyond the new traffic it spawns.
F - http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1395
*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR APRIL 5, 2000
P - NUMBER PORTABILITY: THE SERVICE BUREAU APPROACH
The agreement enables U.S. Cellular to route calls from its wireless
customers, using Illuminet's SS7 network, to wireline phone numbers that
have been ported.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1380
F - BUY.COM v. BUY.COM.AU
Buy.com owner eVentures has also been involved in a low-level spat
with an events marketing company, eVentures (Australia), which has owned
the domain eventures.com.au since 1996.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1382
P - WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE 'SQUATTER' IS THE GOVERNMENT?
UK Online says the government is trampling over its trademark, and has
every right to be concerned with this egregious example of 21st Century
British imperialism.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1384
F - U.S. THREATENS TO TAKE MEXICO TO WTO
Mexican long-distance operators affiliated with U.S.-based AT&T and
MCI WorldCom have struggled for years to compete with Telefonos de Mexico
(Telmex), the former Mexican state phone monopoly, and have put pressure
on the Clinton administration to take action.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1386
F - NETHEADS VERSUS BELLHEADS
A major implication of the Internet model is that value is not created
in the network, but at the edges, by users. This means that new
applications, new value, can be created at the edge of the network,
without the permission, control, or involvement of the network
owner. And when network ownership is de-coupled from value creation,
carriers derive no benefit from this new value beyond the new traffic
it spawns. For this reason, the Bellheads will fight the Internet
vision with all their strength. Subtitled "Research into Emerging
Policy Issues in the Development and Deployment of Internet
Protocols," this is a must-read report by Timothy Denton, with
Franois Menard and David Isenberg. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1395
*************************************************************************
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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 <<<<<<<<<<<<<
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 5, 2000
P - SWEDEN BANS USE OF .COM IN CORPORATE NAMES
While Lastminute.com in Britain and Amazon.com in the US have become
household brands, in Sweden the registration of such names is no longer
allowed.
The Swedish patents and registration office, PRV, has banned new
companies from including in their names not only .com but .se, the
country's domain name, and any company names that include www and the
sign @. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1390
P - MORE EMAIL ACCOUNTS THAN PHONES IN 2 YEARS
What has taken the telephone industry 125 years to do and what has taken
television 50 years to do, e-mail will have done in 20 years.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1391
P - TELSURF PURSUES THE B2B MARKET
... announces marketing agreement with voice ASP service provider.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1392
P - FAMOUS MARKS LIST & NEW GTLD'S
"The trademark lobby must be placated because of its potential ability
and inclination to bankrupt new registrars and wreck havoc on their
registrant databases."
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1393
F - INTERNET.COM ACQUIRES DOMAINBOOK.COM & UMCLAIMEDOMAINS.COM
``As the reseller market for domain names continues to expand, it is
essential to provide our community of Web developers and E-commerce
professionals with a service to fulfill their domain name requirements,
in addition to domain name industry information,'' said internet.com
chairman and CEO Alan M. Meckler. ``Further, we have now formed a platform
by which we can build a premier marketplace for the buying and selling of
one of the Internet industry's most highly valued commodities.''
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1394
*************************************************************************
Do a friend a favor - suggest ICB ...
Click Here to Recommend-It(r) http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=118920
*************************************************************************
F - NEW .CA REGISTRATION PROCESS DUE IN JUNE
The current system, operated by volunteers at the University of British
Columbia, will only register names to Canadian corporations, charities,
trademark holders or proprietorships with offices in more than one province.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1381
P - FREEDOM PHONES V. FREEDOM COMMUNICATIONS
Who gets FreedomPhones.com?
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1383
P - 75% OF NET TRANSACTIONS NOT RELATED TO ORDER PLACEMENT
... according to a new study released by Pittiglio Rabin Todd & McGrath
(PRTM) Performance Study Group.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1385
P - TELSURF & EBALANCE STRIKE DEAL
... to provide eBalance customers with tollfree voice access to Web-based
personal financial account data, from any telephone.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1387
F - NEW INTERNET STANDARDS BODY LEAD BY NORTEL
Networking rivals Cisco Systems Inc. and Lucent Technologies Inc. are
not in the group which includes such big-league players as computer
firms Hewlett-Packard Co. , Sun Microsystems , British Telecommunications
Plc and broadcasters like the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and
NBC's Internet unit.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1388
P - REVSHARE CORP ACQUIRES 800WEBMALL.COM
... purchase includes patent pending ``800WEB'' approach for using 800
numbers as web addresses in direct response commercials. The innovative
approach allows TV viewers to either call the 800 number or enter it into
their web browser and order online through the 800WEBMALL.com site.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1389
**************************************************advertisements*********
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*************************************************************************
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*************************************************************************
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*************************************************************************
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*************************************************************************
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: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 21:25:30 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Undernet Serves as Hearth and Home For High-Tech Anarchists
By Keith Dawson
The Web is a network built on the Internet, its servers and pages and
images knit together with hyperlinks. Usenet is a wholly separate
network, headless, peer-to-peer, linked by nothing more than tacit
agreements. Other networks coexist with these on the Internet: some
more anarchic and ungovernable even than the Web, some frankly
subversive of laws and customs, freedom wired into their very
architecture. They compose the Undernet.
http://www.digitalmass.com/columns/internet/0405.html
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 19:09 PDT
From: lauren@vortex.com (Lauren Weinstein)
Subject: Lauren Meets The Art Bell Radio Show
Hi Pat, I hope you're progressing well and are feeling better.
I thought I'd mention that I'm booked for at least two hours on the
Art Bell show (with one of his guest hosts) to talk about Internet,
Privacy, and such. About 500 stations. This Friday night, from 11PM
to at least 1AM PDT. http://www.artbell.com has station lists and
such.
Take care.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@pfir.org or lauren@vortex.com
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
------------------------------
From: lwinson@bbs.cpcn.com (L. Winson)
Subject: Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon"
Date: 6 Apr 2000 01:47:23 GMT
Organization: The PACSIBM SIG BBS
From what I read it is only the mobile phone unit, not the entire
company.
------------------------------
From: Paul Coen <pcoen@drew.edu>
Subject: Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon"
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 21:50:38 -0400
Organization: Drew University
Tony Pelliccio wrote:
> To some Bell means voice, to others of us it has a whole different
> meaning. It brings up memories of a phone company that just doesn't care.
> I think a more appropriate choice of names for Bell Atlantic would be to
> simply change the name to Hell Atlantic. It says everything about BA that
> needs to be said and most people alread know them by that name anyhow.
As a side note, I checked Network Solutions' database, and someone's
already registered "verizonsucks.com" -- it doesn't seem to be the
same person who registered verizon.com, though, or the same
person who registered "verizonbites.com"
------------------------------
From: Joel B Levin <levinjb@gte.net>
Subject: Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon"
Organization: On the desert
Reply-To: levinjb@gte.net
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 01:45:45 GMT
In <telecom20.52.14@telecom-digest.org>, nospam.tonypo1@nospam.home.com
(Tony Pelliccio) wrote:
> In article <telecom20.51.7@telecom-digest.org>, oldbear@arctos.com
> says:
>> What was wrong with Bell-Atlantic?
> To some Bell means voice, to others of us it has a whole different
> meaning.
Also, a new name supports the position of both B-A and GTE that the
current process is a merger rather than an acquisition of GTE by B-A.
Outside commentators don't seem to see it that way, though.
/JBL
------------------------------
From: John McHarry <mcharry@erols.com>
Subject: Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon"
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 19:43:09 -0400
On Tue, 04 Apr 2000 11:31:28 -0400, The Old Bear <oldbear@arctos.com>
wrote:
...
>> What was wrong with Bell-Atlantic? "The name literally did not give us
>> the positives that we need going forward in terms of things that are
'Verizon' sounds like a credit reporting agency, or maybe a
breathalizer.
------------------------------
From: John McHarry <mcharry@erols.com>
Subject: Re: White House Claims: "We Don't Keep Call Detail Records!"
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 19:38:42 -0400
On Tue, 4 Apr 2000 01:03:42 -0400, Jeremy Greene
<celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net> shrieked:
> Does anyone besides me have a hard time believing White House counsel
> Beth Nolan when she makes this statement regarding call detail records
> to Congressional investigators?
> "Except for cellular telephones, billing records do not provide any
> useful information. The vast majority of domestic long distance calls
> are placed via an FTC number, for which there is no call detail. The
> small number of domestic calls not placed on FTS lines reflect only
> one of several trunk lines of origin. The bills do not reflect either
> the originating number or the full destination number. Internal calls
> similarly do not reflect the originating number, but do reflect the
> destination number. Accordingly, there would be no way of ascertaining
> the billing records for the telephones used by or assigned to the
> individuals who placed the calls. "
Several years ago FTS2000 call detail records did record the
termination number. The origination could only indicate the outgoing
trunk group, in all known cases. Off net calls would do the same.
Per minute charges have dropped so low since I would not even bat an
eye to hear that FTS has dropped CDRs entirely. They would probably
cost more than the call itself.
There used to be a large number of Federal PBXs that didn't have
direct inward dialing on their off net trunks. If that is still the
case, which is quite plausible, off net CDRs would only show the
destination switchboard number.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 18:27:47 -0500
From: bennett@peacefire.org
Subject: ACLU and Peacefire Appeal Cyber Patrol Ruling
Reply-To: peacefire-press@iain.com
The ACLU has filed an appeal against a Boston judge's ruling that bars
the posting of the "CPHack" program, which decodes the encrypted Cyber
Patrol database and reveals the list of sites that the program blocks.
The judge's decision is online at:
http://www.epic.org/free_speech/censorware/cp_injunction.html
(unfortunately, still in scanned format -- takes a while to load).
Yesterday's news of a court's ruling that computer source code
is protected under the First Amendment, is also good news for the
CPHack case.
Peter Junger had the right to post encryption source code on his Web
site, even though the National Security Agency claimed that crypto
code was restricted from export. A ruling that the First Amendment
applies to source code clears the way for a ruling that posting of the
CPHack program is also legal. (Not to mention similar programs
written by Peacefire, including blocked-site-list-codebreakers for
CYBERsitter and I-Gear, both of which prompted legal threats from the
companies.)
The CPHack program -- in spite of all efforts by Mattel's
lawyers to erase it from existence -- is still available for download
from any of the mirror sites linked from:
http://www.openpgp.net/censorship/
Below is the text of the ACLU's press release on the appeal. I can be
reached at (425) 649 9024 or bennett@peacefire.org; contact
information for ACLU spokespersons is in the press release below.
**********
ACLU Appeals Ruling on Posting of Cyber Patrol Internet "Blacklist" Key
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 5, 2000
CONTACT:
Emily Whitfield, national ACLU (212) 549-2566 or 2666/cell phone (917)
686-4542
ewhitfield@aclu.org
John Roberts or Sarah Wunsch, ACLU of Massachusetts
(617) 482-3170
David Sobel, EPIC (202) 544-9240
NEW YORK--Vowing to fight legal efforts to stifle criticism of Internet
"censorware," the American Civil Liberties Union is appealing a Boston
judge's order prohibiting distribution of a program that allows owners
of Cyber Patrol blocking software to learn which Web sites are
"blacklisted."
Several weeks ago, two researchers posted a decoding program on the
Internet that revealed sites blocked by Cyber Patrol (NYSE:MAT), a
software company owned by toy giant Mattel Inc. On March 28, responding
to a lawsuit brought by Cyber Patrol, U.S. District Court Judge Edward
F. Harrington issued an order that the ACLU says prohibits the decoding
program from appearing on Web sites all around the world. The ACLU is
appealing on behalf of three U.S. Web site operators who "mirrored"
(posted duplicate copies of) the original decoding program.
"The legal issue here is whether a Boston court has jurisdiction over
the entire Internet, and our answer to that is a resounding no,'" said
ACLU senior staff attorney Chris Hansen. "The larger issue is whether
Cyber Patrol and other software companies are going to tell the American
public exactly what their software blocks, especially when Congress
wants to force both children and adults to use it."
The ACLU has also asked Judge Harrington to stay his order as to mirror
sites while the appeal goes forward.
Hansen said the ACLU acted after its clients began receiving notices
from Cyber Patrol's attorneys ordering them to abide by the terms of
the court's March 28 ruling. All three ACLU clients (Lindsay Haisley,
Bennett Haselton and Waldo L. Jaquith) temporarily have removed their
mirror copies of the decoding program.
If Harrington rejects the ACLU's request for a stay, Hansen said, the
next step will be to ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First
Circuit, also based in Boston, for a stay.
The ACLU filed both its Notice of Appeal before Judge Harrington and
the Request for a Stay on the decision before the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the First Circuit late yesterday.
The case was filed by Hansen of the national ACLU along with staff
attorney Sarah Wunsch of the ACLU's Massachusetts affiliate, Jessica
Litman, a visiting law professor at New York University, and David
Sobel, legal counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center
based in Washington, D.C.
Judge Harrington's injunction is online at
http://www.epic.org/free_speech/censorware/cp_injunction.html
The ACLU's previous news release in the matter, including links to
previous legal papers filed in the case, is online at
http://www.aclu.org/news/2000/n032800b.html.
------------------------------
Date: 3 Apr 2000 18:09:22 -0400
From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine)
Subject: Re: CPP, ATM Surcharges
Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA
>> CPP operates rather like a collect call. The rate is NOT set by the
>> caller's carrier, but by the called carrier. ...
> Yes, at the basic level. But we're in a market here -- telcos neotiate
> for mega minute deals so although carrier x may pay a termination
> charge of x per minute for his say million minutes a month, carrier y
> may pay y (where x>>y) for their 100 million miunutes of terminating
> business.
You're confusing two rather separate things. Telcos do indeed
negotiate termination fees, that's all set, as you can tell from the
fact that you can call any cell phone from anywhere. But the
negotiations are all done on a sent-paid basis, the caller's telco
sets the price and the termination fee is at most a few cents per
minute on the most overpriced of recip comp cellular connections and
more typically a small fraction of a cent per minute. These charges
are low enough that most long distance in the US is completely flat
rated -- I pay the same per minute rate for any interstate call in the
US, because it's not worth the effort for my carrier to try to keep
track of which calls cost them more to carry.
> <..>Thus the caller's carrier has no say at all.
> Not true. The caller's carrier is free to negotiate with either the
> called network or third party transit networks.
Indeed, and if I were a third party transit network, I would say
"forget it". None of the LD or transit carriers have any scheme set
up to pass a surcharge through to customers on normal calls, and I
can't imagine that they'd have any enthusiasm to set one up just for a
few cheapskate cell users.
As I've mentioned before, we already have a setup for calls with
surcharges -- area codes 500 and 900, which automatically direct the
call to the serving carrier who then attempts to bill the surcharge to
the number that's making the call. As you may know, 500 numbers are
blocked in almost as many places as 900 numbers, for the same reason,
surcharged calls made by people not authorized to do so. (Think
employees behind a PBX, for example.) As a result, 500 is dead, which
should give us a hint about how well CPP would work.
> I think you're wrong. What's more I don't think the market has moved
> on so far that the 'convenience' argument is a red herring. Here in
> the UK we're looking at mobile penetration approaching 80% by the end
> of this year. That's not convenience, that's a huge market. And it's
> all CPP. Go figure -- but in the end time will tell.
North American telecom is very different from the rest of the world.
We have different technical standards (we got there first), and we
have much cheaper calls. CPP gets relatively little resistance in
places like England where all calls have a high per minute cost. Here
in the US where most local calls are free or a low fixed charge per
call, we're not real interested in finding time bombs on our phone
bills just because we call someone's mobile number.
Finally, if you look at what's happening in the PCS market, you'll see
plans with huge numbers of bundled minutes, so many that users often
think of their phone as being flat rate. I can't see any motion
toward CPP there.
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
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 03 Apr 2000 23:47:36 -0700
From: Rob McMillin <rlm@pricegrabber.com>
Subject: Re: Privacy Pervasive in Policy
Organization: SBC Internet Services
Anonymous User wrote:
>> http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,35152,00.html
> I thought Know Your Customer had been killed before becoming law,
> maybe a year or two ago. The link to the article detailing KYC dates
> back to 12/98.
> So is KYC really enacted?
KYC was enacted BEFORE the big hullabaloo. Your bank is required to
snoop on you -- if it's FDIC insured. The thing that was galling was
the attempt to force privately insured banks into this spy net. It was
THAT which got canned. Attempts to reverse Know Your Customer In The
Biblical Sense have met with indifference.
http://www.pricegrabber.com | The best deals, all the time.
Put "rabbit" in your Subject:, or my spam-schnauzer will eat your message.
Speed costs money -- how fast do you wanna go?
------------------------------
From: lwinson@bbs.cpcn.com (L. Winson)
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: 6 Apr 2000 01:46:22 GMT
Organization: The PACSIBM SIG BBS
> This is a question about POTS. All of a sudden, three identical vintage
> 1983 touchtone telephones have stopped working properly at one
> house. They work fine at other houses, and other phones work fine at
> this house.
Perhaps in some street re-wiring, the polarity was reversed. The
older touch tone phones require strict polarity or the tones won't
go out. Since more recent phones do work on his line, that may be
the case.
> The problem is that several weeks ago the phones stopped dialing,
> after years of working correctly. There is a dial tone, but when you
> press a number nothing happens and you still have the dial tone when
> you release the number. This happens on three phones and not on more
> recent phones. It seems quite unlikely to me that three phones would
> suffer identical simultaneous failures, so my hypothesis is that
> something has changed on the telco end. However, as you might guess,
> the phone company (Bell Atlantic) is no help, saying that as long as
> any phones work, they don't consider it a problem.
> My question is: what could be making this happen? Where do I begin to
> look for an answer? Many thanks in advance.
> Bob
> r-mcdonald@nwu.edu
> company quit providing touch tone service to the lines. They usually
> do not do that, but if it comes to their attention that tone dial
> phones are being used in a case where the fee for same is not being
> paid, they reserve the right to remove the gizmo which listens to
> and detects the tone dialing. Does the line still work correctly
> with rotary dialing? PAT]
------------------------------
From: richgr@netcom.com (Rich Greenberg)
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: 6 Apr 2000 01:45:31 GMT
Organization: Organized? Me?
In article <telecom20.52.2@telecom-digest.org>,
Robert McDonald <r-mcdonald@nwu.edu> wrote:
> This is a question about POTS. All of a sudden, three identical vintage
> 1983 touchtone telephones have stopped working properly at one
> house. They work fine at other houses, and other phones work fine at
> this house.
> The problem is that several weeks ago the phones stopped dialing,
> after years of working correctly. There is a dial tone, but when you
> press a number nothing happens and you still have the dial tone when
> you release the number. This happens on three phones and not on more
> recent phones. It seems quite unlikely to me that three phones would
> suffer identical simultaneous failures, so my hypothesis is that
> something has changed on the telco end. However, as you might guess,
> the phone company (Bell Atlantic) is no help, saying that as long as
> any phones work, they don't consider it a problem.
> My question is: what could be making this happen? Where do I begin to
> look for an answer? Many thanks in advance.
Assuming that other TT phones (newer ones) work correctly,
the telco has for some reason (probably accidentally) reversed your pair
somewhere between your house and the switch. Older TT phones were
polarity sensitive, newer ones are not.
Try reversing the red (or blue) and the green (or blue/white) wires at
the jack one of the non-working phones is connected to. If it now
works, you have two solutions.
easy) reverse the two wires coming into your house at the NIJ.
hard) Convince hell atlantic that they reversed the wires and get them
to put them back.
Rich Greenberg Work: Rich.Greenberg atsign worldspan.com +1 770-563-6656
N6LRT Marietta, GA, USA Play: richgr atsign netcom.com +1 770-321-6507
Eastern time zone. I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67
Canines:Val(Chinook,CGC,TT),Red(Husky,(RIP)),Shasta(Husky,TT) Owner:Chinook-L
Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. Adopt a homeless Husky. Asst Owner:Sibernet-L
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #53
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Apr 6 19:02:12 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id TAA04857;
Thu, 6 Apr 2000 19:02:12 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 19:02:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004062302.TAA04857@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #54
TELECOM Digest Thu, 6 Apr 2000 19:02:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 54
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (L. Winson)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (Brad Houser)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (Randolph J. Herber)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (Robert Wiegand)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (Julian Thomas)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (Tom Carr)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (David)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (James Carlson)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (Robert McDonald)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (The Old Bear)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (Michael S. Berlant)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (John David Galt)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (Joseph Singer)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (Bill Ranck)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (J. Beckett)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (Frank)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (Dennis K Wong)
Phones Stop Working (Michael Muderick)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: lwinson@bbs.cpcn.com (L. Winson)
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: 6 Apr 2000 01:46:22 GMT
Organization: The PACSIBM SIG BBS
> This is a question about POTS. All of a sudden, three identical vintage
> 1983 touchtone telephones have stopped working properly at one
> house. They work fine at other houses, and other phones work fine at
> this house.
Perhaps in some street re-wiring, the polarity was reversed. The
older touch tone phones require strict polarity or the tones won't
go out. Since more recent phones do work on his line, that may be
the case.
> The problem is that several weeks ago the phones stopped dialing,
> after years of working correctly. There is a dial tone, but when you
> press a number nothing happens and you still have the dial tone when
> you release the number. This happens on three phones and not on more
> recent phones. It seems quite unlikely to me that three phones would
> suffer identical simultaneous failures, so my hypothesis is that
> something has changed on the telco end. However, as you might guess,
> the phone company (Bell Atlantic) is no help, saying that as long as
> any phones work, they don't consider it a problem.
> My question is: what could be making this happen? Where do I begin to
> look for an answer? Many thanks in advance.
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: What may have happened is the phone
> company quit providing touch tone service to the lines. They usually
> do not do that, but if it comes to their attention that tone dial
> phones are being used in a case where the fee for same is not being
> paid, they reserve the right to remove the gizmo which listens to
> and detects the tone dialing. Does the line still work correctly
> with rotary dialing? PAT]
------------------------------
From: Brad Houser <brad.houser@intel.com>
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 11:47:01 -0700
Organization: Intel Corporation
You could try reversing the tip and ring. I have seen this on some older
phones.
Brad Houser
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 18:50:16 +0000 (GMT)
From: herber@dcdrjh.fnal.gov (Randolph J. Herber)
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Another possibility is that the phone is polarity sensitive. Many of
the early DTMF phones (including those from Western Electric) are
polarity sensitive (tip and ring must be attached correctly). This
proved to be such a maintenance problem that full wave bridge circuit
were added to remove this characteristic. I still have a early WE 250
DTMF phone with that characteristic in service.
Randolph J. Herber, herber@dcdrjh.fnal.gov, +1 630 840 2966, CD/CDFTF PK-149F,
Mail Stop 318, Fermilab, Kirk & Pine Rds., PO Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510-0500,
USA. (Speaking for myself and not for US, US DOE, FNAL nor URA.) (Product,
trade, or service marks herein belong to their respective owners.)
------------------------------
From: Robert Wiegand <wiegand@enteract.com>
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 11:30:27 -0500
Organization: Motorola CIG
Just a wild guess - perhaps ther was a drop in the voltage in your line.
The old phones might be more sensitive to this than the new ones.
Regards,
Bob Wiegand wiegand@enteract.com
------------------------------
From: jata@aepiax.net (Julian Thomas)
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 16:32:28 GMT
Probably the polarity on the line got reversed. Early TT phones were
polarity sensitive; later ones more tolerant. If other (newer) TT phones
work, try reversing the 2 wires in the old phones.
Julian Thomas: jt . epix @ net http://home.epix.net/~jt
remove letter a for email (or switch . and @)
In the beautiful Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York State!
Boardmember of POSSI.org - Phoenix OS/2 Society, Inc http://www.possi.org
WarpTech 2000: May 26-28 in Phoenix - plan NOW to attend! www.warptech.org
-- --
With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. However, this is not
necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are
going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as
they fly overhead. -Request for Comments: 1925 IOOF
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
From: carr@falcon.si.com (carr_tom)
Date: 6 Apr 2000 14:02:59 -0500
Organization: Smiths Industries
He may be paying for touch tone, but someone swapped the red and green
on his line. I once had certain jacks within a duplex that wouldn't work
because of sloppy installation. If its the whole house, I would suspect
something happened at the demark or at one of the bridging points between
the house and the central office.
I would first check that the touch tone phones don't work at all of the
jacks in the house.
If some of the jacks work, I would look for someone's amateur additions to
outlets in the house.
If none of the jacks work with touch tone, I would try swapping red and green
at the demark.
If swapping red and green doesn't work, it sounds like a service call.
Thomas Peter Carr | I have a dream, ...
carr_tom@si.com (Internet) | M L King Jr 08/28/63
616-241-8846 / 616-241-8745 FAX (Telephone) |
Smiths Industries, MS 3D1; 3290 Patterson Ave SE; Grand Rapids, MI 49512-1991
------------------------------
From: david@NOSPAMvoice-ware.com (David)
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 12:51:38 GMT
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
Simple answer: Someone has reversed the polarity of the telephone
line. The newer phones work because they have some extra components
(a bridge rectifier) to permit the tone generator to work with either
polarity. Older TT phones did not have this feature and only work
with one polarity.
Solution: Reverse the polarity of the incoming telephone pair as it
comes into your house.
David Goldman
VoiceWare, Inc.
david@voice-ware.com
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
From: James Carlson <carlson@workingcode.com>
Date: 06 Apr 2000 08:53:08 -0400
I've seen that symptom when someone accidentally interchanges tip and
ring -- Touch*Tone phones will answer and appear to work, but nothing
at all happens when you press the buttons.
(If you press the buttons and hear the Touch*Tone sounds, then this
isn't the problem ...)
James Carlson <carlson@workingcode.com>
"PPP Design and Debugging" --- http://people.ne.mediaone.net/carlson/ppp
------------------------------
From: Robert McDonald <r-mcdonald@nwu.edu>
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 07:42:55 -0500
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, US
I just wanted to let everyone know that the problem -- identified by
about 10 respondents, to whom I am grateful -- was that older
touch-tone phones are sensitive to polarity. The suggested fix, which
worked, was to reverse the red and green lines where they enter the
house. The phone company must have reversed the polarity on the line a
few weeks ago, probably while repairing a line.
Thanks to everyone for the prompt and extremely helpful answers!
Bob
r-mcdonald@nwu.edu
------------------------------
From: oldbear@arctos.com (The Old Bear)
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 11:14:47 -0500
Organization: The Arctos Group - http://www.arctos.com/arctos
Because Bob notes that "other phones work fine at this house", my
guess is that the telco has reversed (or corrected) the tip and
ring on the line.
If the tip and ring were reversed somewhere outside, and the house
wiring previously had been reversed to cancel that out, when the
telco discovered and fixed their plant, it would screw-up older
tone dialling phones which are polarity sensitive.
I'd suggest switching the tip and ring at the network interface
where the house wiring is connnected to the telco (do it on the
house wire side, of course) and see if that fixes the problem.
I think the electronics in newer phones use a diode bridge or
some such to allow them to ignore polarity -- which is probably
a good idea, considering how many homeowner-installed RJ-11s
likely are wired backwards.
------------------------------
From: Michael S. Berlant <MBerlant@hotmail.NOSPAM.com>
Organization: None Apparent
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 07:32:01 GMT
It seems that somehow, intentionally or not, the polarity of your line
got reversed. Back in the early days of DTMF, the phones were
sensitive to the polarity of the line. In fact, polarity reversal was
an accepted practice in those days to prevent dialing from extension
phones in accessible places.
You mention that other phones work fine on your line. They are
probably newer and have a polarity guard on them that allows the dial
pad to work in either polarity.
The best way to correct your problem is to reverse the phone line at
your house. The easiest place to do that is where the phone line
comes into the house, since all of your jacks behave the same.
Good luck.
------------------------------
From: John_David_Galt@acm.org
Organization: Association for Computing Machinery
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 07:46:49 GMT
> The problem is that several weeks ago the phones stopped dialing,
> after years of working correctly. There is a dial tone, but when you
> press a number nothing happens and you still have the dial tone when
> you release the number. This happens on three phones and not on more
> recent phones.
I think that blows away the theory that you no longer have touch tone
service.
I've seen old tone phones behave the same way when connected with the
polarity reversed. Back when Ma Bell owned the phones and installed
them for you, they didn't bother putting in the couple of extra diodes
to make them work either way; so you may need to swap the red and green
wires at each jack (or in the phones themselves) to get them to work.
This can be a frustrating problem because many modern wiring gadgets
(for example, 2-into-1 connector plugs) reverse the polarity of phones
plugged into them, causing this problem to appear or disappear. But
having it spontaneously happen to three phones at once sounds like the
polarity was swapped outside your house.
Perhaps a cable broke in your neighborhood and was reconnected the
other way (this happened to me not long ago), or maybe an installer
switched you to a different pair to hook up a new line for someone
else (which would make sense if your old pair extended down the street
far enough to reach the newcomer, and your new pair doesn't).
John David Galt
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 03:34:42 -0700
From: Joseph Singer <dov@oz.net>
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
In his note he says that only the "vintage" 1983 (ha!) phones all of
a sudden did not want to break dial tone while others do work. If
they are older phones especially with the mechanical DTMF touch pads
these pads only worked when the polarity is one way and the one way
that the telco has arranged. My guess is somehow the tip and ring on
that line got somehow reversed so that attempts to call out with those
phones would not work. If you on the phones that don't break dial tone
press keys if you listen closely you may hear faint "hints" of the
different tones that would normal be emitted. What happened in this
case? My guess is that telco unbeknownst to him had reversed tip and
ring on his particular cable. The other DTMF phones on the line in
most likelihood had "polarity guard" which allows you to use DTMF on
either the tip or ring side of the line. I ran into this same problem
myself just two days ago when I purchased a used 1982 WECO Princess
phone from Goodwill. If you pressed the keys it wouldn't break dial
tone. However if you switched the red and green leads (tip and ring)
it would work like a champ. Another way to tell if your line is wired
properly i.e. tip where tip should be and ring where ring should be is
to buy a line tester at your Radio Shack or building supply store
(Home Depot, Lowe's etc.) and check the line. This device has LEDs
that will light a certain way if the line is wired properly. If you
get an error when you test the line you have good reason to call telco
and tell them that your line has been reversed. Just to be doubly
sure so you won't be billed by telco for the service you might want to
plug the tester into the network interface for your dwelling and take
the reading from there. In the alternative if you need to fix the
jacks for any locations where you have these "vintage" phones just
undo the jack and reverse the red and green terminals on those
connections.
I hope that helps. It's my best guess at what's happening. Also, I
seem to recall that the modern digital switching used in Lucent 5E and
Nortel DMS-100 switches all the lines are provisioned for DTMF and
must be "unprovisioned" in order to deny DTMF service otherwise it's
standard for each station.
Joseph Singer "thefoneguy" <fones@uswestmail.net>
PO Box 23135, Seattle WA 98102 USA
+1 206 405 2052 [voice mail]
+1 206 493 0706 [FAX]
------------------------------
From: Bill Ranck <ranck@joesbar.cc.vt.edu>
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: 6 Apr 2000 12:33:06 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
Maybe somebody moved your line to a new pair or new frame location
at the CO and flipped the two wires by accident. Try reversing
the red and green wires in one of your phone jacks to see if that
clears up the problem. If so, put them back, and reverse the two
wires where they come into the house.
*****************************************************************************
* Bill Ranck +1-540-231-3951 ranck@vt.edu *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Computing Center *
*****************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 05:41:13 -0400
From: jbeckett <jbeckett@southern.edu>
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Pat's theory may not hold because you said newer phones still work.
Here's another stab at it, from someone who is red-green colorblind:
You didn't mention if you could hear the phones sending touch tones.
If you can't, try reversing the tip/ring polarity (ie swap the green
and red wires). Early 2500 sets didn't always have full-wave bridge
rectifiers feeding the DTMF pad, and sometimes the rectifiers would
fail but the phones would keep working with one polarity or the other.
If this theory holds in your case, the "problem" is that somebody
respliced or reterminated a cable somewhere - and got the polarity
different this time.
John Beckett, Associate Director of Information Systems
Southern Adventist University - Collegedale, Tennessee USA
jbeckett@southern.edu http://is.southern.edu/internet
(423) 238-2701 FAX (423) 238-2431
------------------------------
From: frank <sicnarf@javanet.com>
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 05:50:49 -0700
Try reversing the line at the network interface. Older sets didnt have
polarity guard in them. If other newer tt sets work on the same line
them this may be your problem.
------------------------------
From: Dennis K Wong <dkwong@sfu.ca>
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: 6 Apr 2000 07:25:20 GMT
Organization: Simon Fraser University
Robert McDonald <r-mcdonald@nwu.edu> wrote:
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: What may have happened is the phone
> company quit providing touch tone service to the lines. They usually
> do not do that, but if it comes to their attention that tone dial
> phones are being used in a case where the fee for same is not being
> paid, they reserve the right to remove the gizmo which listens to
> and detects the tone dialing. Does the line still work correctly
> with rotary dialing? PAT]
This is the year 2000! Isn't tone dialing a standard feature on all
telephone lines?
I thought all the new digital switching equipment use tone dialing?
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: No it it a standard feature. Rotary
dialing is still quite common in many places. PAT]
------------------------------
From: Michael Muderick <am004d@netaxs.com>
Subject: Phones Stop Working
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 100 12:02:35 EDT
I had phones stop working. What happened was that a cable was
replaced and the wiremen didn't pay attention to polarity. I could
have changed it myself, but insisted that they solve the problem. I
even told them how. It took about a week and a half to get it right.
One guy changed it on my pole and then another guy changed it at the
CO. Effect: no change. they finally got it right. Newer phones are
not polarity sensitive. Older Western or ATT phones are.
Mike Muderick
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #54
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Apr 7 01:02:04 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id BAA17626;
Fri, 7 Apr 2000 01:02:04 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 01:02:04 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004070502.BAA17626@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #55
TELECOM Digest Fri, 7 Apr 2000 01:02:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 55
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Bill Garfield)
Those White House Phone Records (Randy Hayes)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (Steve Uhrig)
Re: Bounced Mail Gets Me in Trouble (Joey Lindstrom)
Yahoo! News Story - How To Choose a Cell Phone Service (Yahoo! News)
Priority Routing in Telecom Switches (Krishna Prasad)
Re: Caller ID When I Tried Calling About the Census (Jonathan Seder)
Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest (Barry Margolin)
Re: Those White House Phone Records (Ed Ellers)
Re: Those White House Phone Records (Jack Hamilton)
Re: Those White House Phone Records (Someone)
IS41 Documentation Request (alonklein@my-deja.com)
Re: Erlang Equations? (Herb Stein)
Dial Tone Timer? (Frank)
Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest (Scott D. Fybush)
Re: Pre-paid Calling Cards (Ed Fortmiller)
Last Laugh! Bounced Mail Gets Me in Trouble (Paul Wills)
Still Laughing! Bounced Mail Gets Me in Trouble (Hahn, Ki Suk)
ROTFLMAO: Bounced Mail Gets Me in Trouble (Robert Allender)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere
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It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated
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TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
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Copyright 2000 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert
has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and
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All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
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should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: wdg@hal-pc.org (Bill Garfield)
Subject: Telemarketer Stopper that works
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 20:46:50 -0500
Organization: You only wish you were this organized
Not quite a year ago I sent an email to Mike Sandman "Chicago's
Telecom Expert" asking if among his many wares he had anything that
could send "S.I.T. tone". His reply was no, but after I explained
what I was looking for Mike agreed that there could be a market for
something like that.
My idea was to find something that was line powered and could be
triggered by the phone simply going off-hook to answer an incoming
call.
I had long known the utility of SIT tone in being able to "convince"
the automated predictive dialers that they had dialed an out of
service number and get them to go away. I even had SIT tone recorded
as the lead-in to the greeting on my answering machine.
For those who don't know, SIT tone is that "Baaa-Booo-Beee" series of
tones you hear when you dial an out of service number. The response to
SIT tone by the automatic dialing equipment is to take your number out
of the queue AND NOT CALL BACK!!!! The predictive dialers are
designed to call the maximum amount of "good numbers" and so SIT tone
helps them sort good numbers from bad. Well, I'm all for helping
them. ;^)
The answering machine trick worked pretty well, but I wanted to be
able to send SIT tone immediately, just by picking up the
receiver. What I was finding was that some of the predictive dialers
had gotten smart and would frequently abort calls before the 6 rings
it took for my machine to answer with its clever "Baaa-Booo-Beeee"
message.
Well, in response to my inquiry Mike Sandman has done it. His latest
little black box, called the "Telemarketer Stopper" does exactly what
I was needing and is line powered. Best of all it's reasonably
inexpensive at $25.95. (in lots of 3 or more they're $24.95 each)
The unit has two RJ11 jacks and so can be placed inline with any phone
or answering machine or you can install the unit at the common entry
point in line with all your phones and any one of them going off hook
to ANSWER an incoming call will trigger the tone. It will not send
SIT tone when originating calls and you can even PROGRAM IT to respond
to a touchtone digit instead of a switchook transition in response to
an incoming ring.
It's LITTLE too. Approx 2 x 1 x 1 (inches)
See it at http://www.sandman.com/tmstop.html
Someone, perhaps Pat Townson had once mentioned that Mike Sandman was
always looking for good ideas and since he stuck out his neck to build
it I thought the least I could do as a way of saying thanks was to
spread the word in the newsgroups. Thanks Mike!
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: And the least the rest of you can
do is buy one or two if you want to get rid of pesky telemarketers.
Click on Mikes's banner at http://telecom-digest.org/sponsorlinks.html
or just go directly to his web site at http://sandman.com ...tell
Mike you read about his device here in the Digest. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 16:14:34 -0500
From: Randy Hayes <Randal.Hayes@uni.edu>
Subject: Those White House Phone Records
With officials indicating they cannot track long distance calls, I
wonder how they would respond to the story printed in TELECOM Digest,
Reuters, and other locations regarding the Sergeant assigned to the
White House Communications Agency who was arrested for giving out a
long distance authorization code supposedly for the White House? Did
that auth code not give them the ability to document the 9,400 calls
"worth $50,000 to the federal government?" Otherwise, how did they
track the calls? In addition, most call accounting systems attached to
PBXs can provide the originating extension number, even if auth codes
are used to actually track the LD usage ...
Combine the two stories, and one's got more holes than Swiss cheese!
Randal J. Hayes
randal.hayes@uni.edu
------------------------------
From: Steve Uhrig <suhrig@bright.net>
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 18:50:53 -0400
Organization: bright.net Ohio
Since these are older phones the DTMF pad may be polarity
sensitive. The phone company may have reversed the polarity
of your line while doing some work in the area. Try
reversing the wires at the jack or outside at the phone
company NID and see if these phones start working again.
------------------------------
From: Joey Lindstrom <Joey@GaryNumanFan.NU>
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 14:17:12 -0600
Reply-To: Joey Lindstrom <Joey@GaryNumanFan.NU>
Subject: Re: Bounced Mail Gets Me in Troublr
Could this be the problem?
On Wed, 5 Apr 2000 23:09:10 -0400 (EDT), editor@telecom-digest.org
wrote:
> Please read the letter attached. This person persists in asking me
> to add him to the mailing list, yet look at how attempts to mail
> him are bouncing. Any suggestions?
> Here is the most recent bounce, then several letters from him.
<snip>
> ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
><ploger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
>
> ----- Transcript of session follows -----
> ... while talking to norman.cp10.es.xerox.com.:
>>>> RCPT To:<ploger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
><<< 550 <ploger@cp10.es.xerox.com>... User unknown
>550 <ploger@cp10.es.xerox.com>... User unknown
^^^^^^
<snip>
>Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2000 07:19:22 -0800
>To: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org, editor@telecom-digest.org,
> ptownson@telecom-digest.org
>From: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
>Subject: Subscribe me to Telecom Digest already please ...
>Cc: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
^^^^^^^
You're sending to "ploger", but he's sending from "pgloger".
/ From the messy desktop of Joey Lindstrom
/ Visit The NuServer! http://www.GaryNumanFan.NU
/ Visit The Webb! http://webb.GaryNumanFan.NU
/
/ "Don't shake hands with strangers."
/ --Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Babylon 5
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: More about this fiasco later in
this issue. Keep reading. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 11:11:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: Yahoo! News <refertofriend@reply.yahoo.com>
Subject: Yahoo! News Story - How To Choose a Cell Phone Service
Mike Pollock (itsamike@yahoo.com) has sent you a news article
By BRUCE MEYERSON
AP Business Writer
Q: With so many options in cellular and long distance, including
cross-promotions and tie-ins with other services like Web access,
what's the best way to comparison shop?
How To Choose a Cell Phone Service
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000405/tc/good_question__2.html
Yahoo! News http://dailynews.yahoo.com/
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 21:46:56 +0530
From: Krishna Prasad <krishnap@indts.com>
Organization: TeleSoft
Subject: Priority Routing in Telecom Switches
Hello,
Can you help in finding out a way to put quiries in user group.
I would like to know details about "Priority Routing " in telecom
switches.
Thanks,
Arun
------------------------------
From: Jonathan Seder <JDS-nospam@syntel.com>
Subject: Re: Caller ID When I Tried Calling About the Census
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 11:05:28 -0700
Organization: Don't Spam Me!
> ... So I called the toll-free number from
> my office, reached an automated system, and during that call it read
> back the number I was supposedly calling from!
Contrary to some popular notions, even if you block Caller ID, your
information is always given out when you call a toll-free number.
They're paying for the call.
> It turns out the number it read back was not my office number,
> but the same number that shows up on bills for calling card calls
> from my office.
Apparently your office phone system has outgoing trunks distinct from
the incoming trunks. It was, naturally, the outgoing trunk's number
that was reported.
------------------------------
From: Barry Margolin <barmar@bbnplanet.com>
Subject: Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest
Organization: GTE Internetworking, Cambridge, MA
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 19:25:10 GMT
In article <telecom20.52.15@telecom-digest.org>, Fred Goldstein
<fgoldstein@wn.net> wrote:
> The contest is over. So far as I can tell, no Digest readers have won.
> Ditching years of brand equity built up in the shared "Bell" trademark
> which it acquired when it was spun off of AT&T, Bell Titanic's branding
> company (anybody know which one they used?) came up with the toe-tapping
> "Verizon". (At least it doesn't end in -ent! To think that Agilent
> actually *paid* for that name.) From what I can tell, "Verizon" is a
> shortened form of the portmanteau "Verizontal", from "we control the
> vertical, we control the horizontal".
Perhaps. However, they seem to be trying to avoid that connotation.
The name is supposed to be pronounced to rhyme with "horizon".
BTW, if you try to go to www.verizon.com, you'll get one of NSI's
generic "Under construction" pages. So they reserved the domain name
about a month ago, but I guess they're waiting for the FCC to approve
the merger before they bother pointing it to a server with real
content.
Disclaimer: Although I work for what is currently still a subsidiary
of GTE, I have no involvement with the telco side of the company and
no knowledge of the actual genesis of the new Verizon name other than
what they have announced to the public.
Barry Margolin, barmar@genuity.com
Genuity, Burlington, MA
*** DON'T SEND TECHNICAL QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO ME, post them to newsgroups.
Please DON'T copy followups to me -- I'll assume it wasn't posted to the group.
------------------------------
From: Ed Ellers <ed_ellers@msn.com>
Subject: Re: Those White House Phone Records
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 03:19:30 -0400
Charles B. Wilber <Charles.B.Wilber@Dartmouth.EDU> wrote:
> Some of us still recall the vigorously suppressed scandal that
> occurred shortly after the Clinton bunch took up residence in the
> White House. As one of his first official actions, Clinton purchased a
> brand new PBX for the White House. It was scandalous becuase the
> contract was gratuitously awarded with no pretense of putting it out
> to bid. I don't recall which vendor received the contract but I cannot
> believe that a PBX purchased new in 1992 would not easily accommodate
> CDR (SMDR) collection and archiving."
That was an AT&T system. I remember one embittered Democrat
complaining on CompuServe, during the 1992 campaign, that the White
House still had an old key system dating back to the Nixon
Administration and that that somehow proved that President Bush was
somehow incompetent. What this guy didn't realize was that the White
House civilian phone system (which I don't doubt included both a
*large* PBX and various 1A2 key systems behind it) was custom-designed
for the White House Communications Agency and, being good old Western
Electric hardware, was darn near bulletproof (and I'll bet they had
some electromagnetic pulse protection in there too).
------------------------------
From: Jack Hamilton <jfh@acm.org>
Subject: Re: Those White House Phone Records
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 23:48:35 -0700
Organization: Copyright (c) 2000 by Jack Hamilton.
Reply-To: jfh@acm.org
Charles.B.Wilber@Dartmouth.EDU (Charles B. Wilber) wrote:
> --- You wrote:
>> Does anyone besides me have a hard time believing White House counsel
>> Beth Nolan when she makes this statement regarding call detail records
>> to Congressional investigators?
> That is not just difficult to believe ... it is impossible to
> believe. Some of us still recall the vigorously suppressed scandal
> that occurred shortly after the Clinton bunch took up residence in the
> White House. As one of his first official actions, Clinton purchased a
> brand new PBX for the White House. It was scandalous becuase the
> contract was gratuitously awarded with no pretense of putting it out
> to bid. I don't recall which vendor received the contract but I cannot
> believe that a PBX purchased new in 1992 would not easily accommodate
> CDR (SMDR) collection and archiving. It is simply not believable that
> these records are not generated and stored.
Why not? If you were President Clinton, would you have installed a
system that kept records of all your calls? Probably not -- those
records could only lead to trouble.
Jack Hamilton
Broderick, CA
jfh@acm.org
------------------------------
From: Someone <someone@somewhere.com>
Subject: Re: Those White House Phone Records
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 22:36:02 -0700
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
Charles B. Wilber <Charles.B.Wilber@Dartmouth.EDU> wrote in message
news:telecom20.52.13@telecom-digest.org ...
> Some of us still recall the vigorously suppressed scandal
> that occurred shortly after the Clinton bunch took up residence in the
> White House.
Yeah, the black helicopters spirited the records away after
Vince Foster was murdered.
------------------------------
From: alonklein@my-deja.com
Subject: IS41 Documentation Request
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 09:20:49 GMT
Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
Hi all,
I'm looking for documentation of the ANSI IS41 protocol.
If any of you know where I can take it from, please send me the URL
or the file itself.
Thanks a lot,
Alon
------------------------------
From: herb@herbstein.com (Herb Stein)
Subject: Re: Erlang Equations?
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 13:23:19 GMT
There is a book entitled _Engineering and Operations in the Bell
System_ that discusses Erlang B and Erlang C. Hopefully an Australian
technical library would have a copy.
One more reference. _Telecommunications Transmission Engineering_,
Volume 3, Networks and Services also talks about Erlangs. It's one of a
3 volume set published by AT&T in the 1970's.
In article <telecom20.51.6@telecom-digest.org>, Watch Meister
<breitling@eisa.net.au> wrote:
> Can anyone recommend a good place to find detailed 'Erlang' equations.
> I am interested in a number of models including:
> Erlang B
> Erlang C
> Engset
> Binomial
Herb Stein
The Herb Stein Group
www.herbstein.com
herb@herbstein.com
314 215-3584
------------------------------
From: Frank <sicnarf@javanet.com>
Subject: Dial Tone Timer?
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 05:55:34 -0700
Anyone know of a device that will disconnect dial tone to a modem at a
time determined by me? A line in and line out with a timer to set the
time of day the line will be dead.
Thanks,
Frank.
------------------------------
From: world!fybush@uunet.uu.net (Scott D. Fybush)
Subject: Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 13:09:58 GMT
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Fred Goldstein <fgoldstein@wn.net> writes:
> actually *paid* for that name.) From what I can tell, "Verizon" is a
> shortened form of the portmanteau "Verizontal", from "we control the
> vertical, we control the horizontal". Maybe it's an allusion, then, to
> "the Outer Limits of Telecommunications".
The newspaper articles yesterday said it's a combination of "veritas"
(truth) and "horizon," and meant to be pronounced to rhyme with
"horizon." The articles also suggested that one of the conditions of
the merger was that the word "Bell" not appear in the new name.
Quoth some high-ranking Verizon official whose name I've forgotten
already: "We couldn't get there [i.e., beyond the image of voice
telephony] with 'Bell'."
Must be a good deal for sign companies up this way; it was just
three months ago that all the "Frontier Cellular" signage came down
as BA bought out the other half of that partnership. Now all that
brand-new "Bell Atlantic Mobile" signage (including one new store
in Brighton that NEVER EVEN OPENED under that name) will be
expensive junk.
As a consumer, my bias is towards the company that's been doing this
for 100+ years over the brand-new upstart -- but how can I tell
them apart when the old-line business is now "Verizon"?
------------------------------
From: Xegf@ultranet.com (Ed Fortmiller)
Subject: Re: Pre-paid Calling Cards
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 11:29:16 -0400
I'm using BigZoo http://www.bigzoo.com 3.9 cents per minute and no
additional fees, mins, etc. 55 cent surcharge from payphones
though. Only complaint thus far is that I can get busy signals in the
evenings. No problem with billing in the four months I've been using
it. Referred some friends and they are quite happy with the service.
Ed Fortmiller | egf@ultranet.com | Hudson MA
* To avoid getting a lot of SPAM junk mail, I have altered my REPLY-TO
* address. PLEASE remove the leading "X" from my REPLY address.
------------------------------
From: Paul Wills <pdwills@voicenet.com>
Subject: Last Laugh! Re: Bounced Mail Gets Me in Trouble
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 08:41:01 -0400
Pat,
It's amazing how many mistakes we refuse to see when we *believe*
we're right. It appears that the address you are sending to is
missing a "g."
Wrong address:
----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
<ploger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
Right address:
pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com
^
I do that all the time. It always takes an independent observer
to find the "bug."
By the way, The Telephone Collectors International URL has changed to
www.singingwires.org. If you could change it on your links page and
pass it on to Dave Massey, it would be most appreciated.
Regards,
Paul Wills
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I am reminded of a situation from when
I was in high school, and had my first job which was working for the
University of Chicago as a phone operator. The overnight operator
had a job known as 'night auditor' which required that operator to
tally up all the long distance calls from the day before, post them
in a ledger book for each extension, use an adding machine (this
was 1958, after all) to add the tickets for the day, add up all the
ledger entries and hopefully balance them to each other. I came in
to work days at about 7 in the morning, and Lois, at the time the
overnight operator was sitting at a desk looking sort of perplexed.
She said she had been trying since about 4 AM to balance the ledger
for the night before without success. She said, "when it got to be
about 6 AM the board started getting busy again, so I had to stop
on it". I asked her to let me try it, and she was glad to have a
fresh pair of eyes look. Almost immediatly I found the error:
a long distance call for $2.89 had been entered on the ledger of
extension numbers as $2.98, which was the nine cents she was off.
She made the correction, and went home happy, although about an
hour later than usual. "I felt like such a fool", she said to me
later. A fresh, unbiased pair of eyes can work wonders.
That's what you get for having a moderator/editor here who had an
aneurism a few months ago. My brains are scrambled much of the
time these days, and after a 'long day' -- for me, a 'long day'
is more than 3-4 hours at the computer -- I grow crabby and very
difficult to work with. At least a dozen of you told me about
PLOGER vrs. PGLOGER. I hope Mr. PGLOGER is as understanding. I will
adjust your entry in the links, and advise David Massey to do the
same in Telephone Tribute. (http://telecom-digest.org/tribute) PAT]
------------------------------
From: Hahn, Ki Suk <kshahn@datalogics.com>
Subject: Still Laughing! Re: Bounced Mail Gets Me in Trouble
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 11:24:01 -0500
Stop me if you've heard this one before ...
About the bounced emails to the Xerox guy, I think the problem is that
you missed a 'g' in his email address.
The bounced ones refer to a ploger@... while his emails have
pgloger@... <mailto:pgloger@...>
Ki Suk
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I have heard that one at least a
dozen times before, but it is just as funny (NOT) as the first
time. Don't ever become a chain smoker of Pall Mall cigarettes
and wind up with an aneurism of your own. I started smoking when
I was 13 (now I am 57 so you do the math) originally because a
teacher I had in high school -- a guy named Arthur Erickson -- smoked
Viceroys and I wanted to be as witty, sophisticated and good-looking
as he was. I switched to Pall Mall (the straight ones with no
filters) three years later when I was 16 because the fellow who
at the time was night operator at University of Chicago always
smoked them and I admired how nimble he was with his fingers in
plugging those cords in and pulling them out, all the while with
one of his cigarettes dangling out of his lips. When I write my
autobiography sometime soon, I intend to tell a few facts like
the above about myself. PAT]
------------------------------
From: Robert Allender <allender@ctimail.com>
Subject: ROFLMOA: Re: Bounced Mail Gets me in Trouble
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 14:21:55 +0800
Pat:
Why are you sending his mail to ploger@ ... when his address is
pgloger@ ... (see the additional 'g' there?).
Warm regards,
Robert
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Again. Mr. PGLOGER, I hope you
will forgive me. You are now on the mailing list, and all
should be okay. Once I get this issue of the Digest finished,
I intend to step outside and have another cigarette. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #55
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Apr 8 00:19:33 2000
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From: editor@telecom-digest.org
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To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #56
b
TELECOM Digest Sat, 8 Apr 2000 00:19:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 56
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
4/6 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon" (Steven Scharf)
Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon" (Steve Sobol)
Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon" (Mike Castle)
Re: Caller ID When I Tried Calling About the Census (Steve Sobol)
Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest (Steve Sobol)
Re: Grammar to Play Prerecorded Voice Prompts (langlo6@ibm.net)
Re: Erlang Equations? (Phone Tech)
Looking for Porn? Ask Chad (Mike Pollock)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Philip Tait)
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'.
TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.
Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
Post Office Box 259
Independence, KS 67301
Phone: 805-545-5115
Email: editor@telecom-digest.org
Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org
This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and
published continuously since then. Our archives are available for
your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/
mailing list on the internet in any category!
URL information: http://telecom-digest.org
Anonymous FTP: hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives
(or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives)
Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org
Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for
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for archives files. You can get desired files in email.
*************************************************************************
* TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from *
* Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate *
* 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. *
* http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com *
* Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing *
* views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. *
*************************************************************************
ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased.
Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription.
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
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. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert
has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and
enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order
telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has
been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very
inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request
a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as
yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help
is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars
per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above.
Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing
your name to the mailing list.
All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages
should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 4/6 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 22:56:06 -0400
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution.
Current focus:
P - Roll-out of new toll free codes 866 and 855 is delayed
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1186
P - SNAC to address SMS/800 performance problems;
new SMS/800 software release reviewed >> NEW <<
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1407
P - INC AUDIT WORKSHOP ACTIVITY TO DATE >> NEW <<
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1405
P - ICANN seeks public comment on Famous Marks and gTLDs >> NEW <<
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1393
P - Vapor-constituency: ICANN At Large Membership ...
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1224
P - ICANN called on the carpet by the three Regional Internet Registries
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1134
F - Do No Harm: Reform the Domain Dispute System
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1294
F - CyberHQ - THE NEW IMPERIALISM
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=558
*************************************************************************
>>>> NOTABLE QUOTES:
'Don't oversell ICANN, it's not important to peoples daily lives.'
F - http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1404
'The trademark lobby must be placated because of its potential ability
and inclination to bankrupt new registrars and wreck havoc on their
registrant databases.'
P -http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1393
HEADLINES FOR APRIL 6, 2000
P - INC AUDIT WORKSHOP ACTIVITY TO DATE
The INC Audit Workshop shall review existing industry guidelines to
identify and document the specific processes, compliance tests, and
procedures to be used by an auditor as the measure of compliance for
either a service provider and/or NANP and Pooling Administrators.
Summary of Workshop activity January 1999 through March 2000.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1405
F - NZ TELECOM ORDERED TO RESTORE RIVAL FREE NET SERVICE
I4free planned to connect its customers by number porting, readdressing
calls to itself on rival phone company Clear's network. Telecom claims
this breaches the terms of the 0867 connection service.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1406
F - ICANN ON THE ROCKS
"Don't oversell ICANN, it's not important to peoples daily lives." Yea,
like Capitol Hill isn't important to [American] peoples daily lives.
Its no surprise that Dyson chairs ICANN public forums with a mix of
impatience, condescension and disgust.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1404
P - WIPO DISSES NAF
"... In a number of the decisions of Administrative Panels appointed by
the National Arbitration Foundation, cancellation has been ordered. In
none of those decisions, however, was a rationale given for this remedy
over the remedy of transfer to the Complainant."
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1401
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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 <<<<<<<<<<<<<
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 6, 2000
P - SMS/800 SYSTEM PERFORMANCE WORK-IN-PROGRESS
Task forces to address SMS/800 system performance deficiencies; new
SMS/800 software release discussed. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1407
F - USPS ADOPTS NEW SWEEPSTAKES MAILING ELIGIBILITY RULES
Tuesday it published the series of rules it adopted to implement the
Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act (DMPEA).
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1396
F - NET2PHONE PART OF NEW NETSCAPE BROWSER
A button on Netscape's personal toolbar is prime real estate.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1398
P - IP SERVICE REVENUES TO SOAR
Report predicts that IP services will allow the creation of a mass
customization model that enables ISPs and carriers to quickly deploy
services to the mass market that can then be individualized by each user.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1400
Do a friend a favor - suggest ICB ...
Click Here to Recommend-It(r) http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=118920
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 6, 2000
F - AOL NET APPLIANCES
... introducing three small devices: a counter-top appliance that may be
used in kitchens; a wireless Web pad that can fit inside a briefcase; and
a desktop appliance that serves as a lower-cost alternative to the personal
computer. The devices feature wireless or traditional keyboards.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1402
F - ICANN: THE NET'S BLACK HOLE
In one of the few sessions not devoted to privacy at the Computers Freedom
and Privacy 2000 conference in Toronto, panelists lambasted ICANN for its
wide-ranging actions so far, actions that include tackling intellectual
property rights and trademark issues.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1397
F - DOT COM WARS
An interesting backgrounder on the road to ICANN's tenuous status -
and NSI'S billions.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1399
F - MCIWORLDCOM SPRINT MERGER FACES SKEPTICS
"I'm trying to understand where the synergies might be on the local
side," said Larry Strickling, chairman of the FCC Common Carrier Bureau.
When Strickling asked for details on Sprint's current activity as a local
competitor, the answers only heightened his doubts.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1403
**************************************************advertisements*********
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*************************************************************************
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*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
------------------------------
From: scsmediafmp@aol.com (Steven Scharf)
Date: 06 Apr 2000 03:08:59 GMT
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com
Subject: Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon"
They actually tried that in New York by using NYNEX. They burned that
name and thus being bought by Bell Atlantic was seen as the good
company taking over the bad. They have now soiled the Bell Atlantic
name and are moving on to a new one. I used to rent office space to
small companies in New York City where we provided phone services
through another provider. I took great pains to refer to them as
NYNEX long after Bell Atlantic had changed the names becuase it made a
great selling point that they could give up BA/NYNEX's poor service
and support.
Steven Scharf
SCS Media Services
57 East 11th Street, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10003
212-822-8555
SCSMedia@aol.com
nospam.tonypo1@nospam.home.com (Tony Pelliccio) responded:
> To some Bell means voice, to others of us it has a whole different
> meaning. It brings up memories of a phone company that just doesn't
> care. I think a more appropriate choice of names for Bell Atlantic
> would be to simply change the name to Hell Atlantic. It says
> everything about BA that needs to be said and most people alread
> know them by that name anyhow.
> Verizon? I suppose Veriphone was already taken, or that they just
> couldn't buy it.
> Tony Pelliccio, KD1S formerly KD1NR
> Trustee WE1RD
------------------------------
From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.Net (Steve Sobol)
Subject: Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon"
Date: 6 Apr 2000 03:36:42 GMT
Organization: New Age Consulting Service Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA
From 'Tony Pelliccio':
> To some Bell means voice, to others of us it has a whole different
> meaning. It brings up memories of a phone company that just doesn't care.
> I think a more appropriate choice of names for Bell Atlantic would be to
> simply change the name to Hell Atlantic. It says everything about BA that
> needs to be said and most people alread know them by that name anyhow.
Keep in mind, though, that the wireless divisions of the ILECs are
typically much better at serving their customers than the wireline
divisions. I saw fewer complaints about Bell Atlantic Mobile than
Sprint PCS or AT&T, and in general didn't hear much negative about
them at all, over on alt.cellular. Judging from that, and the fact
that people there tend to be pretty close followers of the industry, I
concluded that BAM was probably one of the better companies out
there. I've heard many good things about them.
My personal experience with the cellular division of another ILEC -
GTE Wireless - has been stellar. I've been a customer since 1993, and
have been pleased with the service and the equipment, from my original
phone - an Oki 1325 that ran on GTE's TeleGo service and served as a
cordless phone at home and a cellular away from home - to my current
Motorola StarTAC digital phone that is activated on one of GTE's
national calling plans.
Do keep in mind that the changes aren't over yet. GTE Wireless will be
going away in many markets where they compete with Bell Atlantic
Mobile, Primeco, or Airtouch (the companies that merged to form
Verizon) - to clear the way for the GTE/Bell Atlantic merger.
Those markets will be sold to Alltel.
Cleveland is one of those markets - GTE and AirTouch are both 800MHz
CDMA carriers here. It'll be interesting to see what happens. I've
heard some rather unflattering things about Alltel, but some other
people tell me that they will bend over backwards to keep customers. I
hope that is true.
Pundits over in alt.cellular say that a probable side effect of the
mergers is the transfer of many smaller markets from small cellular
operators to one of the big companies.
North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net
sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET
"Never attribute to malice events more properly attributed to corporate
greed." --Me, March 28th, 2000
------------------------------
From: dalgoda@ix.netcom.net (Mike Castle)
Subject: Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon"
Organization: House of Linux
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 22:38:57 -0500
In article <telecom20.52.14@telecom-digest.org>,
Tony Pelliccio <nospam.tonypo1@nospam.home.com> wrote:
> Verizon? I suppose Veriphone was already taken, or that they just
> couldn't buy it.
Well, VeriFone is a pretty big company. Many (most?) credit card boxes
around are made by VeriFone (pay attention next time you're shopping,
especially if the box is like a 4"x4" square and gray).
mrc
Mike Castle Life is like a clock: You can work constantly
dalgoda@ix.netcom.com and be right all the time, or not work at all
www.netcom.com/~dalgoda/ and be right at least twice a day. -- mrc
We are all of us living in the shadow of Manhattan. -- Watchmen
------------------------------
From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.Net (Steve Sobol)
Subject: Re: Caller ID When I Tried Calling About the Census
Date: 6 Apr 2000 03:37:40 GMT
Organization: New Age Consulting Service Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA
From 'Carl Moore':
> I made a couple of calls to offices for census 2000 and was told of a
> toll-free number I could call. So I called the toll-free number from
> my office, reached an automated system, and during that call it read
> back the number I was supposedly calling from! It turns out the
> number it read back was not my office number, but the same number that
> shows up on bills for calling card calls from my office.
Did you have a direct line out, or does your office have a PBX or
Centrex-type system?
North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net
sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET
"Never attribute to malice events more properly attributed to corporate
greed." --Me, March 28th, 2000
------------------------------
From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.Net (Steve Sobol)
Subject: Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest
Date: 6 Apr 2000 03:39:34 GMT
Organization: New Age Consulting Service Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA
From 'Fred Goldstein':
> "the Outer Limits of Telecommunications". Or perhaps, given their
> newly-fattened mobile empire (a JV with Vodaphone Airtouch), they are
> worrying about vertical towers blown over by a storm into a horizontal
> position. I can't wait for the artwork. One can imagine all sorts of
> other images around "horizontal". But then it's hard to understand the
> kind of creative minds (and I use that term loosely) work in those
> brand-name consultancies.
They appear to have a logo, although not much content, at:
http://www.VerizonWireless.com
North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net
sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET
"Never attribute to malice events more properly attributed to corporate
greed." --Me, March 28th, 2000
------------------------------
From: langlo6@ibm.net
Subject: Re: Grammar to Play Prerecorded Voice Prompts
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2000 03:38:55 GMT
Organization: Global Network Services - Remote Access Mail & News Services
On Wed, 5 Apr 2000 17:14:33 -0400, Balaji Sundara <bsundara@cisco.com>
wrote:
> I am looking for resources which describe the following:
> For example:
> I need to play 1200.56 (a currency amount) in let's say American English
> 1. I have pre-recorded prompts for
> one
> thousand
> two
> hundred
> fifty
> six
> dollars
> cents
> and
> 2. If I wanted my application to play the amount in American English
> it would dynamically (based on rules) say
> "one thousand two hundred dollars and fifty six cents"
>
> I want to find out if there is a standard grammar to describe this in
> English and other languages.
Don't know if this is any help, but my bank (Bank of Montreal) uses
such a system when I pay by bills by telephone. The normal sequence of
events in the bill payment process is:
1. use the touchpad to select the account I want to pay (up to 6
accounts are selectable. If more than 6 are registered, pressing "9"
takes me to the next 6, etc.)
2. enter the amount I want to pay using the touchpad.
3. the system repeats back to me the amount I want to pay.
4. I press a key to agree to payment.
The system always replies using a dollar/cent format you describe.
Regards,
David Langlois
Ottawa, Canada
------------------------------
Reply-To: Phone Tech <m_f_delorenza@mailcity.com>
From: Phone Tech <m_f_delorenza@mailcity.com>
Subject: Re: Erlang Equations?
Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 10:36:13 +0800
Hi,
The best source I have seen by far is at http://www.iinet.net/~clark The
Equations document available from there has all you need and more. Some
texts just show (eg) the equation for the distribution or the probability
function. If that is all you need - OK. But if you want to go further and
calculate queue sizes, delay probabilities, required agents etc., this has
it all.
Hope this helps.
Watch Meister <breitling@eisa.net.au> wrote in message
news:telecom20.51.6@telecom-digest.org...
> Hi,
>
> Can anyone recommend a good place to find detailed 'Erlang' equations. I
> am interested in a number of models including:
> Erlang B
> Erlang C
> Engset
> Binomial
> Thanks in advance.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 14:17:46 PDT
From: Mike Pollock <itsamike@yahoo.com>
Subject: Looking for Porn? Ask Chad
Porn sites are taking unwitting Internet surfers on an
expensive ride to the African nation of Chad.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/tech/DailyNews/pornsites_000407.html
------------------------------
From: Philip Tait <Philip.Tait@phxase.allied.com>
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper that works
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2000 14:33:20 -0700
Organization: Honeywell - Phoenix, AZ
Bill Garfield wrote:
> Well, in response to my inquiry Mike Sandman has done it. His latest
> little black box, called the "Telemarketer Stopper" does exactly what
> I was needing and is line powered. Best of all it's reasonably
> inexpensive at $25.95. (in lots of 3 or more they're $24.95 each)
The price went up since you last checked: $34.95
Philip J. Tait.....Honeywell, Phoenix, Az.....pjt@phxase.allied.com
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #56
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Apr 8 20:50:03 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id UAA07128;
Sat, 8 Apr 2000 20:50:03 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 20:50:03 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004090050.UAA07128@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #57
TELECOM Digest Sat, 8 Apr 2000 20:50:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 57
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
4/7 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper that works (Michael Will)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper that works (W.D. Geary)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper that works (John Nagle)
Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted (Carl Knoblock)
Re: CPP, ATM Surcharges (Marcus AAkesson)
Re: Priority Routing in Telecom Switches (Bill Horne)
Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon" (Steve Sobol)
Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest (Terry Knab)
Protecting Ourselves ... Dialing Plan Configuration ("Jim Cheshire")
Those White House Phone Records (Esan David)
Collect Call Procedure (Leo)
Re: "Art" Imitates Life in the MCI/Worldcom Outage? (Terry Knab)
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'.
TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.
Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
Post Office Box 259
Independence, KS 67301
Phone: 805-545-5115
Email: editor@telecom-digest.org
Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org
This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and
published continuously since then. Our archives are available for
your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/
mailing list on the internet in any category!
URL information: http://telecom-digest.org
Anonymous FTP: hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives
(or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives)
Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org
Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for
a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system
for archives files. You can get desired files in email.
*************************************************************************
* TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from *
* Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate *
* 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. *
* http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com *
* Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing *
* views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. *
*************************************************************************
ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased.
Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription.
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
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. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert
has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and
enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order
telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has
been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very
inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request
a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as
yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help
is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars
per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above.
Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing
your name to the mailing list.
All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages
should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 4/7 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 23:47:18 -0400
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution. Current focus:
[Updated]
P - SNAC to address SMS/800 performance problems;
new SMS/800 software release reviewed
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1407
P - INC AUDIT WORKSHOP ACTIVITY TO DATE
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1405
P - ICANN seeks public comment on Famous Marks and gTLDs
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1393
[Pending]
P - Roll-out of new toll free codes 866 and 855 is delayed
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1186
P - Vapor-constituency: ICANN At Large Membership ...
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1224
P - ICANN called on the carpet by the three Regional Internet Registries
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1134
F - Do No Harm: Reform the Domain Dispute System
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1294
F - CyberHQ - THE NEW IMPERIALISM
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=558
*************************************************************************
THINKING OUT LOUD ...
According to "How Many Domain Names Do People Register?" (see .COM
MISCELLANY: Domain Name Trivia,
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1410) fewer than 1%
of domain name registrants purchase "cybersquatter"-level quantities
of domain names.
We know that many of those high-volume registrants in that fewer-than-1%
category, are trademark-owning large corporations.
Which means the career "cybersquatter" element so hysterically,
repeatedly denounced by trademark owners in the press and to Congress
and ICANN, is a mere fraction of that fewer-than-1% of people
purchasing domain names.
Ergo, is the trademark lobby not getting far too much policy attention
and preference, relative to this truly insignificant sliver of potential
conflict, which it can well afford at that, to defend?
Me thinks they dost protest too much ... and policy, protect too much
...
*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR APRIL 7, 2000
F - CYBERSPACE: CORPORATE ID NEEDED? A proposal moving through the
U.S. House of Representatives could make it illegal to use information
that used to flow freely, by restricting how information about the
world can be collected and stored in databases, such as a phone book.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1408
F - DOMAIN NAME TRIVIA The average domain length in 1999 was 11
characters ... The average income of domain name purchasers is
$35,000-75,000 ... CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1410
F - TELSURF PARTNERS FOR CANADIAN PENETRATION DapaSoft will take an
equity position in TelSurf Networks and become TelSurf's hosting
partner for 888-TelSurf in Canada. DapaSoft will also represent
TelSurf in the Canadian business-to-business audio-browser market
segment in Canada, promoting TelSurf Networks' Application Service
Provider (ASP) offering, TelService(TM), to companies throughout the
country. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1412
F - JACKPOT GTLD: .TV? This isn't the first time Tuvalu has tried to
profit from its technological resources. In the 1990s, it struck a
deal to let a Hong Kong company use some of its phone numbers for a
900-number business. But officials in the Christian nation moved to
cancel the $1.2-million-a-year contract after they discovered that the
numbers were being used for phone sex lines. Hmmm, there's no sex on
the internet ... CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1414
*************************************************************************
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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 <<<<<<<<<<<<<
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 7, 2000
P - DOT COM INDEX PROFILES US INTERNET GROWTH San Francisco Metro area
holds onto its lead as the hot bed of the Internet, ranking first in
Metro areas on a per capita basis. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1409
F - IN SPAIN, CYBERHQ RULES The Development Ministry will become the
new authority on domain name registration, coordinating the process
with Spain's Trade Registry and the Spanish Patent and Trademark
Office. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1411
P - COMMERCE EXTENDS COMMENTS PERIOD
... regarding domain disputes involving personal names …
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1413
P - FCC OPENING MEETING
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1415
**************************************************advertisements*********
Haven't time to search? Get targeted telecom news every week from the
source. Put 'subscribe Pipe' in the subject line and reply to:
telecom_e_clips@hotmail.com.
*************************************************************************
Do a friend a favor - suggest ICB ...
Click Here to Recommend-It(r) http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=118920
*************************************************************************
That's a Great Name for a Web Site!
Get instant Internet brand recognition for your company by securing
a premier domain name. Now is the time, as the most sought after
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>>>>>>> iApplyNow.com, eTOLLFREE.com & iTOLLFREE.com <<<<<<<<
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*************************************************************************
Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html
*************************************************************************
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
------------------------------
From: Michael Will <michaelw@tampabay.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Date: Sat, 08 Apr 2000 14:29:49 GMT
Organization: RoadRunner - TampaBay
Bill Garfield wrote:
> The unit has two RJ11 jacks and so can be placed inline with any phone
> or answering machine or you can install the unit at the common entry
> point in line with all your phones and any one of them going off hook
> to ANSWER an incoming call will trigger the tone.
Am I wrong, or are these telemarketers missing the concept? Wouldn't
a smart one (oxymoron?) only check for SIT prior to supervision?
Michael
------------------------------
From: wdg@hal-pc.org
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Date: Sat, 08 Apr 2000 09:39:23 -0500
Organization: You only wish you were this organized
On Fri, 07 Apr 2000 14:33:20 -0700, in comp.dcom.telecom Philip Tait
<Philip.Tait@phxase.allied.com> wrote:
> The price went up since you last checked: $34.95
Interesting. You're right, the web page has it listed now at $34.95
(+S&H). However, in their latest catalog (received it this past
Wednesday) it is listed there at $25.95, 3 @ 24.95 and 10 @ 23.50.
Also the invoice accompanying the shipment (dated 04/03/00) has 'em at
this price. If the price has gone up, then the increase must have
occurred this week.
I would call them (they don't appear to sell over the Net anyway) and
get confirmation. (1-630-980-7710)
But you know, even at $34.95, or for that matter $44.95, I would buy
one because the bottom line is the thing works. I have yet to set a
ceiling price that I would call "too much to pay" for -any- product
that is so effective in getting rid of the dang telemarketers.
S.I.T. tone seems to be "the magic bullet" however you can get it,
whether you record it on your answering machine greeting or you buy
Mike's gizmo and attach it to your phone(s).
In our case, we took back control of our lives with the 'answering
machine plus S.I.T. trick' (before Mike Sandman had the Telemarketer
Stopper available). The approach was to record SIT tone ahead of the
greeting and set the 'machine' to answer on first ring between 5 & 8
pm. However, as anyone else who has done it can attest, getting SIT
tone recorded on the machine was in itself a chore, so Mike's gizmo
would certainly have been the preferred method.
------------------------------
From: John Nagle <nagle@animats.com>
Organization: Animats
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2000 10:45:25 -0700
Bill Garfield wrote:
....
> I had long known the utility of SIT tone in being able to "convince"
> the automated predictive dialers that they had dialed an out of
> service number and get them to go away. I even had SIT tone recorded
> as the lead-in to the greeting on my answering machine.
Just don't answer "Hello". Predictive dialers distinguish
answering machines from live callers by whether they say something
that sounds roughly like "Hello". If you answer with your name,
most predictive dialers will hang up.
This is for real. See the spec sheet for a popular predictive
dialer at
http://www.simplesimon.com/Files/CobraSpec6.pdf
John Nagle
------------------------------
From: Carl Knoblock <cknoblo@home.com>
Organization: Apple II Forever
Subject: Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted
Date: Sat, 08 Apr 2000 07:24:00 GMT
Administrator wrote:
> Do you happen to have a working database for the area codes in
> relation to their zip codes? One in Access or CGI scripting (or any
> other format for that matter) would be great.
Since Area codes and Zip codes serve totally unrelated purposes, the
only thing they have in common is geography. And except at state lines
and major rivers, they rarely share the same border lines. So there
would be a small but growing subset of Zip codes that would appear in
two or more Numbering Plan Areas (The proper name for Area Codes.)
Carl G. Knoblock Telephone Tech
------------------------------
From: Marcus AAkesson <marcus.akesson@NO_SPAM_PLEASE_home.se>
Subject: Re: CPP, ATM Surcharges
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2000 20:50:46 +0200
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology
On Sat, 01 Apr 2000 17:16:18 -0500, Fred Goldstein <fgoldstein@wn.net>
wrote:
> CPP operates rather like a collect call. The rate is NOT set by the
> caller's carrier, but by the called carrier. It is indeed
> "bastardized" but that is exactly how collect calls have worked since
> time immemorial, or at least since there has been competition. Thus
> the caller's carrier has no say at all. Yes, it is silly.
That is _not_ how it works in a competitive CPP environment. Every
carrier negotiates his termination tariffs and bills his users based
on that, in a multitude of different price structures. To call my
mobile from my land-line, I can choose from 46 different price
structures/operators where the cheapest is 51% under the most
expensive.
http://hem.passagen.se/rogue5/mobil.htm
> In the USA, any old carrier, AOS or "information provider" is allowed
> to pay LECs for billing services. That's how the 900-call business
> works; again the originator's carrier has no say over the price. CPP
> is very much like 900 service. The fact that the rest of the planet
> uses it doesn't make it right, at least for the USA; I think for once
> the USA got the right model (cellular subscriber pays for their own
> convenience).
This "convenience" always shows up in the CPP debate. What
convenience? During a working day, I'm not playing golf, I'm working.
If I'm not at the office, I'm out on an important meeting or such. If
someone needs to reach me immediately, how is it my convenience? If
it's not so important, he can leave a message at the office, or send
an email. And, You also have a choice. If I want to make it easy to
reach me, i just forward my office number to my mobile, and eat the
charges. After hours, they can pay if they want me anyways.
Marcus AAkesson marcus.akesson@NO_SPAM_PLEASE_home.se
Gothenburg Callsigns: SM6XFN & SB4779
Sweden
>>>>>> Keep the world clean - no HTML in news or mail ! <<<<<<
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2000 20:13:30 -0400
From: Bill Horne <bhorne.nouce@banet.net>
Subject: Re: Priority Routing in Telecom Switches
Organization: Global Network Services - Remote Access Mail & News Services
Krishna Prasad wrote:
> Can you help in finding out a way to put quiries in user group.
> I would like to know details about "Priority Routing " in telecom
> switches.
>
Arun,
They isn't any unless you look at Military switches. Civilian switches
are equipped for *DIAL TONE* priority, which allows certain classes of
line to get dial tone before others when there's a crunch, i.e., during
"mass calling" events, but the civilian network is not, and never has
been, equipped for priority routing. Once a customer dials a call, he
falls into the same routing pool as every other user.
This may not seem to apply to private networks, and some of the more
exotic centrex classes, but even there the principle is the same: all
users that have access to a given path have an equal shot at it.
HTH.
Bill Horne
(Remove ".nouce" from address for direct replies. Sorry.)
------------------------------
From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.Net (Steve Sobol)
Subject: Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon"
Date: 8 Apr 2000 15:41:42 GMT
Organization: New Age Consulting Service Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA
From 'Mike Castle':
> In article <telecom20.52.14@telecom-digest.org>,
> Tony Pelliccio <nospam.tonypo1@nospam.home.com> wrote:
>> Verizon? I suppose Veriphone was already taken, or that they just
>> couldn't buy it.
> Well, VeriFone is a pretty big company. Many (most?) credit card boxes
> around are made by VeriFone (pay attention next time you're shopping,
> especially if the box is like a 4"x4" square and gray).
Not to mention which, VeriFone is getting pretty heavily involved in
e-commerce too ...
North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net
sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET
"Never attribute to malice events more properly attributed to corporate
greed." --Me, March 28th, 2000
------------------------------
From: tknab@nyx.net (Terry Knab)
Subject: Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest
Organization: The Home Office
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2000 17:34:42 GMT
Scott D. Fybush <world!fybush@uunet.uu.net> wrote:
> As a consumer, my bias is towards the company that's been doing this
> for 100+ years over the brand-new upstart -- but how can I tell
> them apart when the old-line business is now "Verizon"?
Ask those of us who had one of the Bells that became US Worst (er..West), or
Ameritech, neither of which had the Bell Name in them.
Terry E. Knab
News/Acting System Administrator
Nyx Public Access Unix
------------------------------
From: Jim Cheshire <cheshire@gol.com>
Subject: Protecting Ourselves ... Dialing Plan Configuration
Date: Sat, 08 Apr 2000 22:59:57 GMT
Organization: Global Online Japan
I have searched the FAQs but could not find a listing on this topic.
We want to configure our dialing plan in our phone system to prevent
outbound calls being placed to NANP numbers that generate expensive
toll calling. For example, I have heard that some NANP numbers in the
Carribean operate like 900 numbers. When someone calls that number,
they are billed additional charges above and beyond the normal LD
rates.
Is there a list of NPA/NXX exchanges that should be configured as
restricted dialing destinations? Where can I find this information?
Thanks,
Jim Cheshire
------------------------------
From: Esan David <DEsan@veramark.com>
Subject: Those White House Phone Records
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 10:02:11 -0400
Randy Hayes writes:
> With officials indicating they cannot track long distance calls, I
> wonder how they would respond to the story printed in TELECOM Digest,
> Reuters, and other locations regarding the Sergeant assigned to the
> White House Communications Agency who was arrested for giving out a
> long distance authorization code supposedly for the White House? Did
> that auth code not give them the ability to document the 9,400 calls
> "worth $50,000 to the federal government?" Otherwise, how did they
> track the calls? In addition, most call accounting systems attached
> to PBXs can provide the originating extension number, even if auth
> codes are used to actually track the LD usage. Combine the two
> stories, and one's got more holes than Swiss cheese
Did you know that the Swiss are having problems making the holes in
their cheese? Seems that the holes come from bacteria and their
dairies are now so clean that the cheese has fewer and smaller holes.
They are adding bacteria to make "real" Swiss cheese.
I can see a reconciliation between the two stories that is not very
far fetched. The White House may not feel the need to keep the Call
Detail Records. After all, there are a lot of calls, many have
security issues attached to them (either political or national), and
who is going to review the calls. And given that the cost of call
anywhere in the US on the White House FTS2000 is a very low flat rate,
you aren't going to be chasing minor telephone abuse. If staffer X
calls Mom for 10 minutes on the White house phone, he may have just
cost the country 10 cents. Not enough to get upset about. On the
other hand, if staffer X, who is supposed to be filing papers, has
spent 20 hours a week on the phone, someone needs to counsel him/her
about abusing privileges. If I were the director of the White House
telephone office, I don't think that I would look at the records, but
at summary reports by auth code.
David Esan
Product Manager 3750 Monroe Avenue
desan@veramark.com <mailto:desan@veramark.com>
Pittsford, NY 14534 USA
Voice: 1-716-381-6000 x6541 Fax: 1-716-383-6800
------------------------------
From: Leo <Leo.Darmawan@ptsi.siemens.co.id>
Subject: Collect Call Procedure
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2000 14:15:25 +0700
Organization: Siemens AG,(Hofmannstr) Munich-Germany-Europe.
Hi,
I was browsing the Internet to find any document covering CollectCall
procedure (technical and legal). I only found some very general info
from ITU rec.
Does anyone has something comperehensive for me as a reading
reference??
Thanks in advance and best regrads,
Leo Nukegalih
------------------------------
From: tknab@nyx.net (Terry Knab)
Subject: Re: "Art" Imitates Life in the MCI/Worldcom Outage?
Organization: The Home Office
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2000 17:38:48 GMT
Steve Sobol <sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.Net> wrote:
>> From 'Carl Moore':
>> Several months ago, you noted Wile E. (Coyote, obviously from the
>> Coyote & Roadrunner cartoons, from Warner Brothers) and "Acme".
>> chain based near Philadelphia! I'm well aware of it, having grown up
>> in northern Delaware and seeing Acme Markets as far away as
>> northeastern Maryland.
> The Albrecht Company, headquartered down in Akron, also runs a local
> chain of grocery stores named Acme.
And here in St. Joseph, MO, we have a vending co. called Acme. (As well as a
major owner of TV stations affiliated with the WB, ACME too :)
Terry E. Knab
News/Acting System Administrator
Nyx Public Access Unix
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #57
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Apr 9 17:05:10 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id RAA11457;
Sun, 9 Apr 2000 17:05:10 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 17:05:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004092105.RAA11457@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #58
TELECOM Digest Sun, 9 Apr 2000 17:05:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 58
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
When a Free Service Has a Big Hook in it (freeservices@workbench.net)
ICANN be Annoyed at This (Justa Lurker)
Re: Those White House Phone Records (Randy Hayes)
You've Got Inappropriate Mail (Monty Solomon)
Legality of 'Deep Linking' Remains Deeply Complicated (Monty Solomon)
Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest (Jay Hennigan)
Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest (Jeff W. McKeough)
Interactive Telecom Network Inc. (John Delaney)
Your Web Site (Basictwmnd@aol.com)
Re: Collect Call Procedure (Jerry Harder)
Re: 3.4 Ghz to 3.6 Ghz - International Activity (Marcus Aakesson)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
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-------------------------------------------------------------------
From: freeservices@workbench.net
Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 02:29:12 -0400
Subject: When a Free Service Has a Big Hook in It
Greetings. This is a consumer alert of sorts ... I have a web page
that features free Internet services (at http://freeservices.uni.cc/)
and one of the services that I have listed is called freeXDSL. On
their front page (located at http://www.freexdsl.com/), they make a
very attractive offer: "freeXDSL" Service provides high-speed
Internet access for your home or office -- up to 200 times faster than
traditional 28.8 modem speeds. ... and by the way, did we mention
that it's totally FREE?" Sounds like a great deal, right? But it
turns out there's a pretty sharp hook in this offer that might catch
the unwary.
Tonight I received an e-mail from a visitor to my page, that pointed
out something I was not aware of about this company, namely that once
you sign up for their service, if they cancel your service (for a
violation of their Acceptable Use Policy, or failure to comply with
their terms of service agreement) or if YOU cancel your service (for
ANY reason), and it has been less than FIVE YEARS since you first
started to receive service from them, you would be on the hook to them
for FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS!!! That is not exactly what I would expect
from a company that advertises a service as "totally free" - and note
that this is buried in section 22 of their terms of service agreement
(which you can view at http://www.freexdsl.com/agreement.html).
The agreement does tell you right at the top to read it carefully,
however most people probably are not going to wade through 28 sections
of legalese (something that this company was perhaps counting on???),
especially when they think they are getting a "totally free" service.
The section in question reads as follows (this is how it was sent to
me by the visitor to my page, if your e-mail reader supports styled
text you will see that he emphasized certain words - this emphasis is
NOT in the original text on the web site):
[This is found in section 22.0 - TERMINATION]
"SMART may suspend or terminate MEMBER'S account for freeXDSLTM
SERVICE at any time for any reason including but not limited to
failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement or any SMART
policy. If terminated by SMART for a violation by MEMBER of SMART'S
AUP or MEMBER'S failure to comply with this Agreement, or if
terminated by MEMBER for any reason after the seventh day following
MEMBER'S execution of this Agreement, such execution by MEMBER
completing registration for freeXDSL(TM) SERVICE, but before the fifth
anniversary of the implementation of MEMBER'S freeXDSLTM SERVICE,
MEMBER agrees to pay to SMART as liquidated damages Five Hundred
Dollars ($500.00) to offset SMART'S expense of allocating service,
bandwidth, hardware, or human resources to process the order, arrange
for service, or to provide freeXDSLTM service to MEMBER, excluding any
termination by MEMBER if SMART were to cease providing freeXDSLTM
SERVICE with no monthly fees, in which case MEMBER would have the
right to cancel service with no liability to SMART for termination."
I can understand that they don't want people to sign up and then two
months later simply decide to drop the service, however this seems
pretty steep and the time is definitely excessive in our mobile
society. How many people can really say with any certainty where they
will be living five years from now? They don't offer any exception if
you move (as far as I can tell, there is nothing in that agreement
about transferring service to a new address), if you are hospitalized
for an extended period or even if you die!
There are other interesting provisions in this agreement, too. For
example, you give them authority to provide your local or long
distance telephone, or cable TV service if they are authorized to do
so. That might not mean much now, but who's to say that in two or
three years your local or long distance phone service won't suddenly
be switched? (Mind you, if they try this in Michigan, they will
quickly rack up substantial fines under our new anti-slamming law,
unless they use an approved method of verification). Those of you
with more of a legal background may see other problems there as well.
Now the funny part is, I remember looking at this agreement a few
months ago (I think my son asked me about it) and I do NOT recall any
mention of this $500 at that time. Which brings up a major problem
with web-based agreements -- the company can change the agreement at
any time and unless you had enough foresight to make a copy, you have
no way to prove what it originally said. And many people don't even
know how to make a copy of a Web page! Of course, there is also a
problem for them -- they have no physical signature and anyone can fill
in a web form using someone else's name and information. I would
certainly hope that they would get some additional verification before
making any changes to someone's phone service.
To me this seems like something that has the potential to cause a lot
of problems for many consumers who think they are simply signing up to
get free high-speed Internet access. They ought to at least highlight
that $500 business in bright red, or make it the first thing at the
top of the agreement (or both), and also put something right on the
signup page (maybe a line such as "$500 penalty for early
cancellation, be sure to read the terms of service agreement!").
How many people are forced to move unexpectedly? It happened to me
when my ex-wife divorced me, it's happened to others when flood or
fire consumed their home, or they've had a serious accident or medical
problems, or the company they work for transfers them, or any number
of other reasons. Few people can say with anything approaching
certainty where they will be in five years.
Anyway, it seems to me that any company that advertises a service as
"free" on their home page also ought to put a disclaimer on their home
page if it has the potential to not really be free. And I also think
that when people are required to indicate agreement with some
document, it ought to be written in plain English, and once they sign
up, a copy should be e-mailed to them and they should be required to
send a return e-mail that again indicates acceptance before they are
bound by it. This way, if they save their e-mail, they at least have
a copy of exactly what they agreed to, as well as one more opportunity
to bail out if they don't like the terms presented.
If you think that this is a raw deal for the consumer, as I do,
perhaps you might want to help get a warning out on this. I have not
spoken to any company representatives (it's Saturday night, and I'm
not a reporter) so if you want to get their side of this first, it
probably would not be a bad idea, and actually I'd be interested in
hearing how they can possibly rationalize this.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 04:03:00 -0700
From: /dev/null@.com (Justa Lurker)
Subject: ICANN be Annoyed at This
Organization: Anonymous People
Reply-To: jlurker@bigfoot.com (Reply to the digest please)
Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 10:55:31 GMT
For your consideration:
A quote from http://www.bulkregister.com/disputepolicy.html:
b. Evidence of Registration and Use in Bad Faith.
(i) circumstances indicating that you have
registered or you have acquired the domain
name primarily for the purpose of selling,
renting, or otherwise transferring the domain
name registration to the complainant who is
the owner of the trademark or service mark or
to a competitor of that complainant, for
valuable consideration in excess of your
documented out-of-pocket costs directly
related to the domain name;
A snip from their whois on one of the domains they administer:
(domain removed to protect a potential user)
[whois.alabanza.com]
DomainCollection.com (____-COM-DOM)
FOR SALE by www.DomainCollection.com
FAX 305-463-9709, FL 33172
US
Domain Name: ____.COM
Administrative Contact:
Domain Sales (DS7-BR) DomainSales@DomainCollection.com
Phone- 305-914-4642
Fax- 305-470-9353
Technical Contact:
Domains Hostmaster (DH1-BR) Hostmaster@DomainCollection.net
Phone- 305-914-4642
Fax- 305-470-9353
Billing Contact:
Billing Department (BD2-BR) Billing@DomainCollection.com
Phone- 305-914-4642
Fax- 305-470-9353
Record updated on 2000-03-26.
Record created on 2000-03-26.
Database last updated on 2000-04-09 02:38:52 EST.
Domain servers in listed order:
NS3.THIS-DOMAIN-IS-FOR-SALE.COM 207.252.38.215
NS1.TO-BUY-THIS-DOMAIN-FAX-305-463-9709.COM 207.252.38.214
NS2.EMAILUS-DOMAINSALESATDOMAINCOLLECTION.COM 207.252.38.216
Also:
"DomainCollection strives to obey all applicable laws regarding the
registration and use of domain names. We also adhere to the policies
established by ICANN for domain name registration."
Considering that BulkRegister offers to register domains at $10 each
if you register 2000 or more domains a month, I'd say that their
system is wide open for speculation.
(sigh)
I miss the days of InterNIC.Net , when domains were free and yet still
controlled.
Justa Lurker
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 11:03:24 -0500
From: Randy Hayes <Randal.Hayes@uni.edu>
Subject: Re: Those White House Phone Records
David Esan wrote:
> I can see a reconciliation between the two stories ... the White
> House may not feel the need to keep the call detail records ... I
> don't think I'd look at the records, I'd look at the summary reports
> by auth code.
The point is, to have summary reports you must first have collected
the call data.
Your point is well taken that in reviewing call records, one often
begins by reviewing summary information from various reports, then
"drills-down" if a closer look is needed. Rarely in a large
environment would anyone review call records line-by-line unless
something suspicious leads them to do so.
Most telecom managers retain a certain number of months (or even years
if necessary) of the raw call data on electronic storage media
(excluding those types of calls, ie., internal, local, etc. in a
month-end or similar process if the point is mainly to track long
distance calls/cost). So, while records may not be read in totality
each month, the raw data can usually be accessed very quickly.
In addition, if sensitivity of the data was the rationale for retaining
or deleting information including call records, virtually no records of
any kind would be kept by the White House, given the nature of the
business, so that explanation really doesn't fit ...
In the case of the Sargeant accused of toll fraud via the White House,
for the calls, minutes, and cost to have been documented, the raw call
data almost certainly was used, as they tracked-down some of the
people who used the long distance authorization codes via the called
numbers, etc. (offering them immunity to testify). So, for someone
else to indicate in another issue that call records are not collected
and/or retained, it just doesn't fit.
Randal J. Hayes
randal.hayes@uni.edu
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 13:04:27 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: You've Got Inappropriate Mail
Monitoring of Office E-Mail Is Increasing
By LISA GUERNSEY
Andrew Quinn, a systems manager at a toy company near Montreal, is
starting to learn more about his fellow employees than he had ever
wanted to know. He has found that one co-worker has a penchant for
herbal remedies, another likes jokes about women drivers and another
checks the lottery numbers each morning.
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/04/biztech/articles/05mail.html
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 12:31:59 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Legality of 'Deep Linking' Remains Deeply Complicated
By CARL S. KAPLAN
Legality of 'Deep Linking' Remains Deeply Complicated
When a federal judge issued a decision last week in a case involving
"deep linking," many reports suggested that the controversial Internet
practice was now unambiguously legal. But the story is more complex
than that. In fact, deep linking -- the practice of linking to a page
deep inside another Web site, bypassing its home page -- still appears
to be in legal limbo.
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/04/cyber/cyberlaw/07law.html
------------------------------
From: jay@west.net (Jay Hennigan)
Subject: Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest
Organization: Disgruntled Postal Workers Against Gun Control
Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 04:43:22 GMT
On Wed, 05 Apr 2000 09:58:46 -0400, Fred Goldstein <fgoldstein@wn.net>
wrote:
> Ditching years of brand equity built up in the shared "Bell" trademark
> which it acquired when it was spun off of AT&T, Bell Titanic's branding
> company (anybody know which one they used?) came up with the toe-tapping
> "Verizon". (At least it doesn't end in -ent!
*Somebody* must have known about it in advance. Look what was
registered in anticipation, way back on November 11, 1999:
Registrant:
WILSON, CHRIS (VERIZONSUCKS-DOM)
555 12ST NW
D.C, WA 20004
US
Domain Name: VERIZONSUCKS.COM
Record last updated on 11-Nov-1999.
Record created on 11-Nov-1999.
Database last updated on 8-Apr-2000 13:33:35 EDT.
GeekTools WHOIS Proxy v2.2.2
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
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest
Organization: The Committee for the Advancement of the Amusement of Ned
From: jwm@spdcc.com (Jeffrey William McKeough)
Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 03:43:33 GMT
In article <telecom20.57.9@telecom-digest.org>, Terry Knab
<tknab@nyx.net> wrote:
> Scott D. Fybush <world!fybush@uunet.uu.net> wrote:
>> As a consumer, my bias is towards the company that's been doing this
>> for 100+ years over the brand-new upstart -- but how can I tell
>> them apart when the old-line business is now "Verizon"?
> Ask those of us who had one of the Bells that became US Worst (er..West), or
> Ameritech, neither of which had the Bell Name in them.
And neither NYNEX nor its predecessor BOCs had the Bell name.
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
------------------------------
From: John Delaney <allwest@globalfreeway.com.au>
Subject: Interactive Telecom Network Inc.
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000 15:56:47 -0700
I wish to get in contact with someone at Interactive Telecom Network
Inc; they are situated at 15303 Ventura Blvd Sherman Oaks Ca 91403.
If this is not their address it is the address of their bank (Imperial
Bank).
I need an email address for them. They have sent me a cheque as a refund =
on a purchase but I have a problem with processing in Australia.
Can you help.
John Delaney
------------------------------
From: Basictwmnd@aol.com
Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 19:16:11 EDT
Subject: Your Web Site
I am a telecom / PBX tech and I was just searching for some minor info
on an old Stromberg Carlson PBX (which is currently called or goes by
the name of Digital Voice Corp. and it's now called DBX [Digital BX])
and whilst searching I saw your site on the search engine, dropped by
and have had a smile on my face ever since. What a riot. You have
accumulated some absolutely great stuff and links. Just looking and
reminiscing over some of the old stuff I used install and service just
cracked me up in relation to what I do today. Too Funny. Great Job and
I'm going to be sure to tell some of my current cohorts about your
site. I'm sure the young ones whom only know single pair Norstar and
Meridian will find it overwhelming and say something like "Geez... I
coulda never done that!" To which I have to retort "No Kiddin!" Great
Stuff - Great Site!
Thank You,
mnd
------------------------------
From: Jerry Harder <jharder@homespamnein.com>
Subject: Re: Collect Call Procedure
Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 04:09:36 GMT
Organization: @Home Network
Leo <Leo.Darmawan@ptsi.siemens.co.id> wrote in message
news:telecom20.57.12@telecom-digest.org:
> I was browsing the Internet to find any document covering CollectCall
> procedure (technical and legal). I only found some very general info
> from ITU rec.
> Does anyone has something comperehensive for me as a reading
> reference??
See http://cpr.bst.bellsouth.com/ for typical tariff
materials. Ameritech and US West also have their tariffs online. You
might want to check with one of the major long distance carriers to
gain an understanding of their tariffs on Collect Calls. Once the
Collect Party is contacted and gives permission, the call proceeds
much as any other Operator Assisted call.
Good luck,
Jerry Harder
remove spamnein from address to reply
------------------------------
From: Marcus AAkesson <marcus.akesson@NO_SPAM_PLEASE_home.se>
Subject: Re: 3.4 GHz to 3.6 GHz - International Activity
Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 19:52:10 +0200
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology
On Wed, 5 Apr 2000 07:19:00 -0400, D. E. 'Omar' Jennings
<donald.jennings@wfinet.com> wrote:
> Is Japan setting aside 3.4 GHz to 3.6 GHz for point to multipoint or
> anything ? How about other countries?
In Norway the licenses are sold, and equipment is being set up right
now. Iceland is also operative, and Denmark will follow soon with
licensing this year probably.
Finland have also , as far as I remember, distributed the licenses.
Sweden is indecisive.
Tele2 has a license in the UK.
All this is for point-to-multipoint in the general 3,5 GHz region, but
the exact frequencies may vary.
Marcus AAkesson marcus.akesson@NO_SPAM_PLEASE_home.se
Gothenburg Callsigns: SM6XFN & SB4779
Sweden
>>>>>> Keep the world clean - no HTML in news or mail ! <<<<<<
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #58
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Apr 10 00:41:05 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id AAA26100;
Mon, 10 Apr 2000 00:41:05 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 00:41:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004100441.AAA26100@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #59
TELECOM Digest Mon, 10 Apr 2000 00:41:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 59
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Re: When a Free Service Has a Big Hook in It (Michael Maxfield)
Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail (J.F. Mezei)
Are They Following Me? (Clarence Dold)
Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest (Roy Smith)
Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest (Martin Hannigan)
Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest (Tom Betz)
Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon" (Tony Pelliccio)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Clarence Dold)
Re: Dial Tone Timer? (Julian Thomas)
Re: Priority Routing in Telecom Switches (73115.1041@compuserve.com)
Re: Priority Routing in Telecom Switches (J.F. Mezei)
Battling Censorware (Monty Solomon)
Web Privacy Group to Offer a Seal of Approval (Monty Solomon)
Seeking Employment Test (John Werner)
Digital Signatures a Threat to Privacy? (Monty Solomon)
Real Screaming Over Streaming (Monty Solomon)
Re: CPP, ATM Surcharges (Craig Macbride)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 19:45:43 -0700
Subject: Re: When a Free Service Has a Big Hook in It
Organization: Minimal
From: tweek@io.com (Michael Maxfield)
In article <telecom20.58.1@telecom-digest.org>, <freeservices@
workbench.net> wrote:
> Greetings. This is a consumer alert of sorts ... I have a web page
> that features free Internet services (at http://freeservices.uni.cc/)
> and one of the services that I have listed is called freeXDSL. On
> their front page (located at http://www.freexdsl.com/), they make a
> very attractive offer: "freeXDSL™ Service provides high-speed
[SNIP!] [Free to come, pay to leave.]
That's a Gotcha! That I read about some time back on a web site which
compares DSL services (?? dsl.com? dslreport.com?). I certainly
question how many folks are going to be wanting to continue service
with them, as I tried out their free dialup service for a day (the
dialup service is freewwweb.com) and it litterally took 15 minutes
to completely download their "home.freewwweb.com" ... not that it was
anything large ... they just had sucky bandwidth out to the net where
*their* homepage sat (off site).
Having a superfast XDSL link to their backbone doesn't seem to me to
be that smart a move if they use the same backbone. The nice thing
about their Freewwweb service which got me to give it a shot was that
they don't require you to run any special software. All you need to
do is set your browser homepage in your settings to their
home.freewwweb.com page. That is not the case with their free XDSL
service though, where they require you to run blipvert[1] software.
[1] Ugh, my use of a word from Max Headroom ... software which is
capable of doing and seeing, who knows what, with and about your
internet habits and spamming you with ads windows.
> Internet access for your home or office -- up to 200 times faster than
> traditional 28.8 modem speeds.
I had less than 75 bps over my 56k through their freewwweb dialup.
There's another company which was supposed to move from the
promotional phase into the active phase on the first of this month
(and judging from the amount they must have spent on radio ads, it
wasn't an April Fools joke). FreeDSL (no "x") was (is?) requiring the
users to buy the equipment for their end (appx $100 +) but that
appeared to be the only hitch. I'm waiting to hear the stories of
those who joined that service. (Freedsl caused some anger about the
net by offering free dsl modems to those who sent 10 referals ... so
as usual, the newbie idiots start spaming the net trying to get
others to use their referral ID.)
------------------------------
From: JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca>
Subject: Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail
Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 22:11:51 -0400
Monty Solomon wrote:
> Monitoring of Office E-Mail Is Increasing
> http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/04/biztech/articles/05mail.html
In that article (and a few others I have read on the subject) there is
mention of employees "spending hours" on a web site.
Just how do they monitor how much time an employee spends on a web
site ? I find it very hard to grasp how one can capture accounting
information on how much time is spent on a web site (from a client
point of view, not the web site server).
What happens if I point the beowser to www.sextoys.com giggle for 30
seconds and then switch to WORD or EXCELL or whatever other program
without stopping Netscape? Does this mean that I am still "logged in"
to that www.sextoys.com from the employer's point of view?
Either I really do not understand the concept of HTTP requests, or I
fail to understand how companies monitor how much time is being spent
on a particular web site by an employee. Can anyone explain what
techniques/data is used to derive such numbers?
------------------------------
From: Clarence Dold <dold@rahul.net>
Subject: Are They Following Me?
Date: 9 Apr 2000 21:40:23 GMT
Organization: a2i network
Reply-To: dold@rahul.net
Maybe this has been discussed before... If I use the "Go Express"
search engine, I get good rsults, but all of the subsequent clicking
comes wrapped in a go.com window, leading me to believe they either
are, or could, be monitoring my site visits.
That's okay ... in part because it is so obvious.
But I'm worried about "homestead.com" They offer free web sites. A friend
has a site there. When I look at the html source generated for his web
page, I see (I've stuck in some . so this will show up as text.)
<D.I.V style="margin-top: 1px; margin-left: 1px">
<I.M.G
S.R.C="http://track.homestead.com/~site/Scripts_Track/track.dll?H_H=2912551&H_P=1&H_A=3333418&E=51&E=467&E=33&E=8"
W.I.D.T.H=80 H.E.I.G.H.T=50 B.O.R.D.E.R=0></.D.I.V>
What this might say to me is that I have just loaded a dll from their site,
called "track". Might this track, or do whatever a dll might do, until I
leave my browser, or reboot?
Clarence A Dold - dold@rahul.net
- Pope Valley & Napa CA.
------------------------------
From: Roy Smith <roy@endeavor.med.nyu.edu>
Subject: Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest
Organization: New York University School of Medicine
Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 20:53:28 -0400
jay@west.net (Jay Hennigan) wrote:
> *Somebody* must have known about it in advance. Look what was
> registered in anticipation, way back on November 11, 1999:
> Registrant:
> WILSON, CHRIS (VERIZONSUCKS-DOM)
> 555 12ST NW
> D.C, WA 20004
> US
I would assume that the picking of a name for a company as large as
BA/GTE is a process that goes on for many months, and begins with a
large number of candidate names which are reviewed, tried out in focus
groups, thought about, etc. I'm sure as soon as a potential name gets
thought of, it is registered, along with a variety of uncomplementary
variants such as XXXsucks, in self defense.
------------------------------
From: hannigan@clue-store.fugawi.net (Martin Hannigan)
Subject: Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest
Date: 9 Apr 2000 21:17:05 GMT
Reply-To: hannigan@fugawi.net
WHASUUUUUP! On Sun, 09 Apr 2000 04:43:22 GMT, Jay Hennigan
<jay@west.net> a wrote:
> On Wed, 05 Apr 2000 09:58:46 -0400, Fred Goldstein <fgoldstein@wn.net>
> wrote:
>> Ditching years of brand equity built up in the shared "Bell" trademark
>> which it acquired when it was spun off of AT&T, Bell Titanic's branding
>> company (anybody know which one they used?) came up with the toe-tapping
>> "Verizon". (At least it doesn't end in -ent!
> *Somebody* must have known about it in advance. Look what was
> registered in anticipation, way back on November 11, 1999:
> Registrant:
> WILSON, CHRIS (VERIZONSUCKS-DOM)
> 555 12ST NW
> D.C, WA 20004
> US
> Domain Name: VERIZONSUCKS.COM
>
> Record last updated on 11-Nov-1999.
> Record created on 11-Nov-1999.
> Database last updated on 8-Apr-2000 13:33:35 EDT.
> GeekTools WHOIS Proxy v2.2.2
That's funny. But did you ever see how Akamai did it?
Go dig on Akamai at NetSol and check it out. :)
-M
------------------------------
From: tbetz@panix.com (Tom Betz)
Subject: Re: Verizontal Marks End of "Name That Domain" Contest
Date: 9 Apr 2000 21:23:30 GMT
Organization: Society for the Elimination of Junk Unsolicited Bulk Email
Reply-To: tbetz@pobox.com
Quoth jay@west.net (Jay Hennigan) in <telecom20.58.6@telecom-digest.org>:
> On Wed, 05 Apr 2000 09:58:46 -0400, Fred Goldstein <fgoldstein@wn.net>
> wrote:
>> Ditching years of brand equity built up in the shared "Bell" trademark
>> which it acquired when it was spun off of AT&T, Bell Titanic's branding
>> company (anybody know which one they used?) came up with the toe-tapping
>> "Verizon". (At least it doesn't end in -ent!
> *Somebody* must have known about it in advance. Look what was
> registered in anticipation, way back on November 11, 1999:
> Registrant:
> WILSON, CHRIS (VERIZONSUCKS-DOM)
> 555 12ST NW
>
> D.C, WA 20004
> US
> Domain Name: VERIZONSUCKS.COM
You'll probably find that Chris Wilson is a lawyer for Bell
Atlantic/GTE/Verizon.
|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. | <http://www.panix.com/~tbetz/mailterms.shtml> |
|<http://www.pobox.com/~tbetz> | YO! MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS HEAVILY SPAM-ARMORED! |
------------------------------
From: nospam.tonypo1@nospam.home.com (Tony Pelliccio)
Subject: Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon"
Organization: Providence Network Partners
Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 20:07:35 GMT
In article <telecom20.56.4@telecom-digest.org>, dalgoda@ix.netcom.net
says ...
> In article <telecom20.52.14@telecom-digest.org>,
> Tony Pelliccio <nospam.tonypo1@nospam.home.com> wrote:
>> Verizon? I suppose Veriphone was already taken, or that they just
>> couldn't buy it.
> Well, VeriFone is a pretty big company. Many (most?) credit card boxes
> around are made by VeriFone (pay attention next time you're shopping,
> especially if the box is like a 4"x4" square and gray).
Depends where you go. Those VeriFone boxes are disappearing quickly as
point of sale software integrates credit card functionality. I happen
to know, I sell Synchronics CounterPoint and the base version has cc
processing through PNC Bank (Aka FDMS) built in.
== Tony Pelliccio, KD1S formerly KD1NR
== Trustee WE1RD
------------------------------
From: Clarence Dold <dold@rahul.net>
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Date: 9 Apr 2000 21:28:46 GMT
Organization: a2i network
Reply-To: dold@rahul.net
Michael Will <michaelw@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
> Am I wrong, or are these telemarketers missing the concept? Wouldn't
> a smart one (oxymoron?) only check for SIT prior to supervision?
The predictive dialers, even those connected via T1, do not typically
handle out-of-band signalling. They "listen" for recognizable tones.
Clarence A Dold - dold@rahul.net
- Pope Valley & Napa CA.
------------------------------
From: jata@aepiax.net (Julian Thomas)
Subject: Re: Dial Tone Timer?
Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 20:01:21 GMT
In <telecom20.55.14@telecom-digest.org>, on 04/06/00 at 05:55 AM,
Frank <sicnarf@javanet.com> said:
> Anyone know of a device that will disconnect dial tone to a modem at a
> time determined by me? A line in and line out with a timer to set the
> time of day the line will be dead.
What about a simple timer (the kind that people use to turn lights on and
off at set times) in the power line to the modem? If that's no good, use
the timer to control a relay in the phone line.
Julian Thomas: jt . epix @ net http://home.epix.net/~jt
remove letter a for email (or switch . and @)
In the beautiful Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York State!
Boardmember of POSSI.org - Phoenix OS/2 Society, Inc http://www.possi.org
WarpTech 2000: May 26-28 in Phoenix - plan NOW to attend! www.warptech.org
Error #33: (A)bort this mess (R)etry last mistake (S)kip to new mess-up.
------------------------------
From: 73115.1041@compuserve.com
Subject: Re: Priority Routing in Telecom Switches
Date: Sat, 08 Apr 2000 19:18:46 -0600
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
Bill Horne <bhorne.nouce@banet.net> wrote:
> They isn't any unless you look at Military switches. Civilian switches
> are equipped for *DIAL TONE* priority, which allows certain classes of
> line to get dial tone before others when there's a crunch, i.e., during
> "mass calling" events, but the civilian network is not, and never has
> been, equipped for priority routing. Once a customer dials a call, he
> falls into the same routing pool as every other user.
Well, maybe not. I've had some discussions with a former program
manger for the GETS program (otherwise known as area code 710). While
he was somewhat guarded about the details, GETS works by allowing
calls to be routed using an adjunct processor next to the switch. The
adjunct processor uses certain commands normally restricted to the CO
console operator to prioritize and route traffic from an otherwise
routine source.
Interestingly enough, he related a story about someone randomly dialing 710
numbers that reached a rather secure government alternate command facility.
------------------------------
From: J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca>
Subject: Re: Priority Routing in Telecom Switches
Date: Sat, 08 Apr 2000 21:22:05 -0400
Bill Horne wrote:
> been, equipped for priority routing. Once a customer dials a call, he
> falls into the same routing pool as every other user.
> This may not seem to apply to private networks, and some of the more
> exotic centrex classes, but even there the principle is the same: all
> users that have access to a given path have an equal shot at it.
In Australia, one can use a different prefix to begin an overseas call
and get priority routing and "extra bandwidth" for fax calls. It is
charged the same rate as normal calls. From what I read, you will have
priority for a undersea cable connection whereas a call not using that
prefix *might* go satellite.
I don't know exactly how it is implemented and "exactly" what it does.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 13:00:55 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Battling Censorware
Copyright law is limited by the Constitution. But when there are
conflicts with the First Amendment, some courts lean the other way.
By Lawrence Lessig
If you ask the average (very average) copyright lawyer whether there
is tension between copyright law and the First Amendment, you'll get a
slogan for an answer: "No tension, none at all, so long as copyright
law permits 'fair use.'" A toy company last week demonstrated how
unreal this slogan has become.
http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/1,1151,13533,00.html
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 13:11:05 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Web Privacy Group to Offer a Seal of Approval
By LAURIE J. FLYNN
An assortment of 26 Internet companies involved in advertising will
soon announce yet another organization to tackle the prickly issue of
consumer privacy on the Web.
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/04/biztech/articles/03priv.html
------------------------------
Organization: http://www.remarq.com: The World's Usenet/Discussions Start Here
Subject: Seeking Employment Test
From: John Werner <wernerjsNOweSPAM@hotmail.com.invalid>
Date: Sat, 08 Apr 2000 17:16:21 -0700
Does anyone have any suggestions for study guides for the SBC
Communications(Southwestern Bell) pre-employment test for Network
Center Technician?
* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network *
The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 12:52:53 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Digital Signatures a Threat to Privacy?
By Robert Lemos, ZDNN
TORONTO -- Your ability to surf the Internet anonymously could be lost
in the near future, if current plans to roll out digital signatures
stay on track, warned a panel of experts at the Computers, Freedom and
Privacy Conference.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2523596,00.html
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 12:56:29 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Real Screaming over Streaming
by Christopher Jones
The rights of software developers and copyright owners are colliding
this week in a Seattle courtroom as RealNetworks tries to prevent a
rival from getting a piece of its lucrative streaming business.
http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,33405,00.html
------------------------------
Subject: Re: CPP, ATM Surcharges
From: craigm@earthling.net (Craig Macbride)
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 03:58:55 GMT
Fred Goldstein <fgoldstein@wn.net> writes:
> CPP operates rather like a collect call. The rate is NOT set by the
> caller's carrier, but by the called carrier.
That's what some people have proposed (or possibly implemented) in
the, but it makes no sense. CPP is _not_ a reverse-charges (collect)
call. It is a standard call, in which the standard practice of caller
pays applies.
> It is indeed
> "bastardized" but that is exactly how collect calls have worked since
> time immemorial
Which is irrelevant, since we are not talking about collect calls.
> In the USA, any old carrier, AOS or "information provider" is allowed
> to pay LECs for billing services. That's how the 900-call business
> works; again the originator's carrier has no say over the price.
1900 "information" services are the exception, not the rule. Again,
they should have nothing to do with caller-pays mobile phones charges,
any more than they have to do with caller-pays long distance land line
charges.
> CPP is very much like 900 service.
Not that I can see.
> The fact that the rest of the planet
> uses it doesn't make it right, at least for the USA; I think for once
> the USA got the right model (cellular subscriber pays for their own
> convenience).
And you seem to be "supporting" a hare-brained version of CPP in order
to support this stance. This is pointless since _ANY_ scheme looks
good against your version of CPP.
Craig Macbride <craigm@earthling.net>
-----------------------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
-------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #59
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Apr 10 18:00:05 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id SAA01578;
Mon, 10 Apr 2000 18:00:05 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 18:00:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004102200.SAA01578@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #60
TELECOM Digest Mon, 10 Apr 2000 18:00:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 60
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Digital Signatures For French Hybrid Mail Documents (Jean-Bernard Condat)
Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (Riklef Flor)
Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail (Ryan Shook)
Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail (J.F. Mezei)
Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail (Barry Margolin)
Caller ID 000-000-0000?? (Marietta Georgia)
Help Me Out Please ... (John McCreedy)
Wierd Call (Carl Moore & M.Busse)
Toll Free Recommendations? (Please) (VDonatelli@aol.com)
Re: Are They Following Me? (J.F. Mezei)
Re: CPP, ATM Surcharges (Fred Goldstein)
Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted (Leonard Erickson)
NPA-NXX Info for Canada, Carribbean (Leonard Erickson)
Directory Number Charge (John Schmerold)
FBI Brews Digital Storm, CDT Calls for Stronger Privacy Standards (Solomon)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Jean-Bernard Condat <condat@posteasy.org>
Subject: Digital Signatures For French Hybrid Mail Documents
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 13:59:20 +0200
The evolution of the WorldWideWeb has opened up new markets for all
aspects of business, including postal business. POSTEASY is the
lastest development in the Postal Hybrid Mail area. It incorporates to
a basic postal service, the last developments in web and postal
technologies. By this way, we can propose solutions well adapted to
the needs of each customer. Posibilities are larges, and the
advantages for the customers are numerous. On this market in
exponential growth, Posteasy is very well positioned, proposing a
complete offer, endowed to a total securisation system.
Beyond a Web-based Hybrid Mail, Posteasy offers to act as Trust Third
Part. Henceforth for fax, e-mail, letter transmission, you can call
on POSTEASY's services. Whatever the communication support is,
Posteasy proposes to sequester and to archivate for life by a usher,
in a secure system control, the content of its communication.
Constantly, the integrity of the documents is preserved, and its
juridical value irrefutable.
In order to ensure that Posteasy solutions meets all market requirements,
the project was divided in two phases :
Definition phase including market assessment, services and products
definition and prototyping.
Development phase including platform development, making of the first
customer' contacts, internal audit.
Different market assessments realised during the 12 last months, have
confirmed that a lucrative potential market exists for Posteasy
services. The second phase of the Web-based Hybrid Mail was then
initiated the first of march. A technology partner has begun to
develop a Web-based solution that will enable customer to send their
mail to Posteasy plateform in a high availability and a highly secure
system.
In this instance, Posteasy services allow many progressive
organisations to outsource much of their mail production in an attempt
to focus on their core business and reduce costs (for example, it has
been estimated that the real cost of an acknowledging letter in a
French company was 222,00 FF...), making them less dependent on
in-house logistics and acquisition of the latest production
equipment. Moreover, by offering a reduced mailing time, this solution
of outsourcing, doubled with a high certification level of the
transmitted documents, ensures that Posteasy becomes a true
alternative. In fact, it seems that the day where the national Postal
Operator was the only way to send mail have gone.
Posteasy SA
42 bd Sebastopol, 75003 Paris, France
Phone: +33144599459, fax: +33144593555, condat@posteasy.org, +33607238628
------------------------------
From: Riklef Flor <rik.flor@abbott.com>
Subject: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 07:35:56 -0500
I have another simple, free way of stopping telemarketers that I
haven't seen mentioned before.
It's a variation of the "Not Saying Hello" method.
When I answer the phone and say "Hello" ... if I don't hear an
immediate response, I hang up. Invariably, it turns out to be a
predictive dialer hunting for an open line.
I've only been "wrong" once ... and that was my wife, who uses the same trick.
Interestingly enough, this caused my telemarketing calls to drop
... more so than saying "put me on your do not call list". Anyone
know if this technique gets me off lists because it's an "invalid
phone number"?
Rik
------------------------------
From: Ryan Shook <rjshook@uwaterloo.ca>
Subject: Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 01:57:37 -0400
Organization: University of Waterloo
On Sun, 9 Apr 2000, JF Mezei wrote:
> Monty Solomon wrote:
>> Monitoring of Office E-Mail Is Increasing
>> http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/04/biztech/articles/05mail.html
> In that article (and a few others I have read on the subject) there is
> mention of employees "spending hours" on a web site.
> Just how do they monitor how much time an employee spends on a web
> site ? I find it very hard to grasp how one can capture accounting
> information on how much time is spent on a web site (from a client
> point of view, not the web site server).
I'm speculating a little here, put if a proxy/firewall is used by the
company, which is almost always the case. It probably is not difficult
for the proxy to log the client making a request with date/time stamp
and the destination of the request.
Now examine the logs from the proxy. Sort by user (internal computer
name or IP address) and then sort by time. From here it should be easy
to recognize a flurry of activity in a short time period. If this
short time period is really an extended time period and the sites
logged are not work related then it sounds like you have found who is
doing excessive non-company related surfing.
The magic is all in the logging of the proxy. It wouldn't be hard to
write a Perl script to search through the log, sort by client, then by
time and do some sort of histogram. you could also print out a list of
"highest hit" websites and see what jumps out. The trick is that a
proxy forces all traffic through a single point. It is then easy to
log such traffic. The proxy by nature keeps track of who requested
what; it isn't hard to log that to file.
Ryan
------------------------------
From: J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca>
Subject: Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 11:51:23 -0400
Daniel Seagraves wrote:
> Do you go through a proxy? If you do, ANYTHING you do can (and probably
> is!) being logged.
Wouldn't the proxy only log HTTP requests ? (and responses). If I
download a very large/long page (one HTTP transaction), and spend eight
hours reading it, how will the employer know I was "logged in" to that
site for eight hours?
If I send one http request to www.sextoys.com at 14:00, spend a minute reading
it, then return to my real work in a word processor/spreadsheet, and at 14:30,
I take a break and switch to netscape and click on one of the buttons on the
www.sextoys.com page that is still there, (thus generating another HTTP
request), will the employer then assume I was "logged in" to that site for the
full half hour? (even though I was doing real work).
------------------------------
From: Barry Margolin <barmar@genuity.net>
Subject: Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail
Organization: GTE Internetworking, Cambridge, MA
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 18:57:10 GMT
In article <telecom20.59.2@telecom-digest.org>,
JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca> wrote:
> In that article (and a few others I have read on the subject) there is
> mention of employees "spending hours" on a web site.
> Just how do they monitor how much time an employee spends on a web
> site? I find it very hard to grasp how one can capture accounting
> information on how much time is spent on a web site (from a client
> point of view, not the web site server).
> What happens if I point the browser to www.sextoys.com giggle for 30
> without stopping Netscape? Does this mean that I am still "logged in"
> to that www.sextoys.com from the employer's point of view?
A user who is spending time on a particular web site is probably
clicking links every few seconds. A URL followed by idle time isn't a
problem. A person spending time on a web site will show up in the log
as someone sending lots of URLs for different pages at the same site
in a period of time.
Barry Margolin, barmar@genuity.net
Genuity, Burlington, MA
*** DON'T SEND TECHNICAL QUESTIONS DIRECTLY TO ME, post them to newsgroups.
Please DON'T copy followups to me -- I'll assume it wasn't posted to the group.
------------------------------
From: mariettageorgia@aol.comxspam (Marietta Georgia)
Date: 10 Apr 2000 18:14:17 GMT
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com
Subject: Caller ID 000-000-0000??
Hello,
I *think* I saw this question answered here once before but I'm not
sure.
Does anyone know what calls that show up as Out-Of-Area 000-000-0000
are?
This number comes through on a system that has BellSouth's Privacy
Director which is supposed to reject out-of-area calls.
Thanks.
------------------------------
From: John McCreedy <onepass@bellsouth.net>
Subject: Help Me Out Please
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 15:41:09 -0400
I 'm looking for info on new phone systems and came across:
http://tellearn.com
Great resource. Does anyone know anything about this site?
Thank you,
John
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 10:41:00 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@ARL.MIL>
Subject: Wierd Call
I was going to write about people forgetting to put 1 in front of
area code 847, but I see your message refers to a call FROM 847-xxxx.
If people are wardialling, then what is your telephone number similar
to?
I just called 773-847-8495 myself, and there was an unintelligible bit
of speech before the "thank you", suggesting that I joined a recording
in progress and had gotten an ending fragment of a word.
----- Forwarded message # 1:
From: mbusse@midway.uchicago.edu
Subject: Wierd Call
Organization: Com Ed Bites like a Great White Shark
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 19:22:01 GMT
I tend to get a lot of random calls where people just hang up when
one answers. (Most of which, I assume, are people wardialling, or
something similar.)
The other day, I actually decided to call one of them back. The
number was (773) 847-8495. When you call it, it rings for a while,
then a recorded voice says "Thank you."
Does anyone have any idea what the heck this might be?
"My guess might be excellent or it might be crummy, but Mrs. Spade
didn't raise any children dippy enough to make guesses in front of a district
attorney, and an assistant district attorney, and a stenographer."-Sam Spade
----- End of forwarded messages
------------------------------
From: VDonatelli@aol.com
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 14:12:32 EDT
Subject: Toll Free Recommendations? (Please)
Could anyone please tell me of a good IXC company (and contact name?)
for setting up a toll free "shared usage" program? I am planning to
use only NPA routing, nothing fancy. There would need to be
re-billing capabilities, direct access to change routing tables, no
fee per each terminating location, and decent pricing. Above all
else, reliability and trustworthiness are paramount.
The big guys have the capabilities, but I have had no luck trying to
find anyone within those organizations that have any knowledge about
setting up a shared usage program, or that could give a damn about
getting my business without some sort of huge volume commitment.
Secondly, does anyone know about, or have experience with, any of the
companies that have set themselves out as being in business to
co-market vanity numbers? It seems that assigning resporg status to
an unknown entity could be a very risky thing to do. Or am I being
paranoid?
I look forward and appreciate your responses. Many thanks in advance!
V. Donatelli
Vdonatelli@aol.com
------------------------------
From: J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca>
Subject: Re: Are They Following Me?
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 12:10:29 -0400
Clarence Dold wrote:
> S.R.C="http://track.homestead.com/~site/Scripts_Track/track.dll
?H_H=2912551
&H_P=1
&H_A=3333418
&E=51
&E=467
&E=33
&E=8"
> What this might say to me is that I have just loaded a dll from their site,
> called "track". Might this track, or do whatever a dll might do, until I
> leave my browser, or reboot?
No. What that does is send a request to track.homestead.com. The web
server there would be configured to execute track.dll inside the web
server instread of sending it to you. Track.dll would be expected to
communicate with the web server, read the HTTP headers that came from
you (inclding the parameters) and then respond by sending some HTML
through the web server to the web client (you).
Based on what you said, I would assume that the track.dll would do two things:
-log to file the fact that you clicked on that button, image.
-lookup the real URL based on the numeric parameters suplied,
-and generate a "redirect" response back to your web browser.
upon receiving that redirect, your browser would send a
request to the URL that was supplied in the redirect.
Note that web sites do not download "executables" to your machine to
run as part of the browser continuously. For on thing, there are
plenty of platforms accessing those pages. That dll wouldn't work on a
MAC, SUN, VAX, ALPHA etc. The few "programs" that are downloaded onto
your web browser are plug-ins such as Flash or Quicktime and JAVA
applets. These tend to stop/disapear when you switch to another URL.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 08:48:50 -0400
From: Fred Goldstein <fgoldstein@wn.net>
Subject: Re: CPP, ATM Surcharges
Various Europeans have been taking me to task for my descriptions of
how calling-party-pays cellular works here in the US of A. Craig
McBride, for instance, says,
fg>> CPP operates rather like a collect call. The rate is NOT set by the
>> caller's carrier, but by the called carrier.
fg> That's what some people have proposed (or possibly implemented) in
> the, but it makes no sense. CPP is _not_ a reverse-charges (collect)
> call. It is a standard call, in which the standard practice of caller
> pays applies ...
> And you seem to be "supporting" a hare-brained version of CPP in order
> to support this stance. This is pointless since _ANY_ scheme looks
> good against your version of CPP.
I would like to see ONE SCINTILLA of evidence that there is ANY
serious consideration by the FCC of a CPP scheme that is NOT based on
the "collect" model. ABSOLUTELY NOBODY in the USA with any influence
(carriers, regulators) is pushing a European-style "settlements"
system. It's collect or nothing.
Yes, it's hare-brained, and no, it won't catch on if it is imposed,
and yes, it is incredibly rife for fraud since there is NO separate
numbering space proposed for these services (they *might* get separate
prefix codes, randomly assigned available NPA-NXX combinations).
This ain't Europe.
------------------------------
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 05:14:24 PST
Organization: Shadownet
Carl Knoblock <cknoblo@home.com> writes:
> Administrator wrote:
>> Do you happen to have a working database for the area codes in
>> relation to their zip codes? One in Access or CGI scripting (or any
>> other format for that matter) would be great.
> Since Area codes and Zip codes serve totally unrelated purposes, the
> only thing they have in common is geography. And except at stateN
> and major rivers, they rarely share the same border lines. So thee
> only thing they have in common is geography. And except at state
> lines would be a small but growing subset of Zip codes that would appear in
> two or more Numbering Plan Areas (The proper name for Area Codes.)
Also, the Post Office *moves* Zipcodes at times. There was a Zip code
that used to refer to an area that is now a suburb of Portland OR that
now refers to pretty empty chunk of territory halfway between Portland
and the Pacific Ocean.
We found this out when trying to straighten out some stuff involving
one of the local branches of a non-profit educational group. The
national organization determines "boundaries" between branches based on
zip codes. And the list of zips they had for the local branches were
pretty messed up.
For one thing, they'd fallen into the trap of "All 972 codes are
Portland". Nope. Codes aren't assigned that way.
Personally, from examining a zip code map, and comparing it with other
maps, I'd not want to try assuming *any* sort of correlation between
zip codes and areacodes. The boundaries for both are just *too* weird.
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
shadow@krypton.rain.com <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com <--last resort
------------------------------
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: NPA-NXX Info for Canada, Carribbean
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 05:33:13 PST
Organization: Shadownet
www.nanpa.com has files with the NPA-NXX assignments for the US. But
not for the rest of the NANPA. This makes very little sense, but that's
the way it is.
Is there a web site where I can download the equivalent of the xxUTLZD
and xxAVAIL files for the non-US parts of the NANPA?
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
shadow@krypton.rain.com <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com <--last resort
------------------------------
From: John Schmerold <john@katy.com>
Subject: Directory Number Charge
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 08:25:46 -0500
As you may remember, I am a proponent of a directory number charge -
$5 ought to do it, that would help eliminate the problems we face with
phone number shortages. Had lunch with a SWB veteran last week.
Learned the issue is barrier to entry.
If that's why we can't implement common sense solutions to an issue I
consider to be a nuisance at a minimum and a major safety issue (my
kids had a hard time reaching us due to the area code change) on the
outside, then let's go back to good ole Ma Bell.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 09:57:09 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: FBI Brews Digital Storm, CDT Calls for Stronger Privacy Standards
Excerpt from http://www.cdt.org/
FBI Brews Digital Storm, CDT Calls for Stronger Privacy Standards - In
testimony to a House Judiciary subcommittee, CDT staff counsel Jim
Dempsey calls for stronger privacy rules for government access to
communications and stored data. Law enforcement agencies currently have
access to a growing volume of digital information, often under minimal
standards, so much information that the FBI is developing a new
generation of analytic tools, known as Digital Storm, to sift and link
data from disparate sources. April 6, 2000
- CDT testimony: "The Fourth Amendment and the Internet", April 6, 2000
http://www.cdt.org/testimony/000406dempsey.shtml
- CDT presentation on Digital Storm
http://www.cdt.org/privacy/govaccess/
- Washington Post article 'Digital Storm' Brews at FBI
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20426-2000Apr5.html
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #60
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Apr 11 11:38:50 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id LAA04121;
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Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 11:38:50 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004111538.LAA04121@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #61
TELECOM Digest Tue, 11 Apr 2000 11:38:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 61
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
4/10 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Need Advice for Interop 2000 (Dr. J.D. Reilly)
Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail (Paul Wallich)
Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail (Danny Burstein)
Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail (Ryan Shook)
Microwave Towers (Daryl Gibson)
Re: CPP, ATM Surcharges (M. Verdier)
Digital Answering Machine With Quality Sound (Bob)
Re: Verizontal Marks End of 'Name That Domain' Contest (Jay Grimaldi)
Revenge On The Telemarketers (Monty Solomon)
Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (Greg Paksi)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated
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*************************************************************************
* TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from *
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* 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. *
* http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com *
* Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing *
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*************************************************************************
ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased.
Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription.
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site
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Copyright 2000 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert
has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and
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telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has
been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very
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a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
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Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing
your name to the mailing list.
All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages
should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 4/10 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 22:57:25 -0400
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
SPOTLIGHT:
ICANN controls something called the "A" root server, which gives ultimate
control of the Net. In a world where everything - all transactions, all
services, all information - is being migrated to the Net, that is power
indeed. (F)
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1416
Your brand name is your 800 number, your address, your marketing
call to action...' (F)
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1421
*************************************************************************
ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution: currently,
-- SMS/800 system performance problems
-- delayed rollout of 866 and 855;
-- ICANN plans for Famous Marks and new Top Level Domains;
-- flaws in the Domain Dispute System.
see http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm.
*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR APRIL 10, 2000
F - CYBERHQ: THE ULTIMATE CONTROL
ICANN can determine who does and does not exist in cyberspace. Apart
from its control of "top level" names, ICANN also controls something
called the "A" root server, which gives ultimate control of the Net.
In a world where everything - all transactions, all services, all
information - is being migrated to the Net, that is power indeed.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1416
F - TELLME [WHAT THE NET SAYS TODAY] ...
The latest Internet-surfing device has been around for about 125 years:
the telephone.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1418
P - TOLLFREE TAKES ON A WHOLE NEW [MEDIA]RING
To introduce the service, MediaRing.com has partnered with leading
communication companies, including ITXC.net, GTE, China Netcom
Corporation ("CNC"), and CE-Infocom Network Technology ("CNT") to
offer free calls to and within the United States, Canada and China.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1420
F - .CO.KR DOMAIN NAME SELLS FOR $100,000
The purchase price of $100,000, is amazing considering that most local
travel agencies are in the red, industry sources noted.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1424
F - YOUR NEW NAME BUDDY ...
NameBuddy will provide users with keyword oriented domain name
generation, which will be based on selected keywords and/or ancillary
data, such as industry type or company name. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1426
*************************************************************************
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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 <<<<<<<<<<<<<
*************************************************************************
F - I-OPENER CHANGES POLICY, ANGERS CUSTOMERS
After realizing that the $99 devices can be easily hacked and turned
into low-cost PCs, the company is retroactively changing the terms of
sales. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1417
F - US WEST BACKLOGGED MONTHS IN RESIDENTIAL SERVICE
The company may have underestimated the regions growth, but says that
deregulation is also to blame -- US West could have installed extra
capacity but in a competitive marketplace "there was no guarantee" the
company could recover the investment.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1419
F - IN A DOT COM WORLD, RECOGNITION IS EVERYTHING
Your brand name is your 800 number, your address, your marketing
call to action, and if consumers can't remember how to spell it, or
the name is too generic, it's going to make a huge difference,
said Jake Winebaum, a former Disney Co. executive and co-founder of
eCompanies, the Santa Monica-based e-commerce incubator firm that in
November agreed to pay $7.5 million in stock and cash to a Texas
entrepreneur for the business.com domain name.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1421
F - ADDICTION, OR ANNUITY?
How much is a dot-com name worth? "The only way to find its true market
value is to float it, like any other commodity," said John Whalen, a
chief operating officer at Afternic. "The New York Stock Exchange is
an exchange for securities; well, we're an exchange for domain names."
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1423
F - AT&T DODGES FCC REQUEST FOR SUBSCRIBER COUNT
AT&T, which will be the largest cable company after its $62.4 billion
purchase of MediaOne Group, refused a request for additional information
on the number of customers it will serve, a Federal Communications
Commission official said.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1425
P - METATAG TM INFRINGEMENT ...
A Canadian maker of heating equipment is facing a trademark infringement
action in New York stemming from the use of a competitor's trademarks
in the company's metatags.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1427
**************************************************advertisements*********
Haven't time to search? Get targeted telecom news every week from the
source. Put 'subscribe Pipe' in the subject line and reply to:
telecom_e_clips@hotmail.com.
*************************************************************************
Do a friend a favor - suggest ICB ...
Click Here to Recommend-It(r) http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=118920
*************************************************************************
That's a Great Name for a Web Site!
Get instant Internet brand recognition for your company by securing
a premier domain name. Now is the time, as the most sought after
web addresses are auctioned to the highest bidder. Coming to auction:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> eTOLLFREE.com & iTOLLFREE.com <<<<<<<<<<<<<<
For more information call Monte Cahn at 954-782-5426,
or click http://www.hitdomains.com/financial-showcase.html.
*************************************************************************
Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html
*************************************************************************
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
------------------------------
Reply-To: Dr. J.D. Reilly <reillyassoc@home.com>
From: Dr. J.D. Reilly <reillyassoc@home.com>
Subject: Need Advice for Interop 2000
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 19:49:34 -0400
Organization: Reilly Associates
Patrick,
I'm not in the business of spamming newsgroups. We had a huge space
for the Vegas Interop and will not be able to attend. The thing has
been sold out for months, and we are trying to find companies that
were wait-listed or shut out, so that we can try to sell our space.
ANY advice you have is greatly, greatly appreciated.
Here's the thing I posted on a few discussion groups:
Hey all,
Networld + Interop 2000 has been sold out for some months.
However, due to scheduling problems we (Fernlink 2000 Ltd) are unable to
take advantage of the space we have reserved at N + I Las Vegas.
Location:
North Hall 2/3
Aisle 1800, Booth #1845 (Upper Half)
Dimensions:
400 sq ft of prime location
Parcel Options:
400 sq ft x 1
200 sq ft x 2
200 sq ft x 1 and 100 sq ft x 2
100 sq ft x 4
Price:
$58.95 per square foot
Here is your opportunity to participate in the most important networking
event this year. Enjoy targeted exposure to your networking, internet and
telecommunications customers.
All this and Elvis, too!
Please contact Joe Reilly of Reilly Associates, the US representative of
Fernlink 2000 Ltd.
Contact:
reillyassoc@home.com
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I will print your announcement here in
he Digest, and hope you have some luck as a result. I assume
interested parties will contact you directly. PAT]
------------------------------
From: pw@panix.com (Paul Wallich)
Subject: Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 21:34:59 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC
In article <telecom20.60.4@telecom-digest.org>, J.F. Mezei
<jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca> wrote:
> Daniel Seagraves wrote:
>> Do you go through a proxy? If you do, ANYTHING you do can (and probably
>> is!) being logged.
> Wouldn't the proxy only log HTTP requests ? (and responses). If I
> download a very large/long page (one HTTP transaction), and spend eight
> hours reading it, how will the employer know I was "logged in" to that
> site for eight hours?
> If I send one http request to www.sextoys.com at 14:00, spend a
> minute reading it minute reading it, then return to my real work in a word
> processor/spreadsheet, and at 14:30, I take a break and switch to
> netscape and click on one of the buttons on the www.sextoys.com page
> that is still there, (thus generating another HTTP request), will the
> employer then assume I was "logged in" to that site for the full half
> hour? (even though I was doing real work).
Just to be a little more geeky about it, if the page has any of a
number of elements that can contain a refresh tag, unless the proxy
does something to block it, it could be generating activity at set
intervals indefinitely with no user intervention. For example, I keep
an AP newswire page open most days; it updates automatically every ten
minutes even though I may glance at it only once every few hours.
If you thought really long and carefully about the problem, you could
probably develop analysis tools and models that would give you an
accurate picture of when people were spending time on a page rather
than just having it open. But most people who think that monitoring
employees' web habits -- rather than just keeping track of how well
they perform -- is a good idea aren't the kind to think either long or
carefully.
paul
------------------------------
From: dannyb@panix.com (Danny Burstein)
Subject: Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail
Date: 10 Apr 2000 21:52:19 -0400
Organization: "mostly unorganized"
In <telecom20.60.5@telecom-digest.org> Barry Margolin
<barmar@genuity.net> writes:
>> Just how do they monitor how much time an employee spends on a web
>> site? I find it very hard to grasp how one can capture accounting
>> information on how much time is spent on a web site (from a client
>> point of view, not the web site server).
One technique used is for the monitoring software to grab a "snapshot"
of your screen every umptity umptity. This would show all the open
windows, their sizes, etc., giving a pretty good clue as to what
you're doing.
The overseer could set this up to take a frame every 30 seconds
... thus keeping track of lots and lots of stuff. A ridiculous amount
of money, in fact, recently went towards purchasing a softwarehouse
whose primary product was one of these programs. Sigh.
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
------------------------------
From: Ryan Shook <rjshook@uwaterloo.ca>
Subject: Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 20:02:26 -0400
Organization: University of Waterloo
On Mon, 10 Apr 2000, J.F. Mezei wrote:
> Daniel Seagraves wrote:
> Wouldn't the proxy only log HTTP requests ? (and responses). If I
> download a very large/long page (one HTTP transaction), and spend eight
> hours reading it, how will the employer know I was "logged in" to that
> site for eight hours?
By the nature of how http works, the concept of "logged in" is
actually quite uncommon. By default http doesn't have any concept of
state. You make and break connections very frequently. State is only
achieved through the use of cookies.
It's not just http that proxies can track. Depending on your network
configuration, the proxy machine handles *all* communication to the
internet. That means that this one computer takes traffic in on one
network card and sends it out on another. In the mean time the proxy
can do whatever it wants with the data. Especially logging it. You can
usually determine the type of traffic by the ports that the
connections are being made to and made from.
> If I send a http request to www.sextoys.com at 14:00, spend a minute reading
> it then return to my real work in a word processor/spreadsheet, and at 14:30,
> I take a break and switch to netscape and click on one of the buttons on the
> www.sextoys.com page that is still there, (thus generating another HTTP
> request), will the employer then assume I was logged in to that site for the
> full half hour? (even though I was doing real work).
I would hope that anybody implementing logging and examining logs would
realize that the "useful" life of a web retrieval is around two minutes.
As someone else pointed out, you look for a flurry of activity in a short
period of time. Not a connection every half hour.
Ryan
------------------------------
From: Daryl Gibson <drg@bluediamond.byu.edu>
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 23:05:35 -0600
Subject: Microwave Towers
A few months ago (right before your stroke, Pat) I submitted a note
about a Microwave tower with its beacon out. Since that time, I've
gotten some interest in Microwave towers. It's a transient interest.
It's always been there, but never been too strong ... but the reason
it's surfaced right now is the divestiture of AT&T Microwave network.
Many of you know that AT&T has been replacing the old Microwave
shots with fiberoptic. Now, they've sold the remaining towers to
American Tower, which will be remodeling a lot of them into PCS
and Cell sites. This brings a colorful chapter of the Bell System to
a close. These sites were built to withstand anything, and they
withstood everything but the increasing demand for bandwidth. My
brother-in-law tells of working on a crew that installed the power for
several sites outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. He was an electrician,
but this job found him using a jackhammer, drilling into the solid
rock in order to put in massive pure copper grounds. The foot-thick
concrete walls were filled with copper, to protect against the EMP
that a nuclear blast would provide. Manned towers sometimes
included a shower to wash off fallout. An Autovon building near
Delta, Utah, even included a sprinkler system to wash fallout off the
whole building. Many towers included antennas to communicate
with Air Force One.
A few months ago, an AT&T radio tech who will remain nameless gave me
a tour of one of the remaining towers. "It's not like it used to be,"
he said. "In its heyday, this was something." One massive Caterpiller
generator remained where three had been. Dials from the generators
stopped at 3000 amps. Frames had been torn out, and the circuits
remaining were all solid state. A map on the wall showed where the
paths had gone. One by one, the towers had been decommissioned and
removed from the path map, although the towers themselves remain. An
engraved sign on the wall proudly welcomed all comers to the tower; a
large sign extolled the virtues of communication, and Long Lines' part
in it. I suspect that tower will soon be totally gutted, if it hasn't
been already. The fact that it sits on a fiber route might keep it
functioning as a fiber regeneration station. I gather from reading
American Tower's SEC filings that not all of the site buildings are
being sold along with the towers.
I guess it's true that if you get rid of something, some person will
become nostalgic about "the good old days." I wouldn't give up my
fiber for anything, but I thought TD readers might like to briefly
remember the Long Lines Microwave days, before they are gone for
good. The few sites I have photographed are reached via the URL:
http://www.stillyoung.com/towers.html
In many cases, these towers were impressive pieces of engineering,
more than just a communications tower. In any case, these towers were
built to stitch together the telephone patchwork of a nation, and they
served us well. They have done so for 40 years.
Thanks,
Daryl
"As you ramble through life, brother, no matter what your goal,
keep your eye upon the doughnut, and not upon the hole"
--Dr. Murray Banks, quoting a menu
------------------------------
From: M. Verdier <mverdierNOmvSPAM@atos-group.com.invalid>
Subject: Re: CPP, ATM Surcharges
Organization: http://www.remarq.com: The World's Usenet/Discussions Start Here
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 01:49:40 -0700
While ATM cell stream is presented to the SDH layer as an octet stream
by an adaptation function that insert idle cells in the case of
offered rate is not sufficient to fully load SDH channel.
A special label value VPI=0 CVI=0 TPI=0 and CLP=0. Question is how to
avoid a malicious user to compromise the net by inserting particular
sequences in the information field.
On the other hand how a new class of access drive the core network
architecture... Tkss.
------------------------------
From: Bob <uctraing@ultranet.com>
Subject: Digital Ans. Machine w/quality sound
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 18:07:34 -0400
Organization: Shore.Net/Eco Software, Inc; (info@shore.net)
Is there any Digital Answering "machine" out there with
quality sound for the greeting and message?
I need a single and also perhaps another dual line machine for a SOHO
environment. I've tried several machines and either the sound quality
of the greeting is poor and/or the quality of the message recording is
poor. I don't mind paying a little more so long as I can get quality
sound. I have a couple of AT&T dual line machines that originally
sounded good but have lost most of their quality over the year or two
I've owned them I could use a single, dual, or single/dual with a
built in phone ... or maybe even one four line system. However the
businesses are very small and I need a reasonable price (not cheap,
but reasonable).
Any specific recommendation for machines with quality sound?
Thanks,
Bob
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 16:07:56 -0500
From: Jay Grimaldi <jay.grimaldi@wcom.com>
Subject: Re: Verixontal Marks End of 'Name That Domain' Contest
That address is, indeed, the address for Arnold & Porter, a law firm. Don't
know if they are BA's, but what a coincidence.
Jay
From: tbetz@panix.com (Tom Betz)
> Quoth jay@west.net (Jay Hennigan) in <telecom20.58.6@telecom-digest.org>:
>> Registrant:
>> WILSON, CHRIS (VERIZONSUCKS-DOM)
>> 555 12ST NW
>> D.C, WA 20004
>> US
>> Domain Name: VERIZONSUCKS.COM
> You'll probably find that Chris Wilson is a lawyer for Bell
> Atlantic/GTE/Verizon.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 21:19:41 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Revenge On The Telemarketers
Heard about this on "Marketplace" today
< http://www.marketplace.org/archives/rundown/2000/04.10.html >
Revenge On The Telemarketers
Host David Brancaccio talks to Tom Mabe, jingle writer and seeker of
revenge on telemarketers in the form of a new CD. For more information
on Tom Mabe check out his website at http://www.4revenge.com/ .
http://www.4revenge.com/album.html
http://www.4revenge.com/forSale.html
------------------------------
From: Greg.Paksi@juge.com (Greg Paksi)
Subject: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Date: 11 Apr 2000 02:48:18 GMT
Organization: COMM Port OS/2 VMBBS 204.89.247.1
-=> rik.flor@abbott.com wrote to All <=-
-=> about Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers on 10 Apr 00 07:35:56 <=-
Try Advanced Call Center. It's free. With a little imagination it
will do what you want.
-greg
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #61
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Apr 11 15:58:46 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id PAA15469;
Tue, 11 Apr 2000 15:58:46 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 15:58:46 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004111958.PAA15469@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #62
TELECOM Digest Tue, 11 Apr 2000 15:58:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 62
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
A Hundred Years of Radio (Donald Kimberlin)
Re: Wierd Call (Andy Berry)
Re: Protecting Ourselves ... Dialing Plan Configuration (R. Hardin)
Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted (L. Winson)
Re: Digital Signatures For French Hybrid Mail Documents (Paul Wallich)
Re: Toll Free Recommendations? (Please) (Judith Oppenheimer)
Digital Answering Machine With Quality Sound (Bob)
Digest Number 1 (tollfree-l@egroups.com)
Looking For an Old Teletype (Bob Rankin)
Yacking Yourself to Death? (Mike Pollock)
Spamming Moves to Cell Phones (The Old Bear)
Some Countries Seek Keys to Digital Code-Scramblers (Monty Solomon)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 13:16:29 EDT
Subject: A Hundred Years of Radio
From: Donald E. Kimberlin
(Republished here with permission from the Editor of NARTE News. For
further republication permissions, contact narte@narte.org)
Jurassic Communications - Part II
The Global Influences Leading Up To Marconi's "Lucky 7's" Patent
By: Donald E. Kimberlin (As published in NARTE News, Volume 17 Number 3,
October, 1999)
This is the second of an ongoing series under the generic title of
"Jurassic Telecommunications." In its various articles, one can see
that the modes of electronic communications so taken for granted today
are really largely late Victorian technologies first realized in an
era before electronics; one in which there was no amplification, no
frequency conversion and only battery power. Considering that, it's
really amazing that the pioneers accomplished what they did.
Most technologies begin as a method in search of a problem, and
communication by radio is no exception. For most of the half-century
following successful use and expansion of the electric telegraph, a
number of experimenters added contributions to radio. Some even seem
to have had useful radio in their grasp, only to let it lie fallow.
It finally all came together in April 1900 with 26-year-old Guglielmo
Marconi's British patent 7777.
Up to that time, American dentist Mahlon Loomis had demonstrated in
1865 that an electrical disturbance could be caused in a kite-flown
"aerial wire" by opening and closing the circuit of another kite-flown
"aerial wire" at a distance of 18 miles between mountain tops in
Virginia. He even obtained a U.S. patent (issued in 1872) indicating
it might be used for "telegraphy," but never obtained funding to back
further development, in all likelihood because the then-powerful
Western Union Telegraph Company had a number of other, nearer-term
technological fish to fry, not the least of were both transcontinental
and transatlantic telegraph businesses in addition to a burgeoning
domestic telegraph network. Loomis died a broken and bitter man.
Karl Braun in Germany discovered "one-way conduction" in metal
sulfide crystals in 1874, but the applicability of this phenomenon to
detecting radio signals was not to be thought of for several decades
in the future.
Based on taking up a prize challenge in 1879, German physicist
Heinrich Hertz demonstrated in 1887 and 1888 transmission of
electromagnetic waves indoors across university lecture halls, showing
students that invisible waves that propagated much like light did
indeed exist. Since Hertz' laboratory demonstration devices consisted
simply of spark gaps in metallic rings resonant at around 150 MHz,
with no amplification, he could show and announced the contention that
whatever was being transmitted, it had no commercial potential.
Although a young man, Hertz unfortunately died at age 36, just before
he might have seen others adding to his work and leading toward
everyday uses.
Edouard Branly in France started work to study nerve conduction in
1885. His need for a sensitive electrical detector resulted in the
Branly Coherer, a tube of loosely packed metal filings that would
clump together when a weak current flowed through it. The coherer,
adopted and modified by others became radio's first practical signal
detector.
William Crookes suggested in 1892 that electromagnetic waves might be
used for wireless telegraphy, even though this was five years before
J.J. Thompson would announce the existence of electrons. At the time,
no one was interested.
Oliver Lodge, an English professor at University College, Liverpool,
independently achieved results similar to Hertz, publishing just a
month after Hertz (which means we might have called radio waves
"Lodgian waves") By 1894, Lodge was demonstrating transmission of
electromagnetic waves through walls in London and later at Oxford
University. Lodge added an important function to the Branly coherer:
A mechanical "tikker" that randomized the filings in the coherer after
each detection event.
Ambrose Fleming, later to become a close associate of Marconi, was in
the audience and later wrote he had seen Lodge transmit alphabetic
characters using the Morse telegraphic code; letters that formed
intelligible messages. (The actual message content, regrettably, seems
to have been lost.) Also, Lodge, in connection with related interests
he had concerning the nature of lightning, had already defined basic
properties of electromagnetic waves, showing that the period of a wave
in a resonant circuit was equal to 2 pi LC. Lodge at the time stayed
close to his profession of Professor of Experimental Physics, and thus
had no interest in further developing his nascent "wireless
telegraph." Although he has developed the concept of tuning a
circuit, using the musical term "syntony," Lodge does not begin to
exploit his discoveries until 1901, after Marconi has begun to use the
concepts in practical wireless telegraphy.
In the face of all this, Marconi's first knowledge of electromagnetic
waves did not occur until 1894, when, as an unmatriculated protege of
Professor Righi at Bologna, he reads about Hertz' demonstrations.
Professor Righi was himself replicating and expanding on Hertz' work,
but with even smaller loops than Hertz; loops that suggest Righi's
waves had a frequency in the region of 3 gigaHertz, which would, of
course, result in an even shorter transmission range than Hertz had
shown.
Marconi, well-to-do son of a Bologna merchant family, built his own
experiments on the family estate and by 1895, succeeded in signaling
over a distance of about 2 kilometers. Most exciting to him was that
the signals traveled over a hilltop, between a transmitter and
receiver that were out of sight of each other. At the time, and for
some years later, many still contended that electromagnetic waves
behaved exactly like light, implying a range no farther than line of
sight. Marconi had to repeatedly demonstrate transmission beyond the
optical horizon to a skeptical world.
In Russia, Alexander Popov worked at improving the Branly coherer by
selecting the material and size of filings, adding his own "tikker."
Popov demonstrated detection of electromagnetic waves generated by
lightning as much as 30 kilometers distant when connected to a
lightning rod that was, of course, an antenna for the coherer. An
academic like Lodge, even though he wrote that his apparatus might be
used for signaling, Popov never developed the notion of sending
messages to a complete fruition.
By 1896, receiving no interest from the Italian government in his
work, Marconi took his apparatus to England, where he could count on
influence and land owned by relatives based on his family's connection
to the Irish Jameson Whisky family. On his arrival in England,
frightened customs inspectors smashed his machinery, fearing it to be
part of an Italian anarchist plot. Fortunately, it is simple enough
that it can be rebuilt without difficulty.
Also in 1896, Nikola Tesla of Serbia, whose primary interest was
electrical power transmission rather than communications, had
developed a rotary arc transmitter and the notion of a vertical
"aerial wire" as parts of a proposition to transmit electric power
without wires. Although incomplete of Tesla's contribution at the
moment, Marconi applied for British patents covering "wireless
telegraphy," showing a clear purpose to transmit information by
electromagnetic waves as the end purpose of his invention.
By 1897, starting a barrage of experimentation and development that
was to characterize the personality of both Marconi and his companies,
Marconi demonstrated a range of first 7-1/2, then 14 kilometers.
Based on that success, he founded his first English company, The
Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company, Limited. Returning to Italy in
the latter half of 1897, he demonstrated wireless telegraphy with
ships 18 kilometers offshore and over the horizon. At the end of 1897,
he was back in England showing that a station on the Isle of Wight
could communicate with ships as much as 30 kilometers distant, By
1898, he opened a commercial wireless telegraph service to Rathlin
O'Birne Lighthouse Island near the entrance to Donegal Bay in
northwestern Ireland.
On March 27, 1899, Marconi joined England to Europe with wireless
telegraphy between his shore station at South Foreland Light and a
station he built at Wimereux, 50 kilometers across the Channel. He
was nearly in a position to compete with submarine telegraph cables
across the Dover Strait that had been operating since 1851. The
notion of competing with telegraph companies was obvious.
By the summer of 1899, Marconi had finally waited out and overridden
political obstacles in the Royal Navy and was invited to place his
wireless on three naval ships during maneuvers. The range to his
shore station ran as far as 160 kilometers, while ships could signal
each other as far as 110 kilometers and occasionally as far as 136
kilometers. By this point, interference was becoming intolerable with
no real tuning or band-limiting of emissions. Marconi had to get to
work on employing some "syntony," which Lodge had patented in 1897.
Marconi took "syntony" a step farther than Lodge, providing tuning at
both the spark transmitter and the coherer receiver as part of his
famous Patent 7777. This did not keep Lodge from later suing Marconi
in 1910 and settling for cash in 1911 over patent infringements.
However, in 1900, encouraged by his recent successes, Marconi told
the board of his newly formed Marconi International Marine
Communication Company" that he wanted to construct high-powered
wireless transmitters to span the Atlantic Ocean. The result, as we
all know, was the epochal transmission of the Morse letter "S" between
Poldhu Point near Mullion on England's Lizard Peninsula and Heart's
Content in Newfoundland on December 12, 1901. The details of that
accomplishment, and those of several later starting parallel
developers to Marconi, are stories for another time.
What did happen by April 1900 was that Marconi uniquely had combined
Professor Righi's transmitter, Branly's coherer, Tesla's elevated
antenna and Lodge's tuned circuits to realize what ultimately became
first wireless telegraphy, then speech, music, control tones and data
transmission by radio. And, it's doubtful anyone with less financial
resource, political influence and staying power than Marconi could
have accomplished the progress he had made by the turn of the century.
It's an appropriate time now to consider how far we have progressed in
the 100 years since Marconi got it all together in 1900.
Want to know more? Here are some websites with more detail on radio's
earliest years:
http://www.webcom.com/radioweb/educate/timeline.html
http://wwwkoi.ptti.ru/eng/forum/article1.html
http://home.luna.nl/~arjan-muil/radio/intune.html
http://www.hal-pc.org/~bvarc/jan1996.htm
http://www.engr.mun.ca/~gpeters/greats.html
------------------------------
From: Andy Berry <ab98@yifan.net>
Subject: Re: Wierd Call
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 17:21:51 -0500
Organization: Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
From: mbusse@midway.uchicago.edu
> The other day, I actually decided to call one of them back. The
> number was (773) 847-8495. When you call it, it rings for a while,
> then a recorded voice says "Thank you."
> Does anyone have any idea what the heck this might be?
It sound like the old Intellicall 3003 COCOTs I used to work with.
IIRC, the DTMF after the "Thank You" means it is a fairly old unit
with a FSK modem. I don't remember exactly, but it was said that some
other remote access devices use similar methods and tactics to avoid
unwanted access. In any event, it is some type of device that spends
most of its time dialing out, but needs to have someone dial-in at
least occasionally.
HTH,
Andy B.
------------------------------
From: rhardin@my-deja.com
Subject: Re: Protecting Ourselves ... Dialing Plan Configuration
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 22:32:55 GMT
Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
In article <telecom20.57.10@telecom-digest.org>, Jim Cheshire
<cheshire@gol.com> wrote:
> I have searched the FAQs but could not find a listing on this topic.
> We want to configure our dialing plan in our phone system to prevent
> outbound calls being placed to NANP numbers that generate expensive
> toll calling. For example, I have heard that some NANP numbers in the
> Carribean operate like 900 numbers. When someone calls that number,
> they are billed additional charges above and beyond the normal LD
> rates.
> Is there a list of NPA/NXX exchanges that should be configured as
> restricted dialing destinations? Where can I find this information?
> Thanks,
> Jim Cheshire
Call Accounting System vendors, particularly those who specialize in
hotels, such as Xeta Technologies (www.xeta.com -- 800-845-9145), try
to keep up to date lists of offending exchanges as well as 8YY numbers
that actually forward to 900 number, generating huge charges.
------------------------------
From: lwinson@bbs.cpcn.com (L.Winson)
Subject: Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted
Date: 10 Apr 2000 22:46:26 GMT
Organization: The PACSIBM SIG BBS
>> two or more Numbering Plan Areas (The proper name for Area Codes.)
When did this name change? In all published consumer literature I've
seen the term "Area Code" remains in use.
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: For *consumers* the term is 'area
codes'. For telco use, the term is 'Numbering Plan Areas' and has been
for many, many years. PAT]
------------------------------
From: pw@panix.com (Paul Wallich)
Subject: Re: Digital Signatures For French Hybrid Mail Documents
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 21:26:42 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC
In article <telecom20.60.1@telecom-digest.org>, Jean-Bernard Condat
<condat@posteasy.org> wrote:
> The evolution of the WorldWideWeb has opened up new markets for all
> aspects of business, including postal business. POSTEASY is the
> lastest development in the Postal Hybrid Mail area. It incorporates to
> a basic postal service, the last developments in web and postal
> technologies. By this way, we can propose solutions well adapted to
> the needs of each customer. Posibilities are larges, and the
> advantages for the customers are numerous. On this market in
> exponential growth, Posteasy is very well positioned, proposing a
> complete offer, endowed to a total securisation system.
> Beyond a Web-based Hybrid Mail, Posteasy offers to act as Trust Third
> Part. Henceforth for fax, e-mail, letter transmission, you can call
> on POSTEASY's services. Whatever the communication support is,
> Posteasy proposes to sequester and to archivate for life by a usher,
> in a secure system control, the content of its communication.
> Constantly, the integrity of the documents is preserved, and its
> juridical value irrefutable.
I wonder how many companies, especially given the current atmosphere
of commercial intelligence gathering, will be willing to have their
mail permanently stored by a third party, not to mention delivering it
to the third party via web. Assuming that governmental aversion to
anything that smacks of crypography can be overcome, wouldn't it be
much better to use a system that simply archives message hashes? Given
the proper software verification, you should have the same evidentiary
value with much less risk.
paul
------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer" <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: RE: TELECOM Digest V20 #60 Toll Free Recommendations? (Please)
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 22:57:36 -0400
V. -
Re shared-use - call me.
Re co-marketing vanity numbers, what exactly do you mean?
Assigning *subscriber* status to another subscriber entity (call
center, ad agency, etc.) can be incredibly risky.
Assigning RespOrg status to a *known* entity can be even riskier!
Most of the projects we see where there is a "problem" RespOrg,
involve large RespOrgs, not smaller ones.
In fact, given the conflict of interest inherent in a company
being both a carrier and a RespOrg, I usually steer my clients to
smaller independent RespOrgs, preferring that their carrier and
their RespOrg be two separate companies.
That, along with keeping subscriber status in your name, is how you
protect your interests.
Judith Oppenheimer
ICB Consulting
212 684-7210
From: VDonatelli@aol.com
> Could anyone please tell me of a good IXC company (and contact name?)
> for setting up a toll free "shared usage" program? I am planning to
> use only NPA routing, nothing fancy. There would need to be
> re-billing capabilities, direct access to change routing tables, no
> fee per each terminating location, and decent pricing. Above all
> else, reliability and trustworthiness are paramount.
> The big guys have the capabilities, but I have had no luck trying to
> find anyone within those organizations that have any knowledge about
> setting up a shared usage program, or that could give a damn about
> getting my business without some sort of huge volume commitment.
> Secondly, does anyone know about, or have experience with, any of the
> companies that have set themselves out as being in business to
> co-market vanity numbers? It seems that assigning resporg status to
> an unknown entity could be a very risky thing to do. Or am I being
> paranoid?
> I look forward and appreciate your responses. Many thanks in advance!
V. Donatelli
Vdonatelli@aol.com
------------------------------
From: Bob <uctraing@ultranet.com>
Subject: Digital Answering Machine With Quality Sound
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 00:47:19 -0400
Organization: Shore.Net/Eco Software, Inc; (info@shore.net)
Is there any Digital Answering "machine" out there with
quality sound for the greeting and message recording?
I need a single and also perhaps another dual line machine for a SOHO
environment. I've tried several machines and either the sound quality
of the greeting is poor and/or the quality of the message recording is
poor. I don't mind paying a little more so long as I can get quality
sound. I have a couple of AT&T dual line machines that originally
sounded good but have lost most of their quality over the year or two
I've owned them. I could use a single, dual, or single/dual with a
built in phone...or maybe even one 4 line system. However the
businesses are very small and I need a reasonable price (not cheap,
but reasonable).
Any specific recommendation for machines with quality sound?
Thanks,
Bob
------------------------------
Date: 11 Apr 2000 11:57:23 -0000
From: tollfree-l@egroups.com
Reply-To: tollfree-l@egroups.com
Subject: Digest Number 1
http://click.egroups.com/1/2936/1/_/12331/_/955454244/
TOLLFREE-L is edited, published and compilation-copyrighted
by Judith Oppenheimer, publisher of ICB Toll Free News
(http://icbtollfree.com) & WhoSells800.com
(http://whosells800.com), and President of ICB Toll
Free Consultancy (http://800consulting.com).
There are 2 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1. a few 800 & SMS questions
From: "Judith Oppenheimer" <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
2. Re: a few 800 & SMS questions
From: nbjimweiss@aol.com
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 11:03:45 -0400
From: "Judith Oppenheimer" <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: a few 800 & SMS questions
1. I recall reading somewhere early on, that 800 portability could
not be withheld for billing disputes.
I know that SNAC has gone back and forth on this, rewording various
'reject' codes ("unsatisfactory relationship" and the like") - but can
anyone offer a Tariff or Guideline citation for prohibition against
rejecting ports for billing disputes?
2. Does anyone have familiarity with the "Future Date" pending code in an
SMS record, I believe one screen before the CADD screen? What is it and how
does it work?
3. The RespOrg acts as agent for the end-user subscriber into the SMS/800
database. And FCC Regs state that where a reseller is the RespOrg's
customer, the reseller's customers are the end-user subscribers of record,
not the reseller.
So, where a reseller is denied portability, what is the RespOrg's
liability in denying the end-user subscribers their right to
portability?
Where a carrier disconnects reseller-sold service for payment dispute,
what is its RespOrg entity's agency obligation to the end user
subscribers of the reseller?
TIA -
Judith
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 12:28:47 EDT
From: nbjimweiss@aol.com
Subject: Re: a few 800 & SMS questions
In a message dated 4/10/2000 11:49:31 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com writes:
<< 1. I recall reading somewhere early on, that 800 portability could not be
withheld for billing disputes.
I know that SNAC has gone back and forth on this, rewording various 'reject'
codes ("unsatisfactory relationship" and the like") - but can anyone offer a
Tariff or Guideline citation for prohibition against rejecting ports for
billing disputes? >>
My understanding is that it depends on the TARIFF wording of the
carrier providing service. In some cases they specifically state that
they will deny portability under certain criteria -- like past due
billing.
Jim Weiss
Network Brokers, Inc.
Providing Long Distance Services for Less
nbjimweiss@aol.com
networkbrokers@iname.com
305-252-1822; fax: 603-250-0817
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 10:37:46 -0400
From: Bob Rankin <bob@rankin.org>
Subject: Looking For an Old Teletype
I'm on a quest, looking for an old Teletype Model 33, used in the
early 1970's as a computer terminal. Would you have any idea where to
look?
Regards,
Bob Rankin
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 07:47:43 PDT
From: Mike Pollock <itsamike@yahoo.com>
Subject: Yacking Yourself to Death?
Research publication says many hands-free devices may actually raise
the amount of radiation being directed into the head.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2523696,00.html
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 11:50:09 -0400
From: The Old Bear <oldbear@arctos.com>
Subject: Spamming Moves to Cell Phones
As summarized in NewsScan, 4/11/00 ...
Spammers have started using the text-messaging services on some cell
phones to send unsolicited messages, probably by simply trying
consecutive numbers until they find valid ones.
An executive of a company called Plugout.com, which sends unsolicited
text messages about its products, says: "What better way to reach
your target market? [The company sells cell phone accessories.] We
look at it as if we're doing these people a favor if they're looking
for these kinds of products."
One irate AT&T Wireless customer replied: "Clearly the sender knows
it's going to interrupt somebody's day... They're not doing me any
favors by soliciting me over my cell phone."
summarized from: Washington Post (11 Apr 2000)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/business/A51301-2000Apr10.html
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2000 13:12:32 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Some Countries Seek Keys to Digital Code-Scramblers
By JERI CLAUSING
WASHINGTON -- Governments around the world are relaxing their controls
on the technology used to scramble computer communications and keep
them secure. But according to a survey to be released Monday, that
trend is coupled with attempts by law enforcement authorities to gain
new surveillance powers.
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/04/biztech/articles/03cryp.html
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: From time to time here at the Digest,
we provide passwords and names for the *New York Times* as a courtesy
to people who would rather not be required to register. For quite a
long time the name/password combination was cypherpunks/cypherpunks.
Then one day, NYT took the name/password out of circulation. We've
installed another one for use by the group:
cypherpunks2000/cypherpunks
I know it is a little long, but hopefully easy to remember. Enjoy
your reading of the *New York Times*. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #62
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Apr 12 00:45:03 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id AAA03966;
Wed, 12 Apr 2000 00:45:03 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 00:45:03 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004120445.AAA03966@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #63
'
TELECOM Digest Wed, 12 Apr 2000 00:45:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 63
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
4/11 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Re: Protecting Ourselves ... Dialing Plan Configuration (Linc Madison)
Re: Verizontal Marks End of 'Name That Domain' Contest (John Willkie)
Re: Microwave Towers (A. E. Siegman)
Re: Microwave Towers (J.F. Mezei)
Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail (J.F. Mezei)
Tiny Tuvalu Cashes in on '.tv' Domains (ZDNet)
Re: Digital Answering Machine With Quality Sound (Daryl Gibson)
Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted (Carl Moore)
Re: Looking For an Old Teletype (L. Winson)
Re: Looking For an Old Teletype (Roy Smith)
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
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TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.
Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
Post Office Box 259
Independence, KS 67301
Phone: 805-545-5115
Email: editor@telecom-digest.org
Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org
This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
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published continuously since then. Our archives are available for
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mailing list on the internet in any category!
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 4/11 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 23:32:27 -0400
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
SIDEBAR:
Last week we noted that fewer than 1% of domain name registrants
purchase 'cybersquatter'-level quantities of domain names. Also, that
many of those high-volume registrants in that fewer-than-1% category,
are trademark-owning large corporations.
Which means the career 'cybersquatter' element so hysterically,
repeatedly denounced by trademark owners in the press and to Congress
and ICANN, is a mere fraction of that fewer-than-1% of people
purchasing domain names.
Milton Mueller, associate professor and director of the graduate
program of telecommunications and network management at Syracuse
University, adds:
If you make some estimates you learn that UDRP'd domains constitute
about .027 percent of the number of domains registered in any given
week.
That percentage can be expected to decline (unless, perhaps, the
number of TLDs rises) because we are now dealing with names registered
between 1994 and 1999, as well as names registered in the first 4
months of 2000.
We repeat: The trademark lobby is getting far too much policy
attention and preference, relative to a minimal and insignificant
sliver of potential conflict that it can well afford to defend.
*************************************************************************
ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution: currently,
-- SMS/800 system performance problems
-- delayed rollout of 866 and 855;
-- ICANN plans for Famous Marks and new Top Level Domains;
-- flaws in the Domain Dispute System.
see http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm.
*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR APRIL 11, 2000
F - TELLME DEMAND EXCEEDS CAPACITY
After dialing the toll-free number into Tellme, callers will be able
to surf the service by saying keywords such as "restaurants" to find
and connect with any restaurant in the United States based on the
establishment's name, cuisine type or location. Consumers can speak
the keyword "traffic" to find the fastest route to work with traffic
reports in major cities updated throughout the day. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1438
F - ARCH, PAGING NETWORK GET MERGER CLEARANCE
Arch Communications Group agreed in November 1999 to acquire Paging
Network in a stock deal designed to cut debt loads and avert
bankruptcy-court proceedings for PageNet. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1439
P - EBAY.COM V. EBAY.CA
Mr. Libbus said he received a letter from eBay demanding that he
relinquish the domain name to the San Jose, Calif.-based company. He
declined to co-operate, however, after discussing the issue with his
lawyer. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1430
F - WAR DIALING: CELL PHONE 'SPAM'
Configuration of cell phone text-message systems are a possible
vulnerability: often customers automatically get an e-mail address
consisting of their phone number followed by "@cellphoneco.net" All a
spammer needs to do is run consecutive numbers, though service
providers should be able to detect this "war dialing" approach and
block the spammers' access. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1432
**************************************************advertisements*********
convenient, flexible domestic toll-free ... robust, value-added ITFS:
MCI WORLDCOM http://www.wcom.com/ 1-888-MCI-WCOM
*************************************************************************
P.A.T.LIVE Personal Assistant Team manages your toll-free telephone number,
fax, voice mail, pager, e-mail, Web -- and more!
A division of ATG Technologies. http://www.atg-tech.com/
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 11, 2000
F - WIRELESS SUBSCRIBERS UP 26%
CTIA said the increase in wireless subscribers is the largest since
the survey began in 1985. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1433
F - EU WANTS EXPEDITED .EU APPROVAL
The Commission also raised questions about the fact that ICANN staff
is dominated by U.S. personnel who lack the linguistic capabilities
necessary for a truly international organization. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1434
F - SPEEDIER PHONES, SPEEDIER NET
"We'll be able to take telephone signals, computer data, TV signals --
any type of signal you can think of -- put it on fiber optic, route it
around the world with almost no optical signal loss, and accomplish
this with infinite bandwidth. It has the potential of revolutionizing
the way we all function." CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1428
F - SUPREME COURT GOES ONLINE
The U.S. Supreme Court will have its own Internet Web site as of next
Monday. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1429
*************************************************************************
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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 <<<<<<<<<<<<<
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 11, 2000
F - 1 800 LAS FLORES GETS ITS OWN .COM
"Since 1995 we've had a telephonic presence with 1-800-Lasflores and
our Spanish speaking customer service representatives," said CEO Jim
McCann in a statement. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1431
F - NARUC OPPOSED TO THIRD PARTY OVERSIGHT OF CARRIER SELECTION
NARUC noted that the main problem with slamming is not of
administration but of enforcement and adjudication. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1435
F - GTE WIRELESS OFFERS FREE LD ON HOMECHOICE PLANS
...to speed the trend toward customers' use of a single phone for all
communications needs. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1436
P - PAY PHONES PAY OFF IN POOR NEIGHBORHOODS
2-year-old company Telephone Technologies owns 150 pay phones in
Indiana and manages 2,000 others. The ones that make the most money
are usually in poor areas. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1437
**************************************************advertisements*********
Haven't time to search? Get targeted telecom news every week from the
source. Put 'subscribe Pipe' in the subject line and reply to:
telecom_e_clips@hotmail.com.
*************************************************************************
Do a friend a favor - suggest ICB ...
Click Here to Recommend-It(r) http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=118920
*************************************************************************
The Salzburg Seminar has announced the ICANN Travel Support Project,
which offers travel and accommodation support for upcoming ICANN
meetings. Twelve to fifteen applicants will be supported by this
Project. Details at: ICANN.salzburgseminar.org
This Project is made possible by grants from the Markle and Ford
foundations.
*************************************************************************
That's a Great Name for a Web Site!
Get instant Internet brand recognition for your company by securing
a premier domain name. Now is the time, as the most sought after
web addresses are auctioned to the highest bidder. Coming to auction:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> eTOLLFREE.com & iTOLLFREE.com <<<<<<<<<<<<<<
For more information call Monte Cahn at 954-782-5426,
or click http://www.hitdomains.com/financial-showcase.html.
*************************************************************************
Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html
*************************************************************************
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
*************************************************************************
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: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 13:07:36 -0700
From: Linc Madison <LincMad001@Telecom-Digest.zzn.com>
Subject: Re: Protecting Ourselves ... Dialing Plan Configuration
Jim Cheshire <cheshire@gol.com> wrote in Vol 20 #57:
> I have searched the FAQs but could not find a listing on this topic.
> We want to configure our dialing plan in our phone system to prevent
> outbound calls being placed to NANP numbers that generate expensive
> toll calling. For example, I have heard that some NANP numbers in
> the Carribean operate like 900 numbers. When someone calls that
> number, they are billed additional charges above and beyond the
> normal LD rates.
> Is there a list of NPA/NXX exchanges that should be configured as
> restricted dialing destinations? Where can I find this information?
The issue of Carribean numbers having surcharges above and beyond the
toll charge has never been substantiated, and is generally regarded as
urban legend. The confusion likely arises because the regular toll
charges to many of the islands are almost as high as 900 number
charges -- over $1/minute in some cases, if you don't have any sort of
international calling plan.
In addition, you need to be careful about ordinary domestic numbers
that are dialed with a prefix: 101xxxx - 1 - NPA - NXX-XXXX. (Most of
the 101xxxx codes are advertised as 10-10-xxx, but there are also
101-5xxx and 101-6xxx codes for the same purpose.) You should also
block all 500 and 533 numbers, 700, 900, and 976 plus any of its
cousins in your state. However, you do not need to worry about
pay-per-call prefixes outside your area (for instance, 212-540 if you
live outside New York and the adjacent states). In general, those
numbers only work within the home LATA.
I keep a listing of known "telesleaze" numbers (not guaranteed for any
purpose; it may contain both "false positives" and "false negatives"),
as well as all North American area codes that are outside the U.S. and
Canada, on my web site, <http://www.LincMad.com/telesleaze.html>
The good news is that the list of non-US, non-Canadian area codes is
unlikely to grow much. Several of the codes are less than 1% filled.
Linc Madison * San Francisco, California * Telecom-at-LincMad.com
<http://www.LincMad.com> North American Telephone Area Codes & Splits
------------------------------
From: John Willkie <jmwillkie@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Verizontal Marks End of 'Name That Domain' Contest
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 13:49:45 -0700
Chris Wilson is quite active in setting up domains. Notice
AsteonCommunications and AsteonSucks...
<from netsol.com/whois>
WILSON, CHRIS (VELOCENTRE2-DOM) VELOCENTRE.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (VERIZONSUCKS-DOM) VERIZONSUCKS.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEONCOM-DOM) ASTEONCOM.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (MAJESTARCALLINGCARD-DOM) MAJESTARCALLINGCARD.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (VERIZEN2-DOM) VERIZEN.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (MAJESTARPHONES2-DOM) MAJESTARPHONES.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (MAJESTARWIRELESS3-DOM) MAJESTARWIRELESS.ORG
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEAN3-DOM) ASTEAN.ORG
WILSON, CHRIS (MAJESTARMULTIMEDIA2-DOM) MAJESTARMULTIMEDIA.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEONCORP2-DOM) ASTEONCORP.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (CANTHUS-DOM) CANTHUS.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (MAJESTARPAGING-DOM) MAJESTARPAGING.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (EQUIVERSECOM2-DOM) EQUIVERSECOM.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (MAJESTAR-TELECOM-DOM) MAJESTAR-TELECOM.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (ALUVIO-DOM) ALUVIO.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (INQUTEL3-DOM) INQUTEL.ORG
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEONTEL2-DOM) ASTEONTEL.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (INQUTEL-DOM) INQUTEL.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (IN-QU-TEL2-DOM) IN-QU-TEL.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEON-CORP3-DOM) ASTEON-CORP.ORG
WILSON, CHRIS (EQUI-VERSE2-DOM) EQUI-VERSE.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEONSUCKS3-DOM) ASTEONSUCKS.ORG
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEON-COMMUNICATIONS2-DOM) ASTEON-COMMUNICATIONS.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEON-INC3-DOM) ASTEON-INC.ORG
WILSON, CHRIS (MAJESTARMULTIMEDIA-DOM) MAJESTARMULTIMEDIA.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEONWIRELESS3-DOM) ASTEONWIRELESS.ORG
WILSON, CHRIS (VERIZON2-DOM) VERIZON.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (INQTEL3-DOM) INQTEL.ORG
WILSON, CHRIS (GALVANCE2-DOM) GALVANCE.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (MAJESTARWORLDWIDE-DOM) MAJESTARWORLDWIDE.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (IN-QU-TEL-DOM) IN-QU-TEL.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEONINCORPORATED3-DOM) ASTEONINCORPORATED.ORG
WILSON, CHRIS (VALLURE2-DOM) VALLURE.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEONINCORPORATED2-DOM) ASTEONINCORPORATED.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (CONCARTA2-DOM) CONCARTA.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEONCORP3-DOM) ASTEONCORP.ORG
WILSON, CHRIS (VERIZAN-DOM) VERIZAN.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (EQUI-VERSE-DOM) EQUI-VERSE.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (BGTELECOM3-DOM) BGTELECOM.ORG
WILSON, CHRIS (MAJESTARCALLINGCARD2-DOM) MAJESTARCALLINGCARD.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (NDOCS-DOM) NDOCS.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (GALVENT2-DOM) GALVENT.NET
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEONTELECOM-DOM) ASTEONTELECOM.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEONINCORPORATED-DOM) ASTEONINCORPORATED.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEON-INC-DOM) ASTEON-INC.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (CALADE-DOM) CALADE.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (CROSS-SPHERE-DOM) CROSS-SPHERE.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (INQTELSUCKS-DOM) INQTELSUCKS.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (MAJESTARINCORPORATED-DOM) MAJESTARINCORPORATED.COM
WILSON, CHRIS (ASTEONCOMMUNICATIONS3-DOM) ASTEONCOMMUNICATIONS.ORG
could be more, the listing stopped after 50 --
------------------------------
From: siegman@stanford.edu (A. E. Siegman)
Subject: Re: Microwave Towers
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 20:00:05 -0700
Organization: Stanford University
In article <telecom20.61.6@telecom-digest.org>, Daryl Gibson
<drg@bluediamond.byu.edu> wrote:
[re microwave towers]
> In many cases, these towers were impressive pieces of engineering,
> more than just a communications tower. In any case, these towers were
> built to stitch together the telephone patchwork of a nation, and they
> served us well. They have done so for 40 years.
As an addendum to this message (and thanks much for it!), some of the
tower components did other impressive things as well.
The "sugarscoop" antennas on these towers are shaped that way because
this gives them extremely small back lobes, and also extremely small
losses, compared to other designs.
As a result, Bell Labs adapted this antenna design for the Project
Echo experiments around 1961 (remember Project Echo? -- predecessor of
satellite communications, involving detection of microwaves passively
reflected from an inflatable metal-coated mylar balloon -- you could
easily see it by its reflected light when it passed overhead at
night.)
The preamplifier in front of the microwave receiver in the experiments
was the newly developed, cryogenically cooled microwave solid-state
maser (microwave predecessor of the laser), with an effective
amplifier noise temperature or equivalent input noise temperature of
around 10 K.
The rule of thumb for this kind of system is that every tenth of dB of
room-temperature (300 K) loss in front of the amplifier adds 7 K of
additional thermal noise at the amplifier input, so the extremely low
loss of the sugarscoop design with its direct feed to the maser
amplifier was critical. In addition, with the antenna looking more or
less straight up, pickup from back lobes would have brought in noise
from the 300 K ground below the antenna.
The maser engineers who built the system were really good; they
tracked down all the losses to minute fractions of a db;, measured the
noise temp of the receiving system to excruciating accuracy; and found
they had 3 K of equivalent input noise unaccounted for. They
eventually realized this 3 K of noise was coming into the antenna from
everywhere in the sky, and represented the residual microwave
radiation from the "Big Bang" creation of the universe. As a result,
Bell Labs director Arno Penzias and one or two others (Wilson?) ended
up with a Nobel Prize.
(Those who recall Grote Reber and his antennas back in the 1930s will
note some resemblences.)
Reference: Siegman (that's me), MICROWAVE SOLID-STATE MASERS
(McGraw-Hill, 1964), Fig. 9-4, p. 458.
------------------------------
From: J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca>
Subject: Re: Microwave Towers
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 13:33:43 -0400
Daryl Gibson wrote:
> Many of you know that AT&T has been replacing the old Microwave
> shots with fiberoptic.
Canada's Yukon was linked to the "south" with a string of microwave
towers, some of them perched above high mountains (with their own
generators etc).
I recently heard that they may be stringing fiber to Fort St-John
(still in the "south"). I was wondering how long before fibre is
strung all the way to Whitehorse? Or has it been strung there already?
Considering the difficulties of dealing with permafrost (north of
Whitehorse), does this preclude the laying of fibre in the north, or
will it eventually get there?
Is it fair to assume that microwave technology is "mature" and won't
progress much more, or will there still be enough advances to allow
Northwestel to upgrade its microwave network to keep up with
increasing demand for bandwidth ?
------------------------------
From: J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca>
Subject: Re: You've Got Inappropriate Mail
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 13:24:25 -0400
Paul Wallich wrote:
> If you thought really long and carefully about the problem, you could
> probably develop analysis tools and models that would give you an
> accurate picture of when people were spending time on a page rather
> than just having it open.
But in your example of the AP page that has an automatic refresh on
it, how could either side prove their points ?
The employee can argue succesfully that by having it stay opened in
the background, it still generates HTTP requests at regular intervals
while the employee is doing productive work. But the company can also
argue that the employee could have stared at the screen reading the
headlines constantly.
I have a feeling that a lot of legal/human resource folks are
misinterpreting those proxy server logs because they do not truly
understand how HTTP works. And employees who also do not fully
understand how http works would not be able to properly defend
themselves.
However, in the cases I have heard so far, there were other
indications that the employee was not productive, but it is still
scrary to think that an employer will be misusing logs to fire an
employee. (Although this is not as bad as Morgan Stanley hiring a
private-eye to falsify an employee's records, and then charge the
employee for a economic crime and have him sent to jail, instead of
firing him for the real reason (because he had appeared naked in a
magazine). (And this was done at the very high level in the bank).
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 21:44:51 EDT
From: itsamike@yahoo.com
Subject: Tiny Tuvalu Cashes in on '.tv' Domains
This message was forwarded to you from ZDNet (http://www.zdnet.com) by itsamike@yahoo.com.
Tuvalu, a tiny South Pacific nation measuring 26 square kilometers, has
sold the use of its domain name -- .tv -- to Idealab! in a deal that
promises to garner Tuvalu more than three times its national budget.
[TABLE NOT SHOWN] Under the terms of the agreement, the archipelago
will receive $50 million over the next dozen years; the contract will
be renegotiated in 2012.
The Tuvalu islands have already garnered $15 million dollars from the
deal, enough to transform the existence of a country where the annual
budget tops out at $14 million per year.
The per-capita revenue of the 10,600 residents is on its way to
becoming one of the highest on the planet, up from an average of $400.
[TABLE NOT SHOWN]
In 1998, Tuvalu closed a deal with Canada's TV Corp., but that
agreement fell through. The current deal is with Idealab! , a startup
incubator based in Pasadena, Calif. One of its portfolio companies,
dubbed DotTV, will auction off URLs ending in ".tv."
Proposed addresses include letters of the alphabet (a.tv, b.tv, etc.)
as well as names such as "pepsi.tv" and "marilynmonroe.tv."
Galle Vacher reports for ZDNet France. Translation by Matthew
Rothenberg, ZDNet News.[TABLE NOT SHOWN]
------------------------------
From: Daryl Gibson <drg@bluediamond.byu.edu>
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 15:25:07 -0600
Subject: Re: Digital Answering Machine With Quality Sound
> Is there any Digital Answering "machine" out there with
> quality sound for the greeting and message?
Most answering machines I have used (or own) have a microphone that is
a piece of junk. When you record the greeting, you record through that
junky microphone, and usually pick up a bunch of background
noise. I've gotten much better messages by re-recording the message
remotely (many machines offer this ability) from a phone at the
office.
Daryl
"As you ramble through life, brother, no matter what your goal,
keep your eye upon the doughnut, and not upon the hole"
--Dr. Murray Banks, quoting a menu
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 14:30:21 EDT
From: Carl Moore <cmoore@ARL.MIL>
Subject: Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted
Before 1995, there was a zip/area directory published by Pilot Books
in Babylon, Long Island, NY. It might not be published anymore
because there are so many area codes.
------------------------------
From: lwinson@bbs.cpcn.com (L. Winson)
Subject: Re: Looking For an Old Teletype
Date: 11 Apr 2000 20:16:36 GMT
Organization: The PACSIBM SIG BBS
> I'm on a quest, looking for an old Teletype Model 33, used in the
> early 1970's as a computer terminal. Would you have any idea where to
> look?
Contact an organization that provides services for deaf people. They
made extensive use of TTY machines. I think nowadays they've pretty
much converted over to compact electronic devices (or computers).
Note that some of the machines may be set up for Baudot (5 bit)
instead of ASCII (8 bit). IIRC, the Teletype model 32 looked like
a 33 but was a 3 row machine for Baudot use.
------------------------------
From: Roy Smith <roy@endeavor.med.nyu.edu>
Subject: Re: Looking For an Old Teletype
Organization: NYU School of Medicine, Educational Computing
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 16:21:19 -0400
Bob Rankin <bob@rankin.org> wrote:
> I'm on a quest, looking for an old Teletype Model 33, used in the
> early 1970's as a computer terminal. Would you have any idea where to
> look?
Scattered about the halls and back closets of any university, I would
expect. I still see some of them around here. I wouldn't be
surprised if more than one or two were actually still in service
printing out data from some old piece of lab equipment!
Roy Smith <roy@popmail.med.nyu.edu>
New York University School of Medicine
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: And in many old-style phone rooms
with multiple switchboard positions where they had a large volume
of long distance calls requiring 'time and charges' to be quoted
to the PBX operators, it was quite common to have all the 'time
and charge' quotes come through on a teletype machine wired
directly to the establishment from telco. That is what we had at
University of Chicago when I worked there in the early 1960's:
T&C for several thousand extensions came through every five or
ten minutes on a teletype which was hardwired to the Illinois
Bell central office at 61st and Kenwood Streets (when they used
to have operators in that building on the second floor. The T&C
quotes had the Illinois Bell ticket number, our ticket number,
along with the number called and other details. We would rip these
off as they came out of the machine and use them for our own
bookeeping records. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #63
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Apr 12 19:58:12 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id TAA10482;
Wed, 12 Apr 2000 19:58:12 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 19:58:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004122358.TAA10482@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #64
TELECOM Digest Wed, 12 Apr 2000 19:58:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 64
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Rapidly Deteriorating Phone Service in the US (Ronda Hauben)
DTMF Over TCP/IP (Alex Saveliev)
Cuba to Allow Calls From U.S. (Michael A. Desmon)
7th International Conference Cities & Ports (AIVP - Info)
Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (Paul Rubin)
More Cops on the Net Beat? Privacy Groups Say Not So Fast (Monty Solomon)
Re: Tiny Tuvalu Cashes in on '.tv' Domains (Fred Atkinson)
Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted (John Stahl)
Suche Bedienungsanleitung Olympia Quadrophone (M. Pfeifer)
Convergence Survey - Win $100 (Rick Blum)
Re: Microwave Towers (J.F. Mezei)
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'.
TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.
Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
Post Office Box 259
Independence, KS 67301
Phone: 805-545-5115
Email: editor@telecom-digest.org
Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org
This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and
published continuously since then. Our archives are available for
your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/
mailing list on the internet in any category!
URL information: http://telecom-digest.org
Anonymous FTP: hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives
(or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives)
Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org
Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for
a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system
for archives files. You can get desired files in email.
*************************************************************************
* TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from *
* Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate *
* 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. *
* http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com *
* Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing *
* views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. *
*************************************************************************
ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased.
Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription.
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
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. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert
has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and
enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order
telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has
been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very
inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request
a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as
yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help
is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars
per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above.
Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing
your name to the mailing list.
All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages
should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: rh120@columbia.edu (Ronda Hauben)
Subject: Re: Rapidly Deteriorating Phone Service in the US
Date: 12 Apr 2000 12:11:13 GMT
Organization: Columbia University
Reply-To: rh120@columbia.edu
Daniel Seyb (seybernetx@ameritech.net) wrote:
(...)
> And The Telephone Company has always been a money making operation. If
> they ever actually lost money on any product, they just raised the rates
> to make it up. What do they care if you're happy or not?
But they were obligated to meet certain standards. And they were
obligated to maintain a high level of technology which led to
upgrades like the 5ESS switches and the development of UNIX.
The Bell system was regulated and Bell Labs was a research laboratory
maintained to meet the obligations of that regulation.
Now the obligations for service are gone. And there is no
one to complain too. Just lots of phone calls from sales people
from these supposedly "competitive" companies. But the point
is you don't know what fees they have for whom. They tell you
what price they have for you. That is very far any "competitive"
situation.
And the money they are making from the windfall to folks in the US
they are taking elsewhere rather than investing in new technology
to give better service.
dan
> "Dr. Joel M. Hoffman" wrote:
(...)
> The pattern is clear. Whereas the US used to have the best phone
> service in the world, service has been declining raapidly and steadily
> for over a decade. I think it's because we've decided that telco's
> should be money-making businesses, instead of services provided to
> citizens. And so we've seen a minor reduction in costs (but look how
> expensive out-of-state directory info is!) but an unacceptible drop in
> service.
I agree. And it is helpful to see this being acknowledged and
discussed.
Who made the decision to break up AT&T and on what basis? It wasn't
the public.
The public interest was left out of the process.
And isn't that what is happening in general now in the US?
In the past there was the realization that those with a commercial
self interest could not be relied on to determine what the public
interest was in a situation. That is why government needed to hear
from those without a commercial self interest.
Now it is only those with a commercial self interest that
at least in the US, the government is interested in hearing from.
Those with a commercial self interest are considered to be
the "stakeholders" who have to be determining what happens.
That is a reversal of the role of government.
This is a serious deterioration in how decisions are made
and whose interest will be served.
There is a long term interest that needs to be considered
and that is what government can make possible.
But that is not happening in the US under the current pressures.
The 1996 Telecom law was rammed through the US Congress without
most of those in Congress who were voting on it even knowing
what it said.
The telecom interests had their day, and the public interest
was sacrificed.
How does one change this?
In front of my apartment building in NYC, someone is digging
a large hole and putting in something. I asked who it was and
was told Sprint.
The other infrastructure lines will be under the new lines being
put in.
It isn't that companies can just compete and all can't dig holes
and put in lines.
They are digging up the public street and thus there has to be
some regulation on what they are doing.
That regulation has broken down and it is therefore that thee
whole infrastructure of NYC is jeopardized by this breakdown.
Ronda
ronda@panix.com
Netizens: On the History and Impact
of Usenet and the Internet
http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/netbook
also in print edition ISBN 0-8186-7706-6
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Ronda, we have gone through this so
many times here, I guess one more time won't hurt. The decision to
bust up the phone company (AT&T) in the early 1980's was made by a
federal judge -- Judge Greene -- who one day lost ten cents in a
payphone booth, went away angry feeling damned and detirminined to
'break up Bell' no matter what the cost, then proceeded to meet
with his cronies in the Justice Department and let them know they
would find a hospitable welcome in his courtroom. Some in Justice
wanted to break up Bell also. Remember that in the 1960-70's there
was a general attitude of discontentment where the Bell System
was concerned. A large number of people seemed to hate Ma Bell,
and were happy to see her destroyed. Judge Greene served as the
catalyst. The judge's supporters here in this newsgroup going back
to the early/middle 1980's are prompt to remind me and whoever wants
to listen that Bell agreed to divestiture, but the fact is, if you
had a knife stuck in your back you would agree to most anything
yourself. Bell agreed to divestiture because there was little they
could do about it, and the cost of fighting it was increasing all
the time.
Even though it was a civil matter, AT&T asked for a jury trial
which was their right. The judge refused to give them one, claiming
that no one could 'possibly' understand all the technical details;
no one but himself of course, and Justice Department lawyers.
As it was, Judge Greene had his calendar cleared out and did nothing
but hear that case for about three years.
The same trick was going to be done to IBM in the same time era as you
may recall. But IBM would have none of it. Their response was to bury
the court in so much paper that for a year afterward, the court was
sitting there trying to sift through it all. Every day, it seemed,
semi-trailer trucks would pull up to the court's receiving room to
drop off the latest ten thousand page exhibit. Always, ten copies of
each had to be delivered; a couple copies for the court, one copy for
the court reporter, one for each attorney, etc.
If AT&T had used the IBM tactic to stall, Bell would still be
in one piece the way IBM is. Judge Greene did Americans a great
disservice by screwing around with the phone company. PAT]
------------------------------
From: Alex Saveliev <chubais@mail.ru>
Subject: DTMF Over TCP/IP
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 15:48:42 +0400
Hello!
Could anybody point out how DTMF signals are transported over TCP/IP
network in IP telephony application? What we want is a computer
calling someone in PSTN (say, by means of NetMeeting API ) via an IP
telephony gateway (say, Dialogic based). The callee then generates
tones, pressing buttons on his phone. How these short tones get to our
computer over a packet network? Is there a standart for it? If there
is, then should I use Netmeeting API, TAPI or something else to get
these tones?
I know that Dialogic boards themselves can be programmed easily to
handle DTMF, but the problem is that we don't have our own IPtel
gateway and are planning to subscribe for gatewaying services. And IP
telephony providers seem not to allow any additional apps hosted on
their gateways. (If someone knows provider allowing user programs to
be executed, please let me know).
Please help.
Thanks in advance,
Alex Saveliev
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 10:51:18 EDT
From: Michael A. Desmon <mdesmon@us-one.net>
Subject: Cuba to Allow Calls From U.S.
Published Wednesday, April 12, 2000, in the Miami Herald
Cuba to allow calls from U.S.
Relatives will still seek award
BY JUAN O. TAMAYO
jtamayo@herald.com
The change may make it slightly easier to call Cuba, but will not
significantly improve the quality or lower the cost of the calls.
Cuba will resume permitting direct U.S.-Cuba telephone calls, starting
early today, after relatives of three Brothers to the Rescue pilots
killed in 1996 stopped blocking U.S. phone payments to Havana. The
dispute had cut off direct calls for 14 months.
``Slowly and in accordance with its technical-organizational
abilities, the ETECSA [telephone] company will proceed to reestablish
the circuits blocked for lack of payment, Cuba's Granma newspaper
reported Tuesday.
The change may make it slightly easier to call Cuba, but will not
significantly improve the quality or lower the cost of the calls, or
end the bitter legal struggle to make Cuba pay for killing the Miami
aviators.
``To the consumer, it should not mean any significant change," said
Enrique Lopez, whose Coral Gables telecommunications consulting firm
has worked on several U.S.-Cuba telephone issues.
ETECSA officials informed U.S. telephone carriers that it would allow
direct-dial calls again as of midnight Tuesday, though the process
could take up to 48 hours to complete, an AT&T official said.
A joint Italian-Cuban venture, ETECSA cut off nearly all direct calls
to and from the United States on Feb. 24, 1999, after a U.S. judge in
Miami garnished about $6 million owed to Havana by five U.S. telephone
carriers.
Few callers noticed a change because AT&T, MCI, LDDS, IDB and WilTel,
which run most of the 1,020 circuits connecting Cuba and the United
States, swiftly rerouted calls through third countries such as Canada
and Mexico.
Rates on U.S. telephone calls to Cuba, ranging from a low of 62
U.S. cents per minute to as high as $3, did not rise after the shift
to indirect calls and will not drop with the change back to direct
calls.
``AT&T was sometimes losing money because of rerouting, but chose to
keep its rates steady to keep its consumer cases," an industry
official said.
Sprint, which operates 120 U.S.-Cuba circuits, most of them devoted to
data transfer, was never served with garnishment papers. It paid its
bills to Havana and continued to route calls directly to Cuba during
the past 14 months.
U.S. Judge James Lawrence King initially blocked the phone payments to
ETECSA as part of his $187 million award against the Cuban government
for the fatal downing of the Brothers to the Rescue pilots in 1996 by
Cuban air force jets.
But a federal appeals court in Atlanta overruled his order in August,
saying that ETECSA was not part of the Cuban government. Miami lawyers
dropped the last of the motions in the case against ETECSA on March
14.
``That allowed the U.S. firms to pay their pending debts," Granma
reported Tuesday.
Attorney Ron Kleinman stressed, however, that relatives of the dead
pilots have not given up on their fight to collect on King's ruling.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 20:09:56 +0200
From: AIVP - Info <infos@aivp.net>
Subject: 7th International Conference Cities & Ports
7th International Conference Cities & Ports
7e Conference Internationale Villes & Ports
6-9 November 2000
Marseille (France)
Urban and port development authorities for coastal and river cities from
throughout the entire world will be meeting in Marseilles (France), from
the 6th to the 9th of November next, for the 7th Cities and Ports (IACP)
International Conference. More than 500 delegates representing the port
cities of more than 50 countries are expected in Marseilles to debate and
exchange views regarding the implementation of sustainable development in
port areas. This challenge is of interest to you? This meeting concerns
you? We propose, without any committment on your behalf, to keep you
informed free of charge of the programme development of this conference
> by sending a message to :
listegb.conference@aivp.net with SUBSCRIBE as subject
(mailto:listegb.conference@aivp.net?subject=SUBSCRIBE)
>or via our website
http://www.aivp.com/7conf/formgb.asp
Les responsables du developpement urbain et portuaire des villes maritimes
et fluviales du monde entier se donnent rendez-vous Marseille (France) du
6 au 9 novembre prochains pour la 7e Confrence Internationale des Villes
et Ports organise par l'Association Internationale Villes et Ports.
(AIVP). Plus de 500 dgus reprsentants des villes portuaires de plus de
50 pays sont attendus Marseille pour dbattre et canger leurs
expriences autour de la mise en uvre d'un dveloppement durable des
places portuaires. Cet enjeu vous intresse ? Cette rencontre vous
concerne? Nous vous proposons, sans aucun engagement de votre part, de vous
tenir inform gratuitement de l'volution du programme de cette confrence
> en envoyant un message :
listefr.conference@aivp.net avec le mot SUBSCRIBE en objet
(mailto:listefr.conference@aivp.net?subject=SUBSCRIBE)
>ou par notre site web :
http://www.aivp.com/7conf/form.asp
------------------------------
From: phr@netcom.com (Paul Rubin)
Subject: Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Date: 12 Apr 2000 07:57:32 GMT
Organization: NETCOM / MindSpring Enterprises, Inc.
In article <telecom20.60.2@telecom-digest.org>, Riklef Flor
<rik.flor@abbott.com> wrote:
> I have another simple, free way of stopping telemarketers that I
> haven't seen mentioned before.
> It's a variation of the "Not Saying Hello" method.
> When I answer the phone and say "Hello" ... if I don't hear an
> immediate response, I hang up. Invariably, it turns out to be a
> predictive dialer hunting for an open line.
> I've only been "wrong" once and that was my wife, who uses the same trick.
This isn't good. I often call people on my speaker phone. When and
if they answer, I switch from the speaker to the handset, which causes
a slight pause. My speaker phone doesn't have a microphone (except
the one in the handset), so until I switch, the person can't hear me.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 01:00:48 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: More Cops on the Net Beat? Privacy Groups Say Not So Fast
U.S. law enforcement officials want to beef up surveillance, but critics
say laws are too lax to prevent abuses.
By Keith Perine
WASHINGTON - With federal authorities preparing to conduct broad new
surveillance of the Internet, privacy advocates and members of Congress
are sounding the alarm about the potential trampling of constitutional
rights.
http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/1,1151,13908,00.html
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 08:15 EDT
From: Fred Atkinson <fatkinson@mishmash.com>
Organization: Personal Copy
Subject: Re: Tiny Tuvalu Cashes in on '.tv' Domains
Pat,
Regarding the above referenced story, all someone offered me for
my domain (which I'm not interested in selling, by the way) was three
thousand.
Gee....... .
Fred
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I have not been offered five cents for
all my domain names put together. The only exception was topica, which
offered me a dollar for each name on my mailing list, which I turned
down. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 10:20:20 -0400
From: John Stahl <aljon@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted
I have found that the DeLorme map program, Street Atlas (the latest
version available I believe is Version 7.0), is a great 'database' for
precisely the "codes" you require. Dropping down the "Find" box allows
entry of either code. The result is a precise map of the geographic
area covered by that "code".
John Stahl
Aljon Enterprises
Telecom/Data Consultancy
email: aljon@(big)att.net - NOTE: Take out the (big) to send email
------------------------------
From: M Pfeifer <murmel@mpfeifer.de>
Subject: Suche Bedienungsanleitung fr Olympia Quadrophone
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 20:17:09 +0200
Organization: T-Online
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I hope someone will read this to me,
and I hope I did not get spammed. PAT]
Hallo,
Wer Kann Helfen
Ich suche für das
Quadrophone (telefon Anrufbeantworter und Fax mit thermopapier)
Eine Bedienungsanleitung
wer Hat solch eine oder Kann mir sagen Wo mann diese bekommen kann
habe schon im netz nach Olympia gesucht aber leider nicht weitergefunden
Gruss Euer Murmel
M. Pfeifer
27570 Bremerhaven
Http://www.mpfeifer.de
Mail: murmel@mpfeifer.de
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: It looks to me like the person is
writing about a fax machine and copy paper. I hope this is not
the outfit that sells fax and copy machines on the net who are
forever sending out spam. Can someone please advise? PAT]
------------------------------
From: rickblum@my-deja.com
Subject: Convergence Survey - Win $100
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 19:03:55 GMT
Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
You are invited to participate in Lucent NetworkCares latest web-based
industry survey on Convergence and New World Service Providers. All
qualified survey participants may enter a drawing for one of three $100
`aAmerican Express Gift Certificates. To participate, click here:
http://www.lucent-networkcare.com/surveys
Completing the Convergence survey should take only 10-12 minutes of
your time. The complete results will be freely available to all
participants. All responding individuals will remain confidential and
will not be added to any marketing mailing list. The information
provided in the survey will be combined with that of other respondents
and reported in summary form only. The survey will run throughout
April.
Please visit the above survey web site to view the results of other
network industry surveys conducted by NetworkCare, including its most
recent report on Network and Systems Management Total Cost of Ownership.
Lucent employees and their families are not eligible for participation
in this survey.
Thank you for your time and support.
------------------------------
From: JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca>
Reply-To: jfmezei@vl.videotron.ca
Subject: Re: Microwave Towers
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 16:10:36 -0400
John R. Levine wrote:
> Permafrost is certainly an issue, but you can after all put it on
> poles, just like wire, if you need to.
There aren't any poles that link the south with Whitehorse, not since
the old telegraph line was abandoned. Would planting poles over about
one thousand kilometres, and maintaining it (cutting trees/branches
that may fall and break the wire) still cost less than maintaining the
microwave towers that are there right now?
Considering that the road must be rebuilt every couple of years
(especially on the BC side becausd they build the northern roads to
lesser standards), would running the fiber underground near the road
be practical?
> I can only see microwave being of use in places where running fiber is
> impractical
Correct. In Australia, they have strung fiber all around and across
(literally) the country, and in most outback places, the wire is
burried a mere few inches below ground level and there are not many
trees to cut when you're crossing a desert.
But in the case of northern BC and Yukon, I am wondering if the
"impractical to run fibre" applies or not.
Also, would it be practical to run undersea fibre from Vancouver to
Skagway and then just run the fibre on the 170km to Whitehorse along
the pipeline/railway?
How is Alaska linked to the USA mainland? Are places just as Juneau
linked by undersea fibre? Or do they also rely on microwaves?
And what about towns just as Anchorage? (far, far away).
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #64
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Apr 13 15:12:23 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id PAA14541;
Thu, 13 Apr 2000 15:12:23 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 15:12:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004131912.PAA14541@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #65
TELECOM Digest Thu, 13 Apr 2000 15:10:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 65
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Pioneers in the News (Tad Cook)
4/12 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Re: Suche Bedienungsanleitung fr Olympia Quadrophone (Lance Purple)
Washington State Fines Qwest (Tad Cook)
Cuba Resumes Phone Service to USA (Tad Cook)
Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (John Willkie)
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'.
TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.
Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
Post Office Box 259
Independence, KS 67301
Phone: 805-545-5115
Email: editor@telecom-digest.org
Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org
This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and
published continuously since then. Our archives are available for
your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/
mailing list on the internet in any category!
URL information: http://telecom-digest.org
Anonymous FTP: hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives
(or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives)
Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org
Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for
a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system
for archives files. You can get desired files in email.
*************************************************************************
* TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from *
* Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate *
* 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. *
* http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com *
* Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing *
* views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. *
*************************************************************************
ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased.
Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription.
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
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. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert
has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and
enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order
telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has
been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very
inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request
a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as
yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help
is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars
per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above.
Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing
your name to the mailing list.
All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages
should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Tad Cook <tad@aa.net>
Subject: Pioneers in the News
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 22:32:18 -0700
Copyright 1999 Nando Media
Telephone Pioneers of America, Independent Telecommunications Pioneer
Association Sign Strategic Alliance to Launch National Volunteer Week
Activities
DENVER, April 12 (Apr 13, 2000 1:20:10 EST) -- An onslaught of hostile
corporate takeovers, mergers, and hard-hitting competitive battles for
market share are reshaping the telecommunications industry daily. In
spite of this, many of the industry's companies have joined in a
common cause -- to celebrate the volunteer spirit of their current and
former employees in a united effort to build strong healthy
communities across America. Hundreds of telecom companies have come
together to applaud and support this volunteerism by forming an
alliance that will launch National Volunteer Week activities. Leaders
of the Telephone Pioneers of America and the Independent
Telecommunications Pioneer Association, the organizations that include
these 700 companies, signed the alliance at the completion of the
groups' first joint project in formal ceremonies at Garfield
Elementary School in Washington, D.C., at 10 a.m., Monday, April 10,
2000.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990927/LAM039-b
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000412/LAW031 )
Special guests at the event were the 400 students of Garfield
Elementary school, the school's principal, Mrs. Evelyn Gainous; Pam
Warwick, vice president for nonprofit outreach, Points of Light
Foundation; and Mario Moreno, assistant secretary, U.S. Department of
Education.
Signing the two-year strategic alliance on behalf of their 826,000
members were Irene Chavira, president, Telephone Pioneers of America,
and Vanessa Horning, president, Independent Telecommunications Pioneer
Association.
"Since the beginning of our industry in the late 1800s,
telecommunications workers have been dedicated to service," said
Chavira. "This intrinsic desire to serve others grew over the years
to include many causes and societal needs. By giving of our time and
talents, we work to make the communities, in which we live and work,
stronger and healthier. It is fitting that we should celebrate the
spirit of service of our volunteers and unite in our efforts to
continue to serve our communities as we begin a new century," she
added.
"This is an historic occasion," said Horning. "This is the first time
ever that an industry has come together in an alliance of this
kind. While the more than 700 companies represented by our two
organizations are very diverse, we have common ground. We are
committed to work together in service to the communities in which we
operate. With 826,000 members across North America, we can make a
tremendous impact on improving education, the environment, services to
the handicapped, the homeless, the indigent, and the elderly. The
project that we completed today is a model for what we can accomplish
across this country."
In three days, Pioneers volunteers from both organizations worked
together to paint a playground map on the grounds of Garfield
Elementary School at 2435 Alabama Avenue. They also completed various
other projects at the school requested by school officials, including
painting an administrative office, the music room, restrooms, exterior
doors, window grates, and hand rails, as well as campus clean-up and
landscaping.
"In addition to providing volunteer service to their communities,
Telephone Pioneers are excellent in helping connect groups of people
to achieve maximum results," said Pam Warwick, who heads up the Points
of Light Foundation's Connect America initiative. "This project is a
perfect example of their efforts to involve other groups from the
community in the work they do. For the work here at Garfield
Elementary School, they invited neighborhood associations, the Young
Marines, school officials and other community leaders to participate
with them in benefiting this neighborhood school. That is a mark of
real leadership and is significant in helping to connect America."
Assistant Secretary of Education Mario Moreno said that community
support is vital in providing many of the resources that schools in
America need to flourish and prosper. "With such projects as
Playground Maps, Telephone Pioneers provide many of the tools that
make learning more fun and interesting for school children," he
said. "It is important that school children everywhere know that
groups such as these invest their time and talents in ensuring
students have the educational tools they need to succeed. With their
work here, these volunteers are also indirectly teaching these
students the value of volunteerism."
The Telephone Pioneers of America, the world's largest volunteer
organization is made up of approximately 800,000 members in the United
States, Canada and Mexico. Its members are current and former
employees of AT&T, Bell Atlantic, BellSouth, Cincinnati Bell, Frontier
Communications Corporation, Island Telecom, Lucent Technologies,
Manitoba Telecom Services, Maritime Telegraph and Telephone, NBTel,
NewTel Enterprises, NorthwesTel, SaskTel, SBC Communications,
Telcordia Technologies, TELUS, and U S WEST.
The Independent Telecommunications Pioneer Association has 26,000
members who are active and retired employees representing over 700
independent telecommunications companies in the United States.
------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 4/12 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 21:03:44 -0400
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
Click Here to Subscribe to ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES
http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm
(Registration is required. Names are not sold, rented or leased.)
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
ICB's ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution: currently,
-- Vapor-constituency: ICANN At Large Membership ...
-- SMS/800 system performance problems
-- delayed rollout of 866 and 855;
-- ICANN plans for Famous Marks and new Top Level Domains;
-- flaws in the Domain Dispute System.
see http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm.
*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR APRIL 12, 2000
P - E-GOVERNMENT ... WHO'D A THUNK IT
By 2005, the nation's state and local governments will spend $12.5 billion
on e-government. [Don't forget who controls the 'e': ICANN.]
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1449
F - CONGRESSIONAL WIRELESS CAUCUS FORMED
The formation of the Wireless Caucus places the industry square in the
middle of the public policy debate.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1451
F - DOMAIN NAMES FINALLY REVEALED FOR MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR AUCTION
After much anticipation in the financial and e-commerce community, the
host of the world's first auction of financial/business-related Internet
domain names has announced its list of premier names and developed web
sites to be offered in the auction, which starts today. Includes
iTOLLFREE.com and eTOLLFREE.com.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1441
P - THE 'EBAYING' OF CORPORATE LAW
Clients can package legal work and solicit bids from law firms in an
online auction. The idea is for the firms to bid against each other
and send the cost down.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1447
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*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 12, 2000
P - ISP'S RECEIVING SUBSTANDARD SERVICES, COMPETITION STIFLED
"With 89% of ISPs believing (and documenting) that they are being harmed,
NNI believes that the FCC and the states should immediately investigate
the ISP's claims of inadequate customer services and anti-competitive
practices by the Bells and GTE," states Kushnick.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1440
F - AN INTERNET AWAKENING
Thanks to the Internet, we are now on the cusp of our greatest
renaissance -- an Internet Awakening. Or, our worst dark ages. Let's
hope we choose wisely. Editorial by 'Domain Name Wars' veteran Jay
Fenello. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1442
P - ICANN@LARGE MEMBERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT
is much ado about nothing
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1444
F - CELL PHONE INVENTOR PROMOTES WIRELESS NET
Ninety-seven years after Bell became the first person to speak over a
telephone line, Cooper hefted a clumsy, 21/2-pound box of wires,
circuits and batteries to his ear and made the first private call
from a handheld cellular phone.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1446
*************************************************************************
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*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 12, 2000
P - TELEDOMAINS.COM
... announces patent pending system that assists business owners in
creating a custom toll-free number.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1448
F - BULKREGISTER REPORTS SYSTEM BUG
During system upgrades on April 3rd, 4th and 5th, a "bug" was introduced
into limited sections of BulkRegister's database.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1450
F - HITDOMAINS HAS A HIT ON ITS HANDS
Assuming it doesn't freeze over, Cahn says bidding on HELL.com will start
at about $8 million.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1452
F - FAST LANE DOMAIN REGISTRATIONS
Domain Fast Find searches for available domain names based on key words
entered by users - helping potential registrants find alternatives if
their desired domain is already taken. Multi-Name registration, which
allows customers to register multiple domain names at once.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1443
F - BACK TO BOMB SHELTERS - FOR THE NET, THAT IS
Equinix is a sprawling compound chock-full of fancy security devices
that appears capable of protecting the computers housed inside from
physical attack.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1445
**************************************************advertisements*********
Haven't time to search? Get targeted telecom news every week from the
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*************************************************************************
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Click Here to Recommend-It(r) http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=118920
*************************************************************************
The Salzburg Seminar has announced the ICANN Travel Support Project,
which offers travel and accommodation support for upcoming ICANN
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Project. Details at: ICANN.salzburgseminar.org
This Project is made possible by grants from the Markle and Ford
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*************************************************************************
That's a Great Name for a Web Site!
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*************************************************************************
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
------------------------------
From: lpurple@netcom.com (Lance Purple)
Subject: Re: Suche Bedienungsanleitung fr Olympia Quadrophone
Date: 13 Apr 2000 01:05:45 GMT
Organization: Mindspring/Netcom Online Services, Inc.
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I hope someone will read this to me,
> and I hope I did not get spammed. PAT]
[ My translation attempt: ]
"Seeking operating manual for Olympia Quadrophone"
Hello, whoever can help:
I seek operating instructions for a Quadrophone (answering machine
and thermopaper fax machine). Does anybody have a set, or can tell
me how to get one? I have already searched for Olympia on the web,
but unfortunately did not find anything.
Thanks from "Murmel"
M. Pfeifer <murmel@mpfeifer.de>
27570 Bremerhaven
Http://www.mpfeifer.de
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: It looks to me like the person is
> writing about a fax machine and copy paper. I hope this is not
> the outfit that sells fax and copy machines on the net who are
> forever sending out spam. Can someone please advise? PAT]
,--------------------------------------------,
| Lance Purple (lpurple at netcom dot com) |
'--------------------------------------------'
------------------------------
From: Tad Cook <tad@aa.net>
Subject: Washington State Fines Qwest
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 22:18:53 -0700
from MSNBC ( http://www.msnbc.com/local/KING/664118.asp?0a=2224132- )
Huge fine for payphone overcharges
OLYMPIA, April 12 - A Denver-based company that overcharged thousands
of customers at pay phones around Washington will pay a record $1
million fine and $700,000 in refunds under a deal approved Wednesday
by state regulators.
AN ESTIMATED 113,000 consumers should receive refunds or credits by
April 30 from USLD Communications, Inc., according to the Washington
Utilities and Transportation Commission.
The refund will apply to calls made from 8,543 pay phones in
Washington that used USLD operator-services between July 1 and Dec. 5
last year.
The commission said it began investigating USLD, a subsidiary of Qwest
Communications International, last year after logging 90 consumer
complaints. Investigators concluded that USLD would tell customers
that a call would cost $2 or $3 and then bill them for $10 or $15.
It is a violation of state rules to charge rates different from those
listed with the WUTC.
"We believe what USLD did was particularly egregious," said Vicki
Elliott, the WUTC's assistant director for consumer affairs.
WUTC investigators were prepared to ask the commission to impose a $2
million fine if USLD did not settle, Elliott added.
Qwest spokesman Matt Barkett said USLD officials failed to keep the
company's rate schedule up to date.
"All of that money has already been refunded to customers," he said,
"and no Qwest customers were impacted by this USLD error." USLD was
based in San Antonio, Texas, before it was acquired by LCI
International in 1997, which then was acquired by Qwest in 1998,
Barkett said. The company still provides operator-assisted calls at
pay phones in Washington under the USLD name.
The three-member WUTC said the $1 million penalty is the largest ever
levied by the panel. The previous record was set in 1993 when the WUTC
levied a $164,000 penalty against International Pacific Inc., which
also provided operator-assisted service for pay phones.
Besides the fine and refunds, the commission also ordered USLD to
conform with Washington's consumer disclosure practices by giving
pay-phone users easy access to a rate quote for a call before
incurring a charge.
USLD also agreed to underwrite the $15,000 cost of a new WUTC consumer
education program targeting pay-phone users. The commission said it
hopes to help consumers learn how to get rate information and dial
around to a preferred company.
The WUTC has a pay-phone inspection program that, until now, has
mainly involved checking for proper advisories on the placards. As a
result of the case, the WUTC expects to start making test calls from
pay phones, Elliott said.
Eligible consumers who have not received their refunds by April 30 can
call the WUTC's consumer affairs division at 1-800-562-6150.
------------------------------
From: Tad Cook <tad@aa.net>
Subject: Cuba Resumes Phone Service to USA
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 22:35:59 -0700
Cuba to resume direct phone links to United States
HAVANA (April 11, 2000 6:53 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) - Cuba
announced Tuesday it will soon resume direct telephone links with the
United States now that American companies have unfrozen $6.2 million
in payments.
Cuba's Communist Party daily Granma did not say exactly when the
direct links would be re-established by the Cuban phone company
Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A., or ETECSA. The move was
taken after a U.S. federal appeal court said relatives of three men
shot down by Cuban jets cannot claim the money.
The Cuban phone company stopped most direct service to the United
States a year ago, after the men's relatives sued Cuba for damages and
attempted to force the Cuban phone company to pay. The appeals court
ruled that ETECSA is not a legal stand-in for the Cuban government and
can't be fined in lieu of the government.
The payments have been frozen since December 1998, awaiting a final
ruling. Direct service was cut in February 1999.
Since then, calls between Cuba and the United States have been
rerouted largely through third countries, causing only minor
disruptions to service.
Two years ago, the families of three of four fliers killed on Feb. 24,
1996, won a $187 million judgment against Cuba and the Cuban Air
Force. The families were unable to collect because the State
Department objected and because President Clinton waived a new
anti-terrorism law allowing the families to be paid using blocked
Cuban funds.
U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King ruled that Clinton could not
waive the anti-terrorism law and awarded the families the $6.2
million. The largest payment was to have come from AT&T, more than
$4.1 million. MCI International Inc. faced the second largest payment,
about $1.05 million.
The federal appeals court in Atlanta reversed King's decision last
month.
Four members of the Miami-based group exile group Brothers to the
Rescue were searching for Cuban immigrants on rafts when Cuban MiGs
shot down two planes in the Florida Straits that separate Cuba and the
Florida Keys.
Three men -- Armando Alejandre, 45; and pilots Carlos Costa, 29, and
Mario de la Pena Jr., 24 -- were U.S. citizens, making their families
eligible to sue under U.S. law.
------------------------------
From: John Willkie <jmwillkie@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 22:05:48 -0700
Paul Rubin: phr@netcom.com wrote:
> In article <telecom20.60.2@telecom-digest.org>, Riklef Flor
> <rik.flor@abbott.com> wrote:
>> When I answer the phone and say "Hello" ... if I don't hear an
>> immediate response, I hang up. Invariably, it turns out to be a
>> predictive dialer hunting for an open line.
>> I've only been "wrong" once and that was my wife, who uses the same
>> trick.
> This isn't good. I often call people on my speaker phone. When and
> if they answer, I switch from the speaker to the handset, which causes
> a slight pause. My speaker phone doesn't have a microphone (except
> the one in the handset), so until I switch, the person can't hear me.
Actually, what isn't good Mr. Rubin, is your method of making telephone
calls. If you want to be considered a telemarketer (or an attorney)
continue to use your current method. I consider it arrogant.
When I'm trying to sell to the person using such tactics, I raise my
price by 20%. When they're trying to sell me, I will always "only
pay" 20% less than they'll go.
If you're going to bother someone with lifting up the handset on your
beck and call, you should at least be able to talk immediately, with
the hand set lifted.
John Willkie
jmwillkie@hotmail.com
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #65
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Apr 13 23:22:22 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id XAA04753;
Thu, 13 Apr 2000 23:22:22 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 23:22:22 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004140322.XAA04753@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #66
TELECOM Digest Thu, 13 Apr 2000 23:22:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 66
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Microwave Towers (Bart Z. Lederman)
Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (JAMac)
Re: DTMF Over TCP/IP (Vladimir Bilik)
Re: Protecting Ourselves ... Dialing Plan Configuration (Linc Madison)
Re: Protecting Ourselves ... Dialing Plan Configuration (Geoff Dyer)
Re: Rapidly Deteriorating Phone Service in the US (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman)
Re: Rapidly Deteriorating Phone Service in the US (Fred Goldstein)
German Message Received (sdavis@sprint-canada.com)
Re: DTMF Over TCP/IP (David Clayton)
Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Gary Shapiro)
Re: Digital Answering Machine With Quality Sound (shawn)
For Sale: Spirit 6 Button Sets (David Neal)
Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted (L. Winson)
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'.
TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.
Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
Post Office Box 259
Independence, KS 67301
Phone: 805-545-5115
Email: editor@telecom-digest.org
Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org
This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and
published continuously since then. Our archives are available for
your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/
mailing list on the internet in any category!
URL information: http://telecom-digest.org
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Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for
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* TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from *
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* 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. *
* http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com *
* Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing *
* views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. *
*************************************************************************
ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased.
Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription.
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
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. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA. We hold a trademark
on the phrase 'TELECOM Digest'.
In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert
has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and
enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order
telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has
been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very
inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request
a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com
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Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as
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is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars
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Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing
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All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages
should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: lederman@star.enet.dec.DISABLE-JUNK-EMAIL.com (Bart Z. Lederman)
Subject: Re: Microwave Towers
Date: 13 Apr 2000 16:21:22 GMT
Organization: Personal Opinions Only
Reply-To: lederman@eisner.decus.DISABLE-JUNK-EMAIL.org
In article <telecom20.63.5@telecom-digest.org>, J.F. Mezei
<jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca> writes:
> Is it fair to assume that microwave technology is "mature" and won't
> progress much more, or will there still be enough advances to allow
> Northwestel to upgrade its microwave network to keep up with
> increasing demand for bandwidth ?
Improvements in solid-state electronics that operate in this frequency
range means that you could build microwave transmitters with more
power and receivers that are more sensitive, so that the towers could
be spaced further apart. I expect that antennas / horns have improved
somewhat as well (easier to make more accurate reflector surfaces out
of more weather resistant materials for less cost).
Improvements in modulation techniques and digitization of all
signals (including voice) means that you might get more effective
communications bandwidth out of a given frequency band.
However, the demand for broadcast spectrum at all frequencies means
that there is increasing pressure to get everything off the air that
can be moved to something else. The telephone companies might well
find that the value of selling off their microwave frequency bands
would be worth much more than trying to squeeze more bandwitdh out of
their old microwave links: especially since the latter would require
replacing most of the hardware (except for the actual towers
themselves).
The way things are going, fiber optic cables now have much more
bandwidth than any single microwave link: and recent developments mean
that fiber optic bandwidth is going to continue to increase, sometimes
spectacularly. When you also take into account that a buried cable is
much more resistant to the weather than any above-ground link could
ever be, I doubt very much if it's worth upgrading a microwave link.
B. Z. Lederman Personal Opinions Only
Posting to a News group does NOT give anyone permission
to send me advertising by E-mail or put me on a mailing
list of any kind.
Please remove the "DISABLE-JUNK-EMAIL" if you have a
legitimate reason to E-mail a response to this post.
------------------------------
From: JAMac <dalexander@juno.com>
Subject: Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 12:06:42 -0600
I find someone calling me from a speakerphone very irritating. If you
don't want to set your recipient on a negative edge with you, I would
pick up the handset when calling. Or dial the number with the
speakerphone then pick up the handset before they answer your call.
Paul Rubin <phr@netcom.com> wrote in message
news:telecom20.64.5@telecom-digest.org:
> In article <telecom20.60.2@telecom-digest.org>, Riklef Flor
> <rik.flor@abbott.com> wrote:
>> I have another simple, free way of stopping telemarketers that I
>> haven't seen mentioned before.
>> It's a variation of the "Not Saying Hello" method.
>> When I answer the phone and say "Hello" ... if I don't hear an
>> immediate response, I hang up. Invariably, it turns out to be a
>> predictive dialer hunting for an open line.
>> I've only been "wrong" once and that was my wife, who uses the same
>> trick.
> This isn't good. I often call people on my speaker phone. When and
> if they answer, I switch from the speaker to the handset, which causes
> a slight pause. My speaker phone doesn't have a microphone (except
> the one in the handset), so until I switch, the person can't hear me.
------------------------------
From: Vladimir Bilik <bilik@stl.elf.stuba.sk>
Subject: Re: DTMF Over TCP/IP
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 20:34:47 +0200
Organization: Slovak University of Technology, Dept. of Telecommunications
Alex Saveliev wrote:
> Hello!
> Could anybody point out how DTMF signals are transported over TCP/IP
> network in IP telephony application? What we want is a computer
> calling someone in PSTN (say, by means of NetMeeting API ) via an IP
> telephony gateway (say, Dialogic based). The callee then generates
> tones, pressing buttons on his phone. How these short tones get to our
> computer over a packet network? Is there a standart for it? If there
> is, then should I use Netmeeting API, TAPI or something else to get
> these tones?
This function, sometimes called "DTMF relaying" (Cisco) is used in
some H.323 devices/softwares. H.323 device use H.245 control protocol,
which is capable detect and transfer DTMF signals of 0-9,* and #. I
don't know if NetMeeting has programmed-in this function.
Vladimir Bilik
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 03:31:07 -0700
From: Linc Madison <LincMad001@Telecom-Digest.zzn.com>
Subject: Re: Protecting Ourselves ... Dialing Plan Configuration
rhardin@my-deja.com wrote in Vol 20 # 62:
> Call Accounting System vendors, particularly those who specialize in
> hotels, such as Xeta Technologies (www.xeta.com -- 800-845-9145), try
> to keep up to date lists of offending exchanges as well as 8YY numbers
> that actually forward to 900 number, generating huge charges.
There are no 800/888/877 numbers that forward to 900 numbers
generating huge charges. Such things did happen, but they have all
been shut down because the practice is unambiguously illegal.
If dialing an 8YY number results in 900 charges on your bill, you can
refuse to pay the bill with complete impunity and file criminal
charges against the company that placed the charges on your bill.
It's called fraud. The old dodge of "press 1 to accept charges for
this call" has been squashed.
Linc Madison * San Francisco, California * Telecom-at-LincMad.com
<http://www.LincMad.com> North American Telephone Area Codes & Splits
------------------------------
From: gldyer-nospam@geocities.com (Geoff Dyer)
Subject: Re: Protecting Ourselves ... Dialing Plan Configuration
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 07:52:22 GMT
On Tue, 11 Apr 2000 13:07:36 -0700, Linc Madison
<LincMad001@Telecom-Digest.zzn.com> wrote:
> The issue of Carribean numbers having surcharges above and beyond the
> toll charge has never been substantiated, and is generally regarded as
> urban legend. The confusion likely arises because the regular toll
> charges to many of the islands are almost as high as 900 number
> charges -- over $1/minute in some cases, if you don't have any sort of
> international calling plan.
Same applies even from outside NANPA. Australia's no.2 telco, Optus,
charges pre-selected rates of 24c/m from Australia to either USA or
Canada, but calls to Caribbean or Pacific NANPA territories range from
40c/m (Puerto Rico) up to $1.50/m (British Virgin Is).
The possible trouble is that Australians and other non-NANPA residents
are even more likely to assume that a zone 1 number (without a
location given) will be in USA/ Canada.
> The good news is that the list of non-US, non-Canadian area codes is
> unlikely to grow much. Several of the codes are less than 1% filled.
Yep, of the 21 single-area-code territories outside the US proper and
Canada, the first to require another code would probably be PR (pop.
~4m.). It was using about one-third of 809 when it changed to 787.
Other populations over a million are:
Dominican Republic (~8m.)
Jamaica (~2.65m.)
Trinidad & Tobago (~1.1m.)
The remaining 17 territories *total* less than 2 million people,
ranging from Bahamas (~300,000) down.
Geoff
(to e-mail me, remove any instances of "-nospam" from my address)
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Rapidly Deteriorating Phone Service in the US
From: joel@exc.com (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman)
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 01:51:58 GMT
Organization: Road Runner
> Now the obligations for service are gone. And there is no
> one to complain too. Just lots of phone calls from sales people
> from these supposedly "competitive" companies. But the point
> is you don't know what fees they have for whom. They tell you
> what price they have for you. That is very far any "competitive"
> situation.
The bottom line is that the modern "competition" is nothing more than
the right to buy retale instead of wholesale.
Joel
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 11:50:12 -0400
From: Fred Goldstein <fgoldstein@wn.net>
Subject: Re: Rapidly Deteriorating Phone Service in the US
Pat wrote in response to Ronda:
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Ronda, we have gone through this so
> many times here, I guess one more time won't hurt. The decision to
> bust up the phone company (AT&T) in the early 1980's was made by a
> federal judge -- Judge Greene -- who one day lost ten cents in a
> payphone booth, went away angry feeling damned and detirminined to
> 'break up Bell' no matter what the cost, then proceeded to meet
> with his cronies in the Justice Department and let them know they
> would find a hospitable welcome in his courtroom. Some in Justice
> wanted to break up Bell also.
It's a cute story but not quite true. The Justice Dept. sued to
separate Western Electric from AT&T. It was settled in 1956 in the
Final Judgment (FJ), but reopened later. History and Lucent's stock
price indicates that it would have been good for AT&T and good for
Western (now called Lucent) to go their own ways, but AT&T management
was more interested in "having it all" than in maximizing value.
By the 1970s, the computer industry had grown up fast without AT&T
allowed to play, since AT&T/Western's FJ deal prohibited them from
selling computers to anybody but Bell System licensees (BOCs). Rather
than spin off Western, AT&T instead looked at their profit structure.
Noting that local service was always subsidized by LD, they decided to
spin off local service and keep Western. The Justice Dept. bought
into the deal and accepted it as a substitute for spinning off
Western. Thus came the Modified Final Judgement (MFJ).
Greene had oversight of the case. He accepted the BOC spinoff with
modifications. In the original wording, all "interexchange" traffic
would have had to go via LD carriers. Technically, that would have
included local calls from, oh, Overshoe to East Overshoe, or Chicago
to Skokie or Hackensack to Teaneck (which share a CO but are
technically different exchanges). This was modified to create,
instead, LATAs, giving the BOCs workable areas.
The overall industry restructuring worked very well. AT&T was turned
into a competitive-market player, with essentially no monopoly
services left once 800 was demonopolized. Even Western eventually
started turning out competitive products. Pre-divestiture Western was
a joke. I was a telecom manager in the 1970s and "Bell" PBX systems
were usually inferior to their "interconnect" counterparts, but by
1990 Western (then called AT&T Technologies) was generally viewed as
the high-quality player.
The RBOCs were created as the keepers of the essential monopoly
facilities. They were, in the 1980s, left with rate-of-return
regulation, and regulation was supposed to prevent abuses. But RBOC
managers wanted more. They wanted to enter LD, wanted to enter new
businesses, and wanted higher profit margins. So the deal, which
became the Telecom Act, was to demonopolize local telephone service in
exchange for letting the RBOCs have more freedom.
None of these companies was ever an eelymosynary (sp?) institution.
They always wanted profit. The old Bell System had a propaganda arm
that made lots of people think that they were really just provided
wonderful service at a low price because they liked to. Hell, there
might still be some North Koreans who think they have it better off
than their southern counterparts. These are businesses out for
profit, and always have been. Sometimes good service is profitable.
And sometimes telling people that their service is good is cheaper and
more profitable than improving it. After all, absent a competitor, who
knows?
Monopolies almost always have a hard time delivering good service at a
good price. European PTTs were usually even worse than Ye Olde Bell
System. Competition hones the mind, makes one strive to do better.
What problems exist in the US are more a result of imperfect
competition, old monopolies recalcitrant to deal with a changing
environment, and regulators who prefer to please vested interests (who
give them a job after the next administration replaces them) rather
than the public interest. Plus the laws, like the Telecom Act, are
intentionally vague, since that's how compromises get passed.
The benefits of local competition haven't reached everyone yet. Local
telephone service isn't simple to deliver. Setting up a CLEC (I help
companies do this for a living) takes time and money, much more than,
say, building a local ISP. And the ILECs have done everything
possible to slow the process down. But it will happen, and it will be
better for the public at large than a monopoly could have been.
------------------------------
From: sdavis@sprint-canada.com
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 09:33:03 -0400
Subject: German Message Received
M. Pfeifer wrote:
> Anrufbeantworter und Fax mit thermopapier)Eine Bedienungsanleitungwer.
> Hat solch eine oder Kann mir sagen Wo mann diese bekommen kannhabe
> schon im netz nach Olympia gesucht aber leider nicht weitergefunden"
Hi Pat,
M. Pfeifer is searching for the instruction manual for something
he/she calls a Quadrophone (Which sounds like a fax that uses thermal
paper and which contains an answering machine (the
"Anrufbeantworter")). They've already searched the Internet for
Olympia (I assume this is the manufacturer) but haven't had any luck,
and would like some help.
Of course, my German is rusty, but I'm pretty sure this is what they
want.
Scott
------------------------------
From: David Clayton <dcstar@acslink.aone.net.au>
Subject: Re: DTMF Over TCP/IP
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 19:06:30 +1000
Organization: Customer of Connect.com.au Pty. Ltd.
Reply-To: dcstar@acslink.aone.net.au
Alex Saveliev <chubais@mail.ru> contributed the following:
> Hello!
> Could anybody point out how DTMF signals are transported over TCP/IP
> network in IP telephony application? What we want is a computer
> calling someone in PSTN (say, by means of NetMeeting API ) via an IP
> telephony gateway (say, Dialogic based). The callee then generates
> tones, pressing buttons on his phone. How these short tones get to our
> computer over a packet network? Is there a standart for it? If there
> is, then should I use Netmeeting API, TAPI or something else to get
> these tones?
.....
"Voice over IP" is just audio converted to data packets at one end and
reconverted at the other end.
DTMF tones are also audio, so they are transported just the same as
voice.
Regards, David.
David Clayton, e-mail: dcstar@acslink.aone.net.au
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Dilbert's words of wisdom #18: Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.
------------------------------
From: Gary Shapiro <ecdanzarin@yahoo.com>
Subject: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Organization: Company Name Goes Here
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 08:39:22 GMT
The following message has been sent to the California Public Utilities
Commission (for all the good it will do):
Are LECs under any obligation to provide a reasonable facsimile of the
correct time on their time-of-day numbers?
Providing an approximate time would not be so bad, but the message
clearly implies that it is accurate: "At the tone..." Completely
misleading.
This might be considered unfair competition if there are for-a-fee
time sources out there who are accurate.
Today GTE time is 1 minute and 49 seconds slow. It's been inaccurate
by varying degrees for years, if not forever.
A few days ago I learned that the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit
District tells its drivers to use GTE time to synchronize their
watches.
Gary Shapiro <ecdanzarin@yahoo.com>, a "throwaway" address that
goes away shortly after the spam starts. If you wish to email me
and it no longer works, try garyes at-sign mail dot-like-thing com
------------------------------
Organization: http://www.remarq.com: The World's Usenet/Discussions Start Here
Subject: Re: Digital Answering Machine With Quality Sound
From: shawn <phonemanNOphSPAM@nantucket.net.invalid>
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 15:22:32 -0700
The Panasonic KX-TMC98-B is great; the best two line machine I've
seen in a long time!!!!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 19:45:14 -0500
From: David Neal <daveneal@swbell.net>
Subject: For Sale: Spirit Six Button Sets
Organization: SBC Internet Services
Upgraded to a different system last year and discovered I still have
12-15/ 6 Button Spirit System sets. Some ivory some black. If
Interested Contact:
daveneal@swbell.net
------------------------------
From: lwinson@bbs.cpcn.com (L. Winson)
Subject: Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted
Date: 13 Apr 2000 00:56:05 GMT
Organization: The PACSIBM SIG BBS
> I have found that the DeLorme map program, Street Atlas (the latest
> version available I believe is Version 7.0), is a great 'database' for
> precisely the "codes" you require. Dropping down the "Find" box allows
> entry of either code. The result is a precise map of the geographic
> area covered by that "code".
I have an earlier version of the DeLorme program, and while it does
index by both zip code and area code/exchange, it is by no means
"precise". Rather, it will give you the general area served by the
exchange.
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #66
**********************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Apr 14 17:51:21 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id RAA08801;
Fri, 14 Apr 2000 17:51:21 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 17:51:21 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004142151.RAA08801@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #67
TELECOM Digest Fri, 14 Apr 2000 17:51:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 67
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
4/13 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Re: Rapidly Deteriorating Phone Service in the US (Someone)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (MLS1955@aol.com)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Michael N. Marcus)
How Does 800 Service Work - Can Anyone Run Their Own? (Jest Ipher)
Re: Digital Answering Machine With Quality Sound (Mel Beckman)
Re: DTMF Over TCP/IP (Rick Ellis)
Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin? (J.T. Thompson)
Re: Privacy is Back in Web Surfers Hands! (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman)
Re: Rapidly Deteriorating Phone Service in the US (Ronda Hauben)
Re: Rapidly Deteriorating Phone Service in the US (Joel B. Levin)
Software Ignites Porn, Pirate Worries (Monty Solomon)
Overload Has AT&T Cellular Customers Losing Calls, Patience (Monty Solomon)
Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (Bob)
Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (Hudson Leighton)
Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (Mike Blake-Knox)
Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman)
Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (Andrew Green)
Re: Microwave Towers (Babu Mengelepouti)
Re: Microwave Towers (Charles Spitzer)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 4/13 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 23:11:38 -0400
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
Click Here to Subscribe to ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES
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(Registration is required. Names are not sold, rented or leased.)
*************************************************************************
ICB'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT ...
First come first serve - only if you're a trademark owner!
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1487
What's a little tariff revisionism among friends ...
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1470
"People have actually started using their phones. That has stressed
our system."
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1465
*************************************************************************
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ICB's ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution: currently,
-- Vapor-constituency: ICANN At Large Membership ...
-- SMS/800 system performance problems
-- delayed rollout of 866 and 855;
-- ICANN plans for Famous Marks and new Top Level Domains;
-- flaws in the Domain Dispute System.
see http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm.
*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR APRIL 13, 2000
P - SMS RESERVATION FIX: A NOVEL REMEDY
With 866/855 rollout pending this outcome: pay what to get what? and
what's the SMT got to say about it ...
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1470
F -AOL TO HOST TWO TOP-LEVEL DOMAIN SERVERS
The AOL sites were selected by Network Solutions because of the high
percentage of Internet traffic handled by AOL's network.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1481
F - MCLEOD USA ANNOUNCES NEW NAT DATA NETWORK TEAM
Toll free advanced services provider plans to become "the pre-eminent
provider of wholesale data services in the U.S.''
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1463
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*************************************************************************
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 APRIL 13, 2000
P - FROM FAMOUS MARKS, TO ALL MARKS
We are told that if this demand is met, the trademark lobby will concede
to allow one, perhaps two new chartered top level domains to be introduced.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1487
F - AT&T WIRELESS WOES
"People have actually started using their phones," Martin said.
"That has stressed our system."
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1465
F - DOMAIN NAME SERVICE (DNS) 101
Good technical overview - short and easy to read - to help put political
and commercial controversies in perspective.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1467
F - WHOAMI.COM ASKS WHERE AM I?
In a domain hijacking case, Solid Oak Software lost control over its
domain Saturday -- and still hadn't gotten it back Wednesday after
several days of interaction with registrar Network Solutions, who
responded, "There's a large amount of awareness that needs to take
place in securing your domain name by choosing the right level of security.
That's part of the problem."
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1469
*************************************************************************
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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 <<<<<<<<<<<<<
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 13, 2000
F - 1 800 HOME 123, 1800HOME123.com
... national home mortgage brands presented by Bob Vila ... creating
satisfied customers right along with double-digit growth rates.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1462
P - PREPAID INTERNET VIA PREPAID CARDS
They will be selling unlimited dial-up Internet access at up to 56K via
prepaid cards available in the following denominations -- 1 month for $20,
3 months for $50, 6 months for $80 and 1 year for $140. Each subscriber
will receive a CD and access to local dial-up phone numbers.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1464
P - DOMAIN HEALTH SURVEY
The Domain Health Survey provides information on the condition of
domain name systems on the Internet with the intention of making
Internet administrators more aware of the necessity of improving
the services that they provide for Internet users. Some aspects in
the survey are also meant to increase awareness of certain security
issues for companies with presence on the Internet.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1466
F - DELAYS IN DOT-CA PROCESS CRITICIZED
There is growing discontent with Canada's dot-ca system, including
the delays in reforms, and the current loopholes in the system.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1468
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*************************************************************************
That's a Great Name for a Web Site!
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------------------------------
From: Someone <someone@somewhere.com>
Subject: Re: Rapidly Deteriorating Phone Service in the US
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 16:59:36 -0700
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
Ronda Hauben <rh120@columbia.edu> wrote in message
news:telecom20.64.1@telecom-digest.org...
> Daniel Seyb (seybernetx@ameritech.net) wrote:
> Now it is only those with a commercial self interest that
> at least in the US, the government is interested in hearing from.
> Those with a commercial self interest are considered to be
> the "stakeholders" who have to be determining what happens.
> That is a reversal of the role of government.
> How does one change this?
By having some meaningful campaign finance reform. Under the current
system, our legislators are nothing more than paid shills for their
large "contributors."
------------------------------
From: MLS1955@aol.com
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 14:54:39 EDT
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Now, come on ... don't we, in the industry, have anything better to do
than measure the accuracy of a FREE time announcement? I hate to say
it, but after nearly 25 years in this business, I find your complaint
both anal and petty.
------------------------------
From: Michael N. Marcus <TheOffice@AbleComm.com>
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 05:55:11 -0700
> Today GTE time is 1 minute and 49 seconds slow. It's been inaccurate
> by varying degrees for years, if not forever.
> A few days ago I learned that the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit
> District tells its drivers to use GTE time to synchronize their
> watches.
In the early 1970s, I worked for Rolling Stone magazine in Manahttan. If
I stood on Madison Avenue, I could see giant clocks on both the Newsweek
Building and the IBM Building. They were often more than three minutes
apart.
I'm not sure which clock the NYC Transit authority bus drivers paid
attention to, if any.
Michael N. Marcus
AbleComm, Inc.
Panasonic phone systems & phones
www.ablecomm.com
------------------------------
From: jestipher@usa.net (Jest Ipher)
Subject: How Does 800 Service Work - Can Anyone Run Their Own?
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 08:04:32 GMT
Organization: @Home Network
Hi,
Lets say I own the number 800-123-4567, and I'm an ISP who gives this
number to our subscribers so they can call in when travelling - I get
billed somewhere on average of 5c/min to 12c/min if I order this
service from someone like ATT/MCI/Sprint right?
How is this call routed? Is there a database that all LECs/CLECs
lookup on to tell where to send this call?
The call does start with some local exchange and get routed to the
"operator" (ATT/MCI/Sprint) of that 800 number right?
If I had a local access number in every single area code in the
country AND if I wanted to save money - could I just get all calls to
my 800 number routed directly to me at the closest local number? ie
WITHOUT ATT/MCI/Sprint being the go between so I don't have to pay
them?
I understand that in most cases, folks have one phone that the 800
number is supposed to ring - so some LD carrier HAS to carry the call
over to that one phone - but if I had a number in every single area code
-- why do I need a LD carrier to be in between?
If I can't do this -- how does one go about running their own 800
service -- to the point where one could sell an 800 service to
individuals/businesses like ATT/Sprint/MCI does?
Phew - that was long. Thank you very much in advance.
Jest
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: In most cases, the 'LD carrier' you
reference is also the '800 carrier', assuming you get the service
from MCI, AT&T, Sprint or the other big carriers. What you may be
confused by is the 'termination fee' the carriers have to pay to
the local phone company, which would be payable even if *you* were
the carrier, as you suggest. It would not matter if you had one
national number for your customers to call, or one for each state
as you suggest. The local telco expects to get paid. The only way
to work around this is through the use of T-1 style lines, where the
carrier you choose sends all the 800 calls to *his* office in the
city where you are located, then from his office to yours, special
dedicated lines are strung, essentially cutting the local phone
company out of the loop entirely, *along with all the termination
fees you or the long distance carrier would otherwise be charging.*
Although T-1 lines can be expensive, termination fees can be a lot
more expensive. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 09:48:57 -0700
From: Mel Beckman <mel@becknet.com>
Subject: Re: Digital Answering Machine With Quality Sound
At 11:22 PM -0400 4/13/00, shawn wrote:
> The Panasonic KX-TMC98-B is great; the best two line machine I've
> seen in a long time!!!!
I actually had one of these, and then a friend showed me his Casio
PhoneMate Executive Series four-line, with integrated digital answering
machine, four-line caller ID, and built-in headset jack. The headset
isn't included, but a $25 Plantronics works great (the one with the
RJ headset connector).
This phone is stunning in its voice quality, first-rate speakerphone,
clean looks, and good human interface. The LCD, while not backlit, is
very very bright and easy to read from any angle. The voicemail
system is very powerful, with multiple mailboxes and passwords.My
fave feature is the headset button, which puts the headset online
with a single push -- no need for those clunky handset-lifty gizmos
sold by Hello Direct et al.
Other cool features: 12-station intercom, inter-station call transfer
capability (even transfers the caller ID info), all-station page (I
only have one station, but this might make me buy more), a fax/modem
port that lets your computer use any available line for outgoing
calls, and a stations-in-use map. Casio has put a lot of very
intelligent design into this thing. As a former PBX installer, I can
see that this system would easily displace low-end key systems.
Fry's has em for, I think, around $200.
-mel
------------------------------
From: ellis@ftel.net (Rick Ellis)
Subject: Re: DTMF Over TCP/IP
Date: 14 Apr 2000 15:34:54 GMT
Organization: Franklin interNet http://www.franklin.net
In article <telecom20.66.9@telecom-digest.org>,
David Clayton <dcstar@acslink.aone.net.au> wrote:
> "Voice over IP" is just audio converted to data packets at one end and
> reconverted at the other end.
> DTMF tones are also audio, so they are transported just the same as
> voice.
They would be if the compression methods used in most voip didn't
cause them to be so distorted.
http://www.fnet.net/~ellis/photo/
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 07:53:33 +0100
From: JT Thompson <jt.thompson@indigo.ie>
Subject: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin?
My cousin has my old 486 laptop, and she'd like to be able to get email.
We're in Ireland, by the way.
Does anyone know any site where I can download old internet software
for her? All I need, really, is a *small* FTP program that will work
under Windows 3.x. I have Trumpet Winsock. Once I have an FTP program
I'll be able to download Eudora for her.
I also need to know how to *uninstall* in Win3.1 - I tried installing
an old bundle of internet software from the mid-1990s, but the
combination of browsers and dialler and so on was fairly buggy. I'd
prefer to give my cousin a group of separate apps.
Various people have suggested putting on Windows 95, but the thing is,
she's a writer, she likes the speed of the computer at the moment, and
Windows 95 would slow it considerably. And no, she's not techie enough
for Linux. Win3.1 strains her technicality considerably <g>. The
laptop -- a Toshiba 2110, and a lovely old thing -- has a floppy drive,
but no CD-ROM drive.
Once I've found where to download various internet bits and pieces, I
think I'll put up a website with links to them. There must be other
people poor enough to need to use Win3.1 and 286/386/486 technology
all over the world, and it'd be handy to have a source of old
software.
Any help gratefully accepted. - JTT
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Privacy is Back in Web Surfers Hands!
From: joel@exc.com (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman)
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 12:49:54 GMT
Organization: Road Runner
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: As an alternate, you are free and
> encouraged to use http://telecom-digest/secret-surfer.html to do
> your surfing using a proxy server. You can also use the anonymous
> email writing facility there. Try it out and see what you think.
> Its free to Digest readers. PAT]
Just out of curiousity, I did try this out, looking at my own web
site, so I could see the logs. It did NOT hide my identity, nor did
it warn me. The logs show that my machine (which the secret-surfer
was supposed to hide) accessed the background image.
Joel
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I do not know what to tell you. It
has in the past worked for me. All the anonymous features are
maintained by the webmaster at Church of the Swimming Elephant,
with whom I think you should be in touch. *Thank you* for taking
the trouble to verify it first, as I suggested. See what
postmaster@cotse.com has to say about your evidence, and please
write back here to us. PAT]
------------------------------
From: rh120@columbia.edu (Ronda Hauben)
Subject: Re: Rapidly Deteriorating Phone Service in the US
Date: 14 Apr 2000 15:16:18 GMT
Organization: Columbia University
Reply-To: rh120@columbia.edu
satch@concentric.net (Satch) wrote:
> Allegedly rh120@columbia.edu (Ronda Hauben) said on 12 Apr 2000 in
> <telecom20.64.1@telecom-digest.org> the following:
>> But they were obligated to meet certain standards. And they were
>> obligated to maintain a high level of technology which led to
>> upgrades like the 5ESS switches and the development of UNIX.
>> The Bell system was regulated and Bell Labs was a research laboratory
>> maintained to meet the obligations of that regulation.
> You really need to read up on the story of Unix and how it came about. The
> story revolves around the needs of 21 or so lawyers to write documents, a
> PDP-7 computer that was in a storage closet, and a couple of people who had
> better things to do than write word processing software for said lawyers.
Interesting. I did some of the earliest research and writing about the
important events that made it possible for UNIX to be developed :-)
(And early drafts were posted on TELECOM Digest and are probably still
it its archives. Thanks Pat, for your help over a long period of time
in making this work available.)
See "Netizens: On the History and Impact of Usenet and the Internet"
published by the IEEE Computer Society Press, 1997, chapter 9 "On the
Early History and Impact of Unix: Tools to Build the Tools for the New
Millennium" Also chapter 6 of Netizens is relevant as well.
It isn't as you suggest that Unix popped out of the sky to help
21 lawyers write documents.
To the contrary. It was a significant development that built on
the lessons from the time-sharing research to develop the Compatible
Time Sharing System (CTSS) at MIT and then the work developing Multics.
For an important period of time, the Bell Labs researchers who
developed Unix were part of the collaborative effort of MIT, AT&T
and GE to develop Multics.
And Dennis Ritchie is quite clear when he describes how UNIX developed
to give credit to the experience of the Bell Labs researchers with
CTSS.
> Then go back and review the paperwork between AT&T and the FCC with
> regards to the Unix operating system. Note especially the irritation
> that the Commissioners had in trying to deal with this unintended
> product of the regulated monoply. Then look at why AT&T GAVE AWAY
> Version 7 to so many universities.
Again, it is different from what you suggest.
The development of UNIX made it possible for AT&T to carry out
its obligations to the public by being able to achieve programming
tasks involving millions of lines of code.
This is precisely why AT&T and Bell Labs were able to fulfill on
their obligation to provide a high class telephone system.
This is precisely what their obligation was under the FCC.
To see UNIX as a product is to miss the achievement of Bell Labs
and the need for such a laboratory to provide for the science
and technology that can provide universal access at low cost to
the people of the US.
> Don't get me wrong, I agree with your main point. Just remember, though,
> that Unix was not an upgrade. It was an accident.
Unix was by no means an accident. And it wasn't an upgrade either.
It was a significant scientific development that built on other
significant scientific developments.
And the regulation of AT&T at the time and the obligation it had
to maintain Bell Labs was the environment that made this possible.
Ronda
ronda@panix.com
Netizens: On the History and Impact
of Usenet and the Internet
http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/netbook
also in print edition ISBN 0-8186-7706-6
------------------------------
From: Joel B Levin <levinjb@gte.net>
Subject: Re: Rapidly Deteriorating Phone Service in the US
Organization: On the desert
Reply-To: levinjb@gte.net
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 05:10:15 GMT
In <telecom20.66.7@telecom-digest.org>, Fred Goldstein
<fgoldstein@wn.net> wrote:
> None of these companies was ever an eleemosynary (sp?) institution.
eleemosynary.
Great word.
"Etymology: Medieval Latin eleemosynarius, from Late Latin eleemosyna alms
-- more at ALMS
Date: circa 1616"
": of, relating to, or supported by charity "
Thanks to http://www.m-w.com/dictionary, Merriam-Webster's on-line lookup.
/JBL
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 01:41:45 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Software Ignites Porn, Pirate Worries
Gnutella offers a new kind of search tool for music fans, but
near-perfect anonymity raises other thorny issues
By Bob Sullivan
MSNBC
April 12
It could undermine the influence of every search engine and every Web
portal. It's the biggest thorn yet in the side of record companies
worried about the spread of pirated music on the Net. And it's the
easiest way yet to trade pornography, even illegal child porn, over
the Internet. For a piece of software that lived for less than 24
hours on its home page, Gnutella has created quite a stir.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/393962.asp?cp1=1
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 02:06:25 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Overload Has AT&T Cellular Customers Losing Calls, Patience
By Peter S. Goodman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 13, 2000; Page A01
Like millions of others, Jim O'Brien bought wireless service from ATT
with the not-unreasonable expectation that his phone would ring when
someone dialed his number, allowing him to then have a
conversation. Turns out, he was wrong.
In the three weeks since O'Brien, an oft-traveling Internet account
director, walked away from an ATT store in Washington with his new
phone, it has rung just a handful of times, though his fiancee has
tried him on hundreds of occasions, he said. Usually, she hears a
recorded message that all circuits are busy. Rarely does his voice
mail field the unsuccessful calls.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1206-2000Apr12.html
------------------------------
From: Bob <uctraing@ultranet.com>
Subject: Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 20:30:57 -0400
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
On Wed, 12 Apr 2000 22:05:48 -0700, John Willkie
<jmwillkie@hotmail.com> wrote:
> If you're going to bother someone with lifting up the handset on your
> beck and call, you should at least be able to talk immediately, with
> the hand set lifted.
I agree. There's nothing more irritating than talking to someone on
those half duplex, echo laden, byte dropping speaker phones.
bob
------------------------------
From: hudsonl@skypoint.com (Hudson Leighton)
Subject: Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 21:48:34 -0500
Organization: MRRP
In article <telecom20.65.6@telecom-digest.org>, John Willkie
<jmwillkie@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Paul Rubin: phr@netcom.com wrote:
>> In article <telecom20.60.2@telecom-digest.org>, Riklef Flor
>> <rik.flor@abbott.com> wrote:
>>> When I answer the phone and say "Hello" ... if I don't hear an
>>> immediate response, I hang up. Invariably, it turns out to be a
>>> predictive dialer hunting for an open line.
>>> I've only been "wrong" once and that was my wife, who uses the same
>>> trick.
>> This isn't good. I often call people on my speaker phone. When and
>> if they answer, I switch from the speaker to the handset, which causes
>> a slight pause. My speaker phone doesn't have a microphone (except
>> the one in the handset), so until I switch, the person can't hear me.
> Actually, what isn't good Mr. Rubin, is your method of making telephone
> calls. If you want to be considered a telemarketer (or an attorney)
> continue to use your current method. I consider it arrogant.
snip
> John Willkie
> jmwillkie@hotmail.com
I wouldn't call it arrogant, I would call it common sense, with most
phone calls dumping you into "Press 1 to be put on hold h*ell", it's
much easier to use a speakerphone, then it is to hold onto a handset
and try to get some work done.
I was ornery one day calling USWorst and camped on the line for about
six hours before they finally answered, did I do it with the earpiece
glued to my head? NO! I used my speakerphone with the volume turned up
so I could hear it anywhere in my office.
Hudson
http://www.skypoint.com/~hudsonl
------------------------------
From: Mike Blake-Knox <mikebk@intrex.net>
Subject: Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 08:19:05 EDT
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
Reply-To: mikebk@intrex.net
In article <telecom20.64.5@telecom-digest.org>, Paul Rubin wrote:
> This isn't good. I often call people on my speaker phone.
What do you think your colleagues feel about having to listen to your
dialing while you're dialing?
Mike Blake-Knox
SimpliCTI Software Solutions
(919) 858-8898 x103
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
From: joel@exc.com (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman)
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 12:36:03 GMT
Organization: Road Runner
> I find someone calling me from a speakerphone very irritating. If you
> don't want to set your recipient on a negative edge with you, I would
> [...]
>> This isn't good. I often call people on my speaker phone. When and
>> if they answer, I switch from the speaker to the handset, which causes
I'm astonished at the number of negative responses to this. Do people
really have so little else to worry about that the fraction of a
second it takes to switch from speakerphone to handset seems
important?
------------------------------
From: Andrew Green <acg@datalogics.com>
Subject: Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 09:33:13 -0500
> Paul Rubin <phr@netcom.com> writes:
>> This isn't good. I often call people on my speaker phone.
>> When and if they answer, I switch from the speaker to the
>> handset, which causes a slight pause. My speaker phone
>> doesn't have a microphone (except the one in the handset),
>> so until I switch, the person can't hear me.
[...]
> I find someone calling me from a speakerphone very
> irritating. If you don't want to set your recipient on a
> negative edge with you, I would pick up the handset when
> calling. Or dial the number with the speakerphone then
> pick up the handset before they answer your call.
At the risk of piling on the poor Mr. Rubin, I would add that his
switch from speaker to handset is more than just "a slight pause": in
my experience on the receiving end of several regular callers to me
who dial their calls this way, it causes a colossal *pop* and clatter
of plastic in my earpiece as the caller grabs for his handset; it's
far from the silent switchover Mr. Rubin believes he's doing.
I'm getting off-topic now, but I'm more annoyed by those people who
_always_ conduct their conversations by speakerphone. I had one
frequent caller who did this from his desk in a crowded office with
incessant background coworker chatter, and I have to believe his calls
were as irritating to them as they were to me. Fortunately he was a
friend of mine, not a customer, so I was able to cure him of the
problem, at least for my calls, by barking loudly over his speaker,
"DAVE, GET OFF YOUR LAZY BUTT AND PICK UP THE HANDSET!"
Andrew C. Green
Datalogics, Inc.
101 N. Wacker, Ste. 1800 http://www.datalogics.com
Chicago, IL 60606-7301
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 22:48:55 PDT
From: Babu Mengelepouti <dialtone@vcn.bc.ca>
Subject: Re: Microwave Towers
JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca> wrote:
> How is Alaska linked to the USA mainland? Are places just as Juneau
> linked by undersea fibre? Or do they also rely on microwaves?
My knowledge of the Juneau telecommunications network is a couple of
years old, but I doubt that much has changed in the interim.
There are two carriers in Juneau; one is GCI (http://www.gci.com) and
the other is AT&T Alascom. AT&T Alascom carries their traffic via
analogue microwave to Seattle, on a series of towers that traverses
the coast of British Columbia. GCI, meanwhile, bounces their calls
via satellite to Issaquah, Washington (about 20 miles east of Seattle,
for calls to the Lower 49) and to Anchorage (for calls to Alaska).
Alascom is the incumbent monopoly long distance carrier, and in
general offers higher quality service at a higher price. GCI
customers have to put up with an annoying satellite delay, but get
free Internet service and qualify for good prices on cable TV as well.
There has been talk for a long time about running a fiber spur from
the US-Japan fiber, which originates in Reedsport, Oregon, to
southeast Alaska. The link to Anchorage is a spur, so there is
precedent. However, the entire southeast Alaska region has a
population of barely 100,000 -- if that.
Aside from Juneau being the state capital, there isn't much to speak
of in the area, other than gorgeous scenery, excellent fishing, and
some forestry (local euphamism for "strip the mountains, don't bother
to replant, and process the trees in disgusting, polluting mills
behind which the remaining trees are dying). And a burgeoning
industry in ferries and Alaska Airlines (the monopoly air carrier
since Markair went out of business a few years back), since the only
way in or out of most of southeast Alaska is by boat or plane. With
so little economic incentive, I'd be very surprised if fiber were
brought into the area.
The local exchange carrier in Juneau is PTI Communications, based in
Vancouver, Washington. The last time I was in Juneau, they ran an
excellent, modern DMS100 -- I imagine that they still do. Their
outside plant extends as far as fifty miles from the central office,
using SLCs and other technologies, and the quality is generally very
high. They also have several post-pay, brown, Northern Telecom
payphones--which are post-pay and cost only ten cents per call (though
this may have changed). GTE Alaska has Wrangell and Petersburg, the
two neighboring cities (reachable only by plane or boat).
------------------------------
From: Charles Spitzer <charles_spitzer@nospam.stratus.com>
Subject: Re: Microwave Towers
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 09:51:40 -0700
Organization: Stratus Computer (DE) Inc, Maynard MA, USA
Yeah, but has a stealth backhoe ever cut a microwave link as seems to be
more and more common these days?
Regards,
Charlie
Phx, AZ
Bart Z. Lederman <lederman@star.enet.dec.DISABLE-JUNK-EMAIL.com> wrote
in message news:telecom20.66.1@telecom-digest.org:
> In article <telecom20.63.5@telecom-digest.org>, J.F. Mezei
> <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca> writes:
>> Is it fair to assume that microwave technology is "mature" and won't
>> progress much more, or will there still be enough advances to allow
>> Northwestel to upgrade its microwave network to keep up with
>> increasing demand for bandwidth ?
> Improvements in solid-state electronics that operate in this frequency
> range means that you could build microwave transmitters with more
> power and receivers that are more sensitive, so that the towers could
> be spaced further apart. I expect that antennas / horns have improved
> somewhat as well (easier to make more accurate reflector surfaces out
> of more weather resistant materials for less cost).
> Improvements in modulation techniques and digitization of all
> signals (including voice) means that you might get more effective
> communications bandwidth out of a given frequency band.
> However, the demand for broadcast spectrum at all frequencies means
> that there is increasing pressure to get everything off the air that
> can be moved to something else. The telephone companies might well
> find that the value of selling off their microwave frequency bands
> would be worth much more than trying to squeeze more bandwitdh out of
> their old microwave links: especially since the latter would require
> replacing most of the hardware (except for the actual towers
> themselves).
> The way things are going, fiber optic cables now have much more
> bandwidth than any single microwave link: and recent developments mean
> that fiber optic bandwidth is going to continue to increase, sometimes
> spectacularly. When you also take into account that a buried cable is
> much more resistant to the weather than any above-ground link could
> ever be, I doubt very much if it's worth upgrading a microwave link.
> B. Z. Lederman Personal Opinions Only
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #67
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Apr 14 23:47:30 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id XAA20092;
Fri, 14 Apr 2000 23:47:30 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 23:47:30 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004150347.XAA20092@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #68
TELECOM Digest Fri, 14 Apr 2000 23:46:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 68
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
4/14 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (Seymour Dupa)
Re: Digital Answering Machine With Quality Sound (Bob)
Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (John David Galt)
Re: Privacy is Back in Web Surfers Hands! (Joel B. Levin)
Cybersnooping Reaching Down to the Keystroke (Monty Solomon)
Re: DTMF Over TCP/IP (Steve Gaarder)
Bell Atlantic Interrupts Local ISP (Julian Thomas)
*#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (J.T. Thompson)
Getting Aquainted With Jack Whats-his-Name? (TELECOM Digest Editor)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 4/14 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 18:47:44 -0400
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
Click Here to Subscribe to ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES
http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm
(Registration is required. Names are not sold, rented or leased.)
*************************************************************************
THANK GOD ITS FRIDAY ...
We told you yesterday - here it is today - First Come First Serve - only if
you're a trademark owner!
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1490
The DNS is a telephone book. It maps names to numbers in precisely the
Same way. Why is it that we manage to publish telephone books without
difficulty? Why would we argue about adding a new telephone exchange
in an area code, become concerned that the possibility of a greater
number of telephone listings would provide more opportunities for
trademark infringement, and suggest that it would subject the
telephone book publishers to legal liability? Because they are
ridiculous assertions. SEE
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1489
"New top level domains" is the battle cry of registrars, small
business leaders, and most other constituencies of the
Internet. Indeed, it's the logical next step in the Internet's growth,
and it's long overdue. But "new top level domains at any price" is
the offer on the table, and the price is ceding control of the
Internet to the Trademark Lobby. SEE
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1492
*************************************************************************
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ICB's ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution: currently,
-- Vapor-constituency: ICANN At Large Membership ...
-- SMS/800 system performance problems
-- delayed rollout of 866 and 855;
-- ICANN plans for Famous Marks and new Top Level Domains;
-- flaws in the Domain Dispute System.
see http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm.
*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR APRIL 14, 2000
P - OFFICIAL TRADEMARK LOBBY DNS PROPOSAL
"The Sunrise Proposal Plus Twenty shall be incorporated into the rollout
of new top-level domains. During the Sunrise Period, owners of trademarks
and service marks (marks) will be able to register their marks as domain
names on a discounted, first-come-first-served basis in a new top-level
domain before that new domain is opened to the general public."
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1490
P - NEW TLD'S AT ANY PRICE
or, He Who Controls the DNS(tm), Controls the Internet(tm).
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1492
P - LAWYERS PRAISE NEW FCC BUREAU
The bureau recently imposed a $3 million fine on Bell Atlantic and detailed
compliance requirements for failing to process customers' requests to switch
their local phone service. It also required MCI WorldCom to substantiate
claims in its advertising, imposed $4.5 million in fines on four other
telephone companies for illegally switching customers' phone carriers
without their consent, and took the commission's first-ever enforcement
action against a company for sending unsolicited advertisements to fax
machines.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1494
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more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 14, 2000
F - DOT TM VS. DOT SMALL BUSINESS
John Berryhill is a noted trademark attorney who participated in
yesterday's roundtable hosted by the Small Business
Administration's Office of Advocacy. The topic: How the Trademark
Lobby's demand that trademarks be granted right of first refusal in
top level domains, would impact small business. Agree or disagree
politically, this editorial is a must-read for irrefutable facts of
law. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1489
F - BAN ON CELL PHONE ADS PROPOSED
Rep. Rush Holt, D-Pennington, said he is writing legislation to ban the
practice.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1497
F - WHERE WILL IT END?
A popular legislative proposal would outlaw the sale of registered domain
names ending in the ".it" national suffix and establish that entitlement
to a domain name lapse if the Web site were not active within 90 days of
registration. The new law also would extend its protection of the names of
Italian citizens to foreign jurisdictions, allowing Italians to take legal
action in Italy if their names were registered outside of the country.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1491
P - FCC ISSUES NEW SLAMMING ORDER
The Commission did not consider the industry-backed third party
administrator (TPA) proposal for addressing slamming complaints because
they felt it lacked consensus.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1493
*************************************************************************
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*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 14, 2000
F - HOUSE NIXES FCC AIRWAVES AUCTION
The legislation marked the first time in the agency's 65-year-history
that a chamber of Congress had stripped the Commission of its authority
to oversee a portion of the radio spectrum.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1488
F - DIAL A DASHBOARD
General Motors Corp. will offer phone service as a built-in option on
hundreds of thousands of cars and trucks by the end of the year --
complete with phone number.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1495
F - MOBILE PHONES DO LANGUAGE TRANSLATION
The Mobile Translator service allows users to tap in a text message in,
say, English - then tap in a language code - and receive a message back
with the word or phrase translated into another language in a matter of
seconds.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1496
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------------------------------
From: Seymour Dupa <grumpy@bigbird.en.com>
Subject: Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Organization: Exchange Network Services, Inc.
Date: 14 Apr 2000 23:23:18 GMT
In the old days, when a person missed a stagecoach,
they had to wait two or three days for another one.
Nowadays, people complain when they miss one section
of a revolving door.
John
Dr. Joel M. Hoffman <joel@exc.com> wrote:
> I'm astonished at the number of negative responses to this. Do people
> really have so little else to worry about that the fraction of a
> second it takes to switch from speakerphone to handset seems
> important?
If You Always Do the Things You've Done,
You'll Always Have the Things You Got.
------------------------------
From: Bob <uctraing@ultranet.com>
Subject: Re: Digital Answering Machine With Quality Sound
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 18:28:02 -0400
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
On Fri, 14 Apr 2000 09:48:57 -0700, Mel Beckman <mel@becknet.com>
wrote:
> At 11:22 PM -0400 4/13/00, shawn wrote:
>> The Panasonic KX-TMC98-B is great; the best two line machine I've
>> seen in a long time!!!!
> I actually had one of these, and then a friend showed me his Casio
> PhoneMate Executive Series
Will either or both of these answer at least two lines with separate
(ie., totally isolated) messages ?
Thanks,
bob
------------------------------
From: John_David_Galt@acm.org (John David Galt)
Subject: Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 18:08:40 -0700
Organization: Association for Computing Machinery
Bob wrote:
> I agree. There's nothing more irritating than talking to someone on
> those half duplex, echo laden, byte dropping speaker phones.
I can think of one thing: being in the next cubicle when some idiot
who needs ten minutes to pick up two voice-mail messages, does it on
his speaker phone. Anyone who installs speaker phones in a "cubicle
farm" should have his head examined.
John David Galt
------------------------------
From: Joel B Levin <levinjb@gte.net>
Subject: Re: Privacy is Back in Web Surfers Hands!
Organization: On the desert
Reply-To: levinjb@gte.net
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 01:24:15 GMT
In <telecom20.67.9@telecom-digest.org>, joel@exc.com (Dr. Joel
M. Hoffman) wrote:
> Just out of curiousity, I did try this out, looking at my own web
> site, so I could see the logs. It did NOT hide my identity, nor did
> it warn me. The logs show that my machine (which the secret-surfer
> was supposed to hide) accessed the background image.
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I do not know what to tell you. It
> has in the past worked for me. All the anonymous features are
> maintained by the webmaster at Church of the Swimming Elephant,
> with whom I think you should be in touch. *Thank you* for taking
> the trouble to verify it first, as I suggested. See what
> postmaster@cotse.com has to say about your evidence, and please
> write back here to us. PAT]
I just used it to look at a page I keep at work, where I also have
access to the logs. There was nothing at all referring to my client
-- only the cotse client showed up in the logs. The page has nothing
fancy -- text, a couple links and a couple small gifs and jpgs, and
the anonymizer worked just like it is supposed to. No guarantees
about what a more complicated set of stuff might have done, though.
/JBL
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The webmaster at COTSE warns that
it will work with HTML, and it will not necessarily work with Java
Scripts or anything that may redirect you on the sly. That is why
I recommended testing it with you own pages first before you get
into serious surfing. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 21:42:03 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Cybersnooping Reaching Down to the Keystroke
Posted at 10:53 a.m. PDT Thursday, April 13, 2000
Gannett News Service
One day, you're so mad at your boss, you stomp over to your computer
and fire off one of the nastiest memos in the history of the working
world. You call the supervisor every name in the book, and maybe even
make up a few.
Finally, after venting your anger and frustration, you delete the
entire thing. After all, you're mad, not an idiot. Sending that
message would certainly get you fired, and that's the last thing you
want.
But later you are called into the boss' office, and guess what? She
knows about the memo.
http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/085400.htm
------------------------------
From: Steve Gaarder <gaarder@ovid.actech.com>
Subject: Re: DTMF Over TCP/IP
Date: 14 Apr 2000 15:22:57 -0400
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
When you use the Quicknet Internet Phonejack with the "Voxilla"
application from the Open H323 project (http://www.openh323.org), the
software captures any DTMF and sends H.323 "user indications"
instead. Strangely, the software on the receiving end just diplays
these on the console, but it's a minor code change to get it to
translate them back to DTMF. Then it works very nicely.
A couple of very brief experiments with DTMF as audio over IP were
quite disappointing; the digits were not received reliably at all.
Steve Gaarder Network and Systems Administrator
gaarder@cmold.com C-MOLD, Ithaca, N.Y., USA
------------------------------
From: jata@aepiax.net (Julian Thomas)
Subject: Bell Atlantic Interrupts Local ISP
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 20:03:31 GMT
Abstracted from the Finger Lakes Times (Geneva, NY) Thu Apr 13:
Lynnet is a local ISP that lost service on Tuesday and was expected to
be back maybe today (Friday) - there is nothing in the Friday paper
but their web site is up.
Bell Atlantic "assumed Lynnet's circuit board was unoccupied and gave
it to another customer".
BA told the owner that they had not been able to reinstate the circuit
and did not provide an adequate explanation.
Julian Thomas: jt . epix @ net http://home.epix.net/~jt
remove letter a for email (or switch . and @)
In the beautiful Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York State!
Boardmember of POSSI.org - Phoenix OS/2 Society, Inc http://www.possi.org
WarpTech 2000: May 26-28 in Phoenix - plan NOW to attend! www.warptech.org
Definitions #740: Keyboard: Device used to enter errors into a computer.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 22:37:29 +0100
From: J.T. Thompson <jt.thompson@indigo.ie>
Subject: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
I got this today, and wonder if it's a hoax, since most things with any
"tell everyone you know" content are. Is it?
> TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE CELL PHONES
> This may be of interest to those who have a mobile phone. Check Your
> mobile phone serial number. To check your Mobile phone's serial
> number press key in the following digits on your phone:
> * # 0 6 #
> A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your
> handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. Should your phone gets
> stolen, You will first need to report the Phone stolen at the police
> station,
> then fill out a blacklisting request form and fax it to the network.
> Your handset can be blacklisted via this 15 digit number more commonly
> known as
> the IMEI number(International Mobile Equipment identity). Even if the
> thief
> changes the Sim card your phone will be totally useless. You probably
> won't get
> your phone back, but at least you'll know that whoever stole it can't
> use/sell it either.
> If everybody did this, there would be no point in stealing mobile phones.
> Send this to as many people as possible.
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I tried that on my cell phone and got
nowhere. Nothing happened. I think it is a hoax or urban legend. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 22:56:38 EDT
From: TELECOM Digest Editor <ptownson@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: Getting Aquainted With Jack Whats-his-Name?
Someone recently wrote me a note claiming regards telephones I
do not know 'Jack Schitt'. The note was anonymous, so I was not
able to respond in person.I'll have to respond here, since he
claims he reads the Digest every day, and has done so for many
years. For many years, I was at a loss for a response when
someone said "You don't know Jack Schitt about the topic (or
any other topics, for that matter." Today I want to reveal all
I know about Jack Schitt's lineage.
Jack is the only son of Awe Schitt, the fertilizer magnate who
married O. Shitt a partner of the firm of Kneedeep & Schitt, Inc.
In turn, Jack Schitt married Noe Schitt, and the deeply religious
couple produced six children: Holie Schitt, Fulla Schitt, Giva Schitt,
Bull Schitt, and the twins, Deap Schitt and Dip Schitt.
Against her parent's objections Deap Schitt married Dumb Schitt,
a grade school dropout. After being married for fifteen years,
Jack and Noe Schitt divorced.
Noe Schitt later married Mr. Sherlock, and because her kids were
living with them, she wanted to keep her previous name, so she
became known as Noe Schitt-Sherlock.
Dip Schitt married Loda Schitt and theyt had a very nervous son,
Chicken Schitt.
Fulla Schitt and Giva Schitt were inseparable throughout their
childhood and subsequently married the Happens brothers in a dual
ceremony. The wedding announcement in the newspaper announced the
Schitt-Happens wedding.
The Schitt-Happens children were Dawg, Byrd, and Hoarse. Bull
Schitt, the prodigal son, left home to tour the world. He
recently returned from Italy with his new bride, Piza Schitt.
So to the person who wrote me a note saying 'you don't know
Jack Schitt', you have to stand corrected. Not only do I know Jack,
I am aquainted with the entire family.
PAT
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #68
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Apr 15 22:10:23 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id WAA27949;
Sat, 15 Apr 2000 22:10:23 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 22:10:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004160210.WAA27949@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #69
TELECOM Digest Sat, 15 Apr 2000 22:10:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 69
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Michael S. Berlant)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Stanley Cline)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Darryl Smith)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Ari Wuolle)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (John R. Covert)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Scot E. Wilcoxon)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Peter R Cook)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Ed Ellers)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Tony Pelliccio)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Jordan Hazen)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Chris Lowe)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Richard D.G. Cox)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Marcus AAkesson)
Cell Phone Blacklists (Jonathan Edelson)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere
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It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated
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TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Michael S. Berlant <MBerlant@hotmail.NOSPAM.com>
Organization: None Apparent
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 06:58:53 GMT
This is only true for GSM phones, including GSM 1900 phones used in the
US. As many on the list know, GSM is the de facto cell phone system
everywhere in the world except here in the US (and Japan and Korea).
"J.T. Thompson" wrote:
> I got this today, and wonder if it's a hoax, since most things with any
> "tell everyone you know" content are. Is it?
>> TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE CELL PHONES
>> This may be of interest to those who have a mobile phone. Check Your
>> mobile phone serial number. To check your Mobile phone's serial
>> number press key in the following digits on your phone:
>> * # 0 6 #
>> A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your
>> handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. Should your phone gets
>> stolen, You will first need to report the Phone stolen at the police
>> station,
>> then fill out a blacklisting request form and fax it to the network.
>> Your handset can be blacklisted via this 15 digit number more commonly
>> known as
>> the IMEI number(International Mobile Equipment identity). Even if the
>> thief
>> changes the Sim card your phone will be totally useless. You probably
>> won't get
>> your phone back, but at least you'll know that whoever stole it can't
>> use/sell it either.
>> If everybody did this, there would be no point in stealing mobile phones.
>> Send this to as many people as possible.
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I tried that on my cell phone and got
> nowhere. Nothing happened. I think it is a hoax or urban legend. PAT]
------------------------------
From: Stanley Cline <sc1@roamer1.org>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 03:09:59 -0400
Organization: by area code and prefix (NPA-NXX)
Reply-To: sc1@roamer1.org
On Fri, 14 Apr 2000 22:37:29 +0100, J.T. Thompson
<jt.thompson@indigo.ie> wrote:
> I got this today, and wonder if it's a hoax, since most things with any
> "tell everyone you know" content are. Is it?
< snip>
>> * # 0 6 #
and PAT wrote:
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I tried that on my cell phone and got
> nowhere. Nothing happened. I think it is a hoax or urban legend. PAT]
*#06# works only on GSM phones. (In the US, that means phones used
with VoiceStream, Omnipoint, PacBell, Powertel, BellSouth DCS, etc.;
in Canada, that means phones used with Fido and the other companies
using Microcell's network), but has no effect on other types of phones
(AT&T, Sprint PCS, Verizon/BAM/AirTouch, non-DCS BellSouth Mobility,
any CellularOne company, etc.)
It is very true that some GSM carriers do blacklist stolen phones
based on IMEI (what *#06# reveals), but I'm not aware of any North
American GSM carriers that do so.
Stanley Cline -- sc1 at roamer1 dot org -- http://www.roamer1.org/
...
"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. There might
be a law against it by that time." -/usr/games/fortune
------------------------------
From: Darryl Smith <darryl@radio-active.net.au>
Subject: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 19:06:50 +1000
This is NOT a HOAX - MOSTLY.... My phone said...
'SERIAL NO 448898308628855'
It will only work with GSM phones. The thing is that this only tells you the
serial number of the phone, which the mobile phone operator already has
anyway since they recorded this information to connect to the network :-)...
Basically this number is no use, because the operators do not want to use
it. If you ring if you lost your phone, at least in OZ, they will just
cancel the SIM Card and let anyone still use the MOBILE? WHY?
a) Often they are making money on the A$6 insurance per month,
so it is not in their interests to recover the phone, with more money
b) if coming into the carrier.
c) If the phone is not under insurance, they have suckered the
user for another 1-2 year contract ...
But they do not tell their customers that the phone can still be used.
There is also not to my knowledge any INTERNATIONAL STOLEN PHONE
REGISTER. There is not even an AUSTRALIAN WIDE register where the
three AUSTRALIA WIDE mobile carriers exchange details.
I believe that the encryption is based on this number and some others,
meaning that the phone becomes basically useless if someone hacks this
number ... and besides, you cannot get calls hacking this number
... that is in the SIM card ...
To recap, this will only work on a GSM phone ...
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I tried that on my cell phone and got
> nowhere. Nothing happened. I think it is a hoax or urban legend. PAT]
Darryl Smith, VK2TDS POBox 169 Ingleburn NSW 2565 Australia
Mobile Number 0412 929 634 [+61 4 12 929 634 International]
Darryl@radio-active.net.au | www.radio-active.net.au for domain names
------------------------------
From: spta2h99w@nic.fi (Ari Wuolle)
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 10:10:45 GMT
Organization: Just me myself and I
On Fri, 14 Apr 2000 22:37:29 +0100, J.T. Thompson
<jt.thompson@indigo.ie> wrote:
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I tried that on my cell phone and got
> nowhere. Nothing happened. I think it is a hoax or urban legend. PAT]
Do you have a GSM1900 phone? *#06# is a standard code that will show
the IMEI-code on most GSM (900,1800,1900) phones. It should work with
any GSM phone, but I know that at least some older Motorola models do
not know *#06#.
I don't think that it will work on any non-GSM phones like AMPS, CDMA
or TACS. Certainly it won't work with NMT phones.
Besides writing down the IMEI code of GSM phone in order to get it
blacklisted in case of theft, it is a good idea to compare the code
shown by *#06# to the one printed in the phone (usually under the
battery).
If those two codes do not match, it is possible that the phone has
been stolen and the IMEI code (which is supposed to be unchangeable)
has been changed.
Here in Finland it happened with some stolen Nokia 2110s'. A batch of
stolen phones were tweaked to use a known good IMEI. However, one of
those resold phones got stolen again - and more than dozen phones
stopped working as the IMEI code that all of those phones used got
blacklisted.
Cheers,
Ari Wuolle
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 09:52:25 -0400
From: John R. Covert <nulldev@covert.org>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
J.T. Thompson sent the digest a mail about the GSM command *#06#, which
returns the IMEI of any GSM cellphone.
Pat replied: I tried that on my cell phone and got nowhere. Nothing
happened. I think it is a hoax or urban legend.
It works just fine on all of my GSM phones.
There is no hoax here. GSM systems have a serial number for both the
phone and the SIMcard, which are totally independent of each other.
If your phone is stolen, a thief could simply buy a prepay card and
go right on using it. For this reason, when a GSM phone is stolen,
you must invalidate BOTH the SIMcard and the phone.
Note that in the GSM system, your phone number is not stored anywhere
in the phone or the SIMcard (unless you deliberately stored it there).
This means that number changes are done at the switch, with nothing
needing to be done to your phone. It also means that if your phone
(or more importantly, the SIMcard) is stolen, you simply get a new
SIMcard activated on your old number, and the old SIMcard is forever
dead.
/john
------------------------------
From: Scot E. Wilcoxon <scot@wilcoxon.org>
Organization: self
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 10:27:16 -0500
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I tried that on my cell phone and got
> nowhere. Nothing happened. I think it is a hoax or urban legend. PAT]
The code to display the IMEI is different for various phones. But for
theft it's sufficient to just write down all the numbers on the phone:
take off the battery and photocopy the back of the phone (and the
battery) so you have the identification information for the police.
File it with your warranty and related papers.
The rest of the message makes sense, except that your current cellphone
provider knows the IMEI for your phone and when you tell them your phone
was stolen they will cut off the service. They can also give it to you
for your police report, if you didn't write it down.
Moreover, no "send this message to everyone" should be obeyed because it
floods mailboxes. This kind of information can be put on web pages
where people will find it, but don't broadcast it to everyone.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 10:53:29 +0100
From: Peter R Cook <PCook@wisty.demon.co.uk>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Organization: Personal
Pat,
Works just like the instructions on my Panasonic GD90 GSM here in the
UK. However the same number is on
The box the phone came in
The dealers invoice
The serial no panel on the phone
as you might expect.
Regards,
Peter R Cook
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Since I just use a 'regular' cell
phone, I just note the ESN of the phone on the back side of it,
then *promptly* notify the carrier to turn it off in the event
it is stolen or otherwise walks away. PAT]
------------------------------
From: Ed Ellers <ed_ellers@msn.com>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 14:23:09 -0400
Pat, the TELECOM Digest Editor, noted:
> I tried that on my cell phone and got nowhere. Nothing happened. I think it
> is a hoax or urban legend."
It does work on my GSM phone, and I've made a note of my IMEI for
future reference. Remember that North American cellular phones (other
than GSM) can be disabled by the carrier if reported stolen, but with
GSM -- which does authorization through the SIM card -- the phone
would still be usable with a different SIM. Presumably the IMEI would
allow the carrier to disable that stolen phone regardless of which SIM
card was put in it.
------------------------------
From: Tony Pelliccio <nogoddamnedspam.tonypo1@nofreakinspam.home.com>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Organization: Providence Network Partners
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 19:49:00 GMT
In article <telecom20.68.9@telecom-digest.org>, jt.thompson@indigo.ie
says...
> I got this today, and wonder if it's a hoax, since most things with any
> "tell everyone you know" content are. Is it?
It works on my Motorola Select 2000. It is GSM specific though, and
the IMEI is on a label inside the battery compartment on my phone.
Tony
------------------------------
From: jnh@aug.com (Jordan Hazen)
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 19:51:10 GMT
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
In article <telecom20.68.9@telecom-digest.org>, J.T. Thompson
<jt.thompson@indigo.ie> wrote:
> [...]
>> This may be of interest to those who have a mobile phone. Check Your
>> mobile phone serial number. To check your Mobile phone's serial
>> number press key in the following digits on your phone:
>> * # 0 6 #
>> A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your
>> handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. Should your phone gets
>> stolen, You will first need to report the Phone stolen at the police
>> station, then fill out a blacklisting request form and fax it to the
>> network.
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I tried that on my cell phone and got
> nowhere. Nothing happened. I think it is a hoax or urban legend. PAT]
It will only work with GSM phones, which aren't as common in the US as
the rest of the world. Here, only Omnipoint, Powertel, Aeriel, and a
few other regional carriers use GSM.
For other types of networks (CDMA, AMPS, digital AMPS) the Electronic
Serial Number (ESN) is used for similar purposes. It's often printed
on the phone somewhere-- under its battery, perhaps. Since there's no
removable SIM card, GSM's method for splitting the identity between
two numbers (IMEI on the phone, IMSI on the card) isn't necessary.
But in the case of a stolen phone, my experience has been that the
carriers ask only for the mobile phone number itself, plus salient
account details (subscriber's SSN#, etc.). They would have the ESN on
file already.
Jordan
------------------------------
From: Chris Lowe <clowe@ofda.net>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 12:16:47 -0600
Just did this on my Bosch world phone, and it does pull up the IMEI
number, and it matches the one printed on the back of the phone, right
below the serial number. Of course, this is a GSM phone, not an
American cell phone standard (which is an oxymoron, at best). Oh, and
I'm sitting in Mozambique right now, but that shouldn't matter ... <g>
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 11:33 +0100 (BST)
From: Richard@office.mandarin.com (Richard D.G. Cox)
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Reply-To: Richard@office.mandarin.com
J.T. Thompson <jt.thompson@indigo.ie> wrote in TELECOM Digest V20 #68
> I got this today, and wonder if it's a hoax, since most things
> with any "tell everyone you know" content are. Is it?
It's no hoax - but even so it's not completely correct. The bottom
line is that is it actually helpful and positive ... read on:
>> key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 #
This works on some GSM phones. It may work on other types: I have used
Nokia for some years, and it works on all the Nokia phones I have used.
>> A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to
>> your handset.
Correct (again, assuming your phone supports it. Obviously Pat's doesn't)
> Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. Should your phone get stolen,
> You will first need to report the Phone stolen at the police station,
> then fill out a blacklisting request form and fax it to the network.
Actually you shouldn't have to fax a form in - the network should act
on a phoned report assuming they have set up a "password"
authentication system so that they can be sure you are who you say you
are ... and your service provider *should* have full records of your
IMEI and other security data.
>> Your handset can be blacklisted via this 15 digit number more commonly
>> known as the IMEI number(International Mobile Equipment identity).
True ...
> Even if the thief changes the Sim card your phone will be totally
> useless.
It may be. It certainly will be useless on your own network, and it
*should* be useless on other GSM networks that support the blacklist
system ... but not all networks are as vigilant as they should be.
>> If everybody did this, there would be no point in stealing mobile
>> phones.
The incidence of thefts of digital (GSM) phones is lower than it was.
But there are still countries where such phones can be freely sold and
used - networks are in profit when they can collect call charges for
calls from handsets on which they have NOT had to pay out subsidies!
------------------------------
From: Marcus AAkesson <marcus.akesson@NO_SPAM_PLEASE_home.se>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 14:24:32 +0200
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology
On Fri, 14 Apr 2000 22:37:29 +0100, J.T. Thompson
<jt.thompson@indigo.ie> wrote:
> I got this today, and wonder if it's a hoax, since most things with any
> "tell everyone you know" content are. Is it?
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I tried that on my cell phone and got
> nowhere. Nothing happened. I think it is a hoax or urban legend. PAT]
Not at all. It is perfectly correct, but You don't have a SIM card
either, do you?
It only works on around 300 million GSM phones world-wide ;-).
All of them have an IMEI. Many, but not all operators exchange lists
of black-listed IMEIs.
If I pick up a phone and press *#06#, it answers: IMEI:
495512-XX-XXXXXX-4-02. 15+2 numbers.
http://www.cellular.co.za/ieminumbers.htm
http://home.swipnet.se/OsbyMikro/imeie.htm
http://www.smh.com.au/news/9906/07/text/business4.html
Marcus AAkesson marcus.akesson@NO_SPAM_PLEASE_home.se
Gothenburg Callsigns: SM6XFN & SB4779
Sweden
>>>>>> Keep the world clean - no HTML in news or mail ! <<<<<<
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: No, I do not have that kind of
phone; I have a regular cell phone, registered on the 'A' side
with Alltel, formerly Kansas Cellular. In most of the state of
Kansas, Kansas Cellular (Alltel) is the 'B' carrier, although
they have not ever been a landline telco. In the southeastern
corner of Kansas it is the 'A' carrier, while US Cellular is
the B carrier. When I was here in Independence about nine years
ago at the time my father died, Independence had no cellular
service at all. I had my Chicago-based Ameritech cell phone
here at the time, and normally there was 'no service' anywhere
in town. However, when I went to the second floor of my parent's
house, the phone switched to 'roaming' mode. Under those circum-
stances, I tries dialing 0 to reach the operator, to find out
where she was at. She said Tulsa, which is quite a distance
away. Now this time around, I see cell phones all over town.
This time around, I keep my phone set on 'home only' because
i I am not careful, I roam onto US Cellular's service which
also is an 'A' carrier in Missouri, which is only a few miles
east. (Although they are a B carrier opposite Kansas Cellular
here locally.) PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 09:01:43 -0400
From: Jonathan Edelson <winnie_pub@borealis.com>
Subject: Cell Phone Blacklists
>> Your handset can be blacklisted via this 15 digit number more commonly
>> known as
>> the IMEI number(International Mobile Equipment identity). Even if the
>> thief
>> changes the Sim card your phone will be totally useless.
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I tried that on my cell phone and got
> nowhere. Nothing happened. I think it is a hoax or urban legend. PAT]
At the very least, it would seem to apply to GSM phones, which are far more
common in Europe. Take note of 'changing the sim card'.
The idea of blacklisting the cell phone serial number is somewhat
useful; although in the US there were techniques to replace various
rom chips in phones so as to change their electronic serial number. A
phone would be stolen, taken to a suitably skilled individual, and
modified. This phone would then be used to make free calls for a
period of time, until the phone company fraud detection would kick in
and shut the phone off.
I don't know how applicable this information is to generic digital, pcs, or
gsm phones.
Jon
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: While we are on this topic, my current
cell phone is a Motorola flip phone, older model, where deep
programming is done by shorting a battery pin to ground, then pressing
(I think) '1#' and more. Does anyone know what to do to zero out
the three-times register that prevents number changes? PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #69
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Apr 15 23:20:05 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id XAA00799;
Sat, 15 Apr 2000 23:20:05 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 23:20:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004160320.XAA00799@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #70
TELECOM Digest Sat, 15 Apr 2000 23:20:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 70
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Auto Extension Disconnect (Shel)
Re: Panasonic KX-TA624 (Chris Walsh)
Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing (Chris Walsh)
Re: Boston Technologies Voice Mail (Chris Walsh)
Re: Tiny Tuvalu Cashes in on '.tv' Domains (Peter Corlett)
PacBell/SBC vs. Caller-ID Blocking (Linc Madison)
Re: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin? (The Old Bear)
Re: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin? (Dave Tweed)
Re: Bell Atlantic Interrupts Local ISP (Tony Pelliccio)
Huge Kid Porn Ring Busted (Monty Solomon)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Jay Hennigan)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Terry Kennedy)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Jeremy Greene)
Site Worth Checking Out (Carlos Podesta)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere
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It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated
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Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
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All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
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should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: (Shel)
Subject: Auto Extension Disconnect
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 00:14:00 GMT
Hello! Can anyone tell me if it is possible to bypass the auto
extension disconnect on an answering machine so if an extension phone
is picked up the machine will still record. No nefarious intent here,
just to many room mates not relaying phone messages verbaly when they
inadvertantly pick up a phone while the message is being recorded.
Thank you
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Ordinarily an answering machine will
continue to record whatever it hears while it is offhook, which it
would be if it picked up a ringing line and had not otherwise timed-
out. Set it to answer on the first ring so it will pick up calls
immediatly, and set it to stay off hook as long as possible. PAT]
------------------------------
From: Chris Walsh <csil@flash.net>
Subject: Re: Panasonic KX-TA624
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 01:23:23 GMT
Organization: FlashNet Communications, http://www.flash.net
Rob,
I sold and serviced Panasonic systems for the last 14 years, (sold the
company last year), so, yes I think I can help you out quite a
bit. You can call me at 877-532-7616, or if you'd like, you can visit
my website at tellearn.com. I don't sell phone systems, call me and
I'll help where I can.
Chris Walsh
tellearn.com
1-877-532-7616
<rclark_bicton@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:telecom20.45.7@telecom-digest.org...
> I am thinking of buying one of these for home use.
> Anybody have an opinion?
> Rob
------------------------------
From: Chris Walsh <csil@flash.net>
Subject: Re: Tone Phones Not Dialing
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 01:30:03 GMT
Organization: FlashNet Communications, http://www.flash.net
Hello,
I believe as well that the problem lies in the polarity of the
telephone line, and for whatever reason it has been reversed. Some
older phones are polarity sensitive and will not break dial-tone if
the wires are reversed. How do you know? Take one of your jacks apart
and switch the two wires that connect to the "red" and "green" wires
of the jack itself.
I'd really be surprised if that isn't whats wrong.
I teach folks how to purchase and maintain business telephone systems via
video course and live seminars. If I can in any way be of more assistance,
please call me.
Chris Walsh
tellearn.com
1-877-532-7616
Robert McDonald <r-mcdonald@nwu.edu> wrote in message
news:telecom20.52.2@telecom-digest.org...
> This is a question about POTS. All of a sudden, three identical vintage
> 1983 touchtone telephones have stopped working properly at one
> house. They work fine at other houses, and other phones work fine at
> this house.
> The problem is that several weeks ago the phones stopped dialing,
> after years of working correctly. There is a dial tone, but when you
> press a number nothing happens and you still have the dial tone when
> you release the number. This happens on three phones and not on more
> recent phones. It seems quite unlikely to me that three phones would
> suffer identical simultaneous failures, so my hypothesis is that
> something has changed on the telco end. However, as you might guess,
> the phone company (Bell Atlantic) is no help, saying that as long as
> any phones work, they don't consider it a problem.
> My question is: what could be making this happen? Where do I begin to
> look for an answer? Many thanks in advance.
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: What may have happened is the phone
> company quit providing touch tone service to the lines. They usually
> do not do that, but if it comes to their attention that tone dial
> phones are being used in a case where the fee for same is not being
> paid, they reserve the right to remove the gizmo which listens to
> and detects the tone dialing. Does the line still work correctly
> with rotary dialing? PAT]
------------------------------
From: Chris Walsh <csil@flash.net>
Subject: Re: Boston Technologies Voice Mail
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 01:34:22 GMT
Organization: FlashNet Communications, http://www.flash.net
Hello,
Don't send it Packing yet!
If there are Dialogic cards in it, ( and I suspect there are) you
should be able to make some money by selling them. The system itself
won't really be worth much, but I think you do ok by contacting
someone from Telecom Gear about the dialogic boards.
I teach business people how to purchase and maintain phone and
voicemail systems. If I can be of more assistance please contact me.
Chris Walsh
tellearn.com
1-877-532-7616
<glqs@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:telecom20.50.8@telecom-digest.org:
> I have some very old Boston Technologies Voice Mail equipment. This
> stuff was made in 1991 and consists of several hundred modems, storage
> devices, cabinets, control equipment,large UPS system, etc. This system
> was fully functional until about 18 months ago when it was turned off.
> Specs available on request.
> I am trying to determine if there is a market for this or if it is just
> dumpster bait.
------------------------------
From: abuse@cabal.org.uk (Peter Corlett)
Subject: Re: Tiny Tuvalu Cashes in on '.tv' Domains
Date: 15 Apr 2000 14:29:43 GMT
Organization: None
Fred Atkinson <fatkinson@mishmash.com> wrote:
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I have not been offered five cents for all
> my domain names put together. The only exception was topica, which offered
> me a dollar for each name on my mailing list, which I turned down. PAT]
Despite org.uk apparently being a backwater name that isn't terribly
popular in the current registration frenzy, it happens to suit me
perfectly. The choice of "cabal" is an in-joke, but otherwise not
terribly important. In fact, I've got a domain name merely to identify
an autonomous system of computers.
What's more interesting is that a company was after a domain name
containing "cabal", and for some reason, my boss was involved in the
deal. He used our inhouse tool to search for the branding (it's made
available to the public at http://www.ferret.uk.com if you really
care) and spotted I'd got the .org.uk. I was asked to part with the
name, but I stood my ground, setting a price of 75k that I know they
wouldn't pay. They paid 37 to register a different name instead.
The real value? Probably about 500, to cover my time and the hassle of
changing everything. It's a seller's market, after all.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 11:49:40 -0700
From: Linc Madison <LincMad001@Telecom-Digest.zzn.com>
Subject: PacBell/SBC vs. Caller-ID Blocking
Like the vast majority (an estimated 80%) of California residents, I
opted for "complete blocking" of Caller ID from my residential phone
lines. That is, my caller ID is sent as "anonymous" unless I
specifically override on a per-call basis and send my ID by prefixing
the call with *82.
Even before SBC took over Pacific Bell, PacBell was a bit more
vigorous than the law allowed in encouraging customers to opt for
Selective Blocking (pass the ID by default, unless the user blocks on
a per-call basis with *67). SBC, though, is almost rabid in its
opposition to Complete Blocking. Both entities have been slapped
several times by the CPUC for excesses in trying to persuade
customers to choose Selective Blocking.
I recently had DSL installed and thus no longer need the second phone
line for the modem. I called Pacific Bell to turn off the modem line,
but got a little extra surprise when I opened the order confirmation:
REMOVE 415-(disconnect) [etc.]
ADD 415-(remaining) 1 Blocking Option: Selective
It gets stranger, though. The above seems quite clearly to indicate
that my default option has been changed from "Complete" to "Selective"
on the line that remains, but in fact it is still blocked by default.
Hmmm.
The irony is that I have been getting close to the point of switching
over the default option, as the cases where I prefix *82 for friends
and relatives with caller ID, now outnumber the cases where I want to
be anonymous. However, I still want to be the one to make that
decision.
Linc Madison * San Francisco, California * Telecom-at-LincMad.com
<http://www.LincMad.com> North American Telephone Area Codes & Splits
------------------------------
From: oldbear@arctos.com (The Old Bear)
Subject: Re: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin?
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 14:54:10 -0500
Organization: The Arctos Group - http://www.arctos.com/arctos
JT Thompson <jt.thompson@indigo.ie> writes:
> My cousin has my old 486 laptop, and she'd like to be able to get email.
> We're in Ireland, by the way.
> Does anyone know any site where I can download old internet software
> for her? All I need, really, is a *small* FTP program that will work
> under Windows 3.x. I have Trumpet Winsock. Once I have an FTP program
> I'll be able to download Eudora for her.
I have an old CICA archive on CDROM (1995) which includes:
FTP4W.ZIP 40,177 11-15-94
WS-FTP.ZIP 113,400 10-19-94
Both of these are 16-bit programs which should run fine under
Win3x with Trupet Winsock's TCP/IP.
I can e-mail these as attached files if that would work for
you. Let me know.
Uninstalls under Windows 3.x are often messy, with stray DLL library
files and conflicting versions of various program fragments. If you
can't just carefully delete obviously unwanted files, your alternative
is to back up the personal data files (like MS-Word doc files, txt
files, etc.), reformat and reinstall Win 3.x from the ground up.
My suggested "internet suite" for Windows 3.x would be installed
over Windows for Workgroups (the most stable flavor of Win 3.x) and
would include: 16-bit Netscape, WS-FTP, Eudora, Trumpet Newsreader
(my favorite orphaned program), any of several telnet programs
such as WinQVT or EWAN, all running over Trumpet Winsock 2.0b.
The alternative is to install the complete internet suite called
"Chameleon" which was sold by NetManage and included clients for
all popular internet applications plus a proprietary winsock and
dialler. You might find one of these packages in old stock in
some computer dealer's closeout bin or from an individual through
eBay or one of the buy-and-sell sites.
------------------------------
From: Dave Tweed <dtweed@acm.org>
Subject: Re: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin?
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 14:03:52 -0400
Organization: almost none
Reply-To: dtweed@acm.org
JT Thompson wrote:
> My cousin has my old 486 laptop, and she'd like to be able to get email.
> We're in Ireland, by the way.
> Does anyone know any site where I can download old internet software
> for her? All I need, really, is a *small* FTP program that will work
> under Windows 3.x. I have Trumpet Winsock. Once I have an FTP program
> I'll be able to download Eudora for her.
The set of tools I got from Ultranet when I set up my account has
worked well on my Win3.1 machine: Trumpet Winsock, Eurdora Lite
(email) and WS_FTP (FTP). You can download these programs from their
support page at http://www.ultranet.com/download/toolkit.shtml (look
down at the bottom for the Win3.1 stuff), but unfortunately, they've
glommed them altogether with a bunch of other stuff into one big 8 MB
file. You can probably find these tools unbundled via a short web
search; try places like http://www.tucows.com .
> I also need to know how to *uninstall* in Win3.1 - I tried installing
> an old bundle of internet software from the mid-1990s, but the
> combination of browsers and dialler and so on was fairly buggy.
Unless they supplied an uninstall utility with the package, you're
pretty much stuck with manually tracking down the files and deleting
them, then deleting the associated icons and/or windows in the Program
Manager. You might also need to poke around in autoexec.bat, win.ini
and/or system.ini to see if anything got put in there that needs to be
removed.
Dave
------------------------------
From: Tony Pelliccio <nogoddamnedspam.tonypo1@nofreakinspam.home.com>
Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic Interrupts Local ISP
Organization: Providence Network Partners
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 19:47:29 GMT
In article <telecom20.68.8@telecom-digest.org>, jata@aepiax.net says...
> Abstracted from the Finger Lakes Times (Geneva, NY) Thu Apr 13:
> Lynnet is a local ISP that lost service on Tuesday and was expected to
> be back maybe today (Friday) - there is nothing in the Friday paper
> but their web site is up.
> Bell Atlantic "assumed Lynnet's circuit board was unoccupied and gave
> it to another customer".
> BA told the owner that they had not been able to reinstate the circuit
> and did not provide an adequate explanation.
They'll never provide any explanation, at least not publicly.
A couple of years ago they kept stealing my ISDN pair. That doesn't
happen since I dumped BA as our local carrier and had Brooks (Now
MCI/Worldcom) draw in a T1 to handle all our voice needs.
I don't think the folks at Bell Atlantic got what they expected when
they absorbed Nynex. The folks at Nynex and New England Telephone
before that made so many mistakes and didn't maintain so much of the
outside plant that I suspect BA is paying big bucks to rectify it.
NET and NYNEX had the goal of replacing all the switching systems in
RI to DMS and 5ESS systems while the outside plant was oxidizing and
rotting away.
I can no longer count the number of pairs I've blown through for voice
service at my various residences in the Providence metro area. Some of
that plant isn't even adequate for voice but it'll be a cold day in
hell before they string any more copper. Instead they'll probably put
fiber in, all the better.
When the geniuses at NYNEX (Now BA) finally got all the digital
switches in place they then started running the SLC's back into
channel banks at the CO's and then feeding the channels into analog
ports. I suspect this had more to do with the way those SLC's tied
into the older #1A ESS, #5Xbar and SxS switches. When they installed
the digital switches they just moved everything over without reviewing
what was what.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 15:46:59 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Huge Kid Porn Ring Busted
by Lynn Burke
3:15 p.m. Apr. 14, 2000 PDT
Underneath a monstrous heap of electronic kiddie porn, federal
prosecutors have uncovered a suburban Texas couple, three foreign
webmasters, and thousands of customers worldwide who left behind a
trail of credit card charges totaling $1 million.
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,35684,00.html
------------------------------
From: jay@west.net (Jay Hennigan)
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Organization: Disgruntled Postal Workers Against Gun Control
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 19:20:00 GMT
On Thu, 13 Apr 2000 08:39:22 GMT, Gary Shapiro <ecdanzarin@yahoo.com>
wrote:
> The following message has been sent to the California Public Utilities
> Commission (for all the good it will do):
> Are LECs under any obligation to provide a reasonable facsimile of the
> correct time on their time-of-day numbers?
> Providing an approximate time would not be so bad, but the message
> clearly implies that it is accurate: "At the tone..." Completely
> misleading.
They say, "At the tone, GTE time will be..." Any similarity between
GTE time and the time measured against any reasonable standard is
strictly coincidental.
> This might be considered unfair competition if there are for-a-fee
> time sources out there who are accurate.
This isn't necessarily the issue. Are GTE's toll time-of-day discounts
also synchronized to the same erroneous time source?
If so, then those using an accurate clock to time the placing of calls
are potentially being cheated.
If not, then those using GTE's time source are potentially being cheated.
> Today GTE time is 1 minute and 49 seconds slow. It's been inaccurate
> by varying degrees for years, if not forever.
Mona was worse, before she got disconnected. Often three or four minutes
off. Remember Mona?
With GPS or NTP, accuracy to within a small percentage of a second is
trivially accomplished.
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
------------------------------
From: Terry Kennedy <terry@gate.tmk.com>
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Organization: St. Peter's College, US
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 07:26:19 GMT
MLS1955@aol.com writes:
> Now, come on ... don't we, in the industry, have anything better to do
> than measure the accuracy of a FREE time announcement? I hate to say
> it, but after nearly 25 years in this business, I find your complaint
> both anal and petty.
These days, it is trivial to get a highly-accurate time source -
either a PC running a free Unix system w/ NTP (and you don't even need
a private clock source - you can use one of the freely-available
ones), or you can set up a tiny GPS receiver. And I'm seeing more and
more carriers putting precision timing sources (not always with
clocks, but they can take a clock module) in their equipment rooms -
in the same room as my colocation with MFS, there's a new Datum Cesium
beam reference clock *and* a Datum GPS clock with dual rubidium
backup.
All that's left is to have a way to have the time spoken - and that
hardware is already in place for the existing mass announcement
system.
Oh, and where is the time call a completely free service? NYC
charges for it, and even if somewhere it's only billed as a local
call, it should still be a profit center for the telco.
Terry Kennedy http://www.tmk.com
terry@tmk.com Jersey City, NJ USA
------------------------------
From: Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 04:53:36 -0400
<MLS1955@aol.com> wrote in message news:telecom20.67.3@telecom-digest.org:
> Now, come on ... don't we, in the industry, have anything better to do
> than measure the accuracy of a FREE time announcement? I hate to say
> it, but after nearly 25 years in this business, I find your complaint
> both anal and petty.
I don't. Libertarian objections aside, there is one official source of
time and it is an atomic clock run by the US government which sits in
an underground bunker somewhere in the middle of the country. If I can
sync the clock on my $500 home PC to an atomic clock with a piece of
free software, why can't GTE do the same? Anyone who publishes the
time should take reasonable care to ensure that it is
correct ... _especially_ if the telco is giving it the nearest second!
In high school science I was taught that you do not report
measurements to the nearest millimeter when your margin of error is
+/- 5cm. Same case here.
When I ran MIS for a small company a few years ago, I set all the
clocks in the office every week. They were never more than a few
seconds off. Why have we invented such accurate timepieces if we don't
care what time it is? For some, it is vitally important. A farmer can
work by the rising and setting of the sun, but in order to make a
simple phone call to his neighbor in the next town over, the endpoints
of the T1s connecting both towns' phone switches must be synced to the
same clock... otherwise it just won't work. (Okay that was a cheesy
tie-in, hopefully it was vaguely accurate.)
Finally: the telco time announcement may be free, but in some cities
it takes up an entire NXX: example Boston- dial 617-637-XXXX for time
(usually accurate within 20 seconds). If they're going to waste an
entire NXX for the time, it had better be the correct time. And
sometimes it isn't free; I think if you dial 976-TIME here, you can
get it for a price. (Whoever said time is money was right.) Is GTE's
service a 976 number? If so, I'd ask for my money back. :-)
------------------------------
From: Carlos Podesta <carlospodesta@infovia.com.ar>
Subject: Site Worth Checking Out
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 20:11:57 -0300
Mr.Townson:
Very nice your site and very important. Please, visit my website
PODESTA TELEPHONIC ART: = www.carlospodesta.com.ar
Best regards,
Carlos Podesta
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #70
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Apr 16 18:32:23 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id SAA00879;
Sun, 16 Apr 2000 18:32:23 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 18:32:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004162232.SAA00879@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #71
TELECOM Digest Sun, 16 Apr 2000 18:32:51 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 71
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (georgep_on_ca@my-deja.com)
Kansas Getting Area Code Split (TELECOM Digest Editor)
Web Security, Privacy, and the Big Lie (Monty Solomon)
Re: Caller ID 000-000-0000? (Terry Knab)
Telephone System Basics Seminars and Video Courses (Chris Walsh)
Panasonic TD-308 Manual (avinor@my-deja.com)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Ed Ellers)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Marcus Aakesson)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Heywood Jaiblomi)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Steve Sobol)
Re: Auto Extension Disconnect (Linc Madison)
Odd Privacy Ratings Exposed (Monty Solomon)
NYS Internet Porn Law Upheld (Monty Solomon)
Need Help With Antique Phone (Roy Smith)
Cellular Phone Fraud (Kyle Spells)
Mitel Imagination (Christopher Sutton)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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From: georgep_on_ca@my-deja.com
Subject: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 13:53:21 GMT
Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
The NANP http://www.nanpa.com/ is running out of area codes. The CNAC
http://www.cnac.ca/ says it may run out by 2007 using industry notes.
It outlines recommendations for Canada when this does occur!!!
The Canadian Numbering Administrator http://www.cnac.ca/ has recommended
to the Canadian Radio And Telecommunications Commission
(CRTC) http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ (an agency of The Government of Canada
http://www.gc.ca/) That Canada should get its own country code
In it's recommendation its says that ten-digit dialing would be enough
for Canada and that the mess that would occur with expanding the NANPA
would not benefit Canada. In summmary it recommends that Canada
adapts it's own country code, following International Telephone Union
http://www.itu.int/ rules for new codes Canada would get a new code
under the 100 country code. The rest of The NANPA would stay the
same. Calls from the USA to Canada would be dialed as
011-100-416-555-1212 Calls from Canada to the USA would be dialed as
011-1-2x12-5x55-1212 (or what ever expand thing the USA uses.) Calls
from other countries to Canada would be dialed as 00-100-416-555-1212
(calls overlay or split) and 11-digit for all long distance calls.
Check out these document filled with The CRTC at
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/Notices/2000/PT2000-52.htm
and http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/Notices/2000/PT2000-52-1.htm
As well as these pages
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ENG/public/2000/8621/Pn52/C12-02.htm
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 17:11:53 EDT
From: TELECOM Digest Editor <ptownson@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: Kansas Getting Area Code Split
A notice in the {Independence Reporter}, Sunday, April 16, 2000:
The Kansas Corporation Commission has established a public comment
period concerning the need to add a new area code within the
geographic area served by the 316 area code. The KCC is interested
in receiving comments on which of two relief plans you prefer,
and if the geographic plan is selected, which geographic area
should recieve the new area code. The KCC has been notified by
the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) that the
316 area code will run out of available numbers by July, 2002, based
on the current rate telephone numbers are assigned. NANPA, on
behalf of Southwestern Bell Telephone Company and other carriers
in Kansas has submitted a recommendation to the KCC which includes
two different models, or plans: a geographic split and an overlay
plan.
Under the geographical split model, the area served by 316 area
would be split into two areas: the Wichita Metropolitan local
calling area, and the remaining area served by the 316 area code.
The 316 area code would be retained in one of the geographic
areas, and a new code assigned to the other area. Seven-digit
dialing for local calls is maintained is a plan like this. Based
on current projections, this plan would provide relief in the
Wichita Metropolitan local calling area for six years, and 24
years in the balance of the current 316 area code.
Under the overlay plan, which is popular in some areas of the country,
all current customers of 316 would keep 316. When all possible 316
numbers have been assigned, new customers would be assigned to the new
area code. With an overlay plan, customers do not need to change their
area code, however, for technical reasons it is required that
ten-digit dialing be used ON ALL CALLS, EVEN THOSE IN A NEARBY
COMMUNITY OR THE SAME COMMUNITY. Based on current projection, this
plan would provice relief for ten years for the geographic area
currently in 316. Since many customers in rural Kansas -- for example,
the southeastern area of the state -- routinely now dial ten digits
outside their immediate communities or in the several instances in
which a community 'straddles' the state line, such as Coffeyville, KS
and South Coffeyville, OK (918 area), Fort Scott, KS and (the town of)
Nevada, MO (417 area), Arkansas City, KS and Ponca City, OK (918
area), Liberal, KS and rural Oklahoma points (918 area) and Joplin, MO
callers (417 area) to Kansas points or in reverse, this overlay plan
would seem to pose no inconvenience, or less inconvenience than a plan
based on geographic split. Regards the possibility of 'two area codes
in the same residence', it is considered unlikely that would happen
since there will 'always' be a limited number of 316 numbers available
and persons with an existing 316 number could in most cases receive
another 316 number for use in the same household; for example a
line for a modem or fax machine if they wanted it. Persons without
phone service would be the first to be assigned the new code.
In either event -- geographic splitting or an overlay, *there will be
no change in rates. Local calls will continue to be local, and calls
not 'local' now will continue to be 'long distance'.
Neither Kansas Corporation Commission, NANPA, or the Southwestern Bell
Telephone Company have taken any position on the matter. The KCC is
interested in recieving comments from the public on which of the two
plans is preferable, and why, if the geographic split is preferred,
what areas of the state should receive the new area code and why. The
KCC invites persons with technical expertise to include other
suggestions regards the split. Comments and suggestions *MUST* be
recieved by June 30, 2000. Write to Kansas Corporation Commission,
1500 SW Arrowhead Road, Topeka, KS 66604 or contact us in email at
publicaffairs@kcc.state.ks.us. Phone 800-662-0027 to speak with a
representative of KCC or visit our website at http://www.kcc.state.ks.us
If you wish, you may also discuss this with your local telephone
company.
PAT
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 16:38:37 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Web Security, Privacy, and the Big Lie
Excerpt from PRIVACY Forum Digest V09 #12
http://www.vortex.com/privacy/priv.09.12
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 10:04:01 -0700 (PDT)
From: lauren@vortex.com (Lauren Weinstein; PRIVACY Forum Moderator)
Subject: Web Security, Privacy, and the Big Lie
Greetings. Even as the grand shakeout begins in the "dot com"
universe, with venture capital drying up, profits usually
non-existent, and even some of the most visible e-commerce firms
threatened with insolvency, the public relations campaigns continue
unabated.
Consumers are urged to be comfortable with online transactions, to
trust them. The litany is soothing: "You're safe -- you're
protected -- you have friends in the machines." But recent events are
telling a different story, illustrating how the lack of security in
many Web-based systems threatens the release of data that can cause
financial and privacy problems to the victims for years to come.
This situation was easy to predict for anyone who has ever looked
"behind the curtain" at the innards of many e-commerce systems. Web
sites that are replete with flashy graphics and even reassuring
privacy policies are frequently held together with the software
equivalents of bubble gum, masking tape, and bent paper clips. Add to
this such goodies as the newly revealed Microsoft FrontPage 98
Web-authoring "back door" pass-phrase ("Netscape engineers are
weenies"), which not only raise new security fears, but should also
trigger a reevaluation of both quality control worries and concerns
about the emotional maturity of the authors of such important software
systems.
It's easy for sites to claim that they're protecting your personal
information when you engage in e-commerce. It's much harder (that is,
nearly impossible) for consumers to determine if such information is
really secure. You should certainly expect the use of "SSL" (Secure
Sockets Layer) encryption to protect your personal data -- and you can
check that it's really enabled within your Web browser (usually via a
little "lock" icon symbol). It *is* very important to check -- some
Web pages claim to be encrypted with SSL but actually aren't due to
purposeful omission or accidental errors. But most of the more
dramatic cases involving release of personal data from Web sites,
including credit card information, financial data, and all manner of
other important information, haven't related to SSL problems at all,
but rather to other Web site failings and data kept inappropriately on
publicly accessible machines.
Poor software and systems design, inept configurations, and the lack
of maintenance or qualified operations personnel at Web sites often
result in hollow vessels that are great at collecting your credit card
data, but in reality provide a level of privacy and security straight
out of a "Twilight Zone" episode ...
Submitted for your approval, the case of "The Memory Broker"
(http://www.compbroker.com). This popular online memory seller and
buyer allows customers to access their order invoice information on
their "secure" Web site via SSL-protected pages. Just one
problem -- any user can access *any* invoice on the system, simply be
incrementing or decrementing an "order id" field in the URL. Oops!
The records available include all of the order data except the actual
credit card numbers. Names, physical addresses, e-mail addresses,
phone numbers, credit card types, expiration dates, products ordered,
etc., are all included. While it could be worse (if the credit card
numbers were also present), most of the rest of this information would
well be considered private by most customers. If nothing else,
customers might not wish their information to be mined for mailing
lists and spam by outside observers of the data, nor have their
physical addresses or phone numbers publicly available. The data
records go back a number of years and forward to (apparently) the
present time.
The PRIVACY Forum reader who discovered this problem informed the firm
by e-mail (no working phone number was immediately apparent from the
site's Web pages), but reported that no response was received and that
the order information continued to be available.
I also tried contacting the firm, to no avail. The apparently valid
phone number I found associated with their domain registration led to
an order line that was never answered live, and the voicemail messages
I left were not returned. Their announced 800 "tech support" line was
never answered at all.
I did manage to contact the firm's ISP (Isat Network in Las Vegas),
but was unable to reach anyone in authority to discuss this situation.
I also contacted "The Netcheck Commerce Bureau" which my searches
revealed had listed "The Memory Broker" for a number of years with a
good rating. Netcheck's Web site (http://www.netcheck.com) says that
they "promote ethical business practices worldwide" -- a laudable goal.
But I also learned that they haven't considered privacy issues to be
part of their evaluations, and they apparently don't attempt to keep
track of firms once they've signed up, relying totally on consumer
complaints.
Since Netcheck doesn't require member firms to mention their
connection with Netcheck on the member firms' own Web pages, it isn't
clear how the average consumer would even think to file a complaint
with Netcheck if they *did* have a problem! And in fact, "The Memory
Broker" does not appear to mention Netcheck in any immediately
apparent location. Netcheck said that they'd try to contact the firm
and let me know what they could find out -- so far I haven't heard back.
I might also add that the 800 number listed on Netcheck for "The
Memory Broker" leads to a seemingly unrelated individual's voicemail
message.
So we see the results of building our e-commerce empire upon a
foundation of sand. Untrustworthy and even "rigged" software systems
abound. Companies that give lip service to security and privacy, but
it seems really couldn't care less when it comes to responding to
concerns and complaints, spoil the environment for everyone,
particularly for the good and honest firms who are genuinely trying to
operate high-quality, ethical e-commerce systems. Add into the mix an
antiquated regulatory environment that largely treats e-commerce like
the rough-and-tumble days of the Old West, rampant political
opportunism, and a hype level to make P.T. Barnum proud. It's easy to
see why e-commerce consumers feel confused, abused, and increasingly
not at all amused.
Happy shopping, viewers.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@pfir.org or lauren@vortex.com
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
------------------------------
From: tknab@nyx.net (Terry Knab)
Subject: Re: Caller ID 000-000-0000?
Organization: The Home Office
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 06:33:53 GMT
Marietta Georgia <mariettageorgia@aol.comxspam> wrote:
> Does anyone know what calls that show up as Out-Of-Area 000-000-0000
> are?
Operator Assisted calls (Collect, 3rd party, etc..), sometimes
cellular calls (I know of some people who on their home system, the
caller ID info isn't passed through, but when roaming, it is), Prepaid
cellular, and some PBXs.
Terry E. Knab News/Acting System Administrator Nyx Public Access Unix
------------------------------
From: Chris Walsh <csil@flash.net>
Subject: Telephone System Basics Seminars and Video Courses
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 16:56:28 GMT
Organization: FlashNet Communications, http://www.flash.net
Greetings one and all,
I have started a new company whose goal is to teach individuals and
companies the ins and outs of telephone and voicemail systems.
I won't make a long sell of this message, only to say that if anyone
needs a good beginner to mid-level course in telephone systems, did's,
peripherals and how to make informed purchases oof telephone
equipment, we believe our course is an excellent source of
information.
This company has been in existence for 3 months, and our video
courses are already being used by Technology Institutes in the US and
abroad.
We offer a free tutorial (via email bi-monthly) and I provide free
consulting and advice, for a limited time, to anyone in need.
Thank you kindly for your time.
Chris Walsh
tellearn.com
1-877-532-7616
------------------------------
From: avinor@my-deja.com
Subject: Panasonic TD-308 Manual
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 19:55:46 GMT
Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
I'm looking for the Panasonic TD-308 installtion manual/system
programming. Any idea where can I find it on the net?
Thanks,
Avi
------------------------------
From: Ed Ellers <ed_ellers@msn.com>
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 06:03:52 -0400
Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net> wrote:
> Libertarian objections aside, there is one official source of time
> and it is an atomic clock run by the US government which sits in an
> underground bunker somewhere in the middle of the country.
Actually two official sources -- the one you're referring to is at the
National Institute of Science and Technology lab in Boulder, Colorado, but
the Defense Department relies on the U.S. Naval Observatory. Not that it
matters, since NIST and USNO frequently cross-check with each other and with
national time standards in various countries.
> If I can sync the clock on my $500 home PC to an atomic clock with a piece
> of free software, why can't GTE do the same?
Amen. Incidentally, Kentucky Educational Television's XDS time signal
(transmitted on line 21 of field 2) was over a minute off when I checked it
a few days ago. Maybe they get their time from GTE? :-)
------------------------------
From: Marcus AAkesson <marcus.akesson@NO_SPAM_PLEASE_home.se>
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 14:39:35 +0200
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology
On Fri, 14 Apr 2000 14:54:39 EDT, MLS1955@aol.com wrote:
> Now, come on ... don't we, in the industry, have anything better to do
> than measure the accuracy of a FREE time announcement? I hate to say
> it, but after nearly 25 years in this business, I find your complaint
> both anal and petty.
Not at all. Anyone that offers a time service should make sure that it
is correct. Otherwise why not just shut it down and save a buck.
Our time service is free, and I sure as h*ll expect it to be correct.
(It is, since it's synced to the national reference clock.)
Marcus AAkesson marcus.akesson@NO_SPAM_PLEASE_home.se
Gothenburg Callsigns: SM6XFN & SB4779
Sweden
>>>>>> Keep the world clean - no HTML in news or mail ! <<<<<<
------------------------------
From: heywood@gloucester.com (Heywood Jaiblomi)
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 19:50:52 GMT
Organization: Uncle Heywood's Trousers of Fun
> I find your complaint both anal and petty.
Let me ask you a simple question. Which is accurate more often, a
clock that is off by a minute or one that is stopped?
The one that is stopped is accurate twice a day, while the one that is
off by a minute is never accurate.
Anal and petty? Aren't they a racing team?
If I had my life to live over, I think I'd like to live over a liquor store.
------------------------------
From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.Net (Steve Sobol)
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Date: 16 Apr 2000 03:40:29 GMT
Organization: New Age Consulting Service Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA
From 'Terry Kennedy':
> Oh, and where is the time call a completely free service? NYC
> charges for it, and even if somewhere it's only billed as a local
> call, it should still be a profit center for the telco.
216 881-0880
216 931-1212
... Weather reports from two local TV stations that include time.
The first number was instituted a number of years ago by the local
Fox affiliate and is a service of that station.
The second one was originally run by the phone company -- and may
still be. I just called a second ago, and the weather report
originated at the local NBC affiliate -- but that is NOT the same
station that did the forecast last time I called. I am assuming that,
for that reason, the service on 931-1212 is not provided by any
specific TV station.
Both numbers are advertiser-supported, so they aren't free in the
strictest sense of the word, but the call is billed only as a normal
call if you are in Cleveland.
North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net
sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET
"Never attribute to malice events more properly attributed to corporate
greed." --Me, March 28th, 2000
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 21:48:48 -0700
From: Linc Madison <LincMad001@Telecom-Digest.zzn.com>
Subject: Auto Extension Disconnect
(Shel) wrote in Vol 20 # 70:
> Hello! Can anyone tell me if it is possible to bypass the auto
> extension disconnect on an answering machine so if an extension
> phone is picked up the machine will still record. No nefarious
> intent here, just too many roommates not relaying phone messages
> verbaly when they inadvertantly pick up a phone while the message is
> being recorded.
For about ten bucks, you can not merely bypass, but actually reverse,
the situation: the answering machine will continue taking a message,
and anyone who picks up an extension phone will get dead air. What
you're looking for is a device that looks like an ordinary
two-for-one jack adapter, but usually with little red and green LEDs
above the two jacks, or some other indication as to which is the
"priority" jack (this will often be the one NOT marked "ANS" for
answering machine, as most people use them in the opposite sense to
your intent.)
Of course, then you have the problem of a roommate hearing the
beginning of a message for him/herself and having to pick up an
extension, then turn off the machine manually, and then be able to
talk on the extension.
If you're feeling adventurous, you could also open up the insides of
the answering machine and look for something like a diode across the
wires coming in from the jack, but of course you need to be careful
not to yank out the wrong component.
Lastly, you could just look for one of the many answering machines
that don't cut off when an extension is picked up....
Linc Madison * San Francisco, California * Telecom-at-LincMad.com
<http://www.LincMad.com> North American Telephone Area Codes & Splits
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 23:13:13 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Odd Privacy Ratings Exposed
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,35587,00.html
by Declan McCullagh
3:00 a.m. Apr. 12, 2000 PDT
Marc Rotenberg is nothing if not a privacy zealot. As the founder of
the Electronic Privacy Information Center, he's spent the last decade
arguing, pleading, and agitating for everyone to take the topic even
half as seriously as he does.
So it was something of a surprise for Rotenberg to learn the epic.org
site received only two of a possible four stars from enonymous, a San
Diego company that published what it billed as a "comprehensive"
privacy survey on Tuesday.
"Enonymous doesn't have a clue. It doesn't even have close to a clue
about evaluating a privacy policy," Rotenberg said.
EPIC isn't alone in finding bizarre errors and odd oversights in
enonymous' database, designed to tell anyone using the company's
"advisor" software what the privacy practices of websites are.
That same database was used to produce Tuesday's survey, which said
that of the 1,000 most-trafficked sites on the Web, 8.6 percent
deserved four stars.
Although enonymous claims 30,000 entries using "strict, objective
criteria," that list does not include popular Microsoft properties that
receive millions of visitors, and incorrectly says places like
geek-culture destination slashdot.org have no privacy standards.
Even when websites are listed, the entries are frequently contradictory.
CNet properties download.com, help.com, and search.com have
word-for-word identical privacy policies, but receive respective
ratings of one, two, and three stars out of four.
Other sites suffer the same problem. Hotbot.com, suck.com, and wired.com
(all are owned by Lycos, also the parent company of Wired News) link to
the same Web page for their privacy statements -- but inexplicably
receive one, two, and three stars.
Tim Kane, enonymous's co-founder and director of privacy, said he
couldn't explain the problems.
"It might be a glitch in our database," he said.
If it's not corrected, it could call into question the future of the
company, which depends on the reliability and accuracy of its data to
differentiate itself from competitors in the increasingly crowded
privacy-protection field.
Since it opened its doors in October 1999, enonymous has grown to
about 35 employees and reportedly has received between $1 million and
$5 million from MissionVentures, a San Diego venture capital firm.
Before being informed of the problems, Kane said, "I would say that we
never screw up. We are very, very careful."
Kane said enonymous reviewers spend about 10 minutes looking at each
site before awarding it zero through four stars. The highest ranking
is reserved for sites that do not contact you without your permission
and do not share your personal information with anyone at all.
Oddly enough, many popular websites haven't made their way into
enonymous' list.
News outlets such as Time Warner's time.com, fortune.com, and
allpolitics.com are listed as "not yet reviewed." Nor is Ziff-Davis'
zdnn.com, of which enonymous simply says: "Congratulations! You are
among the first pioneers to surf this website in the enonymous
community."
Nobody at enonymous appears to have stopped by Microsoft's
windowsmedia.com or moneycentral.com, although each receives about 4.5
million unique visitors per month, according to Media Metrix's
February 2000 ranking.
Kane, enonymous' privacy director, said he wasn't sure why prominent
sites were missing. He said enonymous uses the ranking of top 1000
sites provided by PC Data, not Media Metrix.
Jason Catlett of Junkbusters, who provided favorable comments for this
week's enonymous press release, said he was mystified about why his
own site received just one star. That indicates the owner may "share
your personally identifiable information without your explicit
permission."
Catlett said Junkbusters only shares information about visitors with
their explicit consent.
The rating seems wrong, Catlett said. "I have not done any (quality
assurance) on the accuracy of their ratings," he said. "Maybe I should
have checked my own site."
Copyright 1994-2000 Wired Digital Inc. All rights reserved.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 22:55:18 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: NYS Internet Porn Law Upheld
By John Caher
New York Law Journal
April 12, 2000
Drawing a sharp distinction between New York's Internet pornography law
and the fatally flawed federal Communications Decency Act, the Court of
Appeals yesterday upheld the constitutionality of the state statute.
The Court agreed unanimously that the New York law survives
constitutional scrutiny largely because, unlike the stricken federal
statute, it is directed not only at the transmission of certain
communications, but also the act of luring a child into sex.
http://www.lawnewsnetwork.com/practice/techlaw/news/A21023-2000Apr11.html
------------------------------
From: Roy Smith <roy@endeavor.med.nyu.edu>
Subject: Need Help With Antique Phone
Organization: New York University School of Medicine
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 12:00:34 -0400
I've got an antique Western Electric phone that I want to clean up and
restore to use. It's a desk set, heavy black metal body, cloth cord,
with the number "302-C-3" stamped on the bottom (which I assume is a
model number).
Anybody have any information about it? When it might have been made
(I'm guessing around 1940)? Any ideas for how to clean up the
exterior finish without ruining it? It looks like some kind of
lacquer, and I'm afraid to use either any kind of abrasive or solvent
on it. A wiring diagram would be great to have!
The handset has cast into it the familiar "Western Electric" logo (in
the classic lightning-bolt font, "Bell System", and in smaller type
below it "F1", which I'm guessing is some sort of manufacturing code
identifying the date and/or plant it was made in?
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 13:21:58 -0400
From: Kyle Spells <KSpells@law.villanova.edu>
Subject: Cellular Phone Fraud
Hi. I have visited your site and I think that it is very
informative. Can you please send me some information or point out some
sites to me that deal with current issues of cellular telephone fraud,
cell phone cloning, encryption, etc.
Thank you very much. I am a 3rd year law student writing a paper on
the topic and could use some help.
Kyle Spells
------------------------------
From: Christopher Sutton <SuttonFamily@StokeGolding.swinternet.co.uk>
Subject: Mitel Imagination
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 16:19:26 +0100
Organization: Customer of Planet Online
Can anyone give me any advice on how to get a Mitel Imagination III
going and to reset the system. Previous owners have left it in a mess
if anyone is able to help I would be really grateful.
I would really appreciate faxed diagrams / instructions from manuals
or e-mails of instructions. No one wants to help, oh apart from Mitel
who want 900 for a copy of a manual!!! What a cheek. I'm
desperate. Please help.
The board itself looks complicated. Extension and trunk ports!
Cheers,
Chris
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #71
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Apr 17 00:04:20 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id AAA11442;
Mon, 17 Apr 2000 00:04:20 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 00:04:20 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004170404.AAA11442@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #72
TELECOM Digest Mon, 17 Apr 2000 00:04:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 72
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Need Help With Antique Phone (Jay Hennigan)
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (J.F. Mezei)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Marcus AAkesson)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Spyros Bartsocas)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Mike Pollock)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (J.F. Mezei)
Re: Panasonic TD-308 Manual (Chris )
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Stanley Cline)
Re: Call Routing References (cm)
Re: Software Ignites Porn, Pirate Worries (Jay Hennigan)
A Case of 'Let the Surfer Beware' (Monty Solomon)
Auction Dispute Centers on Question of Control Over Data (Monty Solomon)
Amazon Sued For Patent Infringement (Monty Solomon)
Re: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin? (Gail M. Hall)
Re: Bell Atlantic Interupts Local ISP (Paul Wallich)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: jay@west.net (Jay Hennigan)
Subject: Re: Need Help With Antique Phone
Organization: Disgruntled Postal Workers Against Gun Control
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 02:48:35 GMT
On Sun, 16 Apr 2000 12:00:34 -0400, Roy Smith
<roy@endeavor.med.nyu.edu> wrote:
> I've got an antique Western Electric phone that I want to clean up and
> restore to use. It's a desk set, heavy black metal body, cloth cord,
> with the number "302-C-3" stamped on the bottom (which I assume is a
> model number).
Yes, typically referred to as a "300" set.
> Anybody have any information about it? When it might have been made
> I'm guessing around 1940)? Any ideas for how to clean up the
> exterior finish without ruining it? It looks like some kind of
> lacquer, and I'm afraid to use either any kind of abrasive or solvent
> on it. A wiring diagram would be great to have!
Some time in the 1940s or early 1950s is probably its manufacture
date. WE was very good about date-stamping their components. You
should find on many of the internal parts a code like IV-47 which
means the fourth quarter of 1947. Roman numeral for the calendar
quarter followed by the last two difits of the year. Later they went
to a MM-YY type of date code.
I would try polishing it with automotive polish or wax, the Meguiars
products are pretty good. The handset is bakelite and once they get
dull it's hard to shine them up again.
Your local Graybar may have a chemical made by "Magnolia" called
"Glayzit" which is specifically made for restoring the finish on
telephones of this vintage. I'd try to keep the chemicals off of the
cords.
> The handset has cast into it the familiar "Western Electric" logo (in
> the classic lightning-bolt font, "Bell System", and in smaller type
> below it "F1", which I'm guessing is some sort of manufacturing code
> identifying the date and/or plant it was made in?
Nope. Just the model/type of the handset.
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
------------------------------
From: J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca>
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 20:15:46 -0400
georgep_on_ca@my-deja.com wrote:
> http://www.gc.ca/) That Canada should get its own country code
Doesn't Canada already have "2" used deep down in some routing tables
etc?
Is there some logic in determining how long a country code is to be?
(eg: codes beginning with two are three digits, codes with four are
two digits etc etc)?
------------------------------
From: Marcus AAkesson <marcus.akesson@NO_SPAM_PLEASE_home.se>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 14:23:44 +0200
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology
On Sat, 15 Apr 2000 19:06:50 +1000, Darryl Smith
<darryl@radio-active.net.au> wrote:
> This is NOT a HOAX - MOSTLY.... My phone said...
> 'SERIAL NO 448898308628855'
> It will only work with GSM phones. The thing is that this only tells you the
> serial number of the phone, which the mobile phone operator already has
> anyway since they recorded this information to connect to the network :-)...
Not true. At least not in general. Many networks do not register any
particular phone to Your account, as it is not needed. The IMEI is of
course logged every time You make a call, but it is not important for
Your account details. If I call customer service, they have no idea
which phone I'm using, but if the right people are involved, they
could of course find out from the logs.
So don't take it for granted that they know Your IMEI. Many people
have multiple phones.
> it. If you ring if you lost your phone, at least in OZ, they will just
> cancel the SIM Card and let anyone still use the MOBILE? WHY?
Because GSM operators in Australia is far behind in their anti-theft
work. Complain.
> There is also not to my knowledge any INTERNATIONAL STOLEN PHONE
> REGISTER.
There is, in Dublin.
> There is not even an AUSTRALIAN WIDE register where the
> three AUSTRALIA WIDE mobile carriers exchange details.
As I said above, they should get more interested in these issues.
> I believe that the encryption is based on this number and some others,
No, the IMEI and IMSI are open knowledge, the encryption keys are not.
The IMEI is not part of the encryption at all.
> meaning that the phone becomes basically useless if someone hacks this
> number ... and besides, you cannot get calls hacking this number
> ... that is in the SIM card ...
On Sat, 15 Apr 2000 11:33 +0100 (BST), Richard@office.mandarin.com
(Richard D.G. Cox) wrote:
> Actually you shouldn't have to fax a form in - the network should act
> on a phoned report assuming they have set up a "password"
> authentication system so that they can be sure you are who you say you
> are ... and your service provider *should* have full records of your
> IMEI and other security data.
Since we don't buy phones from the network operators, they have no
contact with the phones, and don't care. They do however enforce the
blacklist.
On Sat, 15 Apr 2000 10:27:16 -0500, Scot E. Wilcoxon
<scot@wilcoxon.org> wrote:
> The rest of the message makes sense, except that your current cellphone
> provider knows the IMEI for your phone and when you tell them your phone
> was stolen they will cut off the service. They can also give it to you
> for your police report, if you didn't write it down.
Not true. At least not in general. Many networks do not register any
particular phone to your account, as it is not needed. The IMEI is of
course logged every time you make a call, but it is not important for
your account details. If I call customer service, they have no idea
which phone I'm using, but if the right people are involved, they
could of course find out from the logs.
On Sat, 15 Apr 2000 19:51:10 GMT, jnh@aug.com (Jordan Hazen) wrote:
> But in the case of a stolen phone, my experience has been that the
> carriers ask only for the mobile phone number itself, plus salient
> account details (subscriber's SSN#, etc.). They would have the ESN on
> file already.
That is because the ESN is needed for identification of a subscriber
together with the phone number. This is not the case with IMEI, its
normally not needed. Only for barring purposes or other restricting
measures is it used. It does not need to be associated with any
particular subscriber, since they can all switch phones at random
anyway, without the operator knowing. That's why you need to keep
track of the IMEI yourself.
Marcus AAkesson marcus.akesson@NO_SPAM_PLEASE_home.se
Gothenburg Callsigns: SM6XFN & SB4779
Sweden
>>>>>> Keep the world clean - no HTML in news or mail ! <<<<<<
------------------------------
From: Spyros Bartsocas <spyros@telecom-digest.zzn.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 18:00:41 +0300
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
PAT: It did not work, because you do not have a GSM phone. (The
person sending this piece of mail to the digest had an Irish e-mail
address.
Trying this on my (European) GSM phone I got the IMEI (this works
even without the SIM card).
For me the question is that if your phone gets stolen and you have
the IMEI what do you do with it. Do the carriers keep lists of all
phones stolen in all GSM countries?
Spyros Bartsocas
------------------------------
From: Mike Pollock <itsamike@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 22:29:02 -0400
Organization: It's A Mike!
It may very well be true, but bear in mind that all phones are
different.
I'm reminded of a former program director of a former radio station of
mine who thought it was a good idea to make a promo telling listeners
how to program the first memory setting on their newfangled
digital-tuning car radios. So he made such a promo with detailed
instructions on how to set *his* digital car radio. I had to explain
to him that everyone's car radio programmed differently.
Mike
> mobile phone serial number. To check your Mobile phone's serial
> number press key in the following digits on your phone:
> * # 0 6 #
------------------------------
From: J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 20:08:24 -0400
Scot E. Wilcoxon wrote:
> The rest of the message makes sense, except that your current cellphone
> provider knows the IMEI for your phone and when you tell them your phone
> was stolen they will cut off the service.
Since my link to the provider is through the SIM card which identifies me, and
since I can freely insert my SIM card into any other GSM phone that will
accept it (unlocked), I am curious as to how the providers track down the
association of SIM with phone?
Do they just keep the last IMEI used by that subscriber's SIM card ? Or do
they require that you register at least one IMEI when you start the service
with them, and that is the IMEI that they keep on record ?
------------------------------
From: Chris Walsh <csil@flash.net>
Subject: Re: Panasonic TD-308 Manual
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 23:14:01 GMT
Organization: FlashNet Communications, http://www.flash.net
Avi,
I am certain that I can get that manual for you. However I don't have any
idea of where you may obtain it on the web. Give me a call or email if you
can't find it on the web. Good Luck.
Chris Walsh
tellearn.com
1-877-532-7616
<avinor@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:telecom20.71.6@telecom-
digest.org:
> I'm looking for the Panasonic TD-308 installtion manual/system
> programming. Any idea where can I find it on the net?
> Thanks,
> Avi
------------------------------
From: Stanley Cline <sc1@roamer1.org>
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 19:48:47 -0400
Organization: by area code and prefix (NPA-NXX)
Reply-To: sc1@roamer1.org
On Sat, 15 Apr 2000 04:53:36 -0400, Jeremy Greene
<celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net> wrote:
> Finally: the telco time announcement may be free, but in some cities
> it takes up an entire NXX: example Boston- dial 617-637-XXXX for time
> (usually accurate within 20 seconds). If they're going to waste an
PacBell (and I presume GTE) in L.A. has a free time number as well. I
couldn't call the PacBell number from the hotel where I was staying as
the PBX blocked it, but was able to from my Powertel PCS phone roaming
on PacBell Wireless -- but I had to dial the number as NPA 213 instead
of 626 (I was in the Pasadena/Arcadia area most of the trip) to reach
it via that phone. I just checked my Powertel bill and PBW did charge
me for the call.
In BellSouth territory, BellSouth itself doesn't provide time of day
numbers, but various businesses (banks, churches, etc.) offer free
time of day numbers. For instance:
* 770-455-7141 - Atlanta (Briarlake Baptist Church; this one's in a
different CO than the church for some reason -- the church is in NPA
404 in the Atlanta Toco Hills CO, not in NPA 770 in the Chamblee CO)
* 423-265-1411 - Chattanooga (SunTrust Bank)
* 770-253-8463 - Newnan, GA (Bank of Coweta -- yes, this one's local
to Atlanta proper)
> entire NXX for the time, it had better be the correct time. And
> sometimes it isn't free; I think if you dial 976-TIME here, you can
> get it for a price. (Whoever said time is money was right.) Is GTE's
I think there's a 976 number for time here in Atlanta as well, but 976
is all but dead here. (BellSouth still does provide 976 service per
their tariffs.)
Stanley Cline -- sc1 at roamer1 dot org -- http://www.roamer1.org/
...
"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. There might
be a law against it by that time." -/usr/games/fortune
------------------------------
From: cm <cmm@nospam.net>
Subject: Re: Call Routing References
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 19:26:38 -0700
SS7 is the protocol used (in North America, anyway ...) to route calls so
I'd start with a search on the internet -- there are quite a few good faq's
out there -- then hit the bookstore.
Dimitris Terzis wrote in message ...
> Hi guys,
> I am looking for good references (books, papers, URL's, etc.) on Call
> Routing and how it's done in today's (or recent) networks
> (PSTN/IP/ATM), from both a technology (e.g., algorithms) and customer
> (e.g., services) point of view.
> The search I've been doing over the net and online bookshops has not
> resulted in any impressive results ... Any ideas?
> Thanks,
> Dimitris
------------------------------
From: jay@west.net (Jay Hennigan)
Subject: Re: Software Ignites Porn, Pirate Worries
Organization: Disgruntled Postal Workers Against Gun Control
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 21:02:33 GMT
On Fri, 14 Apr 2000 01:41:45 -0400, Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> wrote:
> Gnutella offers a new kind of search tool for music fans, but
> near-perfect anonymity raises other thorny issues
> By Bob Sullivan
> MSNBC
> It could undermine the influence of every search engine and every Web
> portal. It's the biggest thorn yet in the side of record companies
> worried about the spread of pirated music on the Net. And it's the
> easiest way yet to trade pornography, even illegal child porn, over
> the Internet. For a piece of software that lived for less than 24
> hours on its home page, Gnutella has created quite a stir.
Other than spin and the FUD of its use for nefarious purposes this
looks very similar to good old gopherspace on steroids.
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
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 22:50:46 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: A Case of 'Let the Surfer Beware'
By Don Oldenburg
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 12, 2000; Page C04
In a consumer alert issued last week, AT&T exposed the naked truth
about how customers visiting some adult entertainment Web sites are
triggering unexpected international long-distance charges on their
telephone bills.
http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/2000-04/12/037l-041200-idx.html
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 00:41:18 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Auction Dispute Centers on Question of Control Over Data
By CARL S. KAPLAN
Auction Dispute Centers on Question of Control Over Data
A dispute that raises important questions about property rights on the
Internet will take a step toward resolution on Friday, when lawyers
for the auction giant eBay and a Web site called Bidder's Edge enter a
federal district court to debate the merits of a practice known as
"spidering."
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/04/cyber/cyberlaw/14law.html
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 00:44:21 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Amazon Sued For Patent Infringement
By Margaret Kane, ZDNN
Amazon.com Inc., which has been under fire for making certain
controversial patent claims, is now being sued by a San
Francisco-based music firm for, of all things, patent violation.
Intouch Group Inc., which filed the suit in U.S. District Court in San
Francisco earlier this week, alleges that Amazon, as well as four
other firms, violated a patent governing the way consumers sample
music online.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2542378,00.html
------------------------------
From: Gail M. Hall <gmhall@apk.net>
Subject: Re: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin?
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 02:03:56 -0400
Organization: APK Net
On Sat, 15 Apr 2000 14:54:10 -0500, oldbear@arctos.com (The Old Bear)
posted to comp.dcom.telecom about "Re: Finding Old Internet Software For
the Cousin?":
> JT Thompson <jt.thompson@indigo.ie> writes:
>> My cousin has my old 486 laptop, and she'd like to be able to get email.
>> We're in Ireland, by the way.
>> Does anyone know any site where I can download old internet software
>> for her? All I need, really, is a *small* FTP program that will work
>> under Windows 3.x. I have Trumpet Winsock. Once I have an FTP program
>> I'll be able to download Eudora for her.
> I have an old CICA archive on CDROM (1995) which includes:
>
> FTP4W.ZIP 40,177 11-15-94
> WS-FTP.ZIP 113,400 10-19-94
I too have an old CICA CD-ROM. I did a search on Google and found their
current web site:
http://www.winsite.com/
While I was remembering the old sites I used to hear about I checked for
some others:
SIMTEL
http://www.simtel.net/
Garbo
http://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/
Except for Winsite, these have old DOS programs and even some from
other operating systems.
SIMTEL used to be run by someone in the US military, but when the
military was closing down a lot of their stuff, a private company
agreed to take this site on and maintain it.
Good luck!
And thanks for bringing back memories of trying to get files by
getting onto local BBS systems and buying those CD-ROMs full of
shareware and freeware.
Gail M. Hall <gmhall@apk.net>
------------------------------
From: pw@panix.com (Paul Wallich)
Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic Interrupts Local ISP
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 10:04:11 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC
In article <telecom20.68.8@telecom-digest.org>, jata@aepiax.net (Julian
Thomas) wrote:
> Abstracted from the Finger Lakes Times (Geneva, NY) Thu Apr 13:
> Lynnet is a local ISP that lost service on Tuesday and was expected to
> be back maybe today (Friday) - there is nothing in the Friday paper
> but their web site is up.
> Bell Atlantic "assumed Lynnet's circuit board was unoccupied and gave
> it to another customer".
That new customer wouldn't be BA.net by any chance? (No, I know,
in general BA.net doesn't need cards to the outside...)
> BA told the owner that they had not been able to reinstate the circuit
> and did not provide an adequate explanation.
BA later told the New York State Public Service Commission, "we're
terribly sorry, please don't fine us, it won't happen again till next
time."
I wonder whether the Oughts are going to see the same wave of
trustbusting they saw last century. Probably not.
paul
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #72
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Apr 17 22:30:28 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id WAA25315;
Mon, 17 Apr 2000 22:30:28 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 22:30:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004180230.WAA25315@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #73
TELECOM Digest Mon, 17 Apr 2000 22:30:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 73
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Impact of Deregulation (David Langlois)
Telecom Update (Canada) #229, April 17, 2000 (John Riddell)
Re: NPA-NXX Info for Canada, Carribbean (Mark J. Cuccia)
Re: Kansas Getting Area Code Split (Linc Madison)
Re: Kansas Getting Area Code Split (Rick Ellis)
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
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It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: David Langlois <langlo6@ibm.net>
Subject: Impact of Deregulation
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 14:18:05 -0400
Patrick:
First of all, may I say that I hope your health is well. I sent you a
card in hospital but I am sure that it got lost amongst all the others
you received. I, for one, sure did miss your moderation of the news
group while you were recovering.
But to the point of this missal.
I am considering writing a study of the impact which deregulation has
had on telecom in the United States, and comparing it to the efforts
of deregulation of the CRTC here in Canada.
If it has already occurred, could you point me to a spot in the archives
where such a discussion has taken place? If it hasn't, is there a place
in the archives for similar and/or related material? Failing all that,
would you mind posting the following question to the newsgroup:
I am writing a study of the impact which deregulation has had on telecom
in the United States, and comparing it to the efforts of deregulation of
the CRTC here in Canada. Specifically, I am interested in personal
experiences and thoughts on the supply of voice and data services to
corporations and persons both in a pre-deregulation and
post-deregulation world. Do you think that the FCC went through the
deregulation process well? If so, why? Do you think they did it poorly,
if so, why? If deregulation was to be done again, could it be done any
differently? any better? any worse?
I know that there has been much discussion here about "slamming" and
poor service, but I would really like to hear if you have other things
to say. So, if anyone has thoughts, comments, observations or diatribe
they wish to share on this subject, please email me at langlo6@ibm.net.
Thanks,
David Langlois
7988 Decarie Drive
Gloucester, ON K1C 2C4
CANADA
Tel: 1.613.724.8661
Fax: 1.613.590.7008
email: langlo6@ibm.net
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My health is NOT well. My health is
terrible, or maybe I just think it is awful. Maybe in 6 months or
a year it might be better. The psychiatrist who came here from
the University at Lawrence, KS to give me a series of mental exams
said I probably would never get back to normal. By 'normal' he meant
to be able to walk long distances (more than three or four blocks),
I would never again walk successfully very far without my cane, I
would never again be able to do the things I used to do. Even getting
in and out of a car -- the way I go most places, in a taxicab -- is
a chore. The City of Independence has a transit service for
handicapped people; go anywhere in town in a taxicab for one dollar.
I tear a coupon out of my book of same for the cab driver, but then
he waits about five minutes while I get in and get out, by turning
myself sideways, propping my feet on the ground, and pushing myself
to my feet, then I get my cane out at the proper angle, and hobble
away. To me it is very depressing, because I remember all to well
how I *used to be*, and how I am now. I've printed your request in
this issue, and hope you will get some replies. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 14:23:23 -0400
From: John Riddell <jriddell@angustel.ca>
Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #229, April 17, 2000
************************************************************
TELECOM UPDATE
Angus TeleManagement's Weekly Telecom Newsbulletin
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 229: April 17, 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 and Toronto Agree
** C1 Communications Launches DSL in Toronto
** Competitors Challenge Rebanding Filings
** Rogers Increases Stake in Cogeco
** McGill Hospital Installs Multi-Site Wireless
** Number Portability Reaches Newfoundland
** Canadian Broadband Satellite Planned
** Futureway Files Loop Tariff
** CRTC to Consider Affiliate Rule for CLECs
** Lucent Announces E-Business Strategy
** Cisco Report Says IP PBX Saves Money
** RIM Intros Wireless Palm-Like Device
** Bell Test Links Cellphone to Car Tracking
** Nexxia Transmits Streaming Video Network
** Thunder Bay Tel to Offer Prepaid Wireless
** Survey Says Canada Leads in Online Banking
** Subscriber Growth Quickens at Microcell
** Intersat Becomes Wireless Matrix
** Jarman Moves to Teleglobe
** Bennis Joins Call-Net Board
** Want to Know More?
============================================================
TELUS AND TORONTO AGREE: On April 12, Toronto City Council
gave Telus Integrated Communications permission to install
fiber under the City's roadways, ending a months-long dispute
over terms for using rights-of-way. Details of the agreement
were not made public. Telus says it will install 118 km of
fiber in Toronto by May 2001. (See Telecom Update #216)
C1 COMMUNICATIONS LAUNCHES DSL IN TORONTO: C1 Communications,
a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier based in Saint John NB,
has launched DSL service in the Greater Toronto region. C1
plans to have coverage in almost all of Toronto, Mississauga,
Brampton, Pickering, and Ajax within eight weeks. (See
Telecom Update #221)
COMPETITORS CHALLENGE REBANDING FILINGS: AT&T Canada, Call-
Net, Covad Canada, and GT Group Telecom charge that the
incumbent telcos' submissions in PN 2000-27 -- intended to
fine-tune telco rate bands based on costs -- are incomplete
and do not comply with previous rulings. They want the
Commission to suspend the proceeding, order fuller compliance
from the telcos, and set a revised schedule. (See Telecom
Update #221)
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ENG/public/2000/8661/Pn00-27/2000-
27.htm (Section 4-f)
ROGERS INCREASES STAKE IN COGECO: Rogers Communications has
increased its holding of Cogeco Inc. equity to 17%. Rogers
also holds 12.7% of Cogeco Cable. (See Telecom Update #226)
MCGILL HOSPITAL INSTALLS MULTI-SITE WIRELESS: The McGill
University Health Centre in Montreal has installed what it
says is Canada's first multi-site in-house wireless phone
system, using SpectraLink equipment. Two hundred cells cover
four Montreal hospitals, served by Mitel and Nortel PBXs.
NUMBER PORTABILITY REACHES NEWFOUNDLAND: Local Number
Portability will be available in St. John's, Nfld, on or
about May 3. LNP will also reach the Quebec exchanges of St-
Constant, Ste-Therese, St-Vincent-de-Paul, and Vaudreuil
during May.
CANADIAN BROADBAND SATELLITE PLANNED: The Canadian Space
Agency, part of Industry Canada, will pay $80 Million to add
two-way broadband capability to Telesat's Anik F2 satellite,
which is scheduled for launch in 2002. Private sector groups
will contribute an additional $29 Million. Telesat will repay
the government by providing "equivalent value in multimedia
satellite services."
FUTUREWAY FILES LOOP TARIFF: A year ago, the CRTC allowed an
Ontario developer to give Futureway Communications the
exclusive right to install cable to homes in its subdivisions
(see Telecom Update #178). Futureway has now filed a tariff
to allow other local carriers to lease local loops, "on the
same basis as is currently offered by Bell Canada to CLEC
customers."
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ENG/public/2000/8740/f10-4.htm
CRTC TO CONSIDER AFFILIATE RULE FOR CLECs: Public Notice
2000-53 asks whether CLECs should be prohibited from
providing services for resale to affiliated service providers
if the affiliates don't allow end users a choice of long
distance carriers. This would generalize last December's
ruling on Microcell (Order 99-1127). To participate, notify
the Commission by April 17.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/Notices/2000/PT2000-53.htm
LUCENT ANNOUNCES E-BUSINESS STRATEGY: The as-yet-unnamed
enterprise networks company being spun off from Lucent has
announced "eCommunication," a plan to assist businesses in
the transition to e-business. eCommunication will be
developed in partnership with Andersen Consulting, eLoyalty,
and PricewaterhouseCoopers. (See Telecom Update #223)
http://www.lucent.ca/news-ebusiness.htm
CISCO REPORT SAYS IP PBX SAVES MONEY: A new study sponsored
by Cisco Systems Canada says that a LAN-based IP phone system
will cost the owner 19% to 35% less than a traditional PBX or
Centrex over three years. Telemanagement #175, available next
Monday, will include a review and assessment of the report.
RIM INTROS WIRELESS PALM-LIKE DEVICE: Research In Motion has
introduced the 957 Wireless Handheld, a palm-sized variant of
its BlackBerry pager. The 957 will go on sale in May for $649
plus $49.99/month for always-on airtime.
** Despite a quarterly profit increase of 64% over 1999, RIM
shares fell 50% last week because the results fell short
of analysts' expectations.
BELL TEST LINKS CELLPHONE TO CAR TRACKING: Bell Mobility has
begun a trial of location-based services on the NeoPoint 1000
cellphone. A GPS-based tracking system, installed in the
user's vehicle, enables the handset to be located while the
user is driving.
** A new Bell Mobility service now enables golfers to book
tee times from PCS phones.
NEXXIA TRANSMITS STREAMING VIDEO NETWORK: Oregon-based Enron
Broadband Services, which provides streaming video and other
services, will extend its network to six Canadian cities
using Bell Nexxia facilities.
THUNDER BAY TEL TO OFFER PREPAID WIRELESS: Independent telco
Thunder Bay Telephone has launched prepaid cellular service
in its northwest Ontario operating territory, using a prepaid
wireless platform from Chatham-based Canquest Communications.
SURVEY SAYS CANADA LEADS IN ONLINE BANKING: According to an
Angus Reid survey, 17% of Canadians bank on line, the highest
level in the world. Canada ranked fourth in online shopping,
at 18%.
SUBSCRIBER GROWTH QUICKENS AT MICROCELL: Microcell Solutions
added 69,822 customers in the first quarter, compared to
62,169 last year, bringing its subscriber total to 654,309.
INTERSAT BECOMES WIRELESS MATRIX: Interprovincial Satellite
Services, which provides wireless data and fax, has changed
its name to Wireless Matrix Corp.
JARMAN MOVES TO TELEGLOBE: Terry Jarman, formerly Vice-
Chairman of Bell Canada, has been named CEO of Teleglobe
Communications Corp, located in Reston, Virginia. TCC's
previous CEO, Paulo Guidi, continues as Chairman.
BENNIS JOINS CALL-NET BOARD: Kevin Bennis, President and CEO
of Call-Net Enterprises, has been appointed to the company's
Board of Directors.
WANT TO KNOW MORE? Telemanagement subscribers get an early
heads-up and in-depth analysis of the news reported in
Telecom Update. Telemanagement's comprehensive subject index
can be accessed from http://www.angustel.ca.
** 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
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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.
============================================================
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 17:45:38 -0500 (CDT)
From: Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu>
Subject: Re: NPA-NXX Info for Canada, Carribbean
Leonard Erickson (shadow@krypton.rain.com) wrote:
> www.nanpa.com has files with the NPA-NXX assignments for the US.
> But not for the rest of the NANPA. This makes very little sense,
> but that's the way it is.
> Is there a web site where I can download the equivalent of the
> xxUTLZD and xxAVAIL files for the non-US parts of the NANPA?
The NANPA assigns NPA-NXX codes for the United States, not for Canada
nor the non-US NANP-Caribbean. At NANPA's site, you can get c.o.code
detail for the 48-states/DC, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam/CNMI (in the
Pacific), as well as the two US Caribbean locations of Puerto Rico and
the US Virgin Islands.
When NANPA was spun out of Bellcore, it was intended for the new NANPA
to take over c.o.code (NPA-NXX) assignments for all of the _US_
jurisdictions away from the dominant incumbent local telco in that
area code, but Canada and the non-US Caribbean didn't indicate that
they would turn over c.o.code administration to the NANPA.
You can get (web page) lists of c.o.code assignments in Canada, from
the Canadian Numbering Administrator's website (the CNAC is presently
contracted to SAIC, who are the current owners of Telcordia; Telcordia
was previously Bellcore when the at-that-time seven RBOC holding
companies each owned an equal 1/7th of Bellcore).
The CNAC's website is http://www.cnac.ca
The "Numbering Resources" page is http://www.cnac.ca/numb_res.htm
You can click on a map of Canada at http://www.cnac.ca/mapcodes.htm
to go to individual area code pages of c.o.codes for Canada.
The c.o.code administration for the Canadian NPAs/provinces _USED_ to be
handled by the dominant incumbent local telco for that NPA, but last year,
this was transferred over to the (SAIC's) CNAC.
The 600 "SAC" is a Canada-only Special Area Code, but I don't think
there is much activity on it - it is for Canadian data functions,
Canadian international-inbound functions, Canadian "caller-pays"
cellular airtime, etc. The list of 600-NXX code assignments to
_carriers_ (similar to the way 800-NXX codes _USED_ to be assigned to
carriers prior to 1993/94's introduction of "full" portability; and
the way of 456-NXX codes, 900-NXX codes, and 500-NXX codes are
presently assigned to carriers), can be found at:
http://www.cnac.ca/sac_600.htm
As for the Caribbean, when it was all under area code 809, whoever was
NANPA at the time assigned the c.o.codes, or at least managed the
"range" of c.o.codes (at one time, you could get a decent idea of
which country/island the NNX code in 809 was located in by the first
one or two digits of the c.o.code, but that changed prior to
introduction of N0X and N1X c.o.codes in 809, which was prior to each
island/country of the NANP-Caribbean breaking off from 809 into its
own unique area code.
The NANPA prior to 1984 was AT&T Long Lines and AT&T HQ/Gen'l Depts;
With divestiture in 1984, through 1997, Bellcore was the NANPA;
In 1998/1999, Lockheed-Martin moved the NANPA out of Bellcore in NJ,
but now Warburg-Pincus' "Neustar" is the NANPA, but remaining in
Washington DC, with most of the same staff that was with NANPA under
Lockheed.
When 809 began to break up into unique area codes for each island or
country in the NANP-Caribbean, c.o.code assignments was transferred
over to the island -- usually the local/island government's regulatory
agency or entity created by regulatory/government, but sometimes the
c.o.code assignment was now handled "in association with" the dominant
incumbent local telco (usually Cable & Wireless or a
subsidiary/venture of C&W usually in association with island gov't; or
in the case of the Dominican Republic -- GTE/Verizon's "CoDeTel" is the
dominant incumbent LEC).
The Dominican Republic is the NANP-Caribbean island/country that
retained NPA 809. You can go to the following webpages of GTE/Verizon
Codetel or one of the competitors (Tricom) to get some kind of list of
c.o.codes in NPA 809, Dominican Republic:
http://www.codetel.net.do/NXX/
http://www.tricom.net/html/informacion/nxx.html
http://www.tricom.net/noticias/nxx.htm
Of course, you can always download the "NNAG" from Telcordia-TRA which
is a part of the LERG; the NNAG (NPA-NXX Activity Guide) is issued
monthly, giving c.o.code change information in the NANP and can be
downloaded FOR FREE from Telcordia-TRA's website,
http://www.trainfo.com
Other TRA products, such as the LERG (Local Exchange Routing Guide) or
the NNACL (NPA-NXX Active Code List) must be purchased from TRA, but
their catalog of products is available from the TRA
website. NANP-Caribbean c.o.code data (as well as Canadian NPA-NXXes)
are included in TRA's products.
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-
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 17:33:54 -0700
From: Linc Madison <LincMad001@Telecom-Digest.zzn.com>
Subject: Re: Kansas Getting Area Code Split
PAT wrote in Vol 20 # 71:
> A notice in the {Independence Reporter}, Sunday, April 16, 2000:
> The Kansas Corporation Commission has established a public comment
> period concerning the need to add a new area code within the
> geographic area served by the 316 area code ...
> Under the overlay plan, ... for technical reasons it is required
> that ten-digit dialing be used ON ALL CALLS, EVEN THOSE IN A NEARBY
> COMMUNITY OR THE SAME COMMUNITY. ... Since many customers ... in
> the several instances in
> which a community 'straddles' the state line, such as ... Arkansas
> City, KS and Ponca City, OK (918 area), Liberal, KS and rural
> Oklahoma points (918 area)
It would seem that either the KCC or the {Independence Reporter} is
not well versed on the area codes in Oklahoma. Neither Ponca City,
nor especially the towns across from Liberal, are in the 918 area
code. All are in the 580 area code, having split from 405. South
Coffeyville, OK, is in 918, though.
As regards the geographic split, if the projected lives really are six
years for Wichita and 24 years for the rest of 316, the plan won't
pass federal review. Either the line will have to be drawn more
tightly around Wichita, placing even some of the suburbs in the new
area code, or there will have to be an overlay, at least of the
Wichita area.
Even in the event of an overlay, consideration should be given to the
possibility of allowing calling areas, especially those with only a
single prefix, to retain 7D local dialing until and unless a prefix
in the overlay code is assigned within the local area. Quite a lot of
the land area of 316 is fairly sparsely populated.
If the decision is for a split, I hope that the KCC will have the
foresight to avoid some of the mistakes made by the PUC-Texas in its
splits of 214 and 817. Specifically, the split line should be drawn
such that absolutely *ALL* calls within the remaining 316 area are
absolutely always local. With the 214/903 split and the 817/254/940
split, there remain toll calls within 817 (soon to be 817/682) and
214 (now 214/972/469). Such a split boundary is inexcusable in terms
of customer confusion. It's better to have a few 10D local calls to
the suburbs than to have any 1+10D toll calls within such a small
geographic area code.
Linc Madison * San Francisco, California * Telecom-at-LincMad.com
<http://www.LincMad.com> North American Telephone Area Codes & Splits
------------------------------
From: ellis@ftel.net (Rick Ellis)
Subject: Re: Kansas Getting Area Code Split
Date: 17 Apr 2000 17:52:32 GMT
Organization: Franklin interNet http://www.franklin.net
In article <telecom20.71.2@telecom-digest.org>,
TELECOM Digest Editor <ptownson@telecom-digest.org> wrote:
> for technical reasons it is required that
> ten-digit dialing be used ON ALL CALLS, EVEN THOSE IN A NEARBY
> COMMUNITY OR THE SAME COMMUNITY.
For technical reasons? What possible technical reasons could require
ten-digit dialing for a number in the same NPA?
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The reason which comes to my mind is
the problem of overlapping prefixes and area codes. For example, you
could not have a prefix '316' while it was possible to also use 316
as an area code. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #73
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Apr 17 23:31:59 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id XAA27770;
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Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 23:31:59 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004180331.XAA27770@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #74
TELECOM Digest Mon, 17 Apr 2000 23:31:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 74
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
4/17 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted (Al Varney)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Leonard Erickson)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Herb Sutherland)
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (Mark J. Cuccia)
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (Leonard Erickson)
Re: Caller ID 000-000-0000?? (Phil Bergstresser)
Doing the Jailhouse Rock (Monty Solomon)
Comments on Handset -> RJ11 Converters For Modems? (Phil Earnhardt)
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Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 4/17 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 20:42:14 -0400
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
Click Here to Subscribe to ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES
http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm
(Registration is required. Names are not sold, rented or leased.)
*************************************************************************
CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTE:
A number of Telecom Digest-sourced ICB readers have asked to be removed
from ICB's Headlines emails while maintaining username and password ICB
site access, as the headlines are published here on Telecom Digest.
That's fine, but a SPECIAL OFFER emailing went out today to ICB
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ICB Registrants who did not get the SPECIAL OFFER email, please send a
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(This offer is available to ICB HeadsUp Headlines registrants only.)
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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.
*************************************************************************
THE NEVER ENDING BATTLE
The rules for the average person as it relates to domain name
registration will change drastically and for the worse. Editorial by
Ross Wm. Rader, Director, Assigned Names Division, TUCOWS.com Inc. F
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1499
The DNS is a telephone book. It maps names to numbers in precisely the
same way. Why is it that we manage to publish telephone books without
difficulty? Why would we argue about adding a new telephone exchange
in an area code, become concerned that the possibility of a greater
number of telephone listings would provide more opportunities for
trademark infringement, and suggest that it would subject the
telephone book publishers to legal liability? Because they are
ridiculous assertions. Editorial by John Berryhill, Trademark
Attorney F SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1489
He who controls domain names, controls the Internet.
P SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1492
LOTSA FRUIT, LITTLE DEPTH ...
Although entitled to consider principles of law deemed applicable, the
Panel finds it unnecessary to do so in any depth. The jurisprudence
which is being rapidly developed by a wide variety of Panelists
world-wide under the ICANN Policy provides a fruitful source of
precedent. P SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1501
*************************************************************************
ICB's ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution: currently,
-- Vapor-constituency: ICANN At Large Membership ...
-- SMS/800 system performance problems
-- delayed rollout of 866 and 855;
-- ICANN plans for Famous Marks and new Top Level Domains;
-- flaws in the Domain Dispute System.
see http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm.
*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR APRIL 17, 2000
F - TOLL FREE TELEPHONY
We now have many service providers facing the dilemma of having to offer
free services or risk losing market share.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1498
P - DOMAIN NAME TRANSFERS IN JEOPARDY?
Network Solutions has changed its domain name agreement to allow it to
take custody of a domain name during a transfer.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1500
F - ITS 10 A.M. DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR DOMAINS ARE?
A guy in Bosnia found out how to grab some 2,000 domains from Network
Solutions and yanked their service. One of the 200 or so he successfully
grabbed was indianajones.com.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1502
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Are you listed? http://www.whosells800.com/800serpro.cfm
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 17, 2000
F - IPC PUSHING FOR EXTRA-LEGAL STATUS
The issue is not, as they suppose, "confusion" in the marketplace, or
the protection of consumers. It is the protection of the economic position
of intellectual property lawyers. This most recent proposal from the IPC
must be stopped. If it stands, the rules for the average person as it
relates to domain name registration will change drastically and for the
worse.
Editorial by Ross Wm. Rader, Director, Assigned Names Division, TUCOWS.com
Inc.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1499
P - ICANN DOMAIN NAME ARBITRATOR WINS DISPUTE
eResolution.ca, one of the ICANN-accredited arbitrators, has won its
dispute over the name eresolution.com. The case illustrates the growing
development of ICANN case law and the willingness of arbitrators to rely
on earlier decisions to back up their decisions. In this case,
eresolution.com
was registered months before eresolution.ca even came into existence yet the
arbitrator still ruled against it.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1501
F - ETOUCH.COM
... launched eTouch(sm) Unified Messaging, a free communication service
that integrates voice, e-mail and fax messages in a single inbox.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1503
F - EXPANDING THE INTERNET'S DOMAIN
Some companies want to restrict new addresses to protect their
trademarks but others say that may violate antitrust laws.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1505
F - 'YAP' FOR IP TELEPHONY
The new hardware line is called "YAP - Your Alternative Phone,"
and will be sold worldwide to consumers and enterprises through
retail superstores, resellers and VARs this year.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1507
*************************************************************************
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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 <<<<<<<<<<<<<
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 17, 2000
F - THEUNCLAIMED.COM
... announces its intention to make available to the public all unregistered
and expired US English words, and, all three-character combinations,
currently
available under the .com .net and .org registry.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1504
F - PUBLIC FORUM ON FCC'S "21ST CENTURY" PLAN
A public forum to discuss the status of the initiatives announced last
August in Chairman Kennard's strategic plan, "A New FCC for the 21st
Century," will be held Friday, April 28, from 10 am to noon.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1506
F - BEVOCAL RAISES $45M 2ND ROUND FUNDING
``BeVocal was founded on the vision of providing consumers with
voice-enabled content, commerce, communications, and customer service
accessible via any phone, simply by speaking..." CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1508
F - SWATCH DOES DICK TRACEY
Next on the Swiss watchmaker's agenda is Swatch Talk, a watch that uses
the European-wide GSM mobile-phone standard.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1510
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*************************************************************************
The Salzburg Seminar has announced the ICANN Travel Support Project,
which offers travel and accommodation support for upcoming ICANN
meetings. Twelve to fifteen applicants will be supported by this
Project. Details at: ICANN.salzburgseminar.org
This Project is made possible by grants from the Markle and Ford
foundations.
*************************************************************************
Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html
*************************************************************************
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
------------------------------
From: varney@ihgp2.ih.lucent.com (Al Varney)
Subject: Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted
Date: 17 Apr 2000 21:40:34 GMT
Organization: Lucent Technologies, Naperville, IL
Reply-To: varney@lucent.com
In article <telecom20.62.4@telecom-digest.org>,
L.Winson <lwinson@bbs.cpcn.com> wrote:
>>> two or more Numbering Plan Areas (The proper name for Area Codes.)
> When did this name change? In all published consumer literature I've
> seen the term "Area Code" remains in use.
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: For *consumers* the term is 'area
> codes'. For telco use, the term is 'Numbering Plan Areas' and has been
> for many, many years. PAT]
Since the Digest is considered an authority by many, let me suggest
a clarification to PAT's note. In the September 1952 issue of the Bell
System Technical Journal, the article "Nationwide Numbering Plan" first
described the details in the assignment of 10-digit customer-dialable
telephone numbers to the USA and Canada.
The key to the two phrases is in the following sentence:
"In principle the method employed is to divide the two countries
geographically into numbering plan areas and to give each of
these areas a distinctive code."
The article goes on to use the two terms in the following manner:
Numbering Plan Areas (NPAs) refer to the geographic zones created by
the new system, and three-digit "codes" are assigned to those NPAs.
So, pedantically, we have Numbering Plan Area Codes (referred to in
older literature as Area Codes, where it was obvious that the USA/
Canadian numbering plan is being discussed). Occasionally, the
phrase "NPA code" is seen.
It is only in later literature (much later) that the NPA acronym is
seen as a direct substitute for the first three digits of a telephone
number (as a formatted NPA-NXX-XXXX string), and then used in informal
conversation and sloppy writing as a synonym for "NPA code".
Certainly the majority of Bell System and Bellcore documents
distinguished between NPA (the geographic area) and the NPA code (the
3-digit numbers assigned to those areas).
In "consumer" literature, the opposite effect is seen. That is,
the phrase "area code" (rather than NPA) is used to refer to a
geographic area. The 785 area code is a number -- the area assigned
that number is a NPA.
Al Varney
------------------------------
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 16:05:36 PST
Organization: Shadownet
Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net> writes:
> If I can sync the clock on my $500 home PC to an atomic clock with a
> piece of free software, why can't GTE do the same?
Heck, spend the $30 at Radio Shack and get their portable battery
powered clock that sets itself via the WWV/WWVH time signal once you
tell it what time zone you are in. It even switches to DST
automatically if you observe DST.
I use mine to reset the (badly drifting) clock on my Netware server
every so often.
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
shadow@krypton.rain.com <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com <--last resort
------------------------------
Date: 17 Apr 00 10:59:35 PDT
From: Herb Sutherland <herbsu@netscape.net>
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
<PacBell (and I presume GTE) in L.A. has a free time number as well. I
couldn't call the PacBell number from the hotel where I was staying as
the PBX blocked it, but was able to from my Powertel PCS phone roaming
on PacBell Wireless -- but I had to dial the number as NPA 213 instead
of 626 (I was in the Pasadena/Arcadia area most of the trip) to reach
it via that phone.>
The free number all around Southern California (whether PacBell or
GTE) is 853-1212 and that does seem to take up the entire prefix. I
have also noticed that you can dial 1-626-357-1212 from anywhere if
you want to hear GTE time and date!
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 11:55:56 -0500 (CDT)
From: Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu>
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
georgep_on_ca@my-deja.com wrote:
> The NANP http://www.nanpa.com/ is running out of area codes.
> The CNAC http://www.cnac.ca/ says it may run out by 2007 using
> industry notes.
There have been many predictions by the US/Canada telephone
industry (including regulatory) that have projected 2007 as the
date that NPA (area) codes might "run out" by 2007. This MIGHT
turn out to be a "scare" tactic, though.
> It outlines recommendations for Canada when this does occur!!!
> The Canadian Numbering Administrator http://www.cnac.ca/ has
> recommended to the Canadian Radio And Telecommunications
> Commission (CRTC) http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ (an agency of The
> Government of Canada http://www.gc.ca/) That Canada should get
> its own country code.
Um, EXCUSE ME, but I DON'T think that the CNAC nor the various
Canadian-based telecom industry forums (CSCN, CISC, etc) have
made any specific ONE recommendation of the VARIOUS ATIS/INC
or Canadian proposals as to how to handle an expanding NANP,
nor the POSSIBILITY that Canada either completely withdraw" from
the NANP, nor that Canada be "semi" NANP. There are various
concerns and proposals to address these concerns that are now
being SUBMITTED to the CRTC for review, and public comment.
> In it's recommendation its says that ten-digit dialing would
> be enough for Canada and that the mess that would occur with
> expanding the NANP[A] would not benefit Canada. In summmary it
> recommends that Canada adapts it's own country code, following
> International Telephone Union http://www.itu.int/ rules for
> new codes Canada would get a new code under the 100 country
> code. The rest of The NANP[A] would stay the same.
AGAIN, this is only ONE option of SEVERAL proposals as to how
Canada would participate in a longer-than-ten-digit NANP format
or withdraw "completely" from the NANP, or become "semi" NANP.
> Calls from the USA to Canada would be dialed as
> 011-100-416-555-1212
> Calls from Canada to the USA would be dialed as
> 011-1-2x12-5x55-1212 (or what ever expand thing the USA uses.)
Um, EXCUSE ME AGAIN, but if you reference paragraph 62 of the
URL you quote below
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/Notices/2000/PT2000-52.htm
you'll find the following:
"Calls within Canada would be dialed on a 10-digit basis;"
(This "straight" ten-digit dialing would apply regardless of
the local or toll status of the destination number with respect
to the calling number - both numbers being within Canada)
"Calls to other NANP nations would be dialed on a 1+ 11 or 12
digits, depending on the expansion option implemented in the
NANP;"
Note that calls from Canada to other NANP countries would NOT
include the 011+. Since a 1+ would not be used for sent-paid
traffic within Canada, this particular proposed option would
"allow" the 1+ to be used FROM Canada TO US/NANP calling.
I don't know how "special billed" traffic would still be dialed,
I guess a 0+ ten-digits within Canada ... If this plan were to
be adopted, there might have to be some changes in what Canada
dials for calls to other country codes for "special billing"
and/or sent-paid traffic, since presently, Canada used the
NANP-standard of 011+ for sent-paid, and 01+ for "special"
billed traffic. Since presently, you are NOT supposed to be able
to dial a sent-paid intra-NANP call as 011+ cc.1+ as an
"alternate" way to dial 1+ sent-paid intra-NANP call, there was
never a concern as to any potential "alternate" way to dial a
"special billed" intra-NANP call as 01+ cc.1+ since this would
REALLY be dialing a SENT-PAID call that could terminate in
some other country overseas, ie.. 011+ nxx-etc. is what you'd
REALLY be dialing! (I've always hoped that 01+ for "special"
billed international would be phased over to 010+, which could
then allow UNambiguous 011+1+ for sent-paid inTRA-NANP and
010+1+ for "special billed" inTRA-NANP "alternative" methods).
Continuing from the document:
"Calls from other NANP nations would be dialed as 100+10 digits;"
Note that this does NOT include the 011+ prefix. Since there are
no documented plans for expanding "Carrier" codes from their
present mandatory format of 101-XXXX+ (101+ four-digits) over to
10-XXXXX+ (10+ five-digits), and since 10-XXX+ (10+ three-digits)
has been obsolete in both the US (since Summer 1998) and Canada
(as of Spring 1999), the '100XX' (as well as the '10NXX', N=2->9,
X=0->9) dial string is not assigned to anything.
In many central office switches in the NANP, dialing
100, 102, ... 109 -- will result in a re-order (fast busy) or
a recorded announcement, JUST on those three digits. Some will
let you dial further but give you a recorded announcement telling
you that if you tried to dial a five digit 10-XXX+ code, it has
changed -- and to add an extra '1' and '0' in front, as 1010-XXX+.
The PREVIOUSLY existing 10-XXX+ codes were permissive (since 1994)
and mandatory (since 1998/99) as 101-0XXX+ (there had been no
10-10X+ nor 10-15X+ nor 10-16X+ codes assigned in the 10-XXX+
days, thus the 101-0XXX+ format could be used for expansion of
previously existing 10-XXX+ codes, and 101-5XXX+ / 101-6XXX+ codes
could be new ranges even when 10-XXX+ was still allowed.
Thus, 100+ "could" be used with no earlier IDDD access prefix
for US/NANP dialing to Canada, as 100+ ten-digits.
> Calls from other countries to Canada would be dialed as
> 00-100-416-555-1212 (calls overlay or split) and 11-digit for
> all long distance calls.
In the document, there is a mistake regarding calls from "other"
countries (i.e., non-NANP) to Canada, where they (mis)quote it as:
"International calls from other nations (non-NANP) would be dialed
as 011+100+10 digit, with 011 reflecting the international access
code."
Of course, '00+' is the common International exit code used from
most parts of the world, and you do indicate this in your post.
But the Canadian document does mention that '011' "reflects" what
the international exit code would be from that other non-NANP
country.
However, I am unsure as to what you are referring to after you
mention the directory assistance number for Toronto....(?)
> Check out these document filled with The CRTC at
> http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/Notices/2000/PT2000-52.htm
> and http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/Notices/2000/PT2000-52-1.htm
> As well as these pages
> http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ENG/public/2000/8621/Pn52/C12-02.htm
I have -- and I have been seeing the various proposals from
things that can be downloaded by surfing throught the CNAC
website, http://www.cnac.ca as to NANP expansion and what does
Canada like as to such proposals, or to become "semi-NANP" or
even completely withdraw from the NANP.
Continuing from the CRTC document, in paragraph 63:
"The report notes that should Canada be unable to negotiate the
use of Country Code 100, calls between existing NANP nations
would be dialed as an international call (e.g, 011+CC+10-digits)."
I have seen the actual report of this proposal ... and actually,
if Canada couldn't "easily" become "country" code 100 (the ITU
can't simply assign/reserve +100 for Canada, because of various
numbering/dialing situations, some of which I have described
above, within what would retain the NANP, +1, and even what
presently exists within Canada ... yes, for Canada to actually
become '100' would need to be negotiated with the other areas
retaining +1 NANP as their country code, and then be relayed
to the ITU as well for "official" worldwide assignment) ...
then if they couldn't become '100', then Canada would have to
apply to the ITU to get SOME OTHER three-digit country code,
possibly beginning with a '2' (2XX) which would be in (mostly)
Africa's country-code numbering range.
However, since there have been some changes in Europe over the
past several years, Canada "could" apply for a +42X country code
in Europe's range, or some other three-digit country code range
not beginning with '1' (nor '0', since the ITU hasn't yet opened
up any 0XX ranges for future country codes; that might not happen
after all because of EMBEDDED presently existing numbering/dialing
constraints in place within (and between) various telcos/countries
in the world, as well as between various telecom "networks"...
(i.e., the use of reaching E.164 Telco ISDN networks from X.121
Packet switched data networks uses an "escape" digit of '0', and
0XX format telephone country codes would conflict with this
already used '0' escape digit for traffic from X.121 Packet Data
networks to E.164 Telco/ISDN networks; Also, Mexico is using a
'0' after some of their international exit prefixes for telco
use, as part of THEIR dialing pattern for competitive toll choice).
There have been some "errors" in the document at the CRTC site,
but I have found TOO MANY errors/misconceptions in the previous
post on this subject to TELECOM-Digest as well!
Personally, I don't know "when" or even "if" the NANP will expand
in our lifetime. And for Canada to withdraw from the NANP, it
will mean MAJOR changes for public notification and telco networks'
translations tables and routing procedures, as well as billing
processing. There is just WAY TOO much commerce and telco traffic
between the US and Canada -- the CRTC document even wants public
input to address social and economic impacts of Canada becoming
"semi" NANP, completely withdrawing from the NANP, or simply
adopting the NANP expansion plan - whichever one would ultimately
be adopted by the NANP/DDD telephone industry.
When "interchangeable" NPA codes came into use in 1995, and when
three-digit CIC / five-digit CAC codes (10-XXX+) needed to be
expanded into four-digit CIC / seven-digit CAC codes (101-0XXX+)
for an ultimate pool of 101-XXXX+, Canada did work closely with
the US part of the NANP for smooth inter-operation and standards.
Also, there might be some previous agreements of Canada with the
NANP industry that when/if the NANP would ultimately expand past
ten-digits, that Canada would work "hand-in-hand" with the US
for a smooth multi-national (the Caribbean as well) to go to
some eleven or even twelve or whatever "signficant" NANP number.
But what is at the CRTC (and possibly CNAC/CSCN/CRTC site(s)) is
text of various proposals - some general NANP proposals, some
specific Canadian proposals. So far, there is no "official"
recommendation regarding NANP-expansion nor Canadian options,
ONLY several POSSIBILITIES to be discussed and get public input!
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)
NWORLATUDS0?(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)
------------------------------
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 16:35:43 PST
Organization: Shadownet
J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca> writes:
> Is there some logic in determining how long a country code is to be?
> (eg: codes beginning with two are three digits, codes with four are
> two digits etc etc)?
Not exactly. The logic that is used is that a country code must
*uniquely* identify a country. Which means that no country code can
start with a valid country code.
That is, if A is a valid country code, then AB is *not* a possible
country code.
Thus, since 1 and 7 are country codes, no other codes may start with 1
or 7.
Likewise, 20 is a valid country code, so no other codes can start with
20.
This makes things simpler for phone systems since it means they can
*know* when they've reached the end of the country code part of the
number, unambiguously.
So the proposed "100" for Canada *isn't* a country code. It's just
giving Canada's *area codes* a "00" prefix when dialed from outside
Canada.
Which would be fine, since the US isn't going to be using 00xx area
codes.
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
shadow@krypton.rain.com <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com <--last resort
------------------------------
From: Phil Bergstresser <phil.bergstresser@adtran.com>
Subject: Re: Caller ID 000-000-0000??
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 19:30:17 -0500
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
I think you have confused out-of-area with number suppression. Out of
area just means the caller ID was not delivered, due to the caller
using a "cheap" (other euphemisms apply) service that doesn't support
the feature. What you can disable is caller's who elect to inhibit
normal delivery of their identification by dialing a prefix that
suppresses the delivery. Their choice here is like suppressing call
waiting before they originate a call. This is not available in all
states. However, the privacy option for you allows you to prevent the
reception of calls from people who voluntarily suppress their
identification. If you select this option, they get a message that
their call won't be completed unless they reveal their identy, and you
are never bothered by those callers. If they don't want to tell you
who they are, then you can refuse to take their calls. Good option.
It's too bad not everyone has been required to implement caller ID
delivery. Most of the telephone solicitors have learned that
suppression doesn't work for the reasons given above, so they buy a
service that doesn't have it implemented. Shouldn't be!
Most of the time you can ignore out of area calls these days, but some
cellular phone providers and small regional telcos don't provide the
ID, and you can miss a call from a relative on the road using a cell
phone trying to call for help, so that doesn't work reliably.
So rejection of out-of-area calls is not a likely or desirable option.
Phil Bergstresser
Marietta Georgia wrote in message ...
> I *think* I saw this question answered here once before but I'm not
> sure.
> Does anyone know what calls that show up as Out-Of-Area 000-000-0000
> are?
> This number comes through on a system that has BellSouth's Privacy
> Director which is supposed to reject out-of-area calls.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 21:40:37 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Doing the Jailhouse Rock
Interested in those powerful new tools for swapping MP3 files? So's the
FBI -- and the crackdown begins next month.
by Tom Spring, PC World
April 12, 2000, 10:00 p.m. PT
Pirates. That's all the infuriated music industry sees in Napster, the
first online application that lets you download basically any MP3
music without spending a dime. In fact, the Recording Industry
Association of America has pushed Napster out on the plank: A San
Francisco judge soon will rule on its lawsuit alleging Napster runs a
giant haven for music piracy.
http://www.pcworld.com/cgi-bin/pcwtoday?ID=16248
------------------------------
From: Phil Earnhardt <pae@dim.com>
Subject: Comments on Handset -> RJ11 Converters For Modems?
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 12:17:22 -0600
Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com
What comments do people have about the "Modem Doublers" that allow
connection of an analog modem through the handset connection? Any
particular types that work better or worse?
What sort of optimal transfer rates should I expect?
TIA.
phil
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #74
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Apr 18 18:07:51 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id SAA07602;
Tue, 18 Apr 2000 18:07:51 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 18:07:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004182207.SAA07602@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #75
TELECOM Digest Tue, 18 Apr 2000 18:07:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 75
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Panasonic KX Series Programming Software for Windows (Dmitry Nikiforov)
Re: Caller ID 000-000-0000?? (Ed Ellers)
Panasonic and Other Manuals (2 Sites) (Chris Walsh)
Re: Siemens Gigaset 2400 Series (Tracy J. Di Marco White)
Re: Web Security, Privacy, and the Big Lie (John S. Maddaus)
Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (Robert Wiegand)
Re: Western Electric 302 Phone (was Need Help With Antique) (Joseph Singer)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Ed Ellers)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Marcus Aakesson)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Richard D.G. Cox)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Michael Hartley)
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (James Bellaire)
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (Ian Angus)
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (Ed Ellers)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages
should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Dmitry Nikiforov <admin@pbxsoftware.com>
Subject: Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming Software for Windows
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 01:31:40 +0400
Organization: Garant-Park-Telecom
Dmitry Nikiforov, Manager
ZEOSoft Corp.
Tel: 7-095-3068814
admin@pbxsoftware.com
http://www.pbxsoftware.com
Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming Software for Windows
ZEOSoft Corp. (http://www.pbxsoftware.com) has released the new version of
Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming Software which allows
Panasonic PBX installers and users to program their PBX using any PBX
firmware ROM version (http://www.pbxsoftware.com/winprog.shtml).
Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming Software successfully
works with any version of PBX KX-TD firmware all over the world. The list of
the countries in which this program is in use includes more than 30
countries from 5 continents. And this list keeps growing.
Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming Software can be useful for
Panasonic KX-TD installers and programmers who work with different versions
of Panasonic KX-TD PBX and even for end users, who can easily program their
own PBX usibg friendly interface and built - in user help.
Main features of Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming Software:
easy understandable interface;
full compatibility with any Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 ROM
version (including Dash3 version);
supporting all features of Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 ROM version
from any region;
easy program data copying from one Panasonic PBX to another to prevent
loosing settings for any reason;
easy and quick program simultaneous multiple data for Extensions or CO
Lines;
remote programming compatibility;
if you want to decrease the cost of your system, with our Software you do
not need any proprietary phone to be connected to Panasonic PBX;
technical support and easy upgrade for new versions of Panasonic ROM.
The low cost of Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming Software
(only $ 50) makes it affordable not only for companies engaged in sale and
installation of Panasonic KX-TD PBX, but also for firms and even individuals
who own Panasonic KX-TD PBX.
------------------------------
From: Ed Ellers <ed_ellers@msn.com>
Subject: Re: Caller ID 000-000-0000??
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 01:46:14 -0400
Phil Bergstresser <phil.bergstresser@adtran.com> wrote:
> It's too bad not everyone has been required to implement caller ID
> delivery. Most of the telephone solicitors have learned that suppression
> doesn't work for the reasons given above, so they buy a service that doesn't
> have it implemented. Shouldn't be!
True, but one problem is that if a telemarketer has a direct T1 or
similar line to a long-distance carrier from his "boiler room" --
which would often be cheaper than running POTS lines to each phone if
the operation is big enough -- there would be no phone number to
deliver because the calls don't originate from a PSTN line. The only
way to fix that would be an FCC rule requiring such customers to
specify a phone number to be sent in the Caller ID. (If a criminal
investigation were involved in which a call had to be traced, yes, the
long-distance carrier could certainly tell where the call came from.
But this is a different issue.)
> Most of the time you can ignore out of area calls these days, but some
> cellular phone providers and small regional telcos don't provide the
> ID, and you can miss a call from a relative on the road using a cell
> phone trying to call for help, so that doesn't work reliably.
> So rejection of out-of-area calls is not a likely or desirable option.
> Phil Bergstresser
> Marietta Georgia wrote in message ...
>> I *think* I saw this question answered here once before but I'm not
>> sure.
>> Does anyone know what calls that show up as Out-Of-Area 000-000-0000
>> are?
>> This number comes through on a system that has BellSouth's Privacy
>> Director which is supposed to reject out-of-area calls.
------------------------------
From: Chris Walsh <csil@flash.net>
Subject: Panasonic and Other Manuals (Two Sites)
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 17:25:23 GMT
Organization: FlashNet Communications, http://www.flash.net
Hello,
I have tried to assist a few of you folks with some information on
manuals in the past few days, and I think I've got a couple of good
solutions: pbxsoftware.com- A good small site that sells all of the
manuals and software necessary to program Panasonics KX-TD series of
systems. (Voicemail as well). Automatedinfoinc.com-This is the place
where we got all of the manuals for the interconnect I used to
own. They offer a lot of them over the web as downloads. Good Luck,
Chris Walsh
tellearn.com
1-877-532-7616
------------------------------
From: gendalia@iastate.edu (Tracy J. Di Marco White)
Subject: Re: Siemens Gigaset 2400 Series
Date: 17 Apr 2000 19:17:44 GMT
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
John Nagle <nagle@animats.com> wrote:
> Don House wrote:
>> We have been told that the Gigasets will not work with a line carrying ADSL.
>> I hope to test this and will let you know what I find out.
> Yes, let us know. I'm about to do that.
> What goes wrong? Do the Gigasets emit noise that jams the DSL
> signal, or does the DSL signal make it into the Gigasets and cause
> noise in the audio channel?
We have had the Gigaset 2400 and a couple handsets for a month or so.
We have ADSL from US West. It all works fine. Mileage may vary with
other implementations of DSL.
Tracy J. Di Marco White gendalia@iastate.edu
"Actually this is a common misconception...I do *not* in fact have a lot
of time on my hands at all! I just have a very very very very bad sense
of priorities." --Dean Engelhardt
------------------------------
From: jmaddaus@NO_SPAM.usa.net (John S. Maddaus)
Subject: Re: Web Security, Privacy, and the Big Lie
Reply-To: jmaddaus@NO_SPAM.usa.net
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 16:39:05 GMT
Organization: AT&T Worldnet
Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> wrote:
> Excerpt from PRIVACY Forum Digest V09 #12
> http://www.vortex.com/privacy/priv.09.12
> this such goodies as the newly revealed Microsoft FrontPage 98
> Web-authoring "back door" pass-phrase ("Netscape engineers are
> weenies"), which not only raise new security fears, but should also
> trigger a reevaluation of both quality control worries and concerns
> about the emotional maturity of the authors of such important software
> systems.
Yes and what else did they put into other offerings? Remember the
Excel 97 Flight Sim? Note any MS arrogance in the scolling verbage?
For those who haven't tried it yet, the following will get you in:
Proof that microsoft programmers have too much time on their hands
This works on any Win95/NT PC with Microsoft Excel 97 installed:
Instructions:
1 In Excel 97, open a new blank worksheet.
2 Press F5 (go to) and type in the range X97:L97
3 Click OK.
4 Now press Tab once (this should put you in cell M97)
5 Press Ctrl+Shift while clicking once on the chart wizard button
(the blue-yellow-red barchart icon).
After a few moments, you will be flying over an eerie fractal
landscape. Fly around awhile and soon you'll notice a mesa with a
shallow depression and a small scrolling shrine to Excel 97 and those
who made it happen. Careful, the controls are very sensitive. Click
right/left button on mouse to go forwards, backwards, slide to turn.
You can exit the screen by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
jmaddaus@usa.net
------------------------------
From: Robert Wiegand <wiegand@enteract.com>
Subject: Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 09:57:11 -0500
Organization: Motorola CIG
Hudson Leighton wrote:
> I wouldn't call it arrogant, I would call it common sense, with most
> phone calls dumping you into "Press 1 to be put on hold h*ell", it's
> much easier to use a speakerphone, then it is to hold onto a handset
> and try to get some work done.
So just switch to speakerphone after you get the machine. Be nice to
the people who actually answer their phones.
"Dr. Joel M. Hoffman" wrote:
> I'm astonished at the number of negative responses to this. Do people
> really have so little else to worry about that the fraction of a
> second it takes to switch from speakerphone to handset seems
> important?
It isn't the time - this is just one of many annoyances we have to put
up with each day. It just seems sometimes that many people don't make
any effort to be nice. They just do whatever is easiest for themselves.
Personally I never use a speaker phone unless I'm on hold and no one else
is around to be bothered by the noise or there are other people who need
to hear the call.
Regards,
Bob Wiegand wiegand@enteract.com
------------------------------
From: Ed Ellers <ed_ellers@msn.com>
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 00:23:56 -0400
Stanley Cline <sc1@roamer1.org> wrote:
> In BellSouth territory, BellSouth itself doesn't provide time of day
> numbers, but various businesses (banks, churches, etc.) offer free
> time of day numbers."
(502) 585-5961 in Louisville, Kentucky is another example. This was
operated by the telco for a sponsor, Citizens Fidelity Bank, from some
time in 1939 (then under a six-digit number ending in 5961) until
divestiture. After that BellSouth ran it for a while with no
sponsorship until someone else (dunno who) started providing a
time/temperature service on that number, with various sponsors.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 21:32:08 -0700
From: Joseph Singer <dov@oz.net>
Subject: Re: Western Electric 302 Phone (was Need Help With Antique)
Roy Smith <roy@endeavor.med.nyu.edu> wrote recently:
> I've got an antique Western Electric phone that I want to clean up and
> restore to use. It's a desk set, heavy black metal body, cloth cord,
> with the number "302-C-3" stamped on the bottom (which I assume is a
> model number).
> Anybody have any information about it? When it might have been made
> (I'm guessing around 1940)? Any ideas for how to clean up the
> exterior finish without ruining it? It looks like some kind of
> lacquer, and I'm afraid to use either any kind of abrasive or solvent
> on it. A wiring diagram would be great to have!
> The handset has cast into it the familiar "Western Electric" logo (in
> the classic lightning-bolt font, "Bell System", and in smaller type
> below it "F1", which I'm guessing is some sort of manufacturing code
> identifying the date and/or plant it was made in?
Yes, this is a model 302 Western Electric telephone. It was first
introduced in 1937. The 302 was among the telephones designed by
Henry Dreyfus (see
<http://www.si.edu/organiza/museums/design/exhib/hd/ex2.html>)
This telephone originally was made with a metal case. From the onset
of World War II the design of the case was changed from a metal case
to a thermoplastic case. The handset with the marking F-1 indicates
the model of the handset. The handset on the earlier oval based 202
and round based 102 had an E-1 handset which was distinguishable from
modern handsets in that it had the "spit cup" or "bullet" at the
transmitter end of the handset. To determine the date that the phone
was manufactured you will have to look inside the phone and somewhere
on the base panel it should have a manufacture date. You can also get
some idea of when some of the components in the phone were
manufactured by looking at the transmitter and receiver elements.
They will likely have dates on them as well. A later "squared"
handset was introduced with the designation of a "K" handset. As for
maintaining the finish of the phone it somewhat depends on whether
your set has the thermoplastic or metal case. For the thermoplastic
case it is recommended that you use a quality plastic polish such as
Novus which comes in three strengths. 3 is for severely scratched and
has more abrasive, 2 is a cleaner and 1 is a polish. If the finish
just needs touching up the number 2 or number 1 should work well.
Also, I have found that a polish that is readily available in auto
parts stores by Maguiar's also does the job well also.
This is a link to find out how to order a book that will give you
information on technology of old telephones and how to restore them
and wire them:
<http://users.erols.com/rmeyer/>
I hope this is of some help to you.
Joseph Singer "thefoneguy" <fones@uswestmail.net>
PO Box 23135, Seattle WA 98102 USA
+1 206 405 2052 [voice mail]
+1 206 493 0706 [FAX]
------------------------------
From: Marcus Aakesson <marcus.akesson@NO_SPAM_PLEASE_home.se>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 02:36:25 +0200
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology
On Sun, 16 Apr 2000 20:08:24 -0400, J.F. Mezei
<jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca> wrote:
> Since my link to the provider is through the SIM card which
> identifies me, and since I can freely insert my SIM card into any
> other GSM phone that will accept it (unlocked), I am curious as to
> how the providers track down the association of SIM with phone?
The call detail logs keep track of the IMSI/IMEI pair for every call
You make. They _can_ se if you switch phones. Note however, that those
data are normally never available for customer service, and are not in
your account profile. But if they really wanted to, they could find
out, for example in a legal matter or as evidence.
> Do they just keep the last IMEI used by that subscriber's SIM card ?
> Or do they require that you register at least one IMEI when you
> start the service with them, and that is the IMEI that they keep on
> record?
Nope. They normally don't know at all. See my other replies in this
thread.
Marcus AAkesson marcus.akesson@NO_SPAM_PLEASE_home.se
Gothenburg Callsigns: SM6XFN & SB4779
Sweden
>>>>>> Keep the world clean - no HTML in news or mail ! <<<<<<
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 15:51 +0100 (BST)
From: Richard@office.mandarin.com (Richard D G Cox)
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Marcus AAkesson <marcus.akesson@home.se> said:
Since we don't buy phones from the network operators, they have no
contact with the phones, and don't care. They do however enforce the
blacklist.
This is a less common scenario, because most mobile networks subsidise
the handsets and are therefore most concerned to ensure that the
handsets they have subsidised do not get used on their competitors'
networks.
In any event, how do you get "your" stolen handset listed on the
Dublin blacklist, if not through your GSM operator? And if they don't
have any details of what handset is/was yours, how can they validate
that your report of the stolen IMEI is accurate? For all they know,
your report could be a malicious attempt to have somebody else's phone
blacklisted.
Richard D G Cox
Mandarin Technology, P.O. Box 111, Penarth, South Glamorgan, CF64 3YG UK
Telephone: +44 1222 311111; Fax: +44 1222 311110; Pager: +44 76 4111 5555
Senders of genuine e-mail should remove "office" from the e-mail address.
------------------------------
From: Michael Hartley <Michael.Hartley@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 09:29:39 +0100
As many people have pointed out, the IMEI number is carried on
packaging, the phone itself and usually on any delivery paperwork. If
it's a contract phone then the network may also have the IMEI.
If the phone is a pre-pay, and *especially* if it's unregistered, the
network may not have the IMEI, so *#06# actually becomes useful rather
than just another *#XX# code for geeks to punch into their phone.
International blacklisting - the GSM MOI provides for an international
EIR (equipment identity register) but as far as I know it's not in
very wide use.
I'll resist the temptation to make disparaging comparisons between
features provided by the de facto world standard and those which may
be available on other standards ;+)
Also you'll be pleased to know that I think someone at the UK magazine
New Scientist appears to read TELECOM Digest: the mag had a couple of
column inches on Mike S's anti telemarketer box. Not sure if UK
standards would allow the same here and unless Mike is spamming I
guess TELECOM Digest is where it came from.
Hope the spring weather brings you good spirits and improving
health. (Well, it's spring on this side of the pond today anyway ...)
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: A lot of people read TELECOM Digest.
More, I suspect, than I imagine. I've found quotes from the Digest
in various places. Thanks for telling me about {New Scientist}. As
far as my health is concerned, I think it has reached a plateau; it
has gotten about as far as it is going. Not only is my handwriting
*terrible* (it used to be very decent) as a result of the aneurism,
but I still have a problem with the keys on a keyboard. I hate to
fill out forms because by the time I am finished with it, it appears
to be a very childish form of scribbling. In my speech I still do
not talk very much; my speech is slow, and my words sometimes are
jumbled. I have to *THINK* about what I want to say, and then speak
the words one at a time, very carefully. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 08:29:34 -0500
From: James Bellaire <bellaire@tk.com>
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
At 06:32 PM 4/16/2000 -0400, georgep_on_ca@my-deja.com wrote:
> The Canadian Numbering Administrator http://www.cnac.ca/ has
> recommended to the Canadian Radio And Telecommunications
> Commission (CRTC) http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ (an agency of The
> Government of Canada http://www.gc.ca/) That Canada should
> get its own country code
An excellent plan! The requirement is that all new country codes be
three digits, not necessarily '100' but moving to 100 would be handy.
I wonder if Canada would mind if other nations joined in? Or would
the ITU allow for 101 for those nations?
It does offer new possibilities. So far the general thought was what
to do WITHIN zone 1 hasn't had an opt-out option. Thanks for the
post!
James Bellaire
http://tk.com/telecom/ Telecom Indiana & Chicago
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 11:28:24 -0400
From: Ian Angus <ianangus@angustel.ca>
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
georgep_on_ca@my-deja.com wrote:
> The Canadian Numbering Administrator http://www.cnac.ca/ has recommended
> to the Canadian Radio And Telecommunications Commission
> (CRTC) http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ (an agency of The Government of Canada
> http://www.gc.ca/) That Canada should get its own country code
That's not correct.
First, the CNA itself hasn't actually written anything official on
this subject yet. The body which wrote the document in question is the
Canadian Steering Committee on Numbering, which is a sub-committee of
the CRTC Industry Steering Committee, a body set up by Canada's
federal regulator to resolve and advise on technical issues. The CNA
is a separate organization which participates in the CSCN.
Second, the CSCN document does NOT recommend that Canada have its own
country code. It simply recommends that the CRTC ask the Industry
Numbering Committee consider that option in addition to others
identified in INC's December 10 "Interim NANP Expansion Report." The
CSCN wants to keep that option open so that Canada would have that
option if it desired.
The CRTC's public notice asks for comment on all of the options
identified in INC's report, plus the separate Canadian country code.
Ian Angus
President, Angus TeleManagement Group
http://www.angustel.ca
------------------------------
From: Ed Ellers <ed_ellers@msn.com>
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 00:14:32 -0400
J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca> wrote:
> Is there some logic in determining how long a country code is to be?
> (eg: codes beginning with two are three digits, codes with four are
> two digits etc etc)?"
Not exactly like that. My guess is that country code length is based
in part on the size of the country or region (which would have an
influence on the length of national numbers).
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #75
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Apr 18 20:01:05 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id UAA11928;
Tue, 18 Apr 2000 20:01:05 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 20:01:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004190001.UAA11928@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #76
TELECOM Digest Tue, 18 Apr 2000 20:01:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 76
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Online Source For Phone Hub? (Beatlebum)
Hai! (Kiran Kumar G M)
Re: Washington State Fines Qwest (Paul R. Joslin)
Re: Web Security, Privacy, and the Big Lie (John S. Maddaus)
For Sale: CyberGenie Wireless Phone System on Ebay (tesla1@pobox.com)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Dave Tweed)
Re: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin? (RFD)
Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (Scot E. Wilcoxon)
Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (Peter Corlett)
Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers (Jeremy Greene)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (W. Hatfield)
Dialpad.com (Kerry Linthicum)
Re: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin? (Patrick Tufts)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (David Clayton)
Re: Bell Atlantic Interrupts Local ISP (Steve Sobol)
Re: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin? (Anthony Argyriou)
Hey, Babe, Wanna Call ... Chad? (Mike Pollock)
Re: Looking for Porn? Ask Chad (Jenn Martino)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Jenn Martino)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Beatlebum@MailandNews.com (Beatlebum)
Subject: Online Source for Phone Hub?
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 07:12:15 GMT
Organization: (C) Writing Revisionist History Since 1967
I need an 8/16 port rack style phone hub. I know these things exist,
however, I can't seem to find them in any of the online catalogs. I
would be grateful if someone would recommend a supplier and brand name
with a specific URL.
TIA
------------------------------
From: Kiran Kumar G M <kirankumargm@netsol.co.in>
Subject: Hai!
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2000 12:39:33 +0530
Hello Sir,
I was just looking for a brief write up that how does FAX machines work and
also different types of machines and standards, if you could send me this or
the web page address where I can find this also will be of great help.
Thanks and Regards,
KIRAN KUMAR G.M.
Sr. Telecom Engineer
Network Solutions Ltd.
------------------------------
From: paul.joslin@weirdness.com (Paul R. Joslin)
Subject: Re: Washington State Fines Qwest
Date: 18 Apr 2000 12:11:33 -0400
Organization: Structural Dynamics Research Corp.
Tad Cook <tad@aa.net> noted:
> from MSNBC ( http://www.msnbc.com/local/KING/664118.asp?0a=2224132- )
> Huge fine for payphone overcharges
> OLYMPIA, April 12 - A Denver-based company that overcharged thousands
> of customers at pay phones around Washington will pay a record $1
> million fine and $700,000 in refunds under a deal approved Wednesday
> by state regulators.
...
> "All of that money has already been refunded to customers," he said,
> "and no Qwest customers were impacted by this USLD error."
No _Qwest customers_ were impacted ... Does that mean their new motto
is 'We screw the other guy, and pass the savings on to you!'
Paul R. Joslin The man who sets out to carry a cat by its tail learns
paul.joslin@sdrc.com something that will always be useful and which never
+1 513 576 2012 will grow dim or doubtful. -- Mark Twain.
------------------------------
From: jmaddaus@NO_SPAM.usa.net (John S. Maddaus)
Subject: Re: Web Security, Privacy, and the Big Lie
Reply-To: jmaddaus@NO_SPAM.usa.net
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 18:48:08 GMT
Organization: AT&T Worldnet
Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> wrote:
> Excerpt from PRIVACY Forum Digest V09 #12
> http://www.vortex.com/privacy/priv.09.12
> Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 10:04:01 -0700 (PDT)
> From: lauren@vortex.com (Lauren Weinstein; PRIVACY Forum Moderator)
> Subject: Web Security, Privacy, and the Big Lie
And an answer even the feds will like - ISS has developed an intrusion
detection application known as "Bullet" that uses ActiveX technology
to allow e-commerce sites to scan a Web visitor's PC for viruses,
trojan horses, or whatever (Network World April, 3rd edition pg.100).
I agree with the intrusion part of the characterization, not
necessarily with the detection part. So now we will all need
intrusion detection systems to protect ourselves from intrusion
detection systems. Wonderful! Double-Click without the need for
Double-Click!
jmaddaus@usa.net
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 19:55:37 GMT
From: tesla1@pobox.com
Subject: For Sale: CyberGenie Wireless Phone System on Ebay
Organization: Optimum Online
This system includes the Base Station, 4 Handsets, and 2 Headsets for
handsfree conversations. All components are factory sealed and have
NEVER been used. The retail price for this system would be
approximately $989.94
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=309582385
------------------------------
From: Dave Tweed <dtweed@acm.org>
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 13:48:32 -0400
Organization: almost none
Reply-To: dtweed@acm.org
MLS1955@aol.com wrote:
> Now, come on ... don't we, in the industry, have anything better to do
> than measure the accuracy of a FREE time announcement? I hate to say
> it, but after nearly 25 years in this business, I find your complaint
> both anal and petty.
It doesn't cost any extra to run an accurate time service instead of an
inaccurate one. The point is, people in general expect these services
to be authoritative, not just rough approximations.
Dave
------------------------------
From: RFD <RFD@RFDSystems.com>
Subject: Re: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin?
Organization: www.RFDSystems.com
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 10:27:30 -0400
Hi JT,
To "uninstall" in Win31:
1- Delete the program group.
2- Delete the Directory where the app is located.
3- run sysedit.exe. This starts a kind of notepad thingy with 4 files.
Search the files for any references to your program and delete the
lines.
This will not remove any DLLs but they won't hurt anything if nothing
calls them right?
To avoid long distance family support calls, I suggest you create a batch
file and one zip file.
ZIPEFILE.ZIP: put all critical files in this puppy. What's critical?
- The SYSTEM directory
- EVERY *.INI file you can find on the computer.
- All *.grp files
- any *.pwl files
- Autoexec.bat, Config.sys
(If space is not an issue, instead of picking and choosing, I
suggest creating a zip file of the whole system. (Restoring from the
zip file will not delete any new file she creates.)
Make sure you store the original file's path in the zip file.
FixIt.bat contents
pkunzip -d zipfile.bat
BackIt.bat
Use PKZIP to create the recovery file.
When ever you get a "my computers broke" call, get them to quit
windows and type "FixIt.Bat" :)
Go to www.winfiles.com for Win31 software or CuteFTP v2 (If you find v1 use
it.)
Rick.
"JT Thompson" <jt.thompson@indigo.ie> wrote in message
news:telecom20.67.8@telecom-digest.org...
> My cousin has my old 486 laptop, and she'd like to be able to get email.
> We're in Ireland, by the way.
> Does anyone know any site where I can download old internet software
> for her? All I need, really, is a *small* FTP program that will work
> under Windows 3.x. I have Trumpet Winsock. Once I have an FTP program
> I'll be able to download Eudora for her.
> I also need to know how to *uninstall* in Win3.1 - I tried installing
> an old bundle of internet software from the mid-1990s, but the
> combination of browsers and dialler and so on was fairly buggy. I'd
> prefer to give my cousin a group of separate apps.
> Various people have suggested putting on Windows 95, but the thing is,
> she's a writer, she likes the speed of the computer at the moment, and
> Windows 95 would slow it considerably. And no, she's not techie enough
> for Linux. Win3.1 strains her technicality considerably <g>. The
> laptop -- a Toshiba 2110, and a lovely old thing -- has a floppy drive,
> but no CD-ROM drive.
> Once I've found where to download various internet bits and pieces, I
> think I'll put up a website with links to them. There must be other
> people poor enough to need to use Win3.1 and 286/386/486 technology
> all over the world, and it'd be handy to have a source of old
> software.
> Any help gratefully accepted. - JTT
------------------------------
From: "Scot E. Wilcoxon" <scot@wilcoxon.org>
Organization: self
Subject: Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 10:15:52 -0500
> I can think of one thing: being in the next cubicle when some idiot
> who needs ten minutes to pick up two voice-mail messages, does it on
> his speaker phone.
Especially now that headsets are so inexpensive.
------------------------------
From: abuse@cabal.org.uk (Peter Corlett)
Subject: Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Date: 15 Apr 2000 14:47:13 GMT
Organization: None
John David Galt <John_David_Galt@acm.org> wrote:
[...]
> I can think of one thing: being in the next cubicle when some idiot who
> needs ten minutes to pick up two voice-mail messages, does it on his
> speaker phone. Anyone who installs speaker phones in a "cubicle farm"
> should have his head examined.
The phones in my office all have a builtin speaker for "call monitoring",
but aren't true speakerphones. I tend to prefer to use the handset
exclusively on them, but other staff differ (unless I'm on hold for what
seems like hours to Network Solutions - don't they realise the cost of
international calls?)
Usually, I like privacy. Sometimes though, there are calls that are just too
good not to share, and it'd be nice to set them up as conference calls for
other members of staff to join in. These are typically of the "battle of
wits with an unarmed opponent" type. Alas, I haven't worked out how to do
this.
------------------------------
From: Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Another Method of Stopping Telemarketers
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 05:02:09 -0400
Seymour Dupa <grumpy@bigbird.en.com> wrote in message
news:telecom20.68.2@telecom-digest.org...
> In the old days, when a person missed a stagecoach,
> they had to wait two or three days for another one.
> Nowadays, people complain when they miss one section
> of a revolving door.
Yes but only if there was a cute girl ahead of me who I wanted to
"accidentally" end up in the same section of the revolving door with.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 17:51:13 -0400
From: "W. Hatfield <mail02744@pop.net>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
> I got this today, and wonder if it's a hoax, since most things with any
> "tell everyone you know" content are. Is it?
>> TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE CELL PHONES
>> This may be of interest to those who have a mobile phone. Check Your
>> mobile phone serial number. To check your Mobile phone's serial
>> number press key in the following digits on your phone:
>> * # 0 6 #
>> A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your
>> handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. Should your phone gets
>> stolen, You will first need to report the Phone stolen at the police
>> station,
>> then fill out a blacklisting request form and fax it to the network.
>> Your handset can be blacklisted via this 15 digit number more commonly
>> known as
>> the IMEI number(International Mobile Equipment identity). Even if the
>> thief
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I tried that on my cell phone and got
> nowhere. Nothing happened. I think it is a hoax or urban legend. PAT]
Pat, IMEI is GSM-talk. Someone with GSM will have to check.
But while J. T. Thompson's forwarded details might be off or only true
for one type of product, the theory's correct: In GSM I can block your
phone equipment, or block your SIM card, or both.
------------------------------
From: Kerry Linthicum <kiw3l@hgea.org>
Subject: Dialpad.com
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2000 17:47:21 -1000
Hope you can answer following question.
What happened to free internet phone service dialpad.com. I was
using the service; however, It seemed to "disappear" off the web. I
tried numerous times to log on to it again via different sites that
offer the free download -- No Luck.
Thanks.
Kwl in Hawaii
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 21:25:58 -0700
From: Patrick Tufts <zippy@cs.brandeis.edu>
Subject: Re: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin?
Organization: SBC Internet Services
In article <telecom20.67.8@telecom-digest.org>, JT Thompson
<jt.thompson@indigo.ie> wrote:
> Does anyone know any site where I can download old internet software
> for her? All I need, really, is a *small* FTP program that will work
> under Windows 3.x. I have Trumpet Winsock. Once I have an FTP program
> I'll be able to download Eudora for her.
http://www.simtel.net/simtel.net/
Simtel has an archive of DOS and Win3.1 shareware and freeware.
The internet utils section:
http://www.simtel.net/simtel.net/msdos/internet.html
has several FTP clients.
Pat
------------------------------
From: David Clayton <dcstar@acslink.aone.net.au>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 15:38:59 +1000
Organization: Customer of Connect.com.au Pty. Ltd.
Reply-To: dcstar@acslink.aone.net.au
J.T. Thompson <jt.thompson@indigo.ie> contributed the following:
> I got this today, and wonder if it's a hoax, since most things with any
> "tell everyone you know" content are. Is it?
>> TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE CELL PHONES
>> This may be of interest to those who have a mobile phone. Check Your
>> mobile phone serial number. To check your Mobile phone's serial
>> number press key in the following digits on your phone:
>> * # 0 6 #
......
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I tried that on my cell phone and got
> nowhere. Nothing happened. I think it is a hoax or urban legend. PAT]
This is a GSM function and probably won't work on non-GSM phones.
And yes, if the IMEI numbers were tracked and locked out when
appropriate GSM phone theft would plummet.
Regards,
David Clayton, e-mail: dcstar@acslink.aone.net.au
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Dilbert's words of wisdom #18: Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.
------------------------------
From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.Net (Steve Sobol)
Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic Interrupts Local ISP
Date: 15 Apr 2000 05:45:50 GMT
Organization: New Age Consulting Service Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA
From Julian Thomas:
> BA told the owner that they had not been able to reinstate the circuit
> and did not provide an adequate explanation.
Hm. How about "We're flaming idiots"? Or more likely, "We're trying
to screw you"?
When I worked at NACS.NET, Ameritech switched off all of their lines,
resulting in callers getting a "This number has been disconnected"
message, and lots of pissed-off customers who thought we'd just closed
shop. This was about four years ago. It happened on a Saturday
morning, and I found out for myself when I tried to dial in. I then
spent several hours on the phone with AmeriDreck telling them, "No,
you don't understand. We're an ISP. We're down. You WILL resolve this
issue immediately. No, a two-day turnaround is not enough."
Fortunately, NACS no longer uses Ameritech.
North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net
sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET
"Never attribute to malice events more properly attributed to corporate
greed." --Me, March 28th, 2000
------------------------------
From: Anthony Argyriou <anthony@alphageo.com>
Subject: Re: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin?
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 13:35:15 -0700
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
On Fri, 14 Apr 2000 07:53:33 +0100, JT Thompson
<jt.thompson@indigo.ie> wrote:
> Does anyone know any site where I can download old internet software
> for her? All I need, really, is a *small* FTP program that will work
> under Windows 3.x. I have Trumpet Winsock. Once I have an FTP program
> I'll be able to download Eudora for her.
What's "small"? The Opera browser is available in 16-bit (Windows 3.1)
versions up to 3.something. The download for every version up to 3.62
is less than 1.38 MB. "It fits on a floppy." It costs $35, but you get
a 30-day trial. The browser is pretty complete, including ftp GET,
except for Java, and some Javascript quirks.
Anthony Argyriou
http://www.alphageo.com/
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2000 12:51:41 -0700 (PDT)
From: itsamike@yahoo.com (Mike Pollock)
Subject: Hey, Babe, Wanna Call ... Chad?
More on the whole Chad porn thing...
From Wired News, available online at:
http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,35627,00.html
Hey, Babe, Wanna Call ... Chad?
by Lynn Burke
3:00 a.m. Apr. 14, 2000 PDT
Tore Loding wishes he never heard of adultbuffet.com.
That's because a few weeks after a romp one night through that site's
adult offerings, the 24-year-old San Francisco State University
journalism student got a $357 phone bill that made him consider
swearing off pornographic websites.
Like an increasing number of scammed surfers, Loding, by clicking
through an agreement attached to a movie he wanted to download,
inadvertently took with it a piece of software that reset his modem
and dialed a number in Chad, a country in central Africa.
The program, dirtymovies.exe, came with an agreement, which Loding
clicked through without reading. "I don't know if I was drunk or
whatever, I thought it was just some sort of privacy agreement," he
said.
Drunk or not, he's still responsible for the charges, attributed to
two mysterious 31-minute calls to Chad.
AT&T spokeswoman Lee Ann Kuster said the company has received a
significant number of complaints about these kinds of charges, "enough
to get our attention and put it on our radar screen," she said.
AT&T even issued a customer warning last week about it. But while the
company feels its customers' pain, it still wants to get paid.
"The bottom line is that customers are responsible for the calls made
from their home. The charges are sustained," she said.
But $357?
"Why does an adult movie have to be downloaded from Chad?" Loding
wants to know. "It doesn't make sense to me at all. I think maybe it's
some deal with the phone company."
He might be right. The desolate, landlocked country, which has one of
the lowest per capita incomes in the world, has a very primitive
telecommunications system. And it doesn't make a lot of money from it.
So striking a deal with a U.S.-based Internet company, adult in nature
or not, may not seem like such a bad idea.
A spokesman at the Embassy for the Republic of Chad in Washington said
the country's government had never heard of these telephone calls, and
offered no further comment.
In fact, it was difficult to find out anything from anyone who might
be involved or responsible.
A spokesman from Adultbuffet.com who would only identify himself as
"Brad" said his company was not responsible for the charges Loding
received, because the link he clicked on was owned by another site.
Adultbuffet, he said, is simply a collection of other adult sites.
Adultbuffet is registered to All World Creations, a company that filed
for a license in Atlanta as a book dealer. According to the county
business office, the company is not operating with a license in
Atlanta, and neither All World Creations nor Adultbuffet have filed
papers with the Georgia Secretary of State.
On Wednesday, the page on the site that contains the movie Loding
downloaded was registered to Abovenet, a San Jose, California-based
bandwidth provider that said it provided services to Nonstopnet, a
Walnut Creek, California, company.
Nonstopnet spokeswoman Johnette Stubbs said her company had nothing to
do with Adultbuffet.com, and shifted the blame to Skyhosting.com, the
company she says really hosts Adultbuffet.com. "We have nothing to do
with their site at all," she said.
Skyhosting.com appears to be closely affiliated with Nonstopnet,
according to information posted on its own website and filed with
Network Solutions.
Minutes after denying a relationship, Stubbs called back to say she
had just spoken with Skyhosting and "they are no longer hosting
Adultbuffet."
Lynn Macias, another Nonstopnet spokeswoman, said when the company
learned of Skyhosting's affiliation with Adultbuffet, it was dropped.
"I think that's unbelievable that they were running that," she said.
"We had no idea they were running that little scam, that's not within
our business model."
By Thursday afternoon, the site had been picked up by Hitter
Communications, an ISP in Hernando, Florida. But a call to Andrew
Cook, the registered contact at Hitter, revealed that he was no longer
with the company. Company officials said they would act immediately to
discharge the site from their control.
Now the only company left that will admit to hosting the adult
smorgasbord known as Adultbuffet is Flying Crocodile, a Seattle
company that hosts 60,000 adult sites.
Flying Crocodile CEO Andrew Edmond said Adultbuffet isn't doing
anything wrong, and said about 15-20 percent of the adult sites out
there are now using dialers as an alternative payment. Dialers, he
said, represent anywhere from a $60-110 million business annually.
They're a natural solution to the problem of online credit card fraud.
"The majority of people use dialers ethically," he said.
The dialing companies are a very secretive lot that do not advertise
themselves, but instead approach companies on an individual basis.
The company behind Adultbuffet's dialer appears to be the No Credit
Card Network, owned by Celtline Holdings based in Dublin, Ireland.
Edmond says the dialer companies choose countries like Chad because
there are not enough incoming phone calls to make that country's phone
carriers any money.
"People in Chad love talking to people all around the globe, but no
one seems to like calling anyone in Chad," Edmond said. "There's not
enough incoming calls. It's a trade deficit on a telecommunications
level."
The online adult industry is only too happy to step in and help out.
Of course, Edmond said the adult sites receive about 80 percent of the
revenue generated by the long-distance phone calls to Chad. Chad gets
the other 20 percent.
"In the early days we were made to look very, very, very bad," Edmond
said. "We want to bring value to the industry."
Also doing its bit to bring value to the $1.8 billion industry is
Babenet.com, a company based in Beverly Hills, California that owns
hundreds of adult websites.
Several customers have linked a dialing program, called
FreeSex_live.exe, back to Babenet.
Laurie Swenson of Crookston, Minnesota, said she ended up with
FreeSex_live.exe by leaving her 13-year-old son alone with the
computer. She only discovered that he had downloaded the dialing
software when she logged onto the Internet and found that her home
page, search engine, and email signature had been hijacked by a site
called GoHip.com.
Another user who wished to remain anonymous said he "was cruising the
curious path, you know, the 'free passwords' sites" when he ended up
with GoHip all over his computer and FreeSex_live.exe in his hard
drive.
GoHip.com and Babenet.com are both hosted by Alchemy Communications.
Alchemy Communications once featured GoHip.com at the top of its
"featured clients" page, but has since removed all traces of the
company from its site.
Calls to Babenet's president, Nolan Quan, were not returned. But
Robert Gould, a spokesman for Alchemy, GoHip, and Babenet, said he had
never heard of the freesex_live.exe program, and kept a close eye on
Babenet. "I watch what they do and how they do it," he said. "If
Babenet was doing that, I would certainly have a problem."
A problem, but probably not of the illegal sort. Adult sites are
within their legal rights to slip whatever they want onto a user's
computers, as long as they provide a written warning that must be
clicked through.
Before opening either AdultBuffet's dirtymovies.exe or Babenet's
freesex_live.exe programs, a user must click through an agreement that
essentially relieves everyone of liability other than the customer. If
the user scrolls through the small dialogue box, he'll see examples of
rates that customers might expect to pay.
For freesex_live.exe, the "agreement" says, U.S. users might see a
bill to Vanuatu, a tax haven comprised of 83 islands in the South
Pacific, at $5.09 per minute. Dirtymovies.exe users are told their
calls to Chad cost between $2.57-7.31 per minute.
This is not the first time adult entertainment companies on the
Internet have tried the re-routing trick. In 1997, the FTC clamped
down on the operators of three sites -- www.sexygirls.com,
www.1adult.com, and www.beavisbutthead.com for redirecting the modems
of their customers to dialup Moldova, a former Soviet bloc country
that borders Romania.
Whether it's Moldova, Vanuatu, or Chad, this burgeoning dialing
industry can probably expect to take quite a bit of heat from angry
customers and irritated Internet service providers.
Even Adultbuffet had grown weary of the dialing mess by the end of
Thursday, and "Brad" said it was likely to ditch the whole thing. "No
advertising is worth this kind of problem," he said.
And for at least some customers, neither is the smut.
Tore Loding, for one, says he's going to try and break his habit
altogether. "I'm very careful now, I got scared away from it," he
said. "It was like a slap on my wrist. I was naughty."
Copyright 1994-2000 Wired Digital Inc. All rights reserved.
------------------------------
From: Jenn Martino <jennmartino@my-deja.com>
Subject: Re: Looking for Porn? Ask Chad
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 10:40:05 -0500
Organization: MindSpring Enterprises
So what's his email address? <G>
The Web Page You Have Reached http://twpyhr.usuck.com
Over 225 telephone sounds and recordings, home to "The
Unofficial Touch Tone Tunes FAQ," "The Phoney Dance,",
a collection of telephone graphics.
------------------------------
From: Jenn Martino" jennmartino@my-deja.com>
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper that works
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 20:46:51 -0500
Organization: MindSpring Enterprises
... by the way, you can download a wav of SIT tones at
http://twpyhr.usuck.com. The file name is errorbeeps1 under the other
category.
The Web Page You Have Reached http://twpyhr.usuck.com
Over 225 telephone sounds and recordings, home to "The
Unofficial Touch Tone Tunes FAQ," "The Phoney Dance,",
a collection of telephone graphics.
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #76
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Apr 19 01:24:58 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id BAA23150;
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Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 01:24:58 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004190524.BAA23150@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #77
'a
TELECOM Digest Wed, 19 Apr 2000 01:24:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 77
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
4/18/00 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Important News from Americans for Computer Privacy (Monty Solomon)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Steve Sobol)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Marcus Aakesson)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Roy Smith)
Re: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin? (Louis Raphael)
Someone Understands the Predicament I am in (Patrick Townson)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 4/18/00 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 23:55:04 -0400
Preview:
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
Click Here to Subscribe to ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES
http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm
(Registration is required. Names are not sold, rented or leased.)
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTE:
ICB will not be published on Wednesday, April 19, and on Monday, April 24.
*************************************************************************
TODAY'S LOWLIGHTS:
P - WHO'S INTERNET IS IT?
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1521
P - NSI's?
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1520
^^^^^^^^^^^^
'Nothing in trademark law requires that title to domain names that
incorporate trademarks or portions of trademarks be provided to trademark
holders. Instead, the law simply prevents others from making use of a
company's trademarks in a manner likely to confuse the consuming public.'
Washington Speakers Bureau, Inc. v. Leading Authorities Inc., 51 USPQ2d
1478, (E.D. Va. 1999)
Since we all agree that there is such a thing as fair use, but we may
not agree over whether a particular instance constitutes fair use,
what sense does it make to implement a policy that corresponds to
'nothing in trademark law' and pre-empts any use at all?
SEE http://sunrise.open-rsc.org
*************************************************************************
ICB's ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution: currently,
-- Vapor-constituency: ICANN At Large Membership ...
-- SMS/800 system performance problems
-- delayed rollout of 866 and 855;
-- ICANN plans for Famous Marks and new Top Level Domains;
-- flaws in the Domain Dispute System.
see http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm.
*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR APRIL 18, 2000
P - WHO'S INTERNET IS IT?
'The latest proposals are utterly unfair and unnecessary. It is so hard
to take them seriously that one is almost forced to assume they are
proposed for tactical reasons; either to stall the process entirely, or
make the unworkable famous marks lists proposal seem almost sensible by
comparison.'
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1521
P - INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY VALUES SOARING
'Because the market has placed so much value on intellectual assets,
in some cases up to 90 percent of a company's value, the management
of intangible assets has become a key element in overall business
strategy.' Might this not account for - though not excuse - the Trademark
Lobby's frenzied land grab in the Domain Name Space ... ?
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1512
F - WIRELESS USERS ABANDONING HOME PHONES
There can be no doubt that more and more consumers will opt for the
convenience and simplicity of a single phone solution. And that phone
will be wireless.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1514
F - .TV DOMAIN NAME: GOT $, NO PROBLEM
DotTV, funded by incubator Idealab, last week agreed to pay Tuvalu $50
million for the right to auction .tv domains for the next 10 years.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1516
P - FCC ANSWERS LOBBYING CHARGES
... responds to Tauzin's charge on the House floor April 13 that the
FCC was guilty of 'a criminal violation' by distributing talking points
opposing HR-3439, the bill to restrict low-power FM.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1518
F - ONLINE LOA'S?
At FCC Open Meeting Thursday Common Carrier Bureau Noted upcoming
consideration...
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1525
**************************************************advertisements*********
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MCI WORLDCOM http://www.wcom.com/ 1-888-MCI-WCOM
*************************************************************************
P.A.T.LIVE Personal Assistant Team manages your toll-free telephone number,
fax, voice mail, pager, e-mail, Web -- and more!
A division of ATG Technologies. http://www.atg-tech.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
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 18, 2000
F - ON THE AUCTION BLOCK: AIRDSL.COM TM'S & DOMAINS
The highest bidder will acquire all ownership rights to the following
Trademarks, Domain Names and Trade Names registered with the US Patent
and Trademark Office and currently owned by AirDSL.com Inc:
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1511
F - 1-800-FLOWERS.COM SUFFERS STOCK WILT
But 1-800-Flowers.com has a notable advantage over companies that were
born on the Internet: it had already built a brand as a telephone-order
flower-delivery company. Registering the 1-800-FLOWERS toll-free number
in the mid-1980s was an important step in that direction.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1513
P - 711 TO AUGMENT 800 FOR VA DEAF RELAY
The current toll-free 800 numbers would remain available for access
by out-of- state callers.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1515
P - NO 3-LETTER .COM NAMES LEFT, SO WHY ONLY TWO MORE TLD's?
The New York Times reports that 'ICANN will start unveiling five to 10
new TLD's this summer. If all goes according to plan, suffixes like
'shop,' 'arts' and 'biz' will open up a host of new three-letter domain
possibilities.' Where do they get this stuff? Network Solutions' Senior
Vice President Roger Cochetti proposed this afternoon in a private ICANN
Names Council meeting, that there be just two new gTLDs, 'for proof of
concept.'
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1517
F - WUTC FINES USLD $1 MILLION FOR PAYPHONE OVERCHARGES
WUTC said the fine is the largest telecom penalty it ever levied.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1519
F - AFTERNIC.COM ALLIES WITH AUCTIONWATCH.COM
'With this partnership, Afternic.com is providing real added value to
the domain name re-sellers who use our site,' said Chris Maroney,
Co-CEO of Afternic.com. 'AuctionWatch.com receives over 1.7 million
unique visitors every month; obviously, that's an awful lot of potential
domain name buyers.'
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1524
*************************************************************************
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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 <<<<<<<<<<<<<
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 18, 2000
{... SO MUCH NSI, SO LITTLE TIME ... !)
P - NETWORK SOLUTIONS REDUX
or, 'How New, Internet Top-Level Domains could be Introduced Rapidly on
a Sound Basis'.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1520
F - NSI TOPS 10 MILLION DOMAIN REGISTRATIONS
'As the demand for domain name services grows, we're well positioned to
work with customers while continually updating our product line-up.'
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1520
F - NSI ON COLLECTIONS WAR PATH
Whether NSI wears a black or white hat in this dispute depends on whom
you ask, but NSI may not have made its own customer service representatives
aware of its policy changes, and even its own policy statements available
on its website seem ambiguous.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1523
**************************************************advertisements*********
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source. Put 'subscribe Pipe' in the subject line and reply to:
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*************************************************************************
Please kill the new tld sunrise proposal: http://sunrise.open-rsc.org
*************************************************************************
Do a friend a favor - suggest ICB ...
Click Here to Recommend-It(r) http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=118920
*************************************************************************
The Salzburg Seminar has announced the ICANN Travel Support Project,
which offers travel and accommodation support for upcoming ICANN
meetings. Twelve to fifteen applicants will be supported by this
Project. Details at: ICANN.salzburgseminar.org
This Project is made possible by grants from the Markle and Ford
foundations.
*************************************************************************
Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html
*************************************************************************
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
*************************************************************************
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: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 20:26:04 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Important News from Americans for Computer Privacy
__________________________________________________________________________
___ ____ ___ |
/ _ / ___| _ | Member Update
| |_| | | | |_) | AMERICANS FOR COMPUTER PRIVACY | April 18, 2000
| _ | |___| __/ | subscription info
|_| |_|____|_| http://www.computerprivacy.org | below
____________________________________________________________________________
Please forward where appropriate this message with this Banner in tact
Please do not forward for more than two weeks past above date
____________________________________________________________________________
ACP TO FOCUS ON PROTECTION OF THE CRITICAL INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE
___________________________________________________________________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What's Happening?
Information on Americans for Computer Privacy
____________________________________________________________________________
WHAT'S HAPPENING?
During the last two years ACP led the private sector effort to permit the
widespread use of strong American encryption products in order to protect
privacy, promote national security, and prevent crime. With strong support
from Congress and individual ACP members like you, we succeeded in
persuading the Administration to relax export controls on encryption
products.
Of course we continue to closely monitor the regulatory implementation of
the Administrationís new policy and also to oppose any efforts by foreign
governments to erect import barriers to American products or to impose
domestic controls on the use of encryption. But we hopefully anticipate
the widespread use of encryption in the years ahead.
Yet as recent Internet viruses and denial of service attacks have
reminded us, more needs to be done to secure the information systems that
many sectors of the U.S. economy (utilities, banking, communications,
transportation, health care, e-commerce) as well as the U.S. government
rely upon extensively. Protecting the information infrastructure used
for these critical sectors is essential for U.S. national security,
American economic welfare, and our fundamental freedoms.
ACP is therefore focusing on critical information infrastructure protection
("CIIP"). ACP believes this is best accomplished through private sector
solutions that are market driven and industry led. The private sector not
only built and maintains the products, networks, and systems that make up
the information infrastructure but also possesses the knowledge and
expertise necessary to protect it. Importantly, so far the U.S. government
has recognized that it should work cooperatively with industry on a
voluntary basis to deter, identify and respond to cyber threats and attacks.
In addition, the Administration has proposed and Congress has funded
numerous initiatives to strengthen the governmentís technological
capabilities.
ACP applauds the initiatives that are already under way and will cooperate
with the government in these initiatives. However, ACP also is concerned
about the possibility of overreaction to denial-of-service or other
potential cyber attacks. Such overreaction could generate new laws or
regulations, which would stifle innovation, artificially channel R&D,
and harm the very infrastructure that needs protection.
It is essential that the government not use legitimate threats to computer
security as a justification for assuming new powers of regulation,
imposing new burdens upon industry, or threatening fundamental rights of
privacy. The government must not mandate technologies or dictate standards.
The government also must not increase surveillance or monitoring of
Americans at home and work. Finally, the government should not rush to
pass new laws or adopt new regulations until it is demonstrated that
current legal regimes are inadequate.
For these reasons, ACP has adopted five simple principles in order to guide
government decision makers:
*CIIP is best accomplished through private sector solutions that
are market driven and industry led;
*Governments and industry must work cooperatively on a voluntary
basis towards achieving CIIP;
*Government must not mandate the choice of technologies or dictate
standards or processes;
*Government must not violate personal and corporate privacy in the quest
for CIIP; and
*Barriers to strong CIIP should be removed, including barriers to the
widespread use of strong encryption.
The complete principles can be viewed on the ACP site at:
http://www.computerprivacy.org/news/2000principles.shtml
You can also read ACP's press release announcing this new focus at:
http://www.computerprivacy.org/news/955374280.shtml
You will also want to take a look at our revised home page,
http://www.computerprivacy.org/ which has valuable links to encryption
resources as well as important encryption news from around the world.
We will keep you informed of key activities and events in the encryption
and CIIP areas, and how we can work together to continue protecting
freedom and privacy online. Thanks for all your hard work!
__________________________________________________________________________
INFORMATION ON AMERICANS FOR COMPUTER PRIVACY
ACP is a broad based coalition, which supports policies that advance the
rights of American citizens to encode information without fear of
government intrusion, and advocates the lifting of export restrictions
on U.S.-made encryption products. ACP also supports policies that
promote industry led, market driven solutions to critical information
infrastructure protection and opposes government efforts to impose
mandates or design standards, or to increase widespread monitoring
or surveillance.
For more information on Americans for Computer Privacy, visit our web site
at http://www.computerprivacy.org/ To receive ACP Member Updates, simply
join ACP (its free!) at http://www.computerprivacy.org/join/
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------------------------------
From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.Net (Steve Sobol)
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: 19 Apr 2000 00:33:12 GMT
Organization: New Age Consulting Service Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA
From 'Michael Hartley':
>I'll resist the temptation to make disparaging comparisons between
>features provided by the de facto world standard and those which may
>be available on other standards ;+)
Oh, good. I'm tired of the CDMA vs. TDMA vs. GSM debates that continually
pop up in alt.cellular.
North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net
sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET
"Never attribute to malice events more properly attributed to corporate
greed." --Me, March 28th, 2000
------------------------------
From: Marcus AAkesson <marcus.akesson@NO_SPAM_PLEASE_home.se>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 04:39:45 +0200
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology
On Mon, 17 Apr 2000 15:51 +0100 (BST), Richard@office.mandarin.com
(Richard D G Cox) wrote:
> Marcus AAkesson <marcus.akesson@home.se> said:
> Since we don't buy phones from the network operators, they have no
> contact with the phones, and don't care. They do however enforce the
> blacklist.
> This is a less common scenario, because most mobile networks subsidise
> the handsets and are therefore most concerned to ensure that the
> handsets they have subsidised do not get used on their competitors'
> networks.
Yes, but here is how it works here:
1. A signed x-month contract gives the reseller a subsidy from the
network which he can use to lower the price on the phone You just
bought. The network still doesn't care _which_ phone You use. All
those phones are SIM-unlocked.
2. A subsidized pre-pay phone IS SIM-locked and that is related to
IMEI. But pre-paid are not registered (it is optional) so in that case
they don't even know who You are if You have chosen not to register.
So, in the first case, they know You, but not Your IMEI, and in the
second, they know the IMEI, but not You. Even when You register, You
don't need to tell them which IMEI You use. You could switch phones
with friends every week (and many seem to).
> In any event, how do you get "your" stolen handset listed on the
> Dublin blacklist, if not through your GSM operator? And if they don't
> have any details of what handset is/was yours, how can they validate
> that your report of the stolen IMEI is accurate? For all they know,
> your report could be a malicious attempt to have somebody else's phone
> blacklisted.
It could be. But the process is like this; You make a police report,
and send a copy of that to the network, which blacklists the phone and
also pass the info along to Dublin. I do't think many pranksters would
go to the police to make a false claim of theft. When discovered, they
are easily identified.
The police keeps track of all reported stolen phones IMEI, and uses
that when checking suspect people on the streets. I hear them every
day on the radio reading IMEIs. A stolen phone/bike/moped/car all have
their "serial numbers" listed.
Marcus AAkesson marcus.akesson@NO_SPAM_PLEASE_home.se
Gothenburg Callsigns: SM6XFN & SB4779
Sweden
>>>>>> Keep the world clean - no HTML in news or mail ! <<<<<<
------------------------------
From: Roy Smith <roy@endeavor.med.nyu.edu>
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Organization: New York University School of Medicine
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 20:09:43 -0400
Ed Ellers <ed_ellers@msn.com> wrote:
> Actually two official sources -- the one you're referring to is at the
> National Institute of Science and Technology lab in Boulder, Colorado,
> but the Defense Department relies on the U.S. Naval Observatory. Not that it
> matters, since NIST and USNO frequently cross-check with each other and
> with national time standards in various countries.
BTW, the USNO gives free tours, one weekday evening (I forget which)
during the week. No need for (or possibility of) a reservation; just
show up at the gate at the right time, and the first 25 or 50 or
something like that people are let in. The evening we went, there
didn't seem to be so many people that anybody had to be turned away.
It's an interesting little tour, in a geeky sort of way. The two
highlights are The Clock, and a chance to look through one of their
telescopes (a 12 inch refractor, IIRC). It's all sort of rolled into a
short walking tour of the grounds, and some browsing time in an exhibit
hall. The folks who give the tour (combination of the local astronomy
club and staff scientists) are very nice and seemed genuinely interested
in chatting with people who know something about the field.
The Clock itself was actually rather unimpressive to look at. About a
half dozen relatively sparsely packed racks filled with a mix of mostly
commercial equipment (power supplies, terminal servers, and of course
some Hewlett Packard cesium clocks), and some obviously home-grown
stuff. All behind plate glass windows in an environmentally controlled
room. The hydrogen masers that make up part of the ensemble are even
less impressive looking; some boring looking black boxes, about the size
of a home washing machine. Not even any blinking lights to look at :-)
I'm not actually convinced I saw The Clock, however. If I was in charge
of security for The Clock, I would lock it away in a bunker somewhere
and put a replica on display for tour-takers to gawk at. Who knows for
sure?
Worth an evening if you're visiting DC. Call the observatory for the
schedule.
------------------------------
From: Louis Raphael <raphael@cs.mcgill.ca>
Subject: Re: Finding Old Internet Software For the Cousin?
Organization: Societe pour la promotion du petoncle vert
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 03:21:46 GMT
JT Thompson <jt.thompson@indigo.ie> wrote:
> Does anyone know any site where I can download old internet software
> for her? All I need, really, is a *small* FTP program that will work
> under Windows 3.x. I have Trumpet Winsock. Once I have an FTP program
> I'll be able to download Eudora for her.
Search the web for "TVDOG's Internet Archive" - it contains an
excellent collection of *DOS* IP packages. This may be the perfect
solution, especially as they tend to work reasonably well and are easy
to use once set up (rather difficult, in some cases).
Louis
------------------------------
From: someone@someplace,edu
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 03:51:24 -0500
Subject: Someone Understands How I Feel
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: My health is NOT well. My health is
> terrible, or maybe I just think it is awful. Maybe in 6 months or
> a year it might be better. The psychiatrist who came here from
> the University at Lawrence, KS to give me a series of mental exams
> said I probably would never get back to normal. By 'normal' he meant
> to be able to walk long distances (more than three or four blocks),
> I would never again walk successfully very far without my cane, I
> would never again be able to do the things I used to do. Even
> getting in and out of a car -- the way I go most places, in a taxicab
> -- is a chore. The City of Independence has a transit service for
> handicapped people; go anywhere in town in a taxicab for one dollar.
> I tear a coupon out of my book of same for the cab driver, but then
> he waits about five minutes while I get in and get out, by turning
> myself sideways, propping my feet on the ground, and pushing myself
> to my feet, then I get my cane out at the proper angle, and hobble
> away. To me it is very depressing, because I remember all to well
> how I *used to be*, and how I am now. PAT]
Hello, PAT.
You may not recognize me, but I've been following your Digest since 1987,
and I just want to say that I know EXACTLY how you feel.
I was a Wunderkind. Blew the top off the Stanford-Binet charts. Went to
a piss-poor grade school and a piss-poor high school and got a full
scholarship to Purdue University at the age of sixteen.
Got asked to leave, a few weeks later, due to immaturity.
Twenty six September, 1982, I was in an automobile "accident".
The ONLY Sunday that ENTIRE year that I was driving sober, I got hit by a
drunk driver.
Acute Sub-dural hematoma. Go figger.
Was in and out of hospital for eleven months, two weeks.
Was wog-headed beyond belief. Couldn't concentrate, and couldn't
remember.
Could barely walk.
Couldn't stay awake for more than about three hours at a time, max.
Was improving every day, however.
Took the LSAT in February of '84 and was disgusted with the results -
Seventy fifth percentile. Never in my life had I scored less than the
ninety fifth percentile on ANY standardized test, but there it was -
Seventy fifth percentile.
I applied to the three in-state law schools anyway.
I was accepted.
Mirabile dictu!
I still have after-effects of my injury - I still cannot stand on one
leg, unless I'd like to fall down. I still limp, or shuffle, depending on
the terminology you'd like to use to describe my gait - either would be
accurate.
But the thing of it is that my MIND is still active, though possibly not
as active as before (how would one MEASURE such a thing, anyway?)
I really can't say anything else.
I wish you the best, and would like to thank you for the selfless service
you've provided to us all for lo, these many years.
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Thanks for your very kind words. I
am glad that people understand. I still keep saying to myself,
'maybe this will all go away with the warm summer weather.' But
let's face it, I am beginning to think it is my new lot in life.
For a week now, there has been a new cat in my life. 'Nicholas II'
is about a year old. He is a Russian Blue cat, just like the
original Nicholas that was part of my life for 16 years, from 1977
through 1993 when he had to be put down. The Independence Animal
Control officer brought him to the shelter. While I was walking
around giving out their breakfasts, the cats were all squalling
as to be expected. I saw this one in his cage and said, 'My God,
that is little Nicky. When I opened the door of the cage, he
jumped right into my arms and rarely gets out of them. Now he is
sleeping in *our* bed, waiting for me to show up. Today was a
warm spring day here, the first day of the rest of my life. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #77
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Apr 20 01:48:27 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id BAA05927;
Thu, 20 Apr 2000 01:48:27 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 01:48:27 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004200548.BAA05927@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #78
'
TELECOM Digest Thu, 20 Apr 2000 01:48:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 78
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Privacy Risks of Job Searching on the Web (Rob Slade)
Charity Sues MCI (Tad Cook)
Re: Dialpad.com (The bald one)
Re: Dialpad.com (David)
Re: Dialpad.com (Michael S. Berlant)
Re: Kansas Getting Area Code Split (Terry Knab)
Re: Bell Atlantic Interrupts Local ISP (Tony Pelliccio)
Security Hole in Netscape Exposes Hard Drive Files (Bennett Haselton)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Dr. Doright)
Re: Digital Signatures For French Hybrid Mail (Paul Wallich) (J-B.Condat)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Rob Slade <rslade@sprint.ca>
Organization: Vancouver Institute for Research into User
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 23:36:28 -0800
Subject: Privacy Risks of Job Searching on the Web
BCJOBPRV 20000418
I am looking for work. This fact may be of very limited interest to
most people, but it may serve to explain why I made an application for
a job with the BC provincial government on April 12, 2000.
All job applications to the provincial government now seem to go
through a Web site at http://www.itcareers.gov.bc.ca/, via the
Applicant Inventory System (AIS). It takes a fair amount of time to
go through the multi-stage registration process, but, once registered,
a candidate can apply for other jobs by logging in with an eight digit
numeric applicant code and a password. (It is interesting to note
that the applicant code is generated by the system, presumably
randomly, but that the password is chosen by the user. The system
also requests a piece of validating information, in case you lose your
password, but the information requested is the by now fairly standard
query of your mother's maiden name.)
I do not, generally speaking, apply for jobs on Web sites. It is at
least four months since I made any application on a Web site, and, as
far as I know, I've never applied on a RAPS site except for the BC
government site (and some others that I used subsequently for testing
as a result of what is to come). Therefore, I was rather surprised to
receive an email message from the "job seeker application portion" of
the "Recruiting and Applicant Processing System known as RAPS." It
suggested that I should use this same ID and password to apply on
other Web sites using the same software, and recommended three such
sites.
The message indicated that hundreds of employment systems had been
linked together, for the "convenience" of the job seeker. It also
stated that the message itself was not spam, since I had agreed to
receive it by posting my resume on a "public domain" area of the
Internet. This came as a bit of a surprise, since The BC government
Web site has numerous notices about privacy of information and was, in
fact, one of the earliest jurisdictions to have a formal privacy
office (Web site http://www.oipcbc.org, email info@oipcbc.org).
Of course, the simple fact that I received the email does not,
automatically, mean that it came from somewhere other than a system of
the BC government. The address used confirmed that it was this
application that generated the email. In fact, I used a combination
of two of my many email addresses, thus reducing the possibility of
random coincidence to vanishingly small levels. (It was interesting
that I was allowed to do this. The system did not, apparently, check
the email address for validity, although it was very picky about the
format for phone numbers.) But the email could have been generated by
the software at the BC government, perhaps because the operators did
not know that a spam generator was buried in the software.
The full headers of the email message itself, however, did confirm
that the message was generated outside the BC government. Outside the
country, in fact. Noting that:
Received: from localhost [206.169.212.34]
by rapsystem.com [204.177.84.246] (SLmail 3.2.3113) with ESMTP
I checked the IP addresses, and found one registered to Phoenix
Internet (presumably an ISP), and the other to:
Dancris Telecom L.L.C (DANCRIS2-DOM)
6900 E. Camelback Rd. Suite 1003
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Domain Name: DANCRIS.COM
Administrative Contact, Technical Contact, Zone Contact, Billing
Contact:
Dancris Telecom Network Operations Center (DTN-ORG)
noc@DANCRIS.COM
Dancris Telecom 6900 E. Camelback Road
Suite 1003
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
US
602-874-2700
Fax- 602-874-0555
Thus, at the very least, my email address (two of them, in fact), as a
job searcher, has been sent to a company in Arizona, without my
knowledge or approval.
I forwarded the computer generated message to
IT.Careers@gems5.gov.bc.ca, the contact for the BC government site.
After five days I received a message telling me that they were not
linked with any other sites, and that they had contacted the software
vendor and confirmed that my information hadn't been sent to anyone,
uh uh, no way. Since this flies in the face of the evidence, it is
rather disheartening to find that the BC government office does not
have the resources to assess the situation, and that the company is
lying to them.
Those who have followed my security literature reviews will be aware
that I am not one to get excited about failures in confidentiality.
I'm not too concerned that someone else may know I'm looking for work.
(These days, isn't everyone?) Anyone who knows how to use Deja.Com
can probably find a resume or two of mine without much difficulty.
But I was rather astonished to find this evidence of a breakdown in
privacy from a provincial government site. Most people would consider
employment application information to be roughly on a level of
confidentiality with medical records.
The breakdown is not complete. Despite what the message said, further
research does not appear to confirm that other RAPS sites have access
to my resume. However, a number of employment Web sites do seem to
use RAPS, and few of them appear to make the applicant aware of the
possibility that resume information could be shared with other sites.
It is understandable that not all sites would want to broadcast this
information: many job sites try to get the job candidate to post their
resume (this is a free service!) and then try to "upsell" them on a
system for posting the resume to either lists of employers or other
job sites. At the same time, most employment agencies and Web sites
get most of their revenue by charging employers, and therefore want to
have the largest possible base of candidates in order to charge more
or make more sales. Therefore, access to a system which enables them
to retrieve resume data posted at other sites would be a major
advantage for them. In any case, either the system does not always
work, or there is some significant time delay. I posted my resume to
RAPS sites and then tried to access it on other RAPS sites and could
not retrieve my information. (Interestingly, I got a different error
message response when I used the ID and password from the BC
government application than I did when I used the ID and password from
the test system.)
copyright Robert M. Slade, 2000 BCJOBPRV 20000418
====================== (quote inserted randomly by Pegasus Mailer)
rslade@vcn.bc.ca rslade@sprint.ca slade@victoria.tc.ca p1@canada.com
One virus, two virii, three viriii, four viriv ...
http://victoria.tc.ca/techrev or http://sun.soci.niu.edu/~rslade
------------------------------
From: Tad Cook <tad@aa.net>
Subject: Charity Sues MCI
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 23:45:33 -0700
From The Oklahoman:
City-based charity sues phone service over bill
04/18/2000
By Randy Ellis
Staff Writer
Feed The Children has filed a federal lawsuit against MCI Worldcom
Network Services Inc., accusing the company of overcharging the
Oklahoma City-based charity by at least $100,000 for long distance
telephone services.
In April 1998, MCI began charging Feed The Children a monthly
"national access fee" of $2.75 per phone line on approximately 3,600
phone lines, the charity alleges. Feed The Children claims it only had
about 55 telephone lines.
MCI also may have overcharged Feed The Children for other service
fees, listed as "non-usage" and "miscellaneous" fees, the charity
says.
Efforts to reach MCI for comment Monday were unsuccessful.
The charity says MCI offered to credit $96,000 to its long distance
account in November, but the charity refused to renew its contract
because of the billings. MCI refused reimbursement demands, the
charity said.
------------------------------
From: baldone@nothing.com (The bald one)
Subject: Re: Dialpad.com
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 12:11:29 GMT
Organization: @Home Network
I just went to the site www.dialpad.com and placed a quick call. It's
working for me. For a few days it suddenly stopped working. Then I
realized I had installed firewall protection for my system. Dialpad
does not work from behind a firewall. Once I turned off the firewall I
was able to make all the calls I wanted.
On Sun, 16 Apr 2000 17:47:21 -1000, Kerry Linthicum <kiw3l@hgea.org>
wrote:
> Hope you can answer following question.
>
> What happened to free internet phone service dialpad.com. I was
> using the service; however, It seemed to "disappear" off the web. I
> tried numerous times to log on to it again via different sites that
> offer the free download -- No Luck.
Return address is fake. Don't bother to send email
I HATE SPAM
------------------------------
From: david@NOSPAMvoice-ware.com (David)
Subject: Re: Dialpad.com
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 13:17:38 GMT
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
It still works in the continental US. Used it just last week and it
still seems to be there today.
On Sun, 16 Apr 2000 17:47:21 -1000, Kerry Linthicum <kiw3l@hgea.org>
wrote:
> Hope you can answer following question.
> What happened to free internet phone service dialpad.com. I was
> using the service; however, It seemed to "disappear" off the web. I
> tried numerous times to log on to it again via different sites that
> offer the free download -- No Luck.
> Thanks.
> Kwl in Hawaii
------------------------------
From: Michael S. Berlant <MBerlant@hotmail.NOSPAM.com>
Organization: None Apparent
Subject: Re: Dialpad.com
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 16:48:06 GMT
They are alive and well Wednesday morning via @home from Southern
California. Perhaps it was either a temporary problem or the problem
lies within your ISP. Your ISP wouldn't happen to be a phone company,
would it?
Kerry Linthicum wrote:
> Hope you can answer following question.
> What happened to free internet phone service dialpad.com. I was
> using the service; however, It seemed to "disappear" off the web. I
> tried numerous times to log on to it again via different sites that
> offer the free download -- No Luck.
> Thanks.
> Kwl in Hawaii
------------------------------
From: tknab@nyx.net (Terry Knab)
Subject: Re: Kansas Getting Area Code Split
Organization: The Home Office
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 22:08:24 GMT
TELECOM Digest Editor <ptownson@telecom-digest.org> wrote:
> A notice in the {Independence Reporter}, Sunday, April 16, 2000:
> Under the geographical split model, the area served by 316 area
> would be split into two areas: the Wichita Metropolitan local
> calling area, and the remaining area served by the 316 area code.
> The 316 area code would be retained in one of the geographic
> areas, and a new code assigned to the other area. Seven-digit
> dialing for local calls is maintained is a plan like this. Based
> on current projections, this plan would provide relief in the
> Wichita Metropolitan local calling area for six years, and 24
> years in the balance of the current 316 area code.
I'd have to vote for the split myself. I see 7-digit dialing being
one issue, but another being impact. The big impact is on companies
who have a lot of money invested in the phone number they have
already. (Its less likely to find this in rural areas, but Wichita is
a different thing entirely.)
I can see where Corporations like McDonald's have gone through nearly
4 area codes in 12 or so years, and that gets downright confusing.
Imagine if you were a company and had to give out a new business
number every few years due to area code splits.
Also from the standpoint of down the road, 316 can be *far* easier
overlayed in Wichita IF its one areacode that's purely local.
Remember, Denver also has two local area codes (720 and 303), and
calls between *all* of them are local.
Overlaying into rural areas makes ZERO sense from a number of
standpoints, the biggest one of which is that most of the towns in
Kansas (I'm going to pick on the Northern Half-785 since i know it
well) don't come anywhere NEAR using all 10,000 numbers. Remember,
out in the rural areas, the LECs are lucky if they assign 2,000 or
3,000 of the numbers in an NXX.
So, Wichita, in my opinion, should get 316 and everyone else gets
split. It *seems* to make the most sense. But we are talking about a
PUC here.
Terry E. Knab
News/Acting System Administrator
Nyx Public Access Unix
------------------------------
From: Tony Pelliccio <nogoddamnedspam.tonypo1@nofreakinspam.home.com>
Subject: Re: Bell Atlantic Interrupts Local ISP
Organization: Providence Network Partners
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 01:47:13 GMT
In article <telecom20.76.15@telecom-digest.org>,
sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.Net says...
From Julian Thomas:
>> BA told the owner that they had not been able to reinstate the circuit
>> and did not provide an adequate explanation.
> Hm. How about "We're flaming idiots"? Or more likely, "We're trying
> to screw you"?
As I've said many times before, it's the reason why our HQ is no
longer a Bell Atlantic customer. They kept stealing my ISDN lines to
use as voice lines. This would knock out my web servers and email
servers so we were essentially dead in the water for days on end.
Unfortunately we don't have the clout of an ISP so it took five days
to restore our ISDN service.
Recently we experience an outage with Worldcom as they're now
known. It lasted about three hours but the entire time they re-routed
our calls to cellphones in the building. Not too shabby.
Tony
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 13:47:45 -0500
From: Bennett Haselton <bennett@peacefire.org>
Subject: security hole in Netscape exposes hard drive files
Reply-To: peacefire-press@iain.com
Announced this morning:
This page demonstrates a security exploit in Netscape 4.x that lets a
malicious Web site gain access to files on a user's hard drive:
"JavaScript-in-cookies security hole demo"
http://www.peacefire.org/security/jscookies/
We think this may be one of the most powerful Netscape Communicator
exploits *ever* -- offhand I can only think of one Netscape bug ever
discovered that was more serious than this one (discovered in 1997 by
a Danish consultant, it also gave a Web site access to files on a
user's computer). We have already contacted Netscape to report this
problem, and they are working on a fix.
This security hole affects anyone running Netscape Communicator 4.x
for Windows with cookies and JavaScript turned on (these are the
default settings in effect for almost all browsers). Netscape claims
an installed client base of over 50 million browsers.
The exploit involves setting a cookie on the user's browser, such that
the *value* of the cookie contains JavaScript code that can perform
priveleged operations. (So this is great for reporters who like
popular buzzwords like "cookie" and "JavaScript", which always look
sexy in a story about Web browser security holes.)
Bennett
bennett@peacefire.org http://www.peacefire.org
(425) 649 9024
------------------------------
From: drdoright@[206.79.5.86] (Dr. Doright)
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Organization: Do the Right Thing
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 00:07:59 GMT
On Fri, 14 Apr 2000 14:54:39 EDT, MLS1955@aol.com wrote:
> Now, come on ... don't we, in the industry, have anything better to do
> than measure the accuracy of a FREE time announcement? I hate to say
> it, but after nearly 25 years in this business, I find your complaint
> both anal and petty.
Put me down as another vote for anal and petty. When I was a kid and
this type of service first became available in my home town, I called
it for a while. Now, I have no idea what the number is. And, if I
wanted the CORRECT time, I would call the U.S. Government's Fort
Collins, Colorado number which has the audio of the WWV broadcasts for
10 or 15 cents for a 1 minute LD call.
------------------------------
From: Jean-Bernard Condat <condat@posteasy.org>
Subject: Re: Digital Signatures For French Hybrid Mail Documents (Paul Wallich)
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 10:12:31 +0200
Thanks for your interest in French hybrid mail.
Our process actually enables users to have a real judicial
proof. Indeed our bailiff, the most famous in the IT world in France,
is entitled to extract from the database a certified (and/or
registrered) copy of the document (called "ampliation" or "copie
certifiee conforme" [real certified copy]) that can be used in a
trial.
Moreover, a "certificate of life" (certificat de vie) which is
attached to the document, describes all its tracking ... and lets the
user known at any time where the document is: in the printing chain,
in the hands of the conveyor, in those of the receipient, at the
postal office, etc.
Only archiving the document wouldn't really provide users certification of
the content and integrity of the document. As far as delivering it to the
third party, there wouldn't be any extra manipulation: as we are hybrid mail
operators as well as trust third party, we are indeed in charge of
rematerializing and delivering of the document (letter, telegram, SMS,
registered letter, fax, email) of the conveyor.
It's a new great vector to develop a new usage of telcos infrastructure in
France at this time.
Regards,
Jean-Bernard Condat, Posteasy SA
42 bd Sbastopol, 75003 Paris, France
0144599459, fax: 0144593555, condat@posteasy.org, 0607238628
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #78
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Apr 20 23:56:17 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id XAA15977;
Thu, 20 Apr 2000 23:56:17 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 23:56:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004210356.XAA15977@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #79
TELECOM Digest Thu, 20 Apr 2000 23:54:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 79
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (Linc Madison)
"Virtual Switchboard" For Cell Phones/Small Business (Mark Condor)
States Outlaw Spam (Monty Solomon)
FYI: Correction to Publication Schedule (Judith Oppenheimer)
Re: Siemens Gigaset 2400 Series (Rupa Schomaker)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Andrew Green)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Nomen Nescio)
Re: Dialpad.com (Stanley Cline)
Graun Potential Rise (Felipe Quiroz)
Alternative Service Provider (Gary Frech)
What are the Means of TV Broadcast? (Inelle)
Nice Quote (T. Byfield)
Norstar -vs- Partner -vs- Merlin Magix (Nortec Communications)
Time of Year for Tornados (Patrick Townson)
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'.
TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.
Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
Post Office Box 259
Independence, KS 67301
Phone: 805-545-5115
Email: editor@telecom-digest.org
Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org
This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and
published continuously since then. Our archives are available for
your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/
mailing list on the internet in any category!
URL information: http://telecom-digest.org
Anonymous FTP: hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives
(or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives)
Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org
Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for
a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system
for archives files. You can get desired files in email.
*************************************************************************
* TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from *
* Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate *
* 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. *
* http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com *
* Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing *
* views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. *
*************************************************************************
ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased.
Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription.
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
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.
LEGAL STUFF: TELECOM Digest (sm) is owned by Patrick Townson.
Copyright 2000 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert
has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and
enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order
telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has
been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very
inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request
a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as
yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help
is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars
per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above.
Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing
your name to the mailing list.
All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages
should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 04:07:11 -0700
From: Linc Madison <LincMad001@Telecom-Digest.zzn.com>
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
J.F. Mezei wrote in Vol 20 # 72:
> georgep_on_ca@my-deja.com wrote:
>> http://www.gc.ca/) That Canada should get its own country code
> Doesn't Canada already have "2" used deep down in some routing tables
> etc?
No. The country code "1" is not divided except by NPA (area code).
Area codes 204 and 250 are in Canada, but 203, 205, 248, and 252 are
not. (249 and 251 are currently unassigned.)
> Is there some logic in determining how long a country code is to be?
> (eg: codes beginning with two are three digits, codes with four are
> two digits etc etc)?
The length of the country code relates to three factors: population,
politics, and timing. Larger countries generally have shorter codes.
European countries are more likely to have shorter codes. All codes
assigned since about 1990 are three digits.
It happens that, in the original assignments, all codes beginning
with 4 were two digits, but that's no longer true: 420, 421, and 423
are assigned to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Liechtenstein,
respectively. As for region 2, there are three two-digit assignments:
20, 27, and 21, which are Egypt, South Africa, and the unified
numbering plan of North Africa (Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia),
respectively.
In any case, the proposal to separate Canada into its own country
code is only one idea being discussed. Personally, I think that the
benefits to Canada of remaining in the NANP outweigh the
disadvantages.
More to the point, if Canada were assigned its own country code, it
would probably NOT be 1X or even 1XX -- it would probably be
something like 295. The only way that Canada could get a 1X or 1XX
code would be to force the rest of the NANP to do the same, absent a
MAJOR change in ITU rules.
Linc Madison * San Francisco, California * Telecom-at-LincMad.com
<http://www.LincMad.com> North American Telephone Area Codes & Splits
------------------------------
From: mcondor@mindspring.com (Mark Condor)
Subject: "Virtual Switchboard" for cell phones/small business
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 12:12:27 GMT
Organization: MindSpring Enterprises
I have an interesting "does this exist question"
I am involved in a small business startup. Each employee is going to
have a cell phone (Probably Sprint PCS?), for business reasons, and we
will also be getting an 800 number for the main business number.
The question is, can we come up with some way, via the 800 number, to
have the appearance that all these phones are land-lines, and in fact
connected to a main switchboard/pbx? Hence my term a "virtual
switchboard".
Ideally, from the 800 number there would be some voice response
menu that would allow for reaching any individual's cell phone,
(as well as an option to collect voicemail to the main 800 number)
The impetus behind this, is cost savings. Since we will have to have
a cell phone each, we would like to save the cost of the phone lines,
installation and pbx etc.
Any ideas appreciated.
Mark
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 15:09:40 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: States Outlaw Spam
salon.com > Technology April 19, 2000
At least 18 states have enacted or are working on legislation that
would impose stiff penalties on commercial e-mailers who engage in
unsavory tactics.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Damien Cave
If laws could stop spam, we'd probably get a lot less e-mail. Several
state legislatures began trying to regulate commercial e-mail in 1997
and, even as a federal anti-spam bill heads to the House, more states
are writing their own legislation -- complete with pricy penalties for
violating the law. The following is a summary of state laws that have
been enacted or are moving through state legislatures.
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/04/19/state_spam
------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: FYI: Correction to Publication Schedule
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 14:24:13 -0400
CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTE:
ICB will not be published from Wednesday, April 19, through Monday,
April 24.
ICB Staff wishes all who celebrate Passover and Easter, a joyous holiday.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Siemens Gigaset 2400 Series
From: Rupa Schomaker <rupa@rupa.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 20:36:16 GMT
Organization: @Home Network
Don House <dhouse@excelsus-tech.com> writes:
> We have been told that the Gigasets will not work with a line carrying ADSL.
> I hope to test this and will let you know what I find out.
When COX installed my digital telephone service (switched phone
service over your coax cable) they noticed I had a gigaset and said
they sometimes have problems with them. They've been upping the
voltage on the line (dunno from what to what) for those of us with
gigasets and that seems to solve the problems. The only problem he
could refer to was that the line in use lights would blink rather than
stay on steady. (and funny enough, mine do that even with the
increase in voltage)
I find it odd that I use sattelite to watch TV and cable to make phone
calls and surf the net.
rupa
------------------------------
From: Andrew Green <acg@datalogics.com>
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 09:32:09 -0500
MLS1955@aol.com writes:
> Now, come on ... don't we, in the industry, have anything better
> to do than measure the accuracy of a FREE time announcement? I
> hate to say it, but after nearly 25 years in this business, I find
> your complaint both anal and petty.
Well, let's review here:
1) The sole purpose of this announcement is to give the time.
2) The time is wrong.
This suggests to me that there is a problem, and it's not with the
complainer.
If you're concerned about whether the time is correct, you can get a
second opinion in our local Ameritech phone directory. In fact you can
get upwards of SEVENTY FIVE opinions, judging from the number of (312)
976-xxxx numbers in the Business listings for "Time of Day" or "Time
of Day-Chicago" or "Time Weather & Lottery" listed over and over again
in column after column of the phone book, differing only in the last
four digits of the phone number. Apparently these are paid for by
clueless individuals who thought they Getting In on the Ground Floor
of the burgeoning (trust me, it's always "burgeoning") 900-number
service industry. Obviously they all lead to the same recording; it's
sad to look at column after column of these listings and wonder how
much each person paid to get themselves into that hopeless list. You'd
think they would have looked in the book themselves first; apparently
they didn't.
Andrew C. Green Datalogics, Inc. 101 N. Wacker,
Ste. 1800 http://www.datalogics.com Chicago, IL 60606-7301
------------------------------
From: Nomen Nescio <nobody@dizum.com>
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper that works
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 19:10:01 +0200 CEST
Organization: mail2news@zedz.net
Anon-Send-To: comp.dcom.telecom
>> Well, in response to my inquiry Mike Sandman has done it. His latest
>> little black box, called the "Telemarketer Stopper" does exactly what
>> I was needing and is line powered. Best of all it's reasonably
>> inexpensive at $25.95. (in lots of 3 or more they're $24.95 each)
> The price went up since you last checked: $34.95
I'm working on an anti-telemarketing device of my own, one that acts like
an auto-attendant in that it requires the caller to enter a passcode before
ringing the handset. For an outgoing call the box senses handset offhook and
directly connects handset to outside line. It does not depend on CallerID or
any special services by the telco. It will need a transformer plugged in to a
wall outlet. It'd be nice if I could get the purchase price down to US$50.
Steve
------------------------------
From: Stanley Cline <sc1@roamer1.org>
Subject: Re: Dialpad.com
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 02:37:16 -0400
Organization: by area code and prefix (NPA-NXX)
Reply-To: sc1@roamer1.org
On Wed, 19 Apr 2000 12:11:29 GMT, baldone@nothing.com (The bald one)
wrote:
> I just went to the site www.dialpad.com and placed a quick call. It's
> working for me. For a few days it suddenly stopped working. Then I
> realized I had installed firewall protection for my system. Dialpad
> does not work from behind a firewall. Once I turned off the firewall I
> was able to make all the calls I wanted.
You can fix this and leave the firewall in place; you need to open up
TCP port 51210 and UDP ports 51200 and 51201.
On my IP-masquerading/firewall Linux box running RedHat 6.1, I use the
following rules to open the ports, and auto-forward the ports to my
Windows box on the "private" side of the firewall box. (If you have
more than one Windows box from which you wish to use Dialpad, you need
to do some more complicated setup which I believe is linked from the
dialpad site.)
# fwd ports 51200,51201,51210 (dialpad) to toccoa
# (192.168.34.2 = toccoa, my windows box)
# ipchains opens ports, ipmasqadm forwards ports
/sbin/ipchains -A input -p tcp -d 0.0.0.0/0 51210 -j ACCEPT
/sbin/ipchains -A input -p udp -d 0.0.0.0/0 51200:51201 -j ACCEPT
/usr/sbin/ipmasqadm autofw -A -r tcp 51210 51210 -h 192.168.34.2
/usr/sbin/ipmasqadm autofw -A -r udp 51200 51201 -h 192.168.34.2
Stanley Cline -- sc1 at roamer1 dot org -- http://www.roamer1.org/
"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. There might
be a law against it by that time." -/usr/games/fortune
------------------------------
From: Felipe Quiroz <ffqq72@hotmail.com>
Subject: Graun Potential Rise
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 22:49:06 PDT
Hello ... I am Felipe Quiroz from Chile ... I am looking for
information about Ground Potential Rise and devices for protection
against of that problem, recommendations or anything you can tell my,
thanks a lot, if you dont know anything about ... please ... send me a
e-mail to tell me anyway.
------------------------------
From: Gary Frech <gfrech@atc-1.com>
Subject: Alternative Service Provider
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 10:20:16 -0600
To Whom It May Concern:
I am a consultant and have a client in Santa Fe, New Mexico who is
developing a mixed use residential, commercial and educational
property.
The property is remote in that it is outside the telcos base rate area
and loop limitations preclude such service as ISDN and DSL. I am
looking for service alternatives outside the norm. A wireless option
is attractive however all of the firms (many) I have spoken with are
not interested in doing business in New Mexico.
Any insights and/or suggestions as to alternatives would be appreciated.
Respectfully,
Gary Frech, Principal
Advanced Technology Consulting, LLC
------------------------------
From: Inelle <b970305@wkg1.umac.mo>
Subject: What Are the Means of TV Broadcast?
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 14:52:53 +0800
Organization: University of Macau
Hi!
I'd like to ask what are the different means of TV broadcast? I mean
by cable, digital, or any other?
Thanks very much!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 15:21:35 -0400
From: T Byfield <tbyfield@panix.com>
Subject: Nice Quote
<http://www.tbtf.com/blog/2000-04-16.html#5> has a few words about an
article by Andrew Leonard (on Salon) about Finland, as well as this
observation from Travis Corcoran:
A well anarchized telecom infrastructure, being being
necessary to the security of a free State, the right
of the People to keep and bear Phones, shall not be
Infringed.
YMMV, but it's an interesting point to meditate on.
Cheers,
Ted
------------------------------
From: Nortec Communications <Nortec@mr.net>
Subject: Norstar -vs- Partner -vs- Merlin Magix
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 01:55:37 GMT
Organization: Onvoy
Any thoughts on the advantages of one system over the other (reliability,
features, etc.)? I am familiar with the Norstar system, but know very
little about the others.
------------------------------
From: Patrick Townson <ptownson@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: Time of Year For Tornados
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 22:36:00 CDT
I recently bought a 'weather radio', one of those devices which sits
silently unless/until it is activated by the National Weather Service,
at which point it is activated by a siren sound, followed by a weather
warning. The first time I heard it at work was Wednesday night, when
it went off about every fifteen minutes all night. At about 9:00 PM we
had a severe storm, with very high winds and rain. Then at about 11:45
PM we had a second storm even more severe. I would shut off the little
weather radio, and after 5-10 minutes it would start again.
I had already gone to bed, but decided to sit up and listen to my
police scanner for awhile and then I found out what the weather radio
had been screaming about all evening. A tornado was in our area, and
had flattened much of the town of Parsons, KS, population about ten
thousand. Parsons is about fifteen miles northeast of Independence,
and the tornado barely missed us.
In Parsons, the tornado took down the city hall, and with it the
attached police and fire stations, plus quite a few stores in the
downtown area. Their '911 service' was inoperative the rest of
the night as a result, as well as phone service in general through
town as everyone tried to call the police because the local sirens
were going off, thoughtfully started about ten minutes earlier by
the police department before their own roof blew away. Our own
street sirens started going off about the same time, so of course
all our own citizens were in an uproar as well. Parsons is a wee
bit bigger population-wise than Independence, but both towns are
a little smaller than Coffeyville. On the police scanner Wednesday
night, Parsons was on the 'mutual assistance frequency' asking for
whatever police and fire help could be sent from anywhere.
The Parsons Police Department set up emergency operations in the
National Guard Amory on Thursday morning, and Fort Riley sent several
troops to protect the town and prevent looting, etc. The majority of
the town was blocked off on Thursday from automobile traffic,
but a large number of townspeople from Parsons and nearby towns
walked around in the downtown area to view the damage. Damage is
in the millions of dollars.
Patrick Townson
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #79
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Apr 20 23:54:31 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id XAA15890;
Thu, 20 Apr 2000 23:54:31 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 23:54:31 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004210354.XAA15890@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #78
TELECOM Digest Thu, 20 Apr 2000 23:54:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 79
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (Linc Madison)
"Virtual Switchboard" For Cell Phones/Small Business (Mark Condor)
States Outlaw Spam (Monty Solomon)
FYI: Correction to Publication Schedule (Judith Oppenheimer)
Re: Siemens Gigaset 2400 Series (Rupa Schomaker)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Andrew Green)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Nomen Nescio)
Re: Dialpad.com (Stanley Cline)
Graun Potential Rise (Felipe Quiroz)
Alternative Service Provider (Gary Frech)
What are the Means of TV Broadcast? (Inelle)
Nice Quote (T. Byfield)
Norstar -vs- Partner -vs- Merlin Magix (Nortec Communications)
Time of Year for Tornados (Patrick Townson)
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'.
TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.
Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
Post Office Box 259
Independence, KS 67301
Phone: 805-545-5115
Email: editor@telecom-digest.org
Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org
This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and
published continuously since then. Our archives are available for
your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/
mailing list on the internet in any category!
URL information: http://telecom-digest.org
Anonymous FTP: hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/telecom-archives/archives
(or use our mirror site: ftp.epix.net/pub/telecom-archives)
Email <==> FTP: telecom-archives@telecom-digest.org
Send a simple, one line note to that automated address for
a help file on how to use the automatic retrieval system
for archives files. You can get desired files in email.
*************************************************************************
* TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from *
* Judith Oppenheimer, President of ICB Inc. and purveyor of accurate *
* 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. *
* http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com *
* Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing *
* views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. *
*************************************************************************
ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased.
Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription.
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
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.
LEGAL STUFF: TELECOM Digest (sm) is owned by Patrick Townson.
Copyright 2000 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert
has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and
enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order
telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has
been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very
inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request
a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com
---------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as
yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help
is important and appreciated. A suggested donation of twenty dollars
per year per reader is considered appropriate. See our address above.
Please make at least a single donation to cover the cost of processing
your name to the mailing list.
All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages
should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 04:07:11 -0700
From: Linc Madison <LincMad001@Telecom-Digest.zzn.com>
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
J.F. Mezei wrote in Vol 20 # 72:
> georgep_on_ca@my-deja.com wrote:
>> http://www.gc.ca/) That Canada should get its own country code
> Doesn't Canada already have "2" used deep down in some routing tables
> etc?
No. The country code "1" is not divided except by NPA (area code).
Area codes 204 and 250 are in Canada, but 203, 205, 248, and 252 are
not. (249 and 251 are currently unassigned.)
> Is there some logic in determining how long a country code is to be?
> (eg: codes beginning with two are three digits, codes with four are
> two digits etc etc)?
The length of the country code relates to three factors: population,
politics, and timing. Larger countries generally have shorter codes.
European countries are more likely to have shorter codes. All codes
assigned since about 1990 are three digits.
It happens that, in the original assignments, all codes beginning
with 4 were two digits, but that's no longer true: 420, 421, and 423
are assigned to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Liechtenstein,
respectively. As for region 2, there are three two-digit assignments:
20, 27, and 21, which are Egypt, South Africa, and the unified
numbering plan of North Africa (Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia),
respectively.
In any case, the proposal to separate Canada into its own country
code is only one idea being discussed. Personally, I think that the
benefits to Canada of remaining in the NANP outweigh the
disadvantages.
More to the point, if Canada were assigned its own country code, it
would probably NOT be 1X or even 1XX -- it would probably be
something like 295. The only way that Canada could get a 1X or 1XX
code would be to force the rest of the NANP to do the same, absent a
MAJOR change in ITU rules.
Linc Madison * San Francisco, California * Telecom-at-LincMad.com
<http://www.LincMad.com> North American Telephone Area Codes & Splits
------------------------------
From: mcondor@mindspring.com (Mark Condor)
Subject: "Virtual Switchboard" for cell phones/small business
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 12:12:27 GMT
Organization: MindSpring Enterprises
I have an interesting "does this exist question"
I am involved in a small business startup. Each employee is going to
have a cell phone (Probably Sprint PCS?), for business reasons, and we
will also be getting an 800 number for the main business number.
The question is, can we come up with some way, via the 800 number, to
have the appearance that all these phones are land-lines, and in fact
connected to a main switchboard/pbx? Hence my term a "virtual
switchboard".
Ideally, from the 800 number there would be some voice response
menu that would allow for reaching any individual's cell phone,
(as well as an option to collect voicemail to the main 800 number)
The impetus behind this, is cost savings. Since we will have to have
a cell phone each, we would like to save the cost of the phone lines,
installation and pbx etc.
Any ideas appreciated.
Mark
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 15:09:40 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: States Outlaw Spam
salon.com > Technology April 19, 2000
At least 18 states have enacted or are working on legislation that
would impose stiff penalties on commercial e-mailers who engage in
unsavory tactics.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Damien Cave
If laws could stop spam, we'd probably get a lot less e-mail. Several
state legislatures began trying to regulate commercial e-mail in 1997
and, even as a federal anti-spam bill heads to the House, more states
are writing their own legislation -- complete with pricy penalties for
violating the law. The following is a summary of state laws that have
been enacted or are moving through state legislatures.
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2000/04/19/state_spam
------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: FYI: Correction to Publication Schedule
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 14:24:13 -0400
CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTE:
ICB will not be published from Wednesday, April 19, through Monday,
April 24.
ICB Staff wishes all who celebrate Passover and Easter, a joyous holiday.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Siemens Gigaset 2400 Series
From: Rupa Schomaker <rupa@rupa.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 20:36:16 GMT
Organization: @Home Network
Don House <dhouse@excelsus-tech.com> writes:
> We have been told that the Gigasets will not work with a line carrying ADSL.
> I hope to test this and will let you know what I find out.
When COX installed my digital telephone service (switched phone
service over your coax cable) they noticed I had a gigaset and said
they sometimes have problems with them. They've been upping the
voltage on the line (dunno from what to what) for those of us with
gigasets and that seems to solve the problems. The only problem he
could refer to was that the line in use lights would blink rather than
stay on steady. (and funny enough, mine do that even with the
increase in voltage)
I find it odd that I use sattelite to watch TV and cable to make phone
calls and surf the net.
rupa
------------------------------
From: Andrew Green <acg@datalogics.com>
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 09:32:09 -0500
MLS1955@aol.com writes:
> Now, come on ... don't we, in the industry, have anything better
> to do than measure the accuracy of a FREE time announcement? I
> hate to say it, but after nearly 25 years in this business, I find
> your complaint both anal and petty.
Well, let's review here:
1) The sole purpose of this announcement is to give the time.
2) The time is wrong.
This suggests to me that there is a problem, and it's not with the
complainer.
If you're concerned about whether the time is correct, you can get a
second opinion in our local Ameritech phone directory. In fact you can
get upwards of SEVENTY FIVE opinions, judging from the number of (312)
976-xxxx numbers in the Business listings for "Time of Day" or "Time
of Day-Chicago" or "Time Weather & Lottery" listed over and over again
in column after column of the phone book, differing only in the last
four digits of the phone number. Apparently these are paid for by
clueless individuals who thought they Getting In on the Ground Floor
of the burgeoning (trust me, it's always "burgeoning") 900-number
service industry. Obviously they all lead to the same recording; it's
sad to look at column after column of these listings and wonder how
much each person paid to get themselves into that hopeless list. You'd
think they would have looked in the book themselves first; apparently
they didn't.
Andrew C. Green Datalogics, Inc. 101 N. Wacker,
Ste. 1800 http://www.datalogics.com Chicago, IL 60606-7301
------------------------------
From: Nomen Nescio <nobody@dizum.com>
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper that works
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 19:10:01 +0200 CEST
Organization: mail2news@zedz.net
Anon-Send-To: comp.dcom.telecom
>> Well, in response to my inquiry Mike Sandman has done it. His latest
>> little black box, called the "Telemarketer Stopper" does exactly what
>> I was needing and is line powered. Best of all it's reasonably
>> inexpensive at $25.95. (in lots of 3 or more they're $24.95 each)
> The price went up since you last checked: $34.95
I'm working on an anti-telemarketing device of my own, one that acts like
an auto-attendant in that it requires the caller to enter a passcode before
ringing the handset. For an outgoing call the box senses handset offhook and
directly connects handset to outside line. It does not depend on CallerID or
any special services by the telco. It will need a transformer plugged in to a
wall outlet. It'd be nice if I could get the purchase price down to US$50.
Steve
------------------------------
From: Stanley Cline <sc1@roamer1.org>
Subject: Re: Dialpad.com
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 02:37:16 -0400
Organization: by area code and prefix (NPA-NXX)
Reply-To: sc1@roamer1.org
On Wed, 19 Apr 2000 12:11:29 GMT, baldone@nothing.com (The bald one)
wrote:
> I just went to the site www.dialpad.com and placed a quick call. It's
> working for me. For a few days it suddenly stopped working. Then I
> realized I had installed firewall protection for my system. Dialpad
> does not work from behind a firewall. Once I turned off the firewall I
> was able to make all the calls I wanted.
You can fix this and leave the firewall in place; you need to open up
TCP port 51210 and UDP ports 51200 and 51201.
On my IP-masquerading/firewall Linux box running RedHat 6.1, I use the
following rules to open the ports, and auto-forward the ports to my
Windows box on the "private" side of the firewall box. (If you have
more than one Windows box from which you wish to use Dialpad, you need
to do some more complicated setup which I believe is linked from the
dialpad site.)
# fwd ports 51200,51201,51210 (dialpad) to toccoa
# (192.168.34.2 = toccoa, my windows box)
# ipchains opens ports, ipmasqadm forwards ports
/sbin/ipchains -A input -p tcp -d 0.0.0.0/0 51210 -j ACCEPT
/sbin/ipchains -A input -p udp -d 0.0.0.0/0 51200:51201 -j ACCEPT
/usr/sbin/ipmasqadm autofw -A -r tcp 51210 51210 -h 192.168.34.2
/usr/sbin/ipmasqadm autofw -A -r udp 51200 51201 -h 192.168.34.2
Stanley Cline -- sc1 at roamer1 dot org -- http://www.roamer1.org/
"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. There might
be a law against it by that time." -/usr/games/fortune
------------------------------
From: Felipe Quiroz <ffqq72@hotmail.com>
Subject: Graun Potential Rise
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 22:49:06 PDT
Hello ... I am Felipe Quiroz from Chile ... I am looking for
information about Ground Potential Rise and devices for protection
against of that problem, recommendations or anything you can tell my,
thanks a lot, if you dont know anything about ... please ... send me a
e-mail to tell me anyway.
------------------------------
From: Gary Frech <gfrech@atc-1.com>
Subject: Alternative Service Provider
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 10:20:16 -0600
To Whom It May Concern:
I am a consultant and have a client in Santa Fe, New Mexico who is
developing a mixed use residential, commercial and educational
property.
The property is remote in that it is outside the telcos base rate area
and loop limitations preclude such service as ISDN and DSL. I am
looking for service alternatives outside the norm. A wireless option
is attractive however all of the firms (many) I have spoken with are
not interested in doing business in New Mexico.
Any insights and/or suggestions as to alternatives would be appreciated.
Respectfully,
Gary Frech, Principal
Advanced Technology Consulting, LLC
------------------------------
From: Inelle <b970305@wkg1.umac.mo>
Subject: What Are the Means of TV Broadcast?
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 14:52:53 +0800
Organization: University of Macau
Hi!
I'd like to ask what are the different means of TV broadcast? I mean
by cable, digital, or any other?
Thanks very much!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 15:21:35 -0400
From: T Byfield <tbyfield@panix.com>
Subject: Nice Quote
<http://www.tbtf.com/blog/2000-04-16.html#5> has a few words about an
article by Andrew Leonard (on Salon) about Finland, as well as this
observation from Travis Corcoran:
A well anarchized telecom infrastructure, being being
necessary to the security of a free State, the right
of the People to keep and bear Phones, shall not be
Infringed.
YMMV, but it's an interesting point to meditate on.
Cheers,
Ted
------------------------------
From: Nortec Communications <Nortec@mr.net>
Subject: Norstar -vs- Partner -vs- Merlin Magix
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 01:55:37 GMT
Organization: Onvoy
Any thoughts on the advantages of one system over the other (reliability,
features, etc.)? I am familiar with the Norstar system, but know very
little about the others.
------------------------------
From: Patrick Townson <ptownson@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: Time of Year For Tornados
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 22:36:00 CDT
I recently bought a 'weather radio', one of those devices which sits
silently unless/until it is activated by the National Weather Service,
at which point it is activated by a siren sound, followed by a weather
warning. The first time I heard it at work was Wednesday night, when
it went off about every fifteen minutes all night. At about 9:00 PM we
had a severe storm, with very high winds and rain. Then at about 11:45
PM we had a second storm even more severe. I would shut off the little
weather radio, and after 5-10 minutes it would start again.
I had already gone to bed, but decided to sit up and listen to my
police scanner for awhile and then I found out what the weather radio
had been screaming about all evening. A tornado was in our area, and
had flattened much of the town of Parsons, KS, population about ten
thousand. Parsons is about fifteen miles northeast of Independence,
and the tornado barely missed us.
In Parsons, the tornado took down the city hall, and with it the
attached police and fire stations, plus quite a few stores in the
downtown area. Their '911 service' was inoperative the rest of
the night as a result, as well as phone service in general through
town as everyone tried to call the police because the local sirens
were going off, thoughtfully started about ten minutes earlier by
the police department before their own roof blew away. Our own
street sirens started going off about the same time, so of course
all our own citizens were in an uproar as well. Parsons is a wee
bit bigger population-wise than Independence, but both towns are
a little smaller than Coffeyville. On the police scanner Wednesday
night, Parsons was on the 'mutual assistance frequency' asking for
whatever police and fire help could be sent from anywhere.
The Parsons Police Department set up emergency operations in the
National Guard Amory on Thursday morning, and Fort Riley sent several
troops to protect the town and prevent looting, etc. The majority of
the town was blocked off on Thursday from automobile traffic,
but a large number of townspeople from Parsons and nearby towns
walked around in the downtown area to view the damage. Damage is
in the millions of dollars.
Patrick Townson
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #79
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Apr 21 23:17:58 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id XAA26384;
Fri, 21 Apr 2000 23:17:58 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 23:17:58 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004220317.XAA26384@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #80
TELECOM Digest Fri, 21 Apr 2000 23:18:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 80
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Re: "Virtual Switchboard" For Cell Phones/Small Business (Fred Daniel)
Re: "Virtual Switchboard" For Cell Phones/Small Business (David Clayton)
Re: "Virtual Switchboard" For Cell Phones/Small Business (Steve Sobol)
Re: Long Lines Bells (kamlet@infinet.com)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Anonymous User)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Robert Yoder)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Bilgates Remailer)
Re: Alternative Service Provider (The Old Bear)
Verizon/BAM/PrimeCo/AirTouch SID Numbers (Brian A. Doreste)
How do Comdial Systems Stack Up?? (Rick Inzerillo)
Teleport Listing(s) (M7)
EPIC Alert 7.07 (Monty Solomon)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Fred Daniel <fdaniel@home.com>
Organization: @Home Network
Subject: Re: "Virtual Switchboard" For Cell Phones/Small Business
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 17:37:45 GMT
Mark,
In our small engineering office of nine persons, each employee has a
PCS phone. We use Centrex from the local Bell company. We selected
Centrex so we could experiment with various features in our business.
The main feature you need, I believe, is called "Off Premises Call
Transfer". This allows a person or device to answer calls, offer
choices, and transfer the call, thereby being available for the next
caller. On our local listed telephone number, we use a Viking Model
ACA-1A Automated Attendant. (see www.vikingelectronics.com). Our 800
number forwards to the local listed number. We also have several
other Centrex lines for those people who spend much time in the
office. For these people, their private Centrex line is setup with
"no-answer call forward" so after two rings it forwards to their PCS
phone. We can easily re-program the Viking unit anytime, however it
is a little unhandy. I believe the Viking unit to be about $200 to
$300. There are much better Auto Attendants on the market, and some
with voice mail. We prefer to use the FREE PCS voice mail. You can
also use some PBX systems, but you will require more lines from the
phone company to transfer calls.
A final note. Everyone expects a wired phone to always work! PCS
phones do not always work indoors. Our PCS phones work generally OK
because I arranged to have a "cell site" put on the roof of our office
building during the network build out. Therefore, test, test, test,
before you accept your solution. Good luck.
Fred Daniel
------------------------------
From: David Clayton <dcstar@acslink.aone.net.au>
Subject: Re: "Virtual Switchboard" For Cell Phones/Small Business
Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 09:39:38 +1000
Organization: Customer of Connect.com.au Pty. Ltd.
Reply-To: dcstar@acslink.aone.net.au
mcondor@mindspring.com (Mark Condor) contributed the following:
> I have an interesting "does this exist question"
> I am involved in a small business startup. Each employee is going to
> have a cell phone (Probably Sprint PCS?), for business reasons, and we
> will also be getting an 800 number for the main business number.
> The question is, can we come up with some way, via the 800 number, to
> have the appearance that all these phones are land-lines, and in fact
> connected to a main switchboard/pbx? Hence my term a "virtual
> switchboard".
> Ideally, from the 800 number there would be some voice response
> menu that would allow for reaching any individual's cell phone,
> (as well as an option to collect voicemail to the main 800 number)
.....
Most Voice Mail systems offer IVR facilities such as you require.
All you have to do is connect the lines to 'em and program the system to
your requirements.
www.vodavi-ct.com are one vendor that I know for sure can do what you
want.
Regards,
David Clayton, e-mail: dcstar@acslink.aone.net.au
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Dilbert's words of wisdom #18: Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.
------------------------------
From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.Net (Steve Sobol)
Subject: Re: "Virtual Switchboard" For Cell Phones/Small Business
Date: 22 Apr 2000 01:25:20 GMT
Organization: New Age Consulting Service Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA
From 'Mark Condor':
> I have an interesting "does this exist question"
> I am involved in a small business startup. Each employee is going to
> have a cell phone (Probably Sprint PCS?), for business reasons, and we
> will also be getting an 800 number for the main business number.
I came up with an interesting solution to my voice mail problem, which
may apply here. I use NextLink for local dialtone, and I have three
incoming lines which run straight to the phones - there is no PBX.
Now, what happens when I take a call from outside for someone else?
NextLink has a Transfer feature that allows you to transfer an
incoming call to another number. Could be one of my voicemail boxes,
which are provided by an outside contractor (not NextLink), each with
its own separate phone number. Could be a cell phone or pager,
too. Could be anything with a phone number.
Assuming that you're transferring to another landline phone, the caller
may never even realize he's being transferred out of the office!!
> The question is, can we come up with some way, via the 800 number, to
> have the appearance that all these phones are land-lines, and in fact
> connected to a main switchboard/pbx? Hence my term a "virtual
> switchboard".
I found out that the Transfer feature mentioned above does NOT require
an additional line. It works the same as an internal transfer on a PBX
in that no additional outgoing CO lines are tied up during the
transfer. I like that.
We are also ordering Busy Transfer and No Answer Transfer so that the
voice mail picks up during busy times and after hours. (No Answer
Transfer on the first two lines in the huntgroup, Busy Transfer on the
last.)
> Ideally, from the 800 number there would be some voice response
> menu that would allow for reaching any individual's cell phone,
> (as well as an option to collect voicemail to the main 800 number)
Your mileage may vary, based on your local telco. I'd start by talking
to them first. If you want to discuss this further, e-mail me and we
will continue the conversation ...
North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net
sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET
"Never attribute to malice events more properly attributed to corporate
greed." --Me, March 28th, 2000
------------------------------
From: kamlet@infinet.com
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 19:17:33 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Long Lines Bells
Reply-To: kamlet@infinet.com
Organization: Voyager.Net
In article <telecom20.16.4@telecom-digest.org>, Don Kimberlin
<dkimberlin@prodigy.net> wrote:
>> Bell Telephone** Laboratories
>> ** - BTL is 50% owned by Western Electric and 50% owned by AT&T
And the way Bell Telephone Labs (BTL) was 50% owned by AT&T &
Western Electric was that each owned 1 share. Only 2 shares had
been issued.
The long-time executive VP of Bell Labs, Julius Molnar, issued
proclamations that the name was to be called Bell Telephone
Laboratories, Incorporated in all correspondence and usage, and
never ever to be abbreviated to, say, Bell Labs.
With the 1984 divestiture, Belcore got some of Bell Labs, and
AT&T gave up the right to use "Bell" except for Bell Labs, which
was renamed from Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, to
AT&T Bell Labs. Not long after, AT&T changed the corporate
structure so it owned Bell Labs outright, not as a subsidiary
corporation.
When the AT&T - Lucent divestiture came (and NCR too) Lucent got
to keep the Bell Labs name and most of the people and buildings,
and AT&T got some Bell Labs people in what was named AT&T Labs.
And a very few went to NCR Labs.
When the Lucent fuzzy red bagel logo was designed, it was
associated with the words Lucent Technologies and under that,
Bell Labs Innovations. (And the Bell Labs logo was bell Labs,
with Lucent Technologies in smaller lettering.)
> "long distance" was a large portion of a dollar per minute! The RBOCs,
> by comparison, were mere "tax farms" for 195 Broadway,...
The 195 Broadway building was sold as part of the 1984
divestiture, and rather than have an enormous capital gain on that
sale, the building was donated to the newly created AT&T
Foundation, and that foundation still funds many of the charitible
grants AT&T doles out. When Lucent was spun off, Lucent asked for
some of the assets of the AT&T Foundation and was turned down.
(Go get your own charitable money.)
Art Kamlet Columbus, Ohio kamlet@infinet.com
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 20:15:27 +0200
From: Anonymous User <tonne@jengate.thur.de>
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Organization: mail2news@nym.alias.net
>> Well, in response to my inquiry Mike Sandman has done it. His latest
>> little black box, called the "Telemarketer Stopper" does exactly what
>> I was needing and is line powered. Best of all it's reasonably
>> inexpensive at $25.95. (in lots of 3 or more they're $24.95 each)
> The price went up since you last checked: $34.95
I'm working on an anti-telemarketing device of my own, one that acts
like an auto-attendant in that it requires the caller to enter a
passcode before ringing the handset. For an outgoing call the box
senses handset offhook and directly connects handset to outside
line. It does not depend on CallerID or any special services by the
telco. It will need a transformer plugged in to a wall outlet. It'd be
nice if I could get the purchase price down to US$50.
Steve
------------------------------
From: Robert Yoder <ryoder@dimensional.com>
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 18:36:01 -0600
Organization: Dimensional Communications
Nomen Nescio wrote:
>>> Well, in response to my inquiry Mike Sandman has done it. His latest
>>> little black box, called the "Telemarketer Stopper" does exactly what
>>> I was needing and is line powered. Best of all it's reasonably
>>> inexpensive at $25.95. (in lots of 3 or more they're $24.95 each)
>> The price went up since you last checked: $34.95
> I'm working on an anti-telemarketing device of my own, one that acts
> like an auto-attendant in that it requires the caller to enter a
> passcode before ringing the handset. For an outgoing call the box
> senses handset offhook and directly connects handset to outside
> line. It does not depend on CallerID or any special services by the
> telco. It will need a transformer plugged in to a wall outlet. It'd
> be nice if I could get the purchase price down to US$50.
I bought one of those years ago, from an para-military catalog. It
cost about $50. It answered the phone and asked for a 4-digit
passcode in a distinctly Asian female voice. It the correct passcode
was entered, it would generate a ring of it's own.
Problem was, if you put it in front of an answering machine,
the machine would never pick up, so I sold it to a co-worker.
ryoder@dimensional.com
"Unix: The Solution to the W2K Problem."
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The ones I have seen had a three digit
code assigned to ring an answering machine as well as an actual code
to ring the persons in the room. That allowed for people who knew the
proper code to leave a message on the machine if I was not at home.
The reason the answering machine would not pick up was because the
machine made a ring of its own rather than passing voltage down the
line to individual instruments as would be required of an answering
machine. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 21:30:02 CDT
From: Bilgates Remailer <noreply@securenym.net>
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Organization: mail2news@zedz.net
>> Well, in response to my inquiry Mike Sandman has done it. His latest
>> little black box, called the "Telemarketer Stopper" does exactly what
>> I was needing and is line powered. Best of all it's reasonably
>> inexpensive at $25.95. (In lots of three or more they're $24.95 each).
>
>The price went up since you last checked: $34.95
I'm working on an anti-telemarketing device of my own, one that acts
like an auto-attendant in that it requires the caller to enter a
passcode before ringing the handset. For an outgoing call the box
senses handset offhook and directly connects handset to outside
line. It does not depend on CallerID or any special services by the
telco. It will need a transformer plugged in to a wall outlet. It'd be
nice if I could get the purchase price down to US$50.
Steve
------------------------------
From: oldbear@arctos.com (The Old Bear)
Subject: Re: Alternative Service Provider
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 14:25:04 -0500
Organization: The Arctos Group - http://www.arctos.com/arctos
Gary Frech <gfrech@atc-1.com> writes:
> I am a consultant and have a client in Santa Fe, New Mexico who is
> developing a mixed use residential, commercial and educational
> property.
> The property is remote in that it is outside the telcos base rate area
> and loop limitations preclude such service as ISDN and DSL. I am
> looking for service alternatives outside the norm. A wireless option
> is attractive however all of the firms (many) I have spoken with are
> not interested in doing business in New Mexico.
> Any insights and/or suggestions as to alternatives would be appreciated.
This immediately brought to mind the "Christ in the Desert" monastery
which is located in Abiquiu, about two hours by road from Santa Fe.
(See: http://www.christdesert.org )
In 1993, the monastery had no electricity and no telephone lines.
The monastary is now linked by microwave and has a project called
"nextScribe" to develop a self-sustaining business engaged in the modern
equivalent of what monastaries did with manuscripts during the middle
ages. NextScribe provides a range of web design and hosting services
as well as data entry and computer programming work. They also have
an ambitious plan to develope an online service for Catholics.
See the news story at: http://www.nextscribe.org/ens.html
I don't know the details of the telecom arrangement but recall from a
TV news story that they were using a microwave link which was set up
to service a cellphone tower on their property.
You may want to contact nextScribe and see if their network person can
give you more information.
------------------------------
From: bdoreste@copland.udel.REMOVE_THIS.edu (Brian A Doreste)
Subject: Verizon/BAM/PrimeCo/AirTouch SID Numbers
Organization: University of Delaware
Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 00:04:45 GMT
Hello all:
I am trying to compose a list of all Verizon SID numbers that are in
use across the country so I can create a FAQ for programming a
tri-mode phone on their system.
I have a crude FAQ in the works at http://www.bridog.net/bam.html that
you may check out, however in the meantime, if people can send me
Verizon SID numbers to post, I'd appreciate it greatly.
I already have most of BAM/Verizon SID's on the East Coast, however,
feel free to check out my accuracy at http://www.bridog.net/sid.txt
Thanks,
Brian A Doreste school email: bdoreste 'at' copland.udel.edu
PO Box 7740 work email: bdoreste 'at' mail.dot.state.de.us
Newark, DE 19714-7740 USA Univ of Delaware Civil Engineering Undergraduate
Usual disclaimers apply Delaware Dept of Transportation|Traffic Ops/Mgmt
------------------------------
From: Rick Inzerillo <rinzerillo@commercehub.com>
Subject: How do Comdial Systems Stack Up??
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 13:52:32 -0400
Organization: The University at Albany
How do Comdial systems, namely the DXP-Plus stack up against the
competition? We are purchasing a new system and we are having a
difficult time making the decision. Does anyone have info on
resources available to make such decisions?
Thanks,
Rick
------------------------------
From: M7 <mach_7@my-deja.com>
Subject: Teleport Listing(s)
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 13:39:29 GMT
Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
Hello,
Does anyone know of a comprehensive list of earth station teleports
that provide ISDN connectivity in CONUS? All help would be greatly
appreciated.
Thanks.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 02:01:25 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: EPIC Alert 7.07
==============================================================
@@@@ @@@@ @@@ @@@@ @ @ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@@
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
@@@@ @@@ @ @ @@@@@ @ @@@ @@@ @
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
@@@@ @ @@@ @@@@ @ @ @@@@ @@@@ @ @ @
==============================================================
Volume 7.07 April 20, 2000
--------------------------------------------------------------
Published by the
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
Washington, D.C.
http://www.epic.org
=======================================================================
Table of Contents
=======================================================================
[1] House Committee on Intelligence Examines NSA Surveillance
[2] EU Fixes Agenda for Hearing on Global Surveillance
[3] Appeals Court Rules that Source Code Is Protected Free Speech
[4] Pentagon Requests New FOIA Exemption
[5] Children's Internet Privacy Law Goes Into Effect
[6] EPIC Moves - New Address and Phone Number!
[7] EPIC Bookstore -- The Mvr Book Motor Services Guide 2000
[8] Upcoming Conferences and Events
=======================================================================
[1] House Committee on Intelligence Examines NSA Surveillance
=======================================================================
On April 12, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
conducted a hearing to examine the surveillance capabilities of the
National Security Agency (NSA). The hearing follows increasing
worldwide concern about international communications monitoring and
the "Echelon" satellite interception system in particular.
Committee Chairman Porter Goss (R-FL) stated that the Committee
itself was "well versed" in NSA intelligence gathering capabilities
and was satisfied as to the legitimacy of its activities. He
continued, however, that an open hearing was necessary and important
in order to reassure the American public that the NSA operates within
a strict legal framework.
Testifying before the Committee, the Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA), George J. Tenet, and Director of the NSA,
Lieutenant General Michael V. Hayden, explained that under FISA the
NSA is authorized to collect information only for foreign intelligence
purposes. Both vehemently rejected the idea of unlawful snooping on
U.S. citizens claiming that even the most junior of their officers
were "unequivocally committed" to acting within the law and protecting
the rights of Americans. As regards economic espionage, Hayden and
Tenet stressed that the U.S. intelligence community had neither the
resources, legal authority nor interest in collecting information for
the benefit of U.S. businesses and corporations. Although, said Tenet,
signals intelligence can and does provide valuable economic
information to certain U.S. government agencies, the NSA is
"just not in the business of conducting industrial espionage."
One issue during the hearing was the sharing of information about U.S.
citizens between the NSA, CIA and domestic law enforcement agencies.
Lieutenant General Hayden acknowledged that this kind of cooperation
does take place when the dual interests of national security and law
enforcement converge. However, he gave no clear indication of the
frequency of such occurrences. This issue will be examined in more
detail during further hearings into NSA activities, which the House
Government Reform Committee, at the urging of Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA),
intends to hold later this spring.
EPIC is currently preparing a report on these issues to assist in
setting the agenda for these hearings. The report is being written by
EPIC Senior Research Fellow Duncan Campbell, whose recent report for
the European Parliament has led to ongoing debates in Europe.
CIA Director George Tenet's statement before the House Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/public_affairs/speeches/dci_speech_041200.html
Prepared remarks of Representative Bob Barr:
http://www.house.gov/barr/c_041200.html
European Parliament report, "Interception Capabilities 2000" (PDF):
http://www.europarl.eu.int/dg4/stoa/en/publi/pdf/98-14-01-2en.pdf
=======================================================================
[2] EU Fixes Agenda for Hearing on Global Surveillance
=======================================================================
The European Parliament will meet on May 4th and is expected to
ratify proposals to modify international law to deal with
international telecommunications espionage, and to set up a temporary
special committee to further investigate the Echelon controversy.
The proposals, collectively known as the Echelon resolution, drafted
by Graham Watson MEP, Chairman of the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms
and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs, assert that international
spying on communications should be identified as a breach of
fundamental human rights.
The motion for debate in May argues that all future interceptions must
"have a legal basis, be in the public interest and be strictly limited
to the achievement of the intended objective . . . Any form of
systematic interception cannot be regarded as consistent with that
principle, even if the intended aim is to fight against international
crime." It also bluntly asks that "any Member State operating such a
system should cease to use it" except for proper purposes of
internationally agreed sharing of information to fight serious crime
or terrorism. If passed, only strictly military and defense matters
would be covered under the "national security" exemption to the
treaties joining Europe's nations.
The exact scope for the committee of enquiry will be settled at a
meeting of high level parliamentarians shortly afterwards. Political
groupings within the Parliament have wrangled over what sort of
committee should be appointed, and the investigative powers it should
be granted.
For more on the European Parliament Committee on Citizens' Freedoms
and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs:
http://www.europarl.eu.int/committees/en/default.htm
=======================================================================
[3] Appeals Court Rules that Source Code Is Protected Free Speech
=======================================================================
On April 4, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a landmark
ruling in the case of Junger v. Daley, holding that encryption source
code is protected speech under the First Amendment. Peter Junger is a
law professor who four years ago was informed by the U.S. Department
of Commerce that he would need an export license to post examples of
encryption source code on his website. He then filed suit in the Ohio
federal district court claiming that this restriction on his right to
publish his encryption code constituted a prior restraint on speech in
violation of the First Amendment.
In July 1998, Judge Gwin of the U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of Ohio dismissed Junger's claim, holding that as source code
was "inherently functional" rather than "inherently expressive" it was
not protected speech under the First Amendment. The Sixth Circuit
Court of Appeals reversed this ruling stating that because "computer
source code is an expressive means for the exchange of information and
ideas about computer programming ... it is protected by the First
Amendment." Having concluded thus, it referred the case back to the
district court to decide whether the current encryption export
regulations are unconstitutional.
This is the third constitutional challenge to the encryption export
regulations. It remains to be seen whether the current regulations,
which were significantly relaxed in January of this year, can
withstand such legal scrutiny.
The Sixth Circuit decision on Junger v. Daley:
http://pacer.ca6.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/getopn.pl?OPINION=00a0117p.06
EPIC's amicus brief in support of Junger:
http://www.epic.org/crypto/export_controls/junger_brief.html
Professor Junger's archive of legal materials related to his case:
http://samsara.LAW.CWRU.Edu/comp_law/jvd/
=======================================================================
[4] Pentagon Requests New FOIA Exemption
=======================================================================
Proposed legislative language would introduce a new exemption for the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The proposal would be attached to
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001, H.R.
4205, currently being considered by the House Committee on Armed
Services.
The proposed exemption would create a new exemption to allow the
Departments of Defense and Energy to withhold unclassified information
received in confidence from foreign governments or international
organizations. The Pentagon believes the new exemption is necessary
to avoid the costs of securing such information as if it were
confidential information, currently the lowest level of national
security information. Groups against the creation of a new level of
exempt information, including EPIC, have pointed out that the
storage of such information does not necessarily have to protected as
if it were confidential but merely at a level equal to the
precautions used by the foreign entity that provided the data.
More information on the proposed new exemption is available from the
Federation of American Scientists:
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/2000/04/dodfoia.html
=======================================================================
[5] Children's Internet Privacy Law Goes Into Effect
=======================================================================
On April 21, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) will
go into effect. The law requires website operators to obtain parental
consent before the collection and use of personal information of
children up to the age of 13. The type of parental consent necessary
is governed by a sliding scale depending on the use of that data. For
example, if personal information collected from children is not passed
on to third parties, website operators will only have to receive an
email from parents allowing that use. If similar personal information
is passed on to a third party, more reliable means of verification
such as a letter or credit card number will need to be supplied.
In related Internet privacy news, a new survey conducted by Odyssey,
a market research firm, reveals wide public mistrust of the Internet
companies with their personal information. Eighty-two percent of
households surveyed agreed with the statement "the government needs to
step in and regulate how companies use personal information." An even
more convincing 92 percent agreed that "I don't trust companies to
keep personal information about me confidential, no matter what they
promise."
The final rules implementing COPPA are available from the
Federal Trade Commission:
http://www.ftc.gov/os/1999/9910/childrensprivacy.pdf
A more general guide to COPPA is online at:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/coppa.htm
=======================================================================
[6] EPIC Moves - New Address and Phone Number!
=======================================================================
EPIC has moved offices. Please note the change.
1718 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20009
tel: 202 483 1140
fax: 202 483 1248
=======================================================================
[7] EPIC Bookstore -- The Mvr Book Motor Services Guide 2000
=======================================================================
The Mvr Book Motor Services Guide 2000 : The National Reference
Detailing, in Practical Terms, the Privacy Restrictions, Access,
Procedures, Regulations by Michael L. Sankey (Editor)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1879792583/electronicprivacA/
The national reference detailing - in practical terms - the privacy
restrictions, access procedures, regulations and systems of all state
held driver and vehicle records.
================================
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
=======================================================================
Regulating the Internet: EU & US Perspectives. April 27-29, 2000.
European Union Center, the School of Communications, and the Center
for Law, Commerce & Technology at the University of Washington.
Seattle, WA. For more information:
http://jsis.artsci.washington.edu/programs/europe/euc.html
Access Act Reform: The Destruction of Records and Proposed Access Act
Amendments. Riley Information Services. May 1, 2000. Westin Hotel.
Ottawa, Canada. For more information: http://www.rileyis.com/seminars/
Entrust SecureSummit 2000. May 1-4, 2000. Hyatt Regency Dallas at
Reunion. Dallas, TX. For more information: http://www.securesummit.com
Call for Papers -- 16th Annual Computer Security Applications
Conference. Deadline May 12, 2000. Sheraton Hotel. New Orleans, LA.
December 11-15, 2000. For more information: http://www.acsac.org/
Electronic Government: New Challenges for Public Administration and
Law. May 18, 2000. Center for Law, Public Administration, and
Informatization of Tilburg University, Netherlands. For more
information: http://schoordijk.kub.nl/crbi/egov/
Shaping the Network: The Future of the Public Sphere in Cyberspace.
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR). May 20-23,
2000. Seattle, WA. For more information:
http://www.scn.org/cpsr/diac-00
New Millennium, New Horizons: Marketing and Public Policy Conference
2000. American Marketing Association. June 1-3, 2000. Marriott Metro
Center. Washington, DC. For more information:
http://www.ama.org/events/
First Annual Institute on Privacy Law: Strategies for Legal Compliance
in a High Tech and Changing Regulatory Environment. Practicing Law
Institute. June 22-23, 2000. PLI Conference Center. New York, NY.
For more information: http://www.pli.edu
Telecommunications: The Bridge to Globalization in the Information
Society. Biennial Conference of the International Telecommunications
Society. July 2-5, 2000. For more information:
http://www.its2000.org.ar
First International Hackers Forum. The Green Planet. August 18-20,
2000. Zaporozhye, Ukraine. For more information:
http://www.geocities.com/hack_forum
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
Privacy2000: Information and Security in the Digital Age. November 29,
2000. Adam's Mark Hotel. Columbus, Ohio. For more information:
http://www.privacy2000.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/
=======================================================================
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.
---------------------- END EPIC Alert 7.07 -----------------------
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #80
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Apr 23 00:58:17 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id AAA03506;
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Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 00:58:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004230458.AAA03506@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #81
TELECOM Digest Sun, 23 Apr 2000 00:58:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 81
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Telcomine: Trends in Telecom Technology (Telcomine)
Bell Atlantic OSP/Planning (Bruce Weaver)
New Record For Archives Web Pages (TELECOM Digest Editor)
Re: Long Lines Bells (A.E. Siegman)
Re: Norstar -vs- Partner -vs- Merlin Magix (Tom Thiel)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Louis Raphael
Caller ID - Name Display (Herb Sutherland)
Telephone Systems (Christopher Sutton)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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From: Telcomine <telcomine@infozech.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 11:51:33 +0550
Subject: Telcomine:Trends in Telecom Technology
Reply-To: telcomine@infozech.com
Organization: ISPL
=======================TELCOMINE============================
TELCOMINE - The monthly newsletter that brings the latest
trends and developments in frontline IT Technologies.
To subscribe mail to: nl@infozech.com
To advertise mail to: telcomine@infozech.com
============================================================
**You may forward TELCOMINE to your friends and colleagues**
===================TELCOMINE================================
Trends in Telecom Technology
Volume 3, No 4, April 2000
Visit: http://www.telcomine.com
============================================================
======= IN THIS ISSUE=======================================
1. Mobile Users Beware: Today it is Cronje, Tomorrow it could
be you
From your best friend your mobile phone could turn your
deadliest enemy. This was proved by the sacking of South
Africa's cricket captain Hansie Cronje on match fixing charges.
Their cellular phones provided tell-tale proof of their wrong
doing.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr100.shtml
2. Bollywood Stars Launch Movie Portals
Bitten hard by the Internet bug, artists and producers of the
Indian film industry are not only setting up their websites
But also setting up software and Internet companies. The
industry seem to have cottoned on to the dotcom phenomenon
pretty fast and their plans are liberally smattered with words
like dotcoms, portals along with television software and
state-of-the-art studios.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr200.shtml
3. Mobile Telephony Standards War is On
Microsoft Case Verdict will hurt Monopolies
Attempts by Motorola and Nokia to enforce uniform monopoly
standards in wireless telephony are clearly doomed following
the historic verdict in the Microsoft anti-trust case. It has
established once for all that competition is the soul of trade
and must not be sacrificed to monopoly for any other advantage.
At stake now is the future of the American Qualcomm standard
called the 'CDMA' against Motorola's '1Xtreme'. Obviously the
future of Internet and mobiles lies in multiple standards and
new technologies that are perfectly inter-connectable at the
user's end.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr300.shtml
European Institute Proposes M- commerce Standards
In an effort to develop a cross-industry exchange both in
technology and business model the European Telecommunications
Standards Institute plans to spearhead a worldwide mobile
commerce partnership program that will work towards addressing
business models, security issues and technical standards.
4. When Mobile is Your Purse, Cash and Bank Card
Can you think of a life without ready cash? Within five to
ten years your mobile phone could be your purse.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr400.shtml
5. Clinton calls India a 21st Century Software Superpower
US President Bill Clinton's five - day visit to India in March
has given a boost to Indian economy. In farm-yards, schools,
stock exchanges and the offices of the state and central
governments, "Internet" and "Software" are the new operative
words. Almost everyone seems only too eager to work towards
the realization of Clinton's vision of India as a "21st century
software super-power".
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr500.shtml
Hi - Tech Films and Venture Capital Boom
Software shares continue to zoom in the stock market. A new
indicator is the boom in tele-film shares with more and more
movie stars and celebrities jumping on the Internet bandwagon.
Indian Bollywood film exports are slated to jump from $100 million
last year to $250 million in 2000. Industry circles expect five
million Internet connections in India in two years, from one
million now.
6. US IT Industry Wants More Entry Permits for Foreign
Programmers
Information Technology industries in US have appealed to
the government to raise the immigration quotas for software
engineers. According to estimates 1.5 million "slots" will
have to be filled in IT related areas in the next few years.
A large number of these may remain vacant to the detriment
of the US economy, unless urgent steps are taken to let
engineers in.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr600.shtml
7. University Authorities Crackdown on Cyber Plagiarism
To control the increasing cases of cheating through the Internet,
a new software has been developed that by checking the finger
print pattern would help detecting if the material written by
university students are original and are not lifted up from
the Internet.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr700.shtml
8. FTC Drive Against Sites Offering False Get-Rich-Quick Schemes
The Federal Trade Commission of US has announced a massive
drive across 28 countries to target fraudulent, get-rich-quick
schemes on the Internet. The crackdown which is the largest of
its kind has highlighted more than 1600 suspect websites. The
sites would be told to stop or change their claims.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr800.shtml
9. Could Robots, Genetic Scientists wipe out Humanity by 2030?
A Futurologist's Nightmare
Could robots with super-human power or scientists armed with
genetic or micro-electronic forces that could "self replicate"
with the force of the Big Bang) wipe out the human race in no
time? By no means entirely new, the question has been posed
with a fresh sense of urgency by the well known philosopher
scientist Bill Joy of Sun Microsystems. In the style of
Orwell's "1984" Joy predicts this should become technically
feasible by 2030.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr900.shtml
Five GNR- Triggered Doomsday Scenarios
Citing several leading scientists, Joy discusses five GNR-
triggered doomsday possibilities. It could be set off by a
"Unabomber" or Luddite acting on his own. It could be the
cascading effect of a limited experiment in a self-replication
going out of control. Financial and competitive pressures of
the unchallenged system of global capitalism could lead to the
development of a product or products capable of destroying
humanity. As the new GNR systems gain in complexity and acquire
a momentum of their own one simple mistake or miscalculation
in handling them might bring an end to the world as we know it.
And, it might well be caused by a mere "accident".
God, Nietzche and Big Bang
In pointing to the dangers inherent in self-replication at
lightning speed Joy and other scientists may have hit upon
the deepest of the secrets of the universe. The creation of
the universe through the Big Bang represents the ultimate
limits and possibilities of such self- replications. If billions
of galaxies could spread out in a flash, as it were, replication
as a "fundamental" force of creation could trigger another Big
Bang. And the universe could wind up as rapidly as it came
into being (to unfurl again after aeons of time!).
10. Harrod Fayed Wins Dodi Al Fayed's Domain Name Dispute
In a remarkable case Harrod Fayed, father of Dodi Al Fayed,
who was killed along with Princess Diana in a car accident,
won 'dodialfayed.com' domain name dispute case. A US resident
had registered Dodi Al Fayed's personal name as Domain name
and had tried selling it off at an auction website,
greatdomains.com, for $4,00,000. He was accused of capitalizing
unfairly on the fame and public interest in Dodi.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr1000.shtml
11. Security Alliance Offers Free Anti-Hacking tools
In the wake of the denial of service attacks that had paralyzed
various popular e-commerce sites in February this year, icsa.net,
is offering an anti-hacking tool, at no cost. The tool would
determine if a site's filters and security systems are in place
and configured properly, so that it does not become a victim
to another attack.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr1100.shtml
12. FBI alerts on New Deadly "911 Worm" Virus
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in April, alerted about
a new virus that erases hard drives and makes bogus 911 calls.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr1200.shtml
13. Billing Solution 'eBill' Makes a Hit in Ireland
Using Infozech's 'eBill' Billing Solution the Ireland based
Orbitel Communications has successfully billed its customers
for local, national and international calls and has expressed
deep satisfaction in eBill- Infozech's billing solution.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr1300.shtml
14. IBM's New High Speed Copper Chip Saves Mobile Phone Power
IBM has claimed that batteries of mobile phones equipped with
its latest copper-wired chip will have 50 percent longer life.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr1400.shtml
15. Internet to Get More Ads Than TV
New York based Economic Research firm in its latest study revealed
that by 2005 the global online advertising spending will jump
from $5.28 billion to $45.5 billion by 2005, surpassing the, TV.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr1500.shtml
16. Cell Phone to Read Out e-mail, Internet Content to you
Lernout & Hauspie have developed a cell-phone that can read
out to you your email or any other information from the
Internet that you might ask for.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr1600.shtml
17. Wireless Portal adds Voice to Its Services
Oracle's Oramobile which is the first comprehensive consumer
wireless Internet portal will now allow callers to talk directly
to the page and have the web content read back to them. This
facility will allow the non-WAP enabled mobile users to get
the same services.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr1700.shtml
18. Japan - US Tussle on Telecom Rates
The two-way feud between Japan and US over the "cost-oriented
interconnection rates" reaches a turning point when Japan
answered back US Threatening of, going to the WTO, by saying
that they are doing their best to cut telecom rates.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr1800.shtml
19. Boeing, Lockheed, BAE and Raytheon Launch Exclusive Aviation
Net Exchanges
Coming close on the heels of the auto exchange, four aerospace
giants have now announced a similar net convergence exchange
to handle their $ 71 billion transaction. This opens up a new
trend of industries creating exclusive pocket all over the
Internet.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr1900.shtml
20. Digital TV to Overtake PC for Home Run e-Commerce
All e-commerce operation can now be handled by a "remote"
operating an interactive Digital TV from the comfort of a sofa
or a bed.
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr2000.shtml
21. MAILBOX
"Make Money By Hacking Hackers"
Details: http://www.infozech.com/articles/apr2100.shtml
==================================================================
Mobile Users Beware: Today it is Cronje, Tomorrow it could be you
==================================================================
From your best friend your mobile phone could turn your
deadliest enemy. This was proved by the sacking of South
Africa's cricket captain Hansie Cronje over match fixing
charges. Their cellular phones provided tell-tale proof
of their wrong doing.
The success of the Delhi Police in fixing not only Cronje,
but also four businessmen by breaking into their worldwide
mobile network, casts the entire field of mobile telephony and
M-commerce in a new light. The Delhi Police has presented what
it calls "overwhelming evidence" not only against the alleged
culprits in a sensational international scandal but also against
their main tool, the mobile phone itself.
Consider what the case has revealed:
1. The cell-phone is too personal. By constant use the cell
phone becomes part of your identity like your signature or
thumb impression. It is your daily diary, your, and only your,
record of social and business transactions.
2. It creates a long trail of your movements and activities.
Being mobile and attached to your person you are leaving behind
on its central data bank not only your own footprints but of all
those with whom you communicate.
3. It makes you a sitting duck. If you have a "roaming mobile",
those watching you do not have to follow you, or form inter-city
or inter-country teams to watch you at airports and hotels. Only
one person sitting in a quite corner with electronic access
to the control center of your personal cell-phone provider can
merrily collect nearly all the information he needs on you
and your associates.
4. Not only governments, but individuals also can watch it all.
Elsewhere in this issue of Telcomine we carry a review of a
long essay by the philosopher-scientist Bill Joy which shows
that within a few years such detective powers will become a
common property. Eric Drexler, the famous nano technologist
and futurologist has shown how an invisible micro-electronic
or micro biological particle attached to an instrument could
secretly transmit data hundreds of miles away.
And from Israel now comes the news that its researchers have
discovered design flaws that allow the descrambling of supposedly
private conversations carried by hundreds of millions of wireless phones.
These are only some of the daunting scenarios that should make
our mobile maniacs pause and ponder.
================================================================
Bollywood Stars Launch Movie Portals
================================================================
Bitten hard by the Internet bug, artists and producers of the
Indian film industry are not only setting up their websites but
also setting up software, Internet companies and state of the
art studios. Film exports are estimated to fetch $250 million
this year against $100 million last year.
Devgan Entertainment & Software, a company owned by star couple
Ajay Devgan and Kajol, intends to set up a state-of -the-art
digital studio in Mumbai, produce and market television software
as well as launch a full fledged entertainment portal. Boney
Kapoor, producer and director of many hit films, also has plans
to launch portals and enter the software sector. Online is
producer Subhash Ghai of 'Taal' fame and music company 'Tips'.
The technology for editing, recording and dubbing provided by
India's Romoji film city is considered at par with the best
in the world.
================================================================
Mobile Telephony Standards War is On
Microsoft Case Verdict will Hurt Monopolies
===============================================================
Attempts by Motorola and Nokia to enforce uniform monopoly
standards in wireless telephony are clearly doomed following the
historic verdict in the Microsoft anti-trust case. It has
established once for all that competition is the soul of trade and
must not be sacrificed to monopoly for any other advantage. At stake
now is the future of the American Qualcomm standard called the
'CDMA' against Motorola's '1Xtreme'. Obviously the future of
Internet and mobiles lies in multiple standards and new technologies
that are perfectly inter-connectable at the user's end.
Motorola and Nokia together have called for wireless technology
standards based on Motorola's "1Xtreme", a wireless transmission
method capable of handling voice and high speed Internet access
for future wireless networks.
Wireless Carriers expect to launch mobile Internet services
Over hones and higher-speed connections as a prerequisite to
Offering much more -- graphics, video images -- than the simple
text messages and content such as stock quotes and sports scores
-- that the current systems allow. Both the third generations
wireless technologies, from Qualcomm to the Motorola-Nokia
combination aspire to solve the capacity problem.
The '1Xtreme' proposal enables real time voice, data and multimedia
services on existing cdma 200 networks allowing end users to
browse the Internet from a personal computer or access email while
moving. According to Nokia '1Xtreme' will offer operators a cost
effective migration path to provide integrated voice and data a
speed up to 5.2 mega bits per second on a single 1.25 MHz code
division multiple access carrier. It is slated for commercial
service in 2002.
America's CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) transmits simultaneous
signals over a shared portion of the spectrum. It is less
costly to implement, requiring fewer cell sites than the GSM
and TDMA digital cell phone systems and providing three to five
times the calling capacity. It provides more than 10 times the
capacity of the analog cellphone system (AMPS).
CDMA transmission has been used by the military for secure phone
calls.
European Institute Proposes M-commerce Standards
In an effort to develop a cross-industry exchange both in
technology and business model the European Telecommunications
Standards Institute plans to spearhead a worldwide mobile
commerce partnership program that will work towards addressing
business models, security issues and technical standards.
ETSI stresses that it wants the program to tackle issues such
as how mobile and fixed e-commerce applications will work together.
In March it has finalized the transposition of the first series
of 3GPP Release 99 specifications into the UMTS (Universal Mobile
Telecommunications System) standard. This release will enable
industry to proceed with the development of the system, which
is planned to come into service in Japan in 2001, with progressive
launches around the world in 2002.
According to Joanne Taaffe in EMAP Media, the ongoing introduction
of wireless Application Protocol (WAP) followed by GPRS networks
has created a momentum for group standards work. The operators
stress that cross-industry co-operation is needed.
Visit: http://www.etsi.org
===============================================================
When Mobile is Your Purse, Cash and Bank Card
===============================================================
Can you think of a life without ready cash? Within five to ten
years your mobile phone could be your purse.
Producing instant "virtual" cash for all you may wish to buy
with your money in the bank. Banks , financial institutions and
mobile phone companies are now teaming up to make this dream a
reality. Their target: one billion e-commerce ready mobile
phones hitting $500 billion in trade transactions in 2005, to
double in another five years.
Over 1 billion e-commerce-ready wireless phones will exist within
five years. Demand for mobile banking, payments, shopping,
entertainment and other applications are burgeoning.
M-commerce will revolutionize the banking sector. According to
a report released by Yankee group, titled -"Mobile Banking :
Paving the Way for Wireless Commerce in Europe" -"banks and
mobile operators are clearly mutually dependent. The provision
of services and the development of the market is contingent on
the establishment of alliances and cooperative agreements
between financial institutions and network operators".
"Banks are among the prime movers in e-commerce development
not least because their target market comprises third parties,
as well as users end," says Jonathan Doran, analyst at the
Yankee Group Europe.
The report focuses on mobile banking and financial services,
as the Yankee Group believes that these applications constitute
the stepping stones towards a wider mobile e-commerce environment.
Wireless operators, Internet retailers, content providers, smart
card manufactures, mobile device retailers and system integrators
will all benefit immensely from the rise of mobile e-commerce.
================================================================
Clinton Calls India a 21st Century Software Superpower
===============================================================
US President Bill Clinton's five - day visit to India in March
has given a boost to Indian economy. In farm-yards, schools,
stock exchanges and the offices of the state and central
governments, "Internet" and "Software" are the new operative
words. Almost everyone seems only too eager to work towards
the realization of Clinton's vision of India as a "21st century
software super-power".
The real revolution seems to have occurred in the minds of the
youth who are making a beeline to schools and institutions
imparting skills and knowledge of Internet use and software development.
In the short run this promises a mushroom growth of ill-equipped
private software coaching centers, out to make a fast buck.
But state and central governments are rushing in with budgetary
support to start computer courses in some 10,000 schools. Centers
of excellence in information technology for hundreds of students
are to be set up in all the 25 states of the country. The
central government plans to create 25 software technology parks
(or hi-tech townships) one in each state.
There is a new thrust towards "Internet for the rural masses"
in the new vision statement issued after Clinton's visit by
Pramod Mahajan, Minister for Information Technology. Clinton
was most impressed by a milk dairy transacting its business
over computer as part of a state-wide dairy chain in Rajasthan
during his visit to the state.
But the major thrust in all this comes from the private sector.
Almost everyday hordes of foreign businessmen are landing in
different IT- hub cities in India with money and projects to
take advantage of the Internet boom. The government for its part
has lined up billions of dollars worth of infra-structural
facilities to help them.
Hi - Tech Films and Venture Capital Boom
Software shares continue to zoom in the stock market. A new
indicator is the boom in tele-film shares with more and more
movie stars and celebrities jumping on the Internet bandwagon.
Indian Bollywood film exports are slated to jump from $100
million last year to $250 million in 2000. Industry circles
expect five million Internet connections in India in two years,
from one million now.
The biggest indicator of the transformation is in the salaries
of the top software professionals which have shot up from
thousands to hundreds of thousands of rupees, at least a twenty
- time jump, in 10 years, and are still rising. The happiest
trend is a reverse brain drain, with many Indian expatriates in
America looking homeward, lured by the prospects of harvesting
the new Venture Capital tide sweeping the IT industry.
================================================================
US IT Industry Wants More Entry Permits for Foreign Programmers
================================================================
Information Technology industries in US have appealed to the
government to raise the immigration quotas for software engineers.
According to estimates 1.5 million "slots" will have to be
filled in IT related areas in the next few years. A large
number of these may remain vacant to the detriment of the US
economy, unless urgent steps are taken to let engineers in.
The entry quotas for some countries have been exhausted and
next year's quotas will become operative only after October
2000. The matter is now before the US Congress.
============================================================
University Authorities Crackdown on Cyber Plagiarism
============================================================
To control the increasing cases of cheating through the
Internet, a new software has been developed that by checking
the finger print pattern would help detecting if the material
written by university students are original and are not lifted
up from the Internet.
The new software assigns a virtual fingerprint to each student
which shows their style - how long their sentence and paragraphs
are, how often do they use adjectives and adverbs. By checking
this pattern, it can detect instantly whether a student is
presenting his or her own material.
Around 117 students at the University of Edinburgh were
accused of using e-mail to copy each other's course work.
A similar product was featured in Telcomine's March issue in
which a standard computer with the help of an embedded
fingerprint-scanning device can establish the true identity of
the user. The mouse ensures that only authorized users gain
access to computers and website.
Article: Mouse That Can Establish User's Identity
http://www.infozech.com/articles/mar1800.shtml
================================================================
FTC Drive Against Sites Offering False Get-rich-quick Schemes
================================================================
The Federal Trade Commission of US has announced a massive
drive across 28 countries to target fraudulent, get-rich-quick
schemes on the Internet. The crackdown which is the largest of
its kind has highlighted more than 1600 suspect websites. The
sites would be told to stop or change their claims.
The FTC press release said the team will launch prosecution
against the sites which continue to make fraudulent or deceptive
claims through their get-rich-quick schemes.
According to Jodie Bernstein, Director Bureau of Consumer
Protection , FTC, "this is the largest ever international law
enforcement project to fight fraud on the Internet, with 150
organizations in 28 countries on 5 continents, including seven
US federal agencies, 49 state consumer protection agencies, 34
state attorneys general and 39 Better Business Bureaus."
================================================================
Could Robots, Genetic Scientists Wipe Out Humanity by 2030?
A Futurologist's Nightmare
================================================================
Could robots with super-human power or scientists armed with
genetic or micro-electronic forces that could "self replicate"
(with the force of the Big Bang) wipe out the human race in no
time? By no means entirely new, the question has been posed with
a fresh sense of urgency by the well known philosopher - scientist
Bill Joy of Sun Microsystems. In the style of Orwell's "1984" Joy
predicts this should become technically feasible by 2030.
"Self-replication" is the key to Joy's thesis. "It is even
possible that self-replication may be more natural than we
thought and hence harder - or even impossible- to control", he
says in an article in the April issue of Wired magazine.
His primary concern, however is not the process of self-
replication but the fantastic speed it has acquired in each of
the three GNR (Genetics, Nanotechnology and Robotics) technologies.
The potential of mischief is in the speed with which, for
instance, "tough omnivorous 'bacteria' (produced micro-electronically)
could outcompete 'real' bacteria. They could spread like pollen,
replicate swiftly and reduce the biosphere to dust in a matter
of days ...", he says quoting Eric Drexler, Founder of Foresight
Institute and well known author of "Engines of Creation".
In the fusion of the GNR technologies (with his own information
technology or robotics as the bedrock perhaps.) Joy sees the
possibility, emerging for the first time, of this tremendous
destructive power falling into the hands of individuals anywhere
by 2030.
Five GNR-Triggered Doomsday Scenarios
Among the dangers he visualizes is the emergence of a robot
more intelligent than man. How soon can such an intelligent
robot be built? The coming advances in computing power seem to
make it a reality by 2030. And once an intelligent robot is
created, it is only a small step to a robot species which,
many scientists believe can wipe out humans.
Citing several leading scientists, Joy discusses five GNR-
triggered doomsday possibilities. It could be set off by a
"Unabomber" or Luddite acting on his own. It could be the
cascading effect of a limited experiment in a self-replication
going out of control. Financial and competitive pressures of
the unchallenged system of global capitalism could lead to the
development of a product or products capable of destroying
humanity. As the new GNR systems gain in complexity and acquire
a momentum of their own one simple mistake or miscalculation in
handling them might bring to an end the world as we know it.
And, it might well be caused by a mere "accident".
God, Nietzche and Big Bang
He then goes on to discuss philosopher Nietzeche's warning of
the dangerous consequences of quest for (scientific) truth "at
any price" and adds that "truth that science seeks can certainly
be considered a dangerous substitute for God if it has the
potential to lead to our extinction".
In pointing to the dangers inherent in self-replication at
lightning speed Joy and other scientists may have hit upon the
deepest of the secrets of the universe. The creation of the
universe through the Big Bang represents the ultimate limits
and possibilities of such self-replications. If billions of
galaxies could spread out in a flash, as it were, replication
as a "fundamental" force of creation could trigger another Big
Bang. And the universe could wind up as rapidly as it came into
being (to unfurl again after aeons of time!).
Perhaps Nietzeche was referring to this cosmic force which
Christianity calls God's will to which man can aspire through
science, rather than faith, only at his own peril. Eastern
philosophies see this phenomenon as a cosmic manifestation of
His will. Says the Gita: Yea! this vast company of living
things- again and yet again produced - "expires at Brahma's
Nightfall; and, at Brahma's Dawn riseth, without its will, to
life new born..... The worlds - even Brahma's world - roll back
again from Death to Life's unrest".
================================================================
Harrod Fayed Wins Dodi Al Fayed's Domain Name Dispute
================================================================
In a remarkable case Harrod Fayed, father of Dodi Al Fayed, who was
killed along with Princess Diana in a car accident, won
'dodialfayed.com' domain name dispute case. A US resident had
registered Dodi Al Fayed's personal name as Domain name and had tried
selling it off at an auction website, greatdomains.com, for
$400,000. He was accused of capitalizing unfairly on the fame and
public interest in Dodi.
A complaint was launched by Harrod, for misusing the trademark
'Dodi Fayed'. As this is a violation of rightful trademark in
cyberspace the case was filed with WIPO's (World Intellectual
Property Organization) arbitration center.
The WIPO ruled that the commercial impression is that the
domain name is associated with goods and services sponsored
by Dodi. It was also clear that the respondent has no right or
legitimate respect of the domain name since he has offered to
sell it off for a large amount.
The WIPO panel has directed a name transfer of the domain name
to Harrods.
================================================================
Security Alliance Offers Free Anti-Hacking tools
================================================================
In the wake of the denial of service attacks that had paralyzed
various popular e-commerce sites in February this year, icsa.net,
is offering an anti-hacking tool, at no cost. The tool would
determine if a site's filters and security systems are in place
and configured properly, so that it does not become a victim to
another attack.
The tool, NetLitmus, will be available to anyone who joins
the alliance. It can not only detect any misconfigured systems
in an organization, but will also determine if the organization's
ISP is doing its job.
According to the icsa website, early testing with this tool
shows that the majority of companies do not have meaningful
filtering in place. Less than 15% of the initial corporate
users of the tool had appropriate filtering. Similarly, less
than half of the corporation's ISPs had functional filtering
for spoofed or fake addresses.
The alliance was formed in February after the denial of service
attack against yahoo, ebay and other major Internet sites.
Till now more than 650 ISPs, security vendors, major corporations
and industry leaders have joined the force. To become the member
of the alliance, organizations must pledge to adopt security
measures that address DDoS.
Visit : http://www.icsa.net
================================================================
FBI alerts on New Deadly "911 Worm" Virus
================================================================
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in April alerted about a
new virus that erases hard drives and makes bogus 911 calls.
The FBI's advisory warned that the 911 Worm, also known as
Chode or Firkin, could delete the contents of a victim's hard
drive, and use the computer's modem to place calls to 911
emergency lines. The FBI said the worm infects Windows 95/98
PCs connected to the Internet and which have had Windows file
or print sharing enabled.
The FBI and NIPC are continuing to investigate the virus. The
NIPC - National Infrastructure Protection Center-- brings
together representatives of the FBI, governments agencies and
the private sector to protect the nation's computer networks.
According to NIPC , the virus spreads by attacking computers
with Windows operating systems set up to allow users to share
files over the Internet.
================================================================
Billing Solution 'eBill' Makes a Hit in Ireland
================================================================
Using Infozech's 'eBill' Billing Solution the Ireland based
Orbitel Communications has successfully billed its customers
for local, national and international calls and has expressed
deep satisfaction in eBill- Infozech's billing solution.
"The professionalism, commitment and technical expertise of all
Infozech personnel involved to date is exceptional. We are
delighted to progress our business relationship with Infozech
to in the foreseeable future and have no hesitation in recommending
them as a new technology business partner" said Andrew Dignam,
Director of Orbitel Communications.
eBill- the complete billing and customer care solution from
Infozech has modules that will map every department of the
company be it management, billing, customer care or sales agent.
eBill provides software solutions for telecom services like
Internet telephony, Internet fax services, toll free numbers,
calling cards, Internet services and callback.
For more details on eBill contact sales@infozech.com
================================================================
IBM's New High Speed Copper Chip Saves Mobile Phone Power
================================================================
IBM has claimed that batteries of mobile phones equipped with
its latest copper-wired chip will have 50 percent longer life.
The new 30 percent faster chip uses a material known as
"low-k-dielectric" to shield its millions of individual copper
circuits, reducing electrical "crosstalk" between wires that
can hinder chip performance and waste power.
According to John Kelly, General manager of the IBM Microelectric
Division, "along with the move from Aluminum to Copper to
improve chip wiring, we believe this will help IBM a one-
to -two year lead over the rest of the industry."
IBM has also announced a custom chip offering called Cu-11.
It will support design up to an unprecedented 40 million "gates'
or circuits.
================================================================
Internet to Get More Ads Than TV
================================================================
New York based Economic Research firm in its latest study revealed
that by 2005 the global online advertising spending will jump
from $5.28 billion to $45.5 billion by 2005, surpassing the, TV.
According to Reuters that cited a study from Myers group, the
rise in online ad expenditure will soon eclipse TV and Cable. The
study found that network broadcast advertising revenues will grow
from $16.8 billion to $19.2 billion or 82% of global online ad
spending this year. By 2005, US spending will rise to $32.5
billion, accounting for 71% of the worldwide total of $45.5 billion.
At the same time , cable ad revenue will grow from $10.1 billion
in 2000 to $23.8 billion in 2005.
The higher online ad spending will come from traditional industries
such as autos, entertainment, financial services, telecommunications,
travel and tourism.
================================================================
Cell Phone to Read Out e-mail, Internet Content to you
================================================================
Lernout & Hauspie have developed a cell-phone that can read
out to you your email or any other information from the Internet
that you might ask for.
The prototype is essentially a mobile phone with a 2 by 3 inches
LCD, a microphone and a speaker. It uses a 233-MHz StrongArm
processor and runs on Linux.
Marking the convergence of voice recognition and text-to-speech
technology , the facility does away with the straining of
eyes while scanning the small screen.
The prototype has a large vocabulary, continuous speech dictation
engine to send and receive e-mails, surf the web and conduct
e-commerce transactions.
According to Gaston Bastiaens, President and CEO of L&H, "The
small size and portability of PDAs, handheld and mobile devices
have made them tremendously popular and at the same time
provided a huge opportunity for the speech industry.
The pricing is expected to be in the range of $300 to $500.
================================================================
Wireless Portal adds Voice to Its Services
================================================================
Oracle's Oramobile which is the first comprehensive consumer
wireless Internet portal will now allow callers to talk
directly to the page and have the web content read back to
them. This facility will allow the non-WAP enabled mobile users
to get the same services.
"We are giving people who don't have new, expensive (Web-
enabled) phones the ability to access the service," said Jacob
Christ, Oracle mobile's CTO.
This portal will increase the availability of the Internet
to hundreds of millions of people who have phones but may not
be able to access PCs.
The portal is a subsidiary of Oracle and it includes news,
stocks and entertainment information as a free service over
the wireless web and it expects to earn revenue for advertisements
and small cuts of transaction revenues.
The portal is based on Oracle's portal-to-Go(tm) technology.
http://www.oraclemobile.com
================================================================
Japan - US Tussle on Telecom Rates
================================================================
The two-way feud between Japan and US over the "cost-oriented
interconnection rates" reaches a turning point when Japan answered
back US threatening of, going to the WTO, by saying that they are
doing their best to cut telecom rates.
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp (NTT) had failed to
implement "cost-oriented interconnection rates" which telecommunications
firms must pay for access to NTT's local phone lines.
The United States has complained that Japan promised to cut
interconnection charges by only 22 percent by 2004.
US wants cuts of up to 50 percent over two years in the charges.
Tokyo has offered 22.5 percent cuts to be implemented over four
years, insisting that bigger cuts would jeopardize NTT's profits
and threaten its workers' jobs.
Washington, the European Union and Japanese industry say
Tokyo's plan for a four-year phase in of cuts would keep rates
at a level that was far higher than in other countries with a
liberalized telecommunications regime.
US asserts that by keeping interconnection charges high,
telephone charges to consumers are artificially inflated and
competition is impeded.
================================================================
Boeing, Lockheed, BAE and Raytheon Launch Exclusive Aviation
Net Exchange
============================================================
Coming close on the heels of the auto exchange, four aerospace
giants have now announced a similar net convergence exchange
to handle their $ 71 billion transaction. This opens up a new
trend of industries creating exclusive pocket all over the
Internet.
The Boeing company of Seattle, MD based Lockheed Martin Corp.,
Britain's BAE Systems and Raytheon CO. of Lexington, along with
Commerce One have announced the creation of an independent enterprise
that will develop an internet trading exchange for the global
aerospace and defense industry.
All the four companies will have equal share in the joint venture.
Commercial and military sales in the aerospace industry are worth
more than $400 billion a year. The four companies purchase a
combined $71 billion in supplies and parts annually.
According to Raytheon Chairman and CEO Dan Burnham, "We are
excited about the potential of this innovation e-commerce
trading exchange. By bringing the supply chain management expertise
of the industry's leaders to a single, online marketplace, we
will put customers, suppliers and employees a mouse click away
from achieving greater productivity, efficiency and cost savings."
The exchange which will become operational by mid-year will
be open to all aerospace and defense companies, airlines,
their suppliers, manufacturers, government departments and
service providers.
================================================================
Digital TV to Overtake PC for Home Run e- Commerce
================================================================
All e-commerce operation can now be handled by a "remote"
operating an interactive Digital TV from the comfort of a
sofa or a bed.
No longer will PC and phones remain the only media to access
the net. According to Forrester Research, interactive digital
TV will overtake the Internet as the primary platform for home
operated e-commerce in Europe by 2005.
According to Noah Taskin, analyst with Jupiter's European
Internet Strategies research practice, "Interactive DTV opens
up vast opportunities for retailer financial services and others
by creating a new channel directly into consumers homes, but it
also disrupts the Internet economy, changing consumer behavior
and rearranging the suppliers' landscape. Consumers can now
choose to access e-mail, shopping and even the Web from their
TVs or their PCs."
Jupiter research shows
DTV - Digital Television -- penetration will increase from
seven percent in 1999 to 33 percent by 2003 in Western Europe.
The number of households with DTV access will more than quadruple,
increasing from 11.3 million in 1999 to 50.8 million by 2003.
The UK, Denmark and Germany will enjoy the highest DTV
penetration accounting for 52, 41 and 40 percent of households,
respectively. Digital TV is experimenting with new broadband
Internet services that could be offered via satellite if home
sets had larger storage.
================================================================
MAILBOX
================================================================
"Make Money By Hacking Hackers" !
I love the story. (Indian Boy's Internet Privacy Software
Makes History - Telcomine January 2000). It is about time youth
who have the abilities to do hacking can now make money at
their hobby.- Jason Dunframe
Looking for software to detect if my computer is being used
by hackers. Joseph Schnell
We have featured one tool in our current issue itself -Security
alliance offers free anti-hacking tools.- hope it solves your
purpose. - Editor
How can I get hold of the original article by George Gilder?
- Mabud Hossain
It was featured in Forbes ASAP magazine. - Editor
If I want to have PC- to- phone services using a multimedia
PC, what are the things that I need to consider? - Grace Ylanan
Kindly have a look at our December 99 and January 2000 issue
where we have featured such services. -Editor
I am interested in subscribing to your newsletter. Please let
me know what the procedure is.-Prof. Dr. Cees J. Hamelink Burg.
Hogguerstraat Amsterdam
I am a Malaysian and I would like to thank you for the helpful
articles in your site. THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE ALWAYS
TELCOMINE...- Chandra Reka
Topics covered in this issue are informative and interesting.
Keep up the good work.- Punit Shukla
Heartiest thanks for an excellent newsletter on telecom. Please
make it a daily publication.- R.K.Gupta
================================================================
Executive Editor: Pragya Singh
If you have any ideas and suggestions to improve TELCOMINE
Contact Editor: telcomine@infozech.com or simply reply to
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Fax: 408-490-2840
Voice Mail : 408-490-2842
------------------------------
From: Bruce Weaver <bbweaver@earthlink.net>
Subject: Bell Atlantic OSP/Planning
Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 03:18:34 GMT
Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net
Can anyone tell me what the structure of the BA outside plant engineering
and outside plant planning department is? I work for GTE and would like to
know what's in store for us. Are the engineering and planning departments
separate? At what level do they come together?
Thanks!
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 02:18:59 -0400
From: TELECOM Digest Editor <ptownson@>
Subject: New Record For Archives Web Pages
I am pleased to announce that on Friday, April 21 (actually starting
at 4:01 AM Eastern on Friday and running through 4:00 AM on
Saturday morning, http://telecom-digest.org had a new record number
of visitors. We had 33,449 visitors as of 2:00 AM Eastern. Over the
past two weeks, the visitor count has been above ten thousand each
day.
The way I count is by extracting telecom-archives from the LCS/MIT
master logs. From this extraction, I then deduct all the GIF/
files and other odds and ends. Then I deduct the known search engines
and the instances of my own usage. Then I deduct another 10 percent
as an arbitrary thing to allow for search engines I missed. That
left me today with 33,449 visitors.
Over the past two weeks, I saw this coming; a gradually higher
count day by day. I still persist that the web site -- really
all web sites -- should be non-privacy invasive and non-commercial.
Apparently a lot of readers are in agreement with me. I am wondering
now just how far this will go; what kind of level will be reached
next.
Thank you for making it happen.
PAT
------------------------------
From: A.E. Siegman <siegman@stanford.edu>
Subject: Re: Long Lines Bells
Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 11:10:21 -0700
Organization: Stanford University
In article <telecom20.80.4@telecom-digest.org>, kamlet@infinet.com
wrote:
> The long-time executive VP of Bell Labs, Julius Molnar, issued
> proclamations that the name was to be called Bell Telephone
> Laboratories, Incorporated in all correspondence and usage, and
> never ever to be abbreviated to, say, Bell Labs.
Bell Labs seems to have been retentive about names.
When the first laser was successfully operated (**not** at Bell Labs,
but at Hughes Research Labs Malibu), Bell Labs had a share, in some
combination with Townes at Columbia, in patent rights on the maser
(microwave predecessor of the laser).
For a considerable period of time, many if not all the technical journal
articles coming from Bell Labs seemed to use the term "optical maser"
and not laser, and I suspect this was not accidental.
------------------------------
From: tthiel@slonet.org (Tom Thiel)
Subject: Re: Norstar -vs- Partner -vs- Merlin Magix
Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 21:57:56 GMT
Organization: http://extra.newsguy.com
On Fri, 21 Apr 2000 01:55:37 GMT, Nortec Communications
<Nortec@mr.net> wrote:
> Any thoughts on the advantages of one system over the other (reliability,
> features, etc.)? I am familiar with the Norstar system, but know very
> little about the others.
I think if you would describe your requirements for features,
capabilities, line and station sizing, station type, etc., an answer
could be had.
Tom Thiel
tthiel@slonet.org
"Remember, it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that
certain je ne sais quoi" - Peter Schickele (PDQ Bach)
------------------------------
From: Louis Raphael <raphael@cs.mcgill.ca>
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Organization: Societe pour la promotion du petoncle vert
Date: Sat, 22 Apr 2000 23:40:21 GMT
Gary Shapiro <ecdanzarin@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Are LECs under any obligation to provide a reasonable facsimile of the
> correct time on their time-of-day numbers?
Well ... if the service is offered free, and they are not under
obligation to offer it, I suggest that you just don't bother calling...
I might feel a bit differently if it's not offered free, or if they are
under obligation to offer it.
A more serious issue is if they time-of-day dependent charges are
based on a significantly inaccurate clock ... Personally, I always wait
a few minutes after such a threshold, just in case.
Louis
------------------------------
Date: 22 Apr 00 20:40:56 PDT
From: Herb Sutherland <herbsu@netscape.net>
Subject: Caller ID - Name Display
Hi guys! I have a question I have been wanting to ask for a long
time. I have checked all the Telecom Digest Archives and all the
links and can't find the answer. In fact, most of the information on
Caller ID seems a little dated! Anyway, here's my question: I
understand when I receive the name and number it is because they are
not being blocked and the caller wants them displayed. When I receive
'private' for the name and 'private' for the number it means the
caller has blocked their information from being d I receive 'out of
area' for the name and 'out of area' for the number it is because the
carrier is not set up to send the information. This seems to happen
when receiving calls from large companies. In fact, if I call home
from my place of employment this is what is displayed. Now sometimes
I receive 'out of area' for the name even when the number is
being displayed. I understand why this happens in some cases. For
instance, when I call from my cell phone and choose to display the
number by pressing *82, this is what is displayed. This is
understandable because I use a cellular reseller which gets blocks of
numbers from the actual provider. Therefore the actual provider does
not know my name so they cannot display it. Also, prior to the last
week of November 1999, at my GTE location, if someone called from a
GTE phone the name would be displayed but if someone called from Pac
Bell, even though the number was displayed, the name would say out
of area. As of the last week in November, the name has been
displayed. Do you suppose something was upgraded in my central office
or did Pac Bell start doing something different? On the other hand,
from the beginning, when we first got caller id with name a couple of
years ago, at the Pac Bell location, the name was being displayed
whether the caller was in the Pac Bell area or the GTE area. So, it
was not a mutual thing Pac Bell could receive the name from both
companies, but GTE could only receive the name if the caller was in a
GTE area (even if completely across the country!) So does anybody
know what was going on with that? Not only that, but recently (last
week) I was at our PacBell location and received a call from my wife.
I noticed that our number was displayed but for name it said out
of area. Now has Pac Bell stopped displaying names coming from
GTE? Hold on, just two more questions: sometimes I get the number
displayed but the name says 'private.' Is that a mistake or
what? I get that from several of my callers regularly. And for my
last question, how can some companies get away with sending a bogus
number out on caller id? I understand if they are sending out one of
their trunk lines which never gets answered. Our company used to do
that. You could call the number and it would just ring and ring. But
sometimes I get calls and when I try to call the number back I get a
disconnect recording. And one time I received a call and the number
displayed was 123-456-7890! If anyone can answer some of these
questions I would really appreciate it, or point me to links on CID
which might have this information. Thanks much!
Sincerely,
Herb Sutherland
------------------------------
From: Christopher Sutton <SuttonFamily@StokeGolding.swinternet.co.uk>
Subject: Telephone Systems
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 19:57:23 +0100
Organization: Customer of Planet Online
Anyone know where cheap systems ready to be reconditioned can be found
on the net or elsewhere? If so please send me an e-mail. Thanks for
your help.
Cheers,
Chris
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #81
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Apr 23 17:26:13 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id RAA26915;
Sun, 23 Apr 2000 17:26:13 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 17:26:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004232126.RAA26915@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #82
TELECOM Digest Sun, 23 Apr 2000 17:26:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 82
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died (Monty Solomon)
Ring of Thieves Suspected in Cable Box Thefts (Michael A. Desmon)
Probe of Hacker Nets a Second Suspect: His Father (Monty Solomon)
UK "Big Number" Change (Arthur Ross)
Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style (Jeffrey William McKeough)
Re: Caller ID - Name Display (Jeremy Greene)
Re: Caller ID - Name Display (None)
Re: Caller ID 000-000-0000?? (Herb Stein)
Feds Try Odd Anti-Porn Approach (Monty Solomon)
Re: Online Source for Phone Hub? (Clinton Gallagher)
Re: Dialpad.com (Anne P. Mitchell Young, Esq.)
Re: Long Lines Bells (Paul Wallich)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated
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Copyright 2000 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
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has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and
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should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 10:23:50 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died
http://www.jsonline.com/news/obits/apr00/KatzPhillipW041900.asp
Katz, Phillip W.
Publication Date: April 19, 2000
Age 37. Passed away unexpectedly on Fri., April 14, 2000. Beloved son of
Hildegard and beloved brother of Cynthia. Also survived by other
relatives and friends. Phil was a graduate of UWM Computer Science
Engineering Program. He was the author of the PKZIP/PKUNZIP software and
owner of PKWARE Inc. Co. Private services have been held. Memorials to
the charity of your choice would be appreciated.
ZWASKA FUNERAL HOME 354-5330 Serving the Family
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 13:10:40 -0400
From: Michael A. Desmon <mdesmon@us-one.net>
Reply-To: mdesmon@us-one.net
Organization: US One Communications
Subject: Ring of Thieves Suspected in Cable Box Thefts
Published Sunday, April 23, 2000, in the Miami Herald
BY CHARLES SAVAGE
csavage@herald.com
A ring of thieves is ripping hundreds of cable devices -- which
control telephone, television and Internet signals -- from street
corners across South Florida and smuggling them to Latin America,
local police investigators say.
With each theft of fiberoptic cable amplifier boxes, thousands of
people can lose all communications service for hours until technicians
can install a replacement. And as company losses mount, the costs will
be passed on to customers in higher fees.
The $2,500 laptop-size instruments, locked in
green, suitcase-size boxes on roadway swales,
are necessary to convert fiberoptic light into
telephone conversations, TV shows and Web
pages.
``It's a big problem for cable companies, for customers, for
everybody,'' said Ted Iturrioz, regional security director for AT&T
Broadband. ``Our customers are suffering extended outages. The minimum
number of people affected is 500, the maximum would be in the
thousands, depending on what location is hit.''
Dozens of the devices started disappearing in West Kendall last
summer. In October, the thieves moved north to the Hialeah area. Last
month, the ring's apparent zone of operations moved to Coral Gables,
mostly north of Bird Road. The crimes usually occur between midnight
and 6 a.m.
FEW CLUES
``Just since March, we've lost 11 amplifiers,'' said Coral Gables
Police Detective Walter Money. ``I don't have much to go on, if
anything. We suspect they're being sold overseas.''
If experience in other parts of the county holds true, the Gables can
expect to lose a lot more in the weeks ahead.
MediaOne has lost as many as 30 devices in Coral Gables the last eight
weeks, including four in the early morning hours of April 13 alone. It
lost more than 30 from Hialeah in October, said Mike DiVito, manager
of the audit and security division for Southeast Florida.
``We've got thousands of locations out there, so we can't really do
surveillance,'' DiVito said. ``Like if you wanted to put a LoJack on
one, how would you fathom which one to put it on? We're hoping for a
break; that is what we need. Just yesterday in West Miami on
Southwest Ninth Street, we had two locations hit.''
AT&T Broadband in West Kendall has lost 91 amplifiers in the past
year, Iturrioz said. And Adelphia, which serves Country Walk and West
Kendall, has lost more than 250 since March 1999, said Mert Jankowski,
audit supervisor with Adelphia.
REACHING NORTH
``I know for fact that is happening as far away as Time Warner's
system up in Orlando, which has been tremendously affected,'' Iturrioz
said. ``My system in Broward has also been hit.''
Although the crime wave's tentacles stretch to the north, police and
cable security experts think the black market for the stolen
amplifiers lies to the south.
We are almost certain that they are going to the Dominican Republic
and Central and South America,'' Iturrioz said. ``There is a heavy
construction of cable plants down there -- cable booming in that part
of the world.''
Iturrioz said the cable companies probably don't know they're buying
stolen parts because the amplifiers might pass through four or five
brokers before reaching the final owner.
``There's no way of tracing it,'' he said.
Detectives think a similar rash of thefts in 1995 might offer insight
into what is happening now. That case was cracked with the arrest of a
suspect in 1996, who told West Kendall police that a fence was paying
him and others $30 for every stolen amplifier.
The fence would take the devices, clean them up to make them look new
and sell them to a broker for $200. The broker was shipping them south
and reselling them for $500.
After that ring was broken up, no amplifier was stolen in the county
for three years. Last summer, they started disappearing again.
GLOBAL SHORTAGE
In the meantime, a revolution in fiberoptic communications technology
has more than quintupled the value of the latest generation of the
devices.
The recurrence of the thefts might also have something to do with a
global shortage of the amplifiers, manufactured by Scientific Atlanta,
driven by an unprecedented surge in demand. Across the United States,
nearly every cable company is scrambling to upgrade its systems in
order to provide new broadband Internet service.
At the same time, many Latin American companies, boosted by the
globalization of technology in the 1990s, are now creating new cable
networks in regions that have never had the service before.
``These are all going south,'' said Miami-Dade Police Detective Jose
Estarellas. ``I know there's a market for them in South America and in
the Dominican Republic. They need them because they're so far behind
in telecommunications services.''
Estarellas heads the case in the Miami-Dade County's Hammocks District
in West Dade, which has lost more than 50 amplifiers since Jan. 1, but
almost none since they began disappearing in Coral Gables in recent
weeks.
SIMPLE THEFT
The boxes are locked in green suitcase-size plastic boxes every few
blocks on street corners. A simple pair of bolt cutters can remove the
amplifier in seconds. But many of the empty boxes are being found
without damage, leading investigators to suspect that a former
employee or contractor in possession of a special key may be involved.
In October, MediaOne posted a $10,000 internal company reward and
started
running public service commercials asking for help in cracking the
case. That
seemed to scare the thieves into laying low for a while.
``We were quiet for many weeks -- it basically stopped completely into
November,'' DiVito said.
But with the return of the thieves this spring, investigators are
eager to make an arrest. MediaOne has set up a hot line asking for any
information about the culprits at 305-456-4204. Estarellas is asking
for tips to West Kendall thefts -- maybe an auto tag number -- to be
sent to him at 305-383-6921. And Money wants to be called about Coral
Gables thefts at 305-460-5484.
``Right now we just need somebody to give us some information,'' Money
said. ``We've done what we can at the station, as far as noting the
location of the boxes and telling patrol officers to be aware of
suspicious cars that may be parked nearby. We just really need a
resident who may see something to let us now. They may not think it's
anything worth calling us about, but it may be something we can
use. Really.''
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 10:20:24 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Probe of Hacker Nets a Second Suspect: His Father
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53181-2000Apr20.html
By Steven Pearlstein and David A. Vise
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, April 21, 2000; Page A01
ILE-BIZARD, Quebec -- There may be more to the computer moniker
"Mafiaboy" than first believed.
Montreal police said today that they moved in on the 15-year-old
hacker last weekend after learning from wiretaps that his father had
taken out a contract to harm or frighten a business associate and that
the attack was imminent. They had wiretapped the boy's house shortly
after U.S. and Canadian investigators identified that someone who
lived there had launched a disabling computer attack that had shut
down CNN's Web site and possibly other big sites in February.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 07:38:27 -0700
From: Arthur Ross <a.ross@ieee.org>
Subject: UK "Big Number" change
Pat -
Following is from <italic>The Guardian</italic> (UK Newspaper) today.
from the old UK numbers in my DB it looks as though they went from a
three digit city code + 7 digit local number plan to something that
adds up to a total of 11. I'm sure that some of your readers can fill
us in on exactly what this is:
Phone chaos for one in three
Sarah Ryle
Sunday April 23, 2000
The Observer
The national telephone network was thrown into chaos this weekend as
one in three callers failed to use the right new number, publicists
behind the million The Big Number campaign admitted.
The campaign cannot be blamed for the confusion, however, according to
an expert in the human ability to cope with number combinations.
'Our brains are not designed to remember big sequences of numbers,'
said Professor Mike Hall from the University of Exeter. 'We have only
had to deal with big sequences for the last 5,000 years and our brains
have not had time to evolve yet.'
The 11-digit sequences are so unwieldy that telephones should be
redesigned to include electronic address books, he added.
Early analysis showed that callers using the new London numbers -
representing 80 per cent of the total changeover - had either
forgotten about the new system or were misdialling new codes.
'We are keeping a watching brief,' said a campaign manager, Sarah
Turnbull.
'Those figures are in line with our expectations for the peak period
on a Saturday and we are predicting those figures will decline.'
By breakfast, 10,000 people had called the helpline to find out their
new number, The Big Number said. Telephone companies admit most
customers do not know their own new numbers, let alone code changes
elsewhere. Five cities and Northern Ireland are directly affected.
Critics of the numbers overhaul - the seventh national change since
telephones were introduced in 1879 and the third revamp for London in
a decade - included the Federation of Small Businesses which estimates
the overhaul will cost industry about =A32 billion to introduce.
People in London, Portsmouth, Southampton, Coventry, Cardiff and
Northern Ireland lost their old numbers yesterday. People dialling
wrongly hear a recording reminding them of the right number. There is
no charge for those calls.
Demand for new lines is not the sole reason for today's number change
- the huge increase in Internet connections is also a factor. The
explosion in mobile communications has prompted the change in more
than 24 million mobile phone, pager and premium rate numbers.
France has undergone alterations to its system as well as Germany,
which is already facing 13, 14 or 15 digit dialling. America's system
has also been changed as major cities reach 'number capacity'.
=A9 Copyright Guardian Media Group plc. 2000
Explanation of the UK numbering plan changes ("Big Number") can be
yfound at:
http://www.numberchange.org
They have done something interesting, in that the first two
digits that you dial now tell you what kind of call it is:
Nonzero first digit - Local
00 - International
01 - Old area codes
02 - New area codes
03 - Reserved for area code expansion
04, 05, 06 - Reserved
07 - Mobiles, pagers, "personal" numbers
08 - Freephone & special rate services
09 - Premium rate services
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Alleged Time of Day, GTE Style
Organization: The Committee for the Advancement of the Amusement of Ned
From: jwm@spdcc.com (Jeffrey William McKeough)
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 06:02:41 GMT
In article <telecom20.81.6@telecom-digest.org>,
Louis Raphael <raphael@cs.mcgill.ca> wrote:
> I might feel a bit differently if it's not offered free, or if they are
> under obligation to offer it.
Let's forget that telco business in this market could only stand to
gain from an overall customer perception of high quality and accuracy.
I'm wondering why there's so much resistance to the idea that if
someone chooses to do something, they should do it well.
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
------------------------------
From: Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Caller ID - Name Display
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 02:03:33 -0400
Herb Sutherland <herbsu@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:telecom20.81.7@telecom-digest.org:
> Hi guys! I have a question I have been wanting to ask for a long
> time. I have checked all the TELECOM Digest Archives and all the
> links and can't find the answer. In fact, most of the information on
> Caller ID seems a little dated! Anyway, here's my question: I
> understand when I receive the name and number it is because they are
> not being blocked and the caller wants them displayed. When I receive
> 'private' for the name and 'private' for the number it means the
> caller has blocked their information from being d I receive 'out of
> area' for the name and 'out of area' for the number it is because the
> carrier is not set up to send the information.
"Out of Area" and "Unavailable" are the same - it means no information was
received.
> This seems to happen
> when receiving calls from large companies. In fact, if I call home
> from my place of employment this is what is displayed. Now sometimes
> I receive 'out of area' for the name even when the number is
> being displayed. I understand why this happens in some cases. For
> instance, when I call from my cell phone and choose to display the
> number by pressing *82, this is what is displayed. This is
> understandable because I use a cellular reseller which gets blocks of
> numbers from the actual provider. Therefore the actual provider does
> not know my name so they cannot display it.
Also, some cellular providers simply do not provide the name at all.
> Also, prior to the last
> week of November 1999, at my GTE location, if someone called from a
> GTE phone the name would be displayed but if someone called from Pac
> Bell, even though the number was displayed, the name would say out
> of area. As of the last week in November, the name has been
> displayed. Do you suppose something was upgraded in my central office
> or did Pac Bell start doing something different?
When your GTE phone rings, the terminating central office (GTE) receives the
calling number. It then does a database lookup, using the SS7 network, into
PacBell's line database to find the matching name. It looks like, prior to
November, GTE did not have an arrangement with PacBell to use their line
database.
> Hold on, just two more questions: sometimes I get the number
> displayed but the name says 'private.' Is that a mistake or
> what? I get that from several of my callers regularly.
I don't know how that works, but I wish all phone companies would let
you do it. And similarly, I guess some people might want to have the
name displayed but the number private.
> And for my
> last question, how can some companies get away with sending a bogus
> number out on caller id? I understand if they are sending out one of
> their trunk lines which never gets answered. Our company used to do
> that. You could call the number and it would just ring and ring. But
> sometimes I get calls and when I try to call the number back I get a
> disconnect recording. And one time I received a call and the number
> displayed was 123-456-7890!
They can get away with it because: 1) Their local phone company doesn't
screen out bogus outgoing caller ID, and 2) The FCC doesn't seem to care
about people who ignore their rules. I don't know if there are any rules
that state that the number you send out must actually be a dialable number.
But sending 123-456-7890 is definitely wrong.
------------------------------
From: "n" <None@briar.org>
Subject: Re: Caller ID - Name Display
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 12:29:07 -0400
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
As far as Caller Id from large companies they can send out whatever
Caller ID digits they program to send out over the network. Generally
they will send out either the DID number associated with the extension
in the phone system or the main number for the business. As far as
them sending out bogus Caller ID info if you know who it is that is
calling you report them to the local Telco. The Telco considers
anyone sending out false ID info as a nuisance to the Network and will
immediately diconnect all service to that business (with NO notice).
Most likely what is happening is the Company bought a group of DID
numbers from the Telco; assigned them to individuals in the company
that will be receiving a large amount of calls from the outside
network. Then just made up extension numbers for the rest of the
individuals on the system. When they make a call from one of the made
up extensions to the outside world they should be sending the main
phone number for the business as CAller ID, but they are instead just
sending the prefix for the DID numbers and the 4 digit extension
number. Whoever maintains the company's system made a large mistake
when programming up the numbers that are sent out as CallerID over the
network. I'll let one of the others on here answer your other
questions, I only know mainly about PBX's.
------------------------------
From: herb@herbstein.com (Herb Stein)
Subject: Re: Caller ID 000-000-0000??
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 16:27:26 GMT
Here in Missouri, Southwestern Bell has recently offered what they
call "Privacy Manager." If an incoming has no CLID, the caller gets a
recording stating the we don't accept unidentified calls. That
includes anonymous as well as unavailable calls.
They can go to voice mail, record their name in the hopes I really DO
want to talk to them or hang up.
It's been a couple weeks since I've talked to a siding salesman or a
duct cleaner.
In article <telecom20.75.2@telecom-digest.org>, Ed Ellers
<ed_ellers@msn.com> wrote:
> Phil Bergstresser <phil.bergstresser@adtran.com> wrote:
>> It's too bad not everyone has been required to implement caller ID
>> delivery. Most of the telephone solicitors have learned that suppression
>> doesn't work for the reasons given above, so they buy a service that doesn't
>> have it implemented. Shouldn't be!
> True, but one problem is that if a telemarketer has a direct T1 or
> similar line to a long-distance carrier from his "boiler room" --
> which would often be cheaper than running POTS lines to each phone if
> the operation is big enough -- there would be no phone number to
> deliver because the calls don't originate from a PSTN line. The only
> way to fix that would be an FCC rule requiring such customers to
> specify a phone number to be sent in the Caller ID. (If a criminal
> investigation were involved in which a call had to be traced, yes, the
> long-distance carrier could certainly tell where the call came from.
> But this is a different issue.)
>> Most of the time you can ignore out of area calls these days, but some
>> cellular phone providers and small regional telcos don't provide the
>> ID, and you can miss a call from a relative on the road using a cell
>> phone trying to call for help, so that doesn't work reliably.
>> So rejection of out-of-area calls is not a likely or desirable option.
>> Phil Bergstresser
>> Marietta Georgia wrote in message ...
>>> I *think* I saw this question answered here once before but I'm not
>>> sure.
>>> Does anyone know what calls that show up as Out-Of-Area 000-000-0000
>>> are?
>>> This number comes through on a system that has BellSouth's Privacy
>>> Director which is supposed to reject out-of-area calls.
Herb Stein
The Herb Stein Group
www.herbstein.com
herb@herbstein.com
314 215-3584
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 11:57:58 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Feds Try Odd Anti-Porn Approach
by Declan McCullagh
3:00 a.m. Apr. 22, 2000 PDT
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Justice is quietly recruiting
critics of filtering software to help it defend a controversial
anti-pornography law in court.
Government attorneys are asking librarians and academics who have
published criticisms of the controversial filtering products to testify
in an expected trial over the Child Online Protection Act.
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,35800,00.html
------------------------------
From: Clinton Gallagher <csgallagher@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Online Source for Phone Hub?
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 05:11:21 GMT
Organization: AT&T Worldnet
Try http://www.processor.com who publishes a newspaper with all kinds of
new, used and old equipment.
<%= Clinton Gallagher
http://home.att.net/~csgallagher/
Count This! T-Shirt - U.S. Census 2000 Rights Abuse
http://www.metromilwaukee.com/
------------------------------
From: shedevil@vix.com (Anne P. Mitchell Young, Esq.)
Subject: Re: Dialpad.com
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 08:04:11 GMT
Organization: http://www.parentinglaw.com | http://www.intuitiveparenting.org
In article <telecom20.79.8@telecom-digest.org>, sc1@roamer1.org wrote:
> On Wed, 19 Apr 2000 12:11:29 GMT, baldone@nothing.com (The bald one)
> wrote:
>> I just went to the site www.dialpad.com and placed a quick call. It's
>> working for me. For a few days it suddenly stopped working. Then I
>> realized I had installed firewall protection for my system. Dialpad
>> does not work from behind a firewall. Once I turned off the firewall I
>> was able to make all the calls I wanted.
> You can fix this and leave the firewall in place; you need to open up
> TCP port 51210 and UDP ports 51200 and 51201.
> On my IP-masquerading/firewall Linux box running RedHat 6.1, I use the
> following rules to open the ports, and auto-forward the ports to my
> Windows box on the "private" side of the firewall box. (If you have
> more than one Windows box from which you wish to use Dialpad, you need
> to do some more complicated setup which I believe is linked from the
> dialpad site.)
# fwd ports 51200,51201,51210 (dialpad) to toccoa
# (192.168.34.2 = toccoa, my windows box)
# ipchains opens ports, ipmasqadm forwards ports
Does anybody know how to do this using dialpad and WinGate? I
followed the directions in the dialpad FAQ (specifically for WinGate),
however I am still having the problem that the people that I call can
hear me, but I can't hear them.
Thanks!
Hopefully,
Anne
William - 4/11/98
Jessica - 8/28/78
Resources on intuitive parenting, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and more: http://www.intuitiveparenting.org
I am: Mom, Attorney, Professor, Advocate for Fathers, Lactation Advisor (in training)
http://www.parentinglaw.com
------------------------------
From: pw@panix.com (Paul Wallich)
Subject: Re: Long Lines Bells
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 10:48:14 -0400
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC
In article <telecom20.81.4@telecom-digest.org>, A.E. Siegman
<siegman@stanford.edu> wrote:
> In article <telecom20.80.4@telecom-digest.org>, kamlet@infinet.com
> wrote:
>> The long-time executive VP of Bell Labs, Julius Molnar, issued
>> proclamations that the name was to be called Bell Telephone
>> Laboratories, Incorporated in all correspondence and usage, and
>> never ever to be abbreviated to, say, Bell Labs.
> Bell Labs seems to have been retentive about names.
> When the first laser was successfully operated (**not** at Bell Labs,
> but at Hughes Research Labs Malibu), Bell Labs had a share, in some
> combination with Townes at Columbia, in patent rights on the maser
> (microwave predecessor of the laser).
> For a considerable period of time, many if not all the technical journal
> articles coming from Bell Labs seemed to use the term "optical maser"
> and not laser, and I suspect this was not accidental.
Yep. Some of the Bell Labs early laser folks (who among other things
had done the computer simulations to show that a cavity wave between
two flat plates could in fact be self-sustaining) have written about
how they did their best to influence the nomenclature.
Today they'd all have one another sued six ways from Sunday.
Paul
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #82
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Apr 24 22:03:33 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id WAA12838;
Mon, 24 Apr 2000 22:03:33 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 22:03:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004250203.WAA12838@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #83
TELECOM Digest Mon, 24 Apr 2000 22:03:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 83
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Telecom Update (Canada) #230, April 24, 2000 (John Riddell)
Re: UK "Big Number" Change (Richard D.G. Cox)
Re: UK "Big Number" Change (Geoff Dyer)
Re: Caller ID - Name Display (John Beckett)
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (Peter Corlett)
Re: Ring of Thieves Suspected in Cable Box Thefts (Paul Gloger)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Mickey Ferguson)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 10:35:34 -0400
From: John Riddell <jriddell@angustel.ca>
Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #230, April 24, 2000
************************************************************
TELECOM UPDATE
Angus TeleManagement's Weekly Telecom Newsbulletin
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 230: April 24, 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:
** Confidentiality Rules Set for Cable Broadband
** Videotron Injunction Extended to June
** Nortel to Buy Architel Systems
** 360networks IPO a Success
** Teenager Charged With DDOS Attacks
** Universal Payphone Barred
** Ottawa Considers Competition Act Changes
** Intrigna Certified as CLEC
** CRTC Seeks Comment on Rebanding Dispute
** Lucent to Outsource More Manufacturing
** Rogers Wireless Adds 50,000 Customers
** Telus Offers Wireless Information
** Vancouver Local Calling Expands
** Mitel Adds Ericsson Wireless to IP PBX
** Group Telecom Offers E-Commerce
** Mobile Internet -- Fact and Fantasy
============================================================
CONFIDENTIALITY RULES SET FOR CABLE BROADBAND: CRTC Order 2000-317
requires all cable companies that offer broadband Internet services to
enter into standard non-disclosure agreements with competitors who use
them. The four largest cablecos (Cogeco, Rogers, Shaw, and Videotron)
must also create separate Customer Service Groups to work with
competitors. The cablecos have until May 29 to negotiate and file the
agreements.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/Orders/2000/O2000-317.htm
VIDEOTRON INJUNCTION EXTENDED TO JUNE: The Quebec Superior Court has
extended its injunction barring the majority owners of Videotron from
voting in favor of Rogers Communications' takeover bid. A final
hearing will begin in June. (See Telecom Update #227)
** Rogers has extended its $5.6-Billion offer.
NORTEL TO BUY ARCHITEL SYSTEMS: Nortel Networks is buying Architel
Systems, a Toronto-based telecom software provider, for US$395
Million. Architel, with 1999 revenues of C$70 Million, makes products
that automate the provisioning of DSL service.
** Nortel has announced funding of US$16.5 Million in 2000
for global technology education programs.
360NETWORKS IPO A SUCCESS: Vancouver-based 360networks stock
jumped from $21 to $28 on its first day of trading, April 20.
The company raised a total of $2.4 Billion from the IPO and a
bank loan arranged the same week.
TEENAGER CHARGED WITH DDOS ATTACKS: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(Canada's equivilent of FBI) has charged a Montreal 15-year-old who
used the handle "Mafiaboy" with involvement in February's Distributed
Denial of Service attacks on major Web sites.
UNIVERSAL PAYPHONE BARRED: The Competition Bureau has won its case
against Universal Payphone Systems and its President, George
Katsoulakis. Both have been barred from marketing their payphone
business in Canada for 10 years for deceptive marketing. (See Telecom
Update #202. #213, #214 and Telemanagement #172, February 2000)
** Universal Payphone also faces various lawsuits by
investors and a trademark infringement suit filed by Bell
Canada.
OTTAWA CONSIDERS COMPETITION ACT CHANGES: The Competition Bureau has
issued a discussion paper on proposed amendments to the Competition
Act and the Competition Tribunal Act, and has hired the Public Policy
Forum to run cross-country consultations with stakeholders.
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/ct01740e.html
INTRIGNA APPROVED AS CLEC: Bell Intrigna, which is owned by Bell
Canada and Manitoba Tel, has received CRTC approval to operate as a
Competitive Local Exchange Carrier in Alberta and BC. The company says
it will begin migrating its local resale customers in Calgary and
Edmonton to its own network now, and in Vancouver in July.
CRTC SEEKS COMMENT ON REBANDING DISPUTE: The CRTC has given interested
parties until April 27 to comment on competitors' complaints that the
telcos' recent rebanding filings are incomplete and do not comply with
previous rulings.
LUCENT TO OUTSOURCE MORE MANUFACTURING: Lucent says it is moving to
contract out a large part of its manufacturing operations. Lucent will
retain "high-end" semiconductor and fiber optic plants.
** Lucent reports profits for the quarter ended March 31 of
US$754 Million, 41% above last year. Revenue rose 17% to
$10.3 Billion.
ROGERS WIRELESS ADDS 50,000 CUSTOMERS: Rogers AT&T Wireless added a
net 50,000 cellphone customers in the first quarter, compared to a
62,600 increase last year. Monthly disconnects rose to 2.27%. Revenue
was $349 Million, unchanged from the previous quarter and up 18% from
last year. The net loss was $10.6 Million. (See Telecom Update #205)
** Rogers Communications earned $19.3 Million (down from $47
Million) on revenue of $808 Million.
TELUS OFFERS WIRELESS INFORMATION: Telus Mobility now delivers news,
weather, sports, stock quotes, and other information services to PCS
and alphanumeric pagers.
** John Maduri, previously with Maxxcom and Rogers Cantel,
has been named President of Telus Mobility, effective May
1.
VANCOUVER LOCAL CALLING EXPANDS: Starting May 1, Vancouver's local
calling area will expand to include all communities in the Greater
Vancouver Regional District. (See Telecom Update #212)
MITEL ADDS ERICSSON WIRELESS TO IP PBX: Mitel has announced an
agreement to integrate Ericsson's Mobile Advantage Wireless Office
system with its recently announced Ipera 2000 phone system.
GROUP TELECOM OFFERS E-COMMERCE: Competitive local service provider GT
Group Telecom now offers eCommerce Connect, an array of Web
applications for small and medium-sized businesses.
MOBILE INTERNET -- FACT AND FANTASY: Andrew Seybold, one of North
America's most respected experts on mobile communications, discusses
the business case for mobile Web browsing and third-generation
wireless in the May issue of Telemanagement, available this week. Also
in Telemanagement #175:
** Nortel Rethinks IP PBX Plans
** 724 Solutions Puts Banks at Center of Mobile E-Commerce
** Are You Ready to Merge?
To subscribe to Telemanagement call 1-800-263-4415, ext 225,
or visit the Angus TeleManagement Group Web site at
http://www.angustel.ca
============================================================
HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE
E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca
FAX: 905-686-2655
MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE
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===========================================================
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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
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The information and data included has been obtained from
sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus
TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations
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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.
============================================================
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 14:46 +0100
From: Richard@office.mandarin.com (Richard D G Cox)
Subject: Re: UK "Big Number" Change
Arthur Ross <a.ross@ieee.org> said:
> it looks as though they went from a three digit city code + 7 digit
> local number plan to something that adds up to a total of 11. I'm sure
> that some of your readers can fill us in on exactly what this is:
We can try!
The second major UK renumbering happened on Saturday morning (0100
local) The first major renumbering in 1995 ("Phoneyday") had, as
expected, failed to create the quantity of new local numbers that
would be needed.
Six geographic areas - Cardiff, Coventry, London, Portsmouth,
Southampton and the whole of Northern Ireland - changed from six or
seven digit local numbers to eight digits; the area ("city") code
being shortened to retain a total length of eleven digits (ten, with
the long distance prefix "0"). This number length is now becoming
standard in the UK but there are still a few areas where the total
number length is one digit less. London has now, as a result of the
change, reverted from a split area (0171/0181) to a single (020) area
with full eight (NOT eleven) digit dialling across inner and outer
London.
The approach was novel and quite effective: a lengthy period of
permissive dialling for eleven-digit dialled calls started last summer
and continues until the coming autumn, while a much shorter period of
permissive LOCAL dialling ended on Saturday morning. In London,
hardly any call trapping was possible in the old scheme, as it was
quite full: and therefore the permissive dialling arrangements
required timeouts.
For this reason callers from outside each local area do NOT experience
any changes - they are still in the permissive period and can dial the
old number successfully, although we'd prefer that they didn't do
that!
The publicity, however, was disappointing. Reports suggest that of
those people affected, about 6.5% understood the changes correctly.
Many had grasped that there was to be a change,but thought that it was
a simple CODE change - whereas there was a FORMAT change as well. So
many signs and advertisement had started to show numbers as (0207) xxx
xxxx which is completely wrong. It should be (020) 7xxx xxxx. The
publicity campaign managers did not respond to these mistakes with
suitable clarification, which would have been more helpful.
Recorded announcements were provided for those calls that failed
because the local permissive period had ended: but reports on Saturday
suggested that the routes to the announcement machines were congesting
and general failure announcements - "the network is busy, try later"
played instead. Tuesday - the first business day after the changes -
may be interesting!
Other changes are happening but the numbers are still in "permissive":
Mobile and pager numbers are changing to full eleven digit numbers which
will all begin with 07; special-rate numbers are changing to 08x (if the
call charge is either free or below an artificial "national" rate) or
090/091 if the call charge is above that artificial "national" rate.
> The campaign cannot be blamed for the confusion, however, according
> to an expert in the human ability to cope with number combinations.
This "expert" obviously hasn't talked to anyone from Australia,
France, Tokyo, Hong Kong or Denmark, which have all been using eight-digit
local numbers for quite some time now!
> Critics of the numbers overhaul - the seventh national change since
> telephones were introduced in 1879 and the third revamp for London
Seventh? National? I don't think so ... Since Long-Distance dialling
was introduced here in the late 1950's, there has only been ONE national
change in the UK. There have been a lot of local changes, particularly
for London, but even this change was only, shall we say "semi-national"!
> They have done something interesting, in that the first two digits that
> you dial now tell you what kind of call it is:
In fact the first three digits are a better key: the idea is that users
are more likely to remember fewer, shorter codes than the 800-odd area
and service codes that existed in the old scheme.
> Nonzero first digit - Local
NO!!!! That's one thing both the regulator and the "publicity"
campaign have failed to make clear. Non-zero first digit means "in
same code area" and is NOT necessarily charged as local. Our previous
system did give a form of toll-alerting (anything starting with
non-zero digit was certain to be charged at local-rate) but for people
in Southampton and Portsmouth that is no longer the case: Northern
Ireland follows suit later this year.
Here's the rest of the scheme (from the callers' viewpoint):
1 Service codes (some chargeable) and network selection (dial-around).
2-9 Numbers in the caller's local dialling area - not always local rate.
00 International (voice/64k data - previously this was 000 for 64k data)
01 People whose numbers haven't changed recently ...
020 London (Inner and Outer)
023 South of England (currently Portsmouth and Southampton)
024 West Midlands (currently Coventry)
028 Northern Ireland
029 Wales (currently only Cardiff and surrounding area)
070 Personal numbers (in most cases, high cost, "caller-pays")
076 Pager numbers (in some cases, high cost, "caller-pays")
077-079 Mobile numbers (in all cases, high cost, "caller-pays")
080 Free (except 0802, mobile, which is being withdrawn)
082 Special rate numbers: School Internet services
084 Special rate numbers: Local rate or below
087 Special rate numbers: Local rate or below
090 Premium rate (pay-per-call) numbers
Other prefixes are still in use for numbers (mostly mobile) that are in
the process of changing. They will have been phased out by next year.
(For the plan as seen from outside the UK, omit prefixes, 1,2-9,00, and
remove the first digit "0" from all the prefixes in my list that remain).
Richard D G Cox
PO Box 111, PENARTH, UK; Telephone +44 29 2031 1131; Fax +44 29 2031 1131
To reply by private email, simply take "office" out of the e-mail address
------------------------------
From: gldyer-nospam@geocities.com (Geoff Dyer)
Subject: Re: UK "Big Number" Change
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 15:07:53 GMT
On Sun, 23 Apr 2000 07:38:27 -0700, Arthur Ross <a.ross@ieee.org>
wrote:
> Following is from <italic>The Guardian</italic> (UK Newspaper) today.
> from the old UK numbers in my DB it looks as though they went from a
> three digit city code + 7 digit local number plan to something that
> adds up to a total of 11. I'm sure that some of your readers can fill
> us in on exactly what this is:
The new numbers are nearly all the same total length, but because the
leading zero is not dialled from outside the UK, both old and new are
different lengths dialled nationally as opposed to internationally.
(This is the case for nearly everywhere outside NANPA.)
Old London numbers had four-digit area code (when dialled from within UK)
plus seven-digit "local" number. Some other areas to have changed may have
had a different breakdown, eg 5D+6D.
New numbers have three-digit area code (when dialled from within UK) plus
eight-digit "local" number.
> The campaign cannot be blamed for the confusion, however, according to
> an expert in the human ability to cope with number combinations.
> 'Our brains are not designed to remember big sequences of numbers,'
> said Professor Mike Hall from the University of Exeter. 'We have only
> had to deal with big sequences for the last 5,000 years and our brains
> have not had time to evolve yet.'
> The 11-digit sequences are so unwieldy that telephones should be
> redesigned to include electronic address books, he added.
Poorly stated, as the total lengths have not changed. The problem is
that 8-digit local numbers are harder to remember than the old 7-digit
(or shorter) ones were, even though the 8D London numbers in
particular are *very* easily derived from the 7D.
We've had similar complaints in Australia; our total lengths *did*
increase, but the main problem was the 8D local length. It's
definitely harder to remember, and even catches *me* out sometimes.
(Good grief, and I used to fire off "information bug reports" to both
the carrier and the regulator during the changes!) <BEG>
Geoff
(to e-mail me, remove any instances of "-nospam" from my address)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 05:32:22 -0400
From: jbeckett <jbeckett@southern.edu>
Subject: Re: Caller ID - Name Display
> Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net> intoned in part:
> They can get away with it because: 1) Their local phone company doesn't
> screen out bogus outgoing caller ID,
> Moreover <None@briar.org> chipped in among other things, the statement:
> As far as Caller Id from large companies they can send out whatever
> Caller ID digits they program to send out over the network. Generally
> they will send out either the DID number associated with the extension
> in the phone system or the main number for the business.
I run one of those "big-company PBX's" with about 1200 extensions and
I would be delighted to find out the incantation required to do this
through our phone company (which uses Nortel DMS 100). I get lots of
complaints from people who received calls from our outgoing trunks,
and are frustrated that the Caller ID they paid good money for doesn't
work for calls from our site. In the ideal case I'd be able to
control the Caller ID number sent, and I would definitely map it to
the person who placed the outgoing call. Our rural telco doesn't
think it can be done. The best they can offer is mapping Caller ID on
our outgoing trunks to our main number. But they have techs who would
make it work if I knew what Nortel calls this feature and what sort of
trunking system to use.
And a note to all the telemarketer-killers: Yes, we have
telemarketers, and yes, I would _very_ much like to have Caller ID
work for their calls as well. We pay our callers good money, and
there is no sense starting conversations off with arguments about no
Caller ID.
John Beckett, Assoc. Dir. Info Systems, Southern Adventist University
jbeckett@southern.edu
------------------------------
From: abuse@cabal.org.uk (Peter Corlett)
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
Date: 22 Apr 2000 13:40:09 GMT
Organization: None
Linc Madison <LincMad001@Telecom-Digest.zzn.com> wrote:
[...]
> More to the point, if Canada were assigned its own country code, it would
> probably NOT be 1X or even 1XX -- it would probably be something like 295.
> The only way that Canada could get a 1X or 1XX code would be to force the
> rest of the NANP to do the same, absent a MAJOR change in ITU rules.
I suspect that +10 or +11 could be used -- I don't believe there are any
numbers in the NANP starting 0 or 1. I'm fairly confident codes 0010 and
0011 don't do anything from Europe[0]. Would 01110 and 01111 cause any sort
of conflict from other services on offer by US telcos?
I suspect that what might cause more of a problem is what appears to
be affecting London at present. A previous code split London into two
area codes, 0171 and 0181 and seven digit local numbers. London has
now been put back into one area code, 020 with eight digit local
numbers made of your old local number with 7 or 8 put in front
respectively.
Parallel running consists of full national dialing for quite a long
time around the changeover period, and there's a flash change in a
couple of days' time for local numbers. Previous changes like this
have parallel run the local numbers, but there's no number space
available for this. (Suits me, I least-cost route my calls, and I
don't have the option of omitting the area code.)
There's going to be some surprised people next week next week, since
the message of eight digits doesn't seem to have got through. Thus,
many people seem to have decided that 0171 becomes 0207 and 0181
becomes 0208, retaining the seven digit numbering. In a few days,
they're in for a surprise, since there's a flash change for local
dialling.
It would seem that regrouping digits, whilst technically possible,
doesn't seem to get on too well with people. It remains to see whether
the result of the London flash change is total chaos, or just a few
embarrassed signwriters.
Would a Canada with +10 find they have people claiming their "area
code" is +1 0xx?
[0] Then again, +44080 is supposed to be invalid, but it was diallable from
BT lines some while back. It supervised and seemed to be chargable about
50p/min, it ended up on the bill, amusingly in the "International"
section with destination "United Kingdom". (The UK is definitely not an
international call from the UK.)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 11:54:36 -0700
From: Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
Subject: Re: Ring of Thieves Suspected in Cable Box Thefts
> Published Sunday, April 23, 2000, in the Miami Herald
> BY CHARLES SAVAGE
> csavage@herald.com
> A ring of thieves is ripping hundreds of cable devices -- which
> control telephone, television and Internet signals -- from street
> corners across South Florida and smuggling them to Latin America,
> local police investigators say.
....
> The $2,500 laptop-size instruments, locked in green, suitcase-size
> boxes on roadway swales, are necessary to convert fiberoptic light
> into telephone conversations, TV shows and Web pages.
....
I am truly sorry that these boxes are being stolen. However, if *I*
were to take, say, $2,500 laptop computers and strap them in huge
numbers at regular intervals in public places, I would be widely and
rightly regarded as hopelessly naive and stupid if I expected for a
moment that they would not likewise soon be stolen in large numbers.
The management of the telecommunications companies involved here
should likewise be regarded as hopelessly naive and stupid -- or just
plain short-sighted and irresponsible.
Paul Gloger <pgloger@cp10.es.xerox.com>
------------------------------
From: Mickey Ferguson <MFerguson@peinc.com>
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 09:12:23 -0700
Bilgates Remailer wrote in message ...
> I'm working on an anti-telemarketing device of my own, one that acts
> like an auto-attendant in that it requires the caller to enter a
> passcode before ringing the handset. For an outgoing call the box
> senses handset offhook and directly connects handset to outside
> line. It does not depend on CallerID or any special services by the
> telco. It will need a transformer plugged in to a wall outlet. It'd be
> nice if I could get the purchase price down to US$50.
Maybe I'm a little sensitive because I work in the public safety
industry (software developer for 911 systems), but there's no way in
the world I would ever put one of these devices on my phone line. What
happens if there is an emergency and someone needs to get hold of me?
If they don't know the passcode, they can't. My privacy is valuable to
me, but being able to contact me in an emergency is far more
important.
If you really hate being interrupted, why not turn off the ringer and
let your answering machine answer after one ring. Then have the
greeting state that if this is a sales call (or other junk call -0- you
figure out the wording), hang up because you don't accept those kinds
of calls. Also warn them about the law concerning unsolicited repeat
calls. Anyway, only if they stay on the line do you then pick up.
This way at least the calls that need to get through really can.
Mickey Ferguson
Plant Equipment, Inc.
www.peinc.com
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #83
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Apr 25 16:41:05 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id QAA15202;
Tue, 25 Apr 2000 16:41:05 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 16:41:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004252041.QAA15202@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #84
TELECOM Digest Tue, 25 Apr 2000 16:41:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 84
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (John David Galt)
Online Source for Phone Hub? (Beatlebum)
Free Routers (Bob Larribeau)
Dialpad Delay, Anything Better? (Steel Cutlass)
Re: Caller ID 000-000-0000?? (Steve Sobol)
Re: Caller ID - Name Display (Steve Sobol)
Re: Caller ID - Name Display (Lars)
Re: AT&T Long Lines (Grover C. McCoury III)
Information Technology Professional's Resource Center (Irwin Lazar)
Re: Caller ID - Name Display (Ed Ellers)
Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died (Heywood Jaiblomi)
Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died (J.F. Mezei)
Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died (Bruce Wilson)
Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died (Steve Sobol)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Bart Z. Lederman)
Reconditioned Cellular Phone Retail? (Norm)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: John_David_Galt@acm.org
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 21:46:17 -0700
Organization: Association for Computing Machinery
J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca> writes:
> Is there some logic in determining how long a country code is to be?
> (eg: codes beginning with two are three digits, codes with four are
> two digits etc etc)?
Not in the sense you're talking about. Any sequence of 1-3 digits can
be used, so long as no country code begins with another entire country
code. (So if 32 is a country code then 321 can't be one.) A few
apparent exceptions crop up now and then, such as 3393 for Monaco and
5399 for Guantanamo Bay, but these really boil down to two cases: a
small country which uses one area code within a big neighbor's network
(Monaco), or a pseudo-country-code which works only from countries
that have it programmed into their national network (I believe 5399
only functions from the US). You could also make an exception where
the numbers in the shorter code that would match the longer are never
used; for example, 10 and 11 (or 10x and 11x) could safely be used
today, although the NANP would have to change its prefix from 011 to
something else (00?) so that it could call out to country codes
beginning with 1.
In terms of rationale, I believe the original country codes were
chosen to give the shortest codes to the countries with the most
telephones, thus minimizing the maximum total number length
(originally 12 digits but violated in many places, now 15 digits).
That's why China has a two-digit code; when it was assigned they had
only 3 or 4 million telephone numbers among their billion people.
The ITU has since announced that no more codes shorter than 3 digits
will be issued because of crowding; but I dare say they'd make
exceptions for countries giving up a 1-digit code in exchange for one
or two 2-digit codes.
Leonard Erickson writes:
> So the proposed "100" for Canada *isn't* a country code. It's just
> giving Canada's *area codes* a "00" prefix when dialed from outside
> Canada.
It would work as a country code. But it seems to me if you're going to
do this you might as well break up the NANP. Here's my proposal:
Step 1. Change our prefix before out-of-country numbers from 011 to
00 (which is standard in most of the world already). This does not
conflict with any existing dialing pattern in the NANP, although a
timeout would be required when calling the 00 operator (as it now is
when calling the 0 operator). Keep 01 for operator assisted calls; it
isn't a problem as long as 01 and 011 don't both exist (so a dialing
string beginning with 011 can now be parsed as 01 + a country code
beginning with 1).
A permissive dialing period is possible here, though not mandatory.
Step 2. Move Canada to country code 10 and the US to 11 (both now
unused).
A permissive dialing period is highly recommended here. During this
period the Caribbean stays in country code 1, except that the US
territories might choose to remain part of the US system.
Step 3. Migrate the Caribbean out into new country codes. At this
point country codes 120 through 199 become available, so most of the
islands can keep their present dialing sequences if they want. (There
is at least one case where two islands' present area codes begin with
the same two digits, which would mean one of them will have to change.)
The Caribbean places with 2xx codes would probably trade them in also.
John David Galt
------------------------------
From: Beatlebum@MailandNews.com (Beatlebum)
Subject: Online Source for Phone Hub?
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 05:59:16 GMT
Organization: (C) Writing Revisionist History Since 1967
I need an 8/16 port rack style phone hub. I know these things exist,
however, I can't seem to find them in any of the online catalogs. I
would be grateful if someone would recommend a supplier and brand name
with a specific URL.
TIA
------------------------------
From: Bob Larribeau <bob@larribeau.com>
Subject: Free Routers
Date: 19 Apr 2000 08:21:25 EDT
Organization: Concentric Internet Services
I have an Ascend MAX 2000 and Ascend Pipeline 200 T1 routers available to
donate to an educational or nonprofit organization.
I also have an Ascend MAX 1800 and a few miscellaneous Pipeline ISDN
products available.
If you are an educational or nonprofit organization that can use this
equipment, contact me via email.
Bob Larribeau
bob@larribeau.com
------------------------------
From: steel_cutlass@my-deja.com
Subject: Dialpad Delay, Anything Better?
Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 15:34:12 GMT
Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
Is there a PC to Internet to Long Distance service that has very
little delay in its transmissions?
Dialpad is really cool. For the price (free), you can't beat it. But,
I'm getting tired of the slight delays when I call my friends and
family long-distance. It sounds like I am calling everybody over a
satellite connection. Sometimes, it sounds like the start of every
statement is delayed to the receiver's ear by a half-second or more.
Irritating.
I have a DSL modem, and like I said, the sound quality is good. But,
the delays are buggin' me.
Does anybody know of a service (even a pay service) that has a shorter
delay?
------------------------------
From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.Net (Steve Sobol)
Subject: Re: Caller ID 000-000-0000??
Date: 24 Apr 2000 03:20:23 GMT
Organization: New Age Consulting Service Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA
From 'Herb Stein':
>Here in Missouri, Southwestern Bell has recently offered what they
>call "Privacy Manager."
I don't know if SBC offers it all across their territory including
in PacBell country, but SBC stole the name and the idea from Ameritech.
It's been available here in Ameritechland since before the merger. If
SBC doesn't offer it out on the west coast, my guess is that they will soon.
> If an incoming has no CLID, the caller gets a
> recording stating the we don't accept unidentified calls. That
> includes anonymous as well as unavailable calls.
> They can go to voice mail, record their name in the hopes I really DO
> want to talk to them or hang up.
I'll weigh in in favor of Privacy Manager. I use it and I think it's a
great service. Works well with Ameritech's voice mail, too.
North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net
sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET
"Never attribute to malice events more properly attributed to corporate
greed." --Me, March 28th, 2000
------------------------------
From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.Net (Steve Sobol)
Subject: Re: Caller ID - Name Display
Date: 24 Apr 2000 03:29:47 GMT
Organization: New Age Consulting Service Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA
From 'n':
> As far as Caller Id from large companies they can send out whatever
> Caller ID digits they program to send out over the network. Generally
> they will send out either the DID number associated with the extension
> in the phone system or the main number for the business.
I recently bounced a check to a bank that gave me a Mastercard. The check
was in payment of the monthly statement.
As I always am in such a case, I was proactive about calling them and
letting them know I was replacing the check before they even knew it
had bounced. However, last week, on the 18th, the 19th, and the 20th,
I got a series of calls - 10 or 11 total over those three days - from
410-529-4112.
NPA 410 is Maryland, and one of the bank's customer service reps mentioned
to me that she was working in a call center in the Baltimore area when I
talked to her about the calls.
But try calling 410-529-4112. It's not in service.
Can I get the bank in trouble over this? I'm absolutely sure it's the
collections department, because when they called - the third or fourth
time - they also somehow got onto voice mail ... they'd called *me*
and automatically put me on hold. (isn't robodialing also illegal, per
the TCPA?) I lived with a friend who had someone from another bank
looking for her, and that bank did the same thing.
> As far as
> them sending out bogus Caller ID info if you know who it is that is
> calling you report them to the local Telco. The Telco considers
> anyone sending out false ID info as a nuisance to the Network and will
> immediately diconnect all service to that business (with NO notice).
Bloody lotta good that will do me. My telco is Ameritech. Theirs is either
Bell Atlantic or a CLEC. Ameritech can't shut off service to this company.
North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net
sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET
"Never attribute to malice events more properly attributed to corporate
greed." --Me, March 28th, 2000
------------------------------
From: Lars <lberg@fbrts.com>
Subject: Re: Caller ID - Name Display
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 20:12:46 -0600
> load on the DMS you're connected to? Also, what version of what PBX do you
> have? I can tell you how to send the proper calling number info.
jbeckett <jbeckett@southern.edu> wrote in message
news:telecom20.83.4@telecom-digest.org...
>> Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net> intoned in part:
>> They can get away with it because: 1) Their local phone company doesn't
>> screen out bogus outgoing caller ID,
>> Moreover <None@briar.org> chipped in among other things, the statement:
>> As far as Caller Id from large companies they can send out whatever
>> Caller ID digits they program to send out over the network. Generally
>> they will send out either the DID number associated with the extension
>> in the phone system or the main number for the business.
> I run one of those "big-company PBX's" with about 1200 extensions and
> I would be delighted to find out the incantation required to do this
> through our phone company (which uses Nortel DMS 100). I get lots of
> complaints from people who received calls from our outgoing trunks,
> and are frustrated that the Caller ID they paid good money for doesn't
> work for calls from our site. In the ideal case I'd be able to
> control the Caller ID number sent, and I would definitely map it to
> the person who placed the outgoing call. Our rural telco doesn't
> think it can be done. The best they can offer is mapping Caller ID on
> our outgoing trunks to our main number. But they have techs who would
> make it work if I knew what Nortel calls this feature and what sort of
> trunking system to use.
> And a note to all the telemarketer-killers: Yes, we have
> telemarketers, and yes, I would _very_ much like to have Caller ID
> work for their calls as well. We pay our callers good money, and
> there is no sense starting conversations off with arguments about no
> Caller ID.
> John Beckett, Assoc. Dir. Info Systems, Southern Adventist University
> jbeckett@southern.edu
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 11:36:30 -0700
From: Grover C. McCoury III <grover@brightlink.com>
Organization: BrightLink Networks, Inc.
Subject: Re: AT&T Long Lines
I dusted off my copy of the "Bell Labs Bible", Engineering and
Operations in the Bell System, and found the following definition:
The Long Lines Department of AT&T owns and operates long distance
transmission facilities and certain switching systems to provide
connections between operating companies and with foreign countries. Long
Lines, being an operating organization, is the largest part of AT&T,
with about 90% of all AT&T personnel.
AT&T was organized as follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------
American Telephone and Telegraph Company
-------------------------------------------------
General Depts. | Long Lines Dept
----------------------------------------------------------------
Western Electric Company Bell Operating Companies(24 BOCs)
Bell Telephone Laboratories
AT&T Company was composed of the General and Long Lines Depts. Western
Electric is wholly owned by AT&T. AT&T has a controlling ownership in
the 24 BOCs. BTL is 50% owned by Western Electric and 50% owned by AT&T.
/**********************************
Grover C. McCoury III
@ BrightLink Networks, Inc.
physical: 212 Gibraltar Drive
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
audio: (408)752-9228
electronic: grover@brightlink.com
WWW: http://www.brightlink.com
**********************************/
------------------------------
From: ilazar@tbg.com (Irwin Lazar)
Subject: Information Technology Professional's Resource Center
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 14:31:55 GMT
Organization: Intermedia Business Internet - Beltsville, MD
We've just completed a major re-design of the ITPRC -
http://www.itprc.com/
Our site contains hundreds of links to information on a variety of
networking technologies such as TCP/IP, SONET, Frame Relay, IP
Routing, Network Security, Network Management, Internet Operations and
more.
We also host the TCP/IP FAQ and provide an active message board
system.
Please visit us and let us know what you think.
------------------------------
From: Ed Ellers <ed_ellers@msn.com>
Subject: Re: Caller ID - Name Display
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 18:05:45 -0400
Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net> wrote:
"I don't know how that works, but I wish all phone companies would let
you do it. And similarly, I guess some people might want to have the
name displayed but the number private."
I doubt that that's possible, since SS7 doesn't provide for caller
name display -- there is only one flag to control ID display, so you
can either display both or inhibit both.
------------------------------
From: heywood@gloucester.com (Heywood Jaiblomi)
Subject: Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 23:02:41 GMT
Organization: Uncle Heywood's Trousers of Fun
Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> wrote:
> Katz, Phillip W.
> Age 37. Passed away unexpectedly on Fri., April 14, 2000.
I guess he compressed a lot of living into those 37 years.
If I had my life to live over, I think I'd like to live over a liquor store.
------------------------------
From: J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca>
Subject: Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died
Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 22:42:43 -0400
Monty Solomon wrote:
> Age 37. Passed away unexpectedly on Fri., April 14, 2000. Beloved son of
> Hildegard and beloved brother of Cynthia. Also survived by other
> relatives and friends. Phil was a graduate of UWM Computer Science
> Engineering Program. He was the author of the PKZIP/PKUNZIP software and
> owner of PKWARE Inc.
It is very interesting how "vitual" communities will also mourn the
passing of someone they "knew" from the internet, or worry because a
regular poster in a newsgroup has not posted anything in a long while.
Our "own" beloved and well admired Pat falls into that group, where, I
am sure, many many regular readers of this fine newsgroup were quietly
wishing Pat the best of luck and the promptest recovery once it had
been announced that he had had medical problems.
Often though, the problem is in translating that "virtual respect"
into something more concrete since folks don't generally know the real
address of a poster so there is no way to convey to his/her/its family
the fact that thousands of his friends on the internet are sending
their deepest sympathies and share their grief. (And often, one learns
the news well after the passing of the person).
What is also interesting is that the internet has two cultures. The
"legacy" culture of folks who were there before the internet was a
consumer good. They know stuff such as FTP, TELNET, GOPHER etc, and
know how old Unix is, and how old ethernet is etc. So it is perfectly
possible for a person very famous in these internet circles to pass
away without much fanfare to the "consumer ... DOM" generation who
think that Bill Gates invented the internet and that the chairman of
Yahoo is god because Yahoo is the only .COM that makes a profit. The
new generation has little clue as to what happened before Microsoft
reluctantly accepted to adopt the internet.
It will be fascinating to see how historians/educators teach kids 50
years from now about the transformation from industrial to information
age. I wonder how many of the true builders will be remembered and how
many will wrongly be given titles of builders of the net.
Phil Katz has made a great contribution to the IT world by offering a fairly
ubiquitous compression format. And once which has lasted a long time already.
------------------------------
From: blw1540@aol.comxxnospam (Bruce Wilson)
Date: 24 Apr 2000 03:16:08 GMT
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com
Subject: Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died
> Software pioneer dead at 37
> Last Updated: April 22, 2000 at 3:04:12 p.m.
> MILWAUKEE (AP) - A man who developed computer file compression
> software used around the world has died at age 37.
Phillip W. Katz died of complications from chronic alcoholism,
according to medical examiner's records.
Computer science experts say Katz's program, PKZip, played a major
role in making Internet communications faster.
"In early days, compression was all done with software because there
was no hardware to do this stuff," said computer science professor
Leonard Levine at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. "So Katz
put together a program called PKZip, the Phil Katz zip program."
The compression software made communication between computers faster
and less expensive.
"His program was instrumental in inexpensive, dependable
communication," Levine said. But, he added, "what I felt was most
important about it is the fact that you can get it for free and not
pay for it."
Katz was found dead April 14 in a south side motel room holding a
bottle of alcohol, the Milwaukee County medical examiner's report
said. Five other empty liquor bottles were also found in the room,
according to the report.
In a 1993 Milwaukee Journal interview, Katz said the concept behind
PKZip was launched at his mother's kitchen table in 1986. The
product's popularity exploded.
"It was just a hobby," he said. "I didn't expect it to turn into a
business."
Despite his success as a software engineer, Katz had troubles in his
personal life. Authorities obtained a search warrant in 1997 after
Katz's Mequon neighbors complained about odors, insects and mice at
his luxury condominium.
Authorities said they found knee-deep garbage and decaying food at
the condo. Katz's lawyers paid the city of Mequon about $8,000 for
the cost of the cleanup, pest exterminators and legal fees.
Bruce Wilson
------------------------------
From: sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.Net (Steve Sobol)
Subject: Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died
Date: 24 Apr 2000 03:30:44 GMT
Organization: New Age Consulting Service Inc., Cleveland, OH, USA
From 'Monty Solomon':
> ZWASKA FUNERAL HOME 354-5330 Serving the Family
An area code would be helpful, Monty...
North Shore Technologies, Cleveland, OH http://NorthShoreTechnologies.net
sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.net - 888.480.4NET - 216.619.2NET
"Never attribute to malice events more properly attributed to corporate
greed." --Me, March 28th, 2000
------------------------------
From: lederman@star.enet.dec.DISABLE-JUNK-EMAIL.com (Bart Z. Lederman)
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Date: 25 Apr 2000 14:55:18 GMT
Organization: Personal Opinions Only
Reply-To: lederman@eisner.decus.DISABLE-JUNK-EMAIL.org
In article <telecom20.83.7@telecom-digest.org>, Mickey Ferguson
<MFerguson@peinc.com> writes:
> Maybe I'm a little sensitive because I work in the public safety
> industry (software developer for 911 systems), but there's no way in
> the world I would ever put one of these devices on my phone line. What
> happens if there is an emergency and someone needs to get hold of me?
> If they don't know the passcode, they can't. My privacy is valuable to
> me, but being able to contact me in an emergency is far more
> important.
Of course you have a valid point, and each person is going to have
to decide this for themselves.
> If you really hate being interrupted, why not turn off the ringer and
> let your answering machine answer after one ring. Then have the
Since I normally get nothing but telemarketing calls, I have taken
to letting the answering machine pick up all calls.
> greeting state that if this is a sales call (or other junk call -0- you
> figure out the wording), hang up because you don't accept those kinds
> of calls. Also warn them about the law concerning unsolicited repeat
The problem with this is that the telemarketers won't ever hear
this announcement. They all seem to use predictive dialers,
so they don't hear what's on your answering machine. I suppose
if you start your answering machine message with "Hello" then they
might pick up, but I doubt if any of the people making the calls
will pay any attention to it at all. It has been my experience
that requesting they take you off their lists has little effect.
My previous tactic was to pick up the telephone, wait for them to
start their pitch, then put the 'phone down and let them talk to
dead air. This workes to some extent, but lately I found that
between 60% and 80% of the time I answered the telephone I was the
one that got dead air: the telemarketers never picked up at their
end. Hence my switch to not answering the telephone at all.
I plan to put the SIT tones on my answering machine message. I really
hope the predictive dialers will interpret this as a non-working
number. It seems to be the only way to stop them.
B. Z. Lederman Personal Opinions Only
Posting to a News group does NOT give anyone permission
to send me advertising by E-mail or put me on a mailing
list of any kind.
Please remove the "DISABLE-JUNK-EMAIL" if you have a
legitimate reason to E-mail a response to this post.
------------------------------
From: Norm <norm63@theglobe.com>
Subject: Reconditioned Cellular Phone Retail?
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 08:39:57 -0400
Organization: GTE Laboratories Incorporated
Can anyone recommend a retail source of reconditioned analog
portable cellular phones?
I need to replace a broken phone I've been using with with
Verizon-Wireless (formerly Bell Atlantic) and am looking for
alternatives to signing year's contract to get a discounted price
($222 total) on a replacement from Verizon-Wireless.
Thanks,
Norm
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #84
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Apr 25 21:39:19 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id VAA25260;
Tue, 25 Apr 2000 21:39:19 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 21:39:19 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004260139.VAA25260@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #85
TELECOM Digest Tue, 25 Apr 2000 21:39:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 85
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Dialing Codes In/From the NANP (Re: NANP; Canada's Plan) (Mark J. Cuccia)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Secret Squirrel)
Emergencies, was: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Danny Burstein)
Re: Caller ID - Name Display (Mark J. Cuccia)
Re: Ring of Thieves Suspected in Cable Box Thefts (Thomas A. Horsley)
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (James Bellaire)
Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died (Mark Crispin)
Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died (Ed Ellers)
Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died (Roy Smith)
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Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 09:58:03 CDT
From: Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu>
Subject: Dialing Codes in/from the NANP (Re: NANP; Canada's Plan)
abuse@cabal.org.uk (Peter Corlett) wrote in
"Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan":
> Linc Madison wrote:
>> More to the point, if Canada were assigned its own country code,
>> it would probably NOT be 1X or even 1XX -- it would probably be
>> something like 295. The only way that Canada could get a 1X or 1XX
>> code would be to force the rest of the NANP to do the same, absent
>> a MAJOR change in ITU rules.
> I suspect that +10 or +11 could be used -- I don't believe there are
> any numbers in the NANP starting 0 or 1. I'm fairly confident codes
> 0010 and 0011 don't do anything from Europe[0]. Would 01110 and 01111
> cause any sort of conflict from other services on offer by US telcos?
First, I will re-iterate what I (and others) have stated in earlier
replies regarding the POSSIBILITY of Canada becoming +100...
This is ONLY an OPTION being examined. It is NOT anything that has
been finalized to "happen". Canadian regulatory is only looking into
this and other NANP expansion plans on the table out there, for further
industry discussion and public comment.
The POSSIBILITY of Canada becoming +100 would FIRST have to be negotiated
with the US (and Caribbean) entities that 'manage' and provide service
in the NANP as well.
Customer dialing from overseas to +1-etc. as (the usual '00' exist code
from MOST countries outside of the NANP) followed by '10' or '11' is
most likely going to be rejected.
However, depending on the carrier you dial over, it is also possible that
you could be routed to some "sleazeball" sex/porno/psychic/etc
PAY-PAY-PAY-per-call number, which 'terminates' WHO KNOWS WHERE! There are
NUMEROUS instances of such "sleazeball" companies that 'hi-jack' un-used
numbering space in other country codes for such "services"(?). The major
carriers' gateway switches and networks in the originating country will
most likely block access to un-used numbering/codes.
Also note, by "un-used" numbering space, an OPERATOR in an originating
country might actually "key" such codes to reach other operators in the
destination country. The national operators in a particular country code
would similarly use such codes for special routings, or the automated
network could use such "un-used" codes for network control.
Within the NANP, there are such 1XX/0XX codes used in the Area Code
part or in the central office code part of the number, for such internal
network switchings/routings or operator-to-operator routings and controls.
Where the "sleazeball" companies "hi-jack" such "un-used" numbering space,
they also run into a future potential problem where that country might
have such "presently un-used for customer numbers" number/code space for
FUTURE expansion or assignments. Thus you could run into a conflict down
the road somewhere!
As for CUSTOMER dialing WITHIN/FROM the NANP, you mention 01110 and 01111.
This could "potentially" be used to reach any POSSIBLE future country
codes 10X or 11X. 011+country-code+, from the NANP is for "sent-paid"
customer dialed calling to other country codes. 011-10X+ and 011-11X+
IN THEORY could be used.
HOWEVER, we in the NANP _ALSO_ use 01+country-code+ for placing calls to
other country codes that require SPECIAL BILLING or operator assistance.
Since there are no other country codes beginning with '1', any sent-paid
toll calling within the NANP is dialed as 1+ten-digits (or in a few cases
such as NY/CA/IL type places, 'straight' seven-digits can be used to place
a toll call to a location in your own area code). "Special billing" or
"operator assisted" customer-dialed calls within the NANP are dialed as
0+ten-digits (or via 800/888/etc. or 950-xxxx 'dialup' access).
We can NOT place inTRA-NANP calls with our international exit prefixes.
Countries that use '00+' for their international exit prefix CAN
frequently use 00+ their own country code+ the complete national number
(less any '0' access prefix 'embedded' into the national number), for
local or national toll calls.
i.e., a call WITHIN London UK can OPTIONALLY be dialled as
00-44-20-7/8xxx-xxxx.
We can NOT even OPTIONALLY dial "sent-paid" calls within the NANP as
011-1-NXX-nxx-xxxx, although this is THEORETICALLY possible for such "sent
paid" calls.
_IF_ our "special billing" prefix for customer-dialed international calls
were CHANGED from 01+ to 010+, then there would be _NO_ numbering/code
dialing "conflict" problem with being able to OPTIONALLY place intra-NANP
calls as 011+1+ten-digits (sent-paid) or 010+1+ten-digits (special billed
customer dialed).
In one of SEVERAL options for NANP Expansion being discussed, Canada
DOES admit in their documents that to become +100 would require
negotiation with the other members of the NANP. If this couldn't be
resolved, and Canada DOES ultimately choose to part from the NANP, and
get its own ITU country code, then they would need to get a
three-digit code beginning with some other digit 2 thru 9, most likely
something of the 29X format.
Also, the Canadian plan under discussion would mean that all
"sent-paid" inTRA-Canadian calls, both local and toll, would be dialed
on a "straight" (no access digit/prefix) complete ten-digit basis. I
assume that customer-dialed "special billing" intra-Canadian calls
would be dialed as 0+ten-digits as is now, but I don't think that the
Canadian document discusses this.
"Sent-paid" Calls from Canada to the US/NANP would be dialed as
1+full-NANP-number. There is nothing indicated in the document as to
how "special billed customer dialed" calls from Canada to the US/NANP
would be dialed, but I could only assume that
01+full-NANP-number. However, since Canada has been part of the NANP
for all along prior to this, they too use 01+ country-codes
(2XX->9XX)+ to place "special billed customer dialed"
international/overseas calls, and 011+ country-code+ to place
"sent-paid" Intl/Ovs calls.
MAYBE they (or the entire NANP?) may change over to 010+ (as I would
like to see for customer-dialed special-billed IDDD calling),
REGARDLESS of whether Canada remains a FULL member of the NANP or if
it becomes "semi-NANP" (+100) or gets its own 2XX->9XX possible ITU
country-code ???
Continuing on the potential Canadian possible option ... calls from the
US/NANP to Canada would be dialed as 100+ the ten-digit Canadian number.
There would be NO need to dial 011+. This is for "sent-paid" calling.
There is NO mention in the document on how to place "special billed
customer dialed" calls from the US/NANP to Canada, but possibly 0+100+
the ten-digit Canadian number?
As long as the ITU does _NOT_ begin to assign country-codes 0XX, this
COULD be possible. However, _IF_ the ITU has already assigned
country-codes of the form 0XX or does so AFTER Canada would potentially
become "semi-NANP", then 0+100+ would conflict with US/NANP dialing (as
speical billed) to any 00X country code which would need to follow the
01+00X+ dialing procedure. Of course, maybe the ENTIRE NANP might change
their special-billed customer-dialed international exit prefix from
01+ to 010+, as it really (IMO) SHOULD have been planned for since the
1960's when customer-dialed IDDD was being discussed for the future!!!
Finally, MAYBE the use of 0+ for inTRA-NANP (or inTRA-Canada) and 01+
(or hopefully 010+?) for NANP/US/Canada->overseas --- "customer-dialed"
special-billed calling COULD ultimately be abolished, and replaced with
the EXCLUSIVE use of "dialups" on 800/888/etc. (or even the almost
obsolete use of 950-xxxx) access numbers. However, when using "dialups"
to get a long-distance carrier's 'dialtone' or menu platform requires
the use of TOUCHTONE signaling from the calling party to enter the
ultimate destination digits. Rotary/Pulse dial phones are STILL going to
be around for a long time to come, and the use of 0+ and 01+ has been
embedded in the network (and tariff) for so many decades! Even if the
local central office takes DTMF (touchtone) signaling, many people STILL
want to keep their "old reliable" black (or color) rotary dial phones
manufactured by Western Electric (or Automatic Electric, etc) many decades
ago, which could last FOREVER! (True, one could use an acoustic battery
powered touchtone device held to the mouthpiece, but not many people would
want to do so).
I don't know what Canada will ultimately choose to do. It might happen
that number/code conservation procedures will be implemented throughout
the NANP over the next couple of years that the NANP won't need to expand
to more-than-ten digits for a LOOOOONNNNNGGGG time to come, thus Canada
might choose to stay in a fully integrated NANP.
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-
------------------------------
Date: 25 Apr 2000 04:49:17 -0000
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
From: Secret Squirrel <squirrel@echelon.alias.net>
Organization: mail2news@nym.alias.net
>>>> Well, in response to my inquiry Mike Sandman has done it. His latest
>>>> little black box, called the "Telemarketer Stopper" does exactly what
>>>> I was needing and is line powered. Best of all it's reasonably
>>>> inexpensive at $25.95. (in lots of 3 or more they're $24.95 each)
>>> The price went up since you last checked: $34.95
>> I'm working on an anti-telemarketing device of my own, one that acts
>> like an auto-attendant in that it requires the caller to enter a
>> passcode before ringing the handset. For an outgoing call the box
>> senses handset offhook and directly connects handset to outside
>> line. It does not depend on CallerID or any special services by the
>> telco. It will need a transformer plugged in to a wall outlet. It'd
>> be nice if I could get the purchase price down to US$50.
> I bought one of those years ago, from an para-military catalog. It
> cost about $50. It answered the phone and asked for a 4-digit
> passcode in a distinctly Asian female voice. It the correct passcode
> was entered, it would generate a ring of it's own.
> Problem was, if you put it in front of an answering machine,
> the machine would never pick up, so I sold it to a co-worker.
By the age of this box I presume the voice announcement came from a cassette
playback? My box would generate a belcore-standard ring signal and provide
-48VDC downstream so shouldn't have these problems you encountered.
Anybody know where to get some examples of SLIC designs?
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The ones I have seen had a three digit
> code assigned to ring an answering machine as well as an actual code
> to ring the persons in the room. That allowed for people who knew the
> proper code to leave a message on the machine if I was not at home.
> The reason the answering machine would not pick up was because the
> machine made a ring of its own rather than passing voltage down the
> line to individual instruments as would be required of an answering
> machine. PAT]
Steve
------------------------------
From: dannyb@panix.com (Danny Burstein)
Subject: Emergencies, was: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Date: 25 Apr 2000 01:56:51 -0400
In <telecom20.83.7@telecom-digest.org> Mickey Ferguson
<MFerguson@peinc.com> writes:
> Maybe I'm a little sensitive because I work in the public safety
> industry (software developer for 911 systems), but there's no way in
> the world I would ever put one of these devices on my phone line. What
> happens if there is an emergency and someone needs to get hold of me?
> If they don't know the passcode, they can't. My privacy is valuable to
> me, but being able to contact me in an emergency is far more
> important.
Unless you're a B-52 pilot sitting in the crew room during the warmest
days of the Cold War nervously awaiting the "go code", there's no
"emergency" that can't wait the short extra time that alternative
notification methods take. In any event, this is a decision that the
person with the phone line should be able to make.
We've had _many_ intrusions on privacy made by (usually well-meaning) folk
claiming that they're needed "just for emergencies". Just as one glaring
example: the real time (and recorded!) cellular phone location networks.
Thanks to this FCC mandate, cellular companies will shortly be able to
plot a map showing your location (within a couple of hundred feet) every
ten minutes or so. And they'll be able to do this not only for your 911
call, but also, six months after the fact, print out where you spent any
day in question.
While I'm pretty sure most of us wouldn't mind this info being used to,
for example, track down the movements of the WTC bombers, how long do you
think it'll be before this info is demanded, via subpoena, for all sorts
of mundane situations, both criminal and civil?
What I'm getting it as that I take any suggestions that "we need this to
help in case of emergencies" right up there with the "we need to do this
to protect the kids" or we "need to do this for the War On Drugs".
Danny 'and while you're at it, could you explain to me how a man in
Poland has a watch set to London time?' Burstein
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 16:05:05 -0500 (CDT)
From: Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu>
Subject: Re: Caller ID - Name Display
ed_ellers@msn.com wrote:
> Jeremy Greene wrote:
>> I don't know how that works, but I wish all phone companies would let
>> you do it. And similarly, I guess some people might want to have the
>> name displayed but the number private.
> I doubt that that's possible, since SS7 doesn't provide for caller name
> display -- there is only one flag to control ID display, so you can
> either display both or inhibit both.
Actually, I think that there is an SS7 delivery protocol or "flagging"
field to allow display of number but supress name, and vice-versa.
There are FAR more fields and capabilities about Signaling System #7
than most of us realize. I only wish I had the money to buy the Telcordia
(formerly Bellcore) and Lucent and Nortel documents regarding SS7, and the
time to read and re-read them, to try to comprehend every nuance about
SS7. And SS7 features, functions, and capabilities keep growing. Also, how
the features interact between different (connecting) carriers will vary
from carrier-to-carrier.
I've had calls come into my number via AT&T, originated from USWest
territory (from a #1AESS), where the number displayed, but the name field
had "PRIVATE", yet via other carriers from the same number on a USWest
#1AESS, where the same number displays, yet the name can show.
I don't think that _NANPA_ nor the FCC has recommended any "standard"
*XX = 11-XX "Vertical Service Codes" to supress one yet allow the other.
I know that this is possible in Canada, which uses a slightly different
method of SS7 signaling between their predominantly Nortel DMS switches
(no surpise about Nortel, being a Canadian creation! :)
Sometimes, I think that you might have to have "supress one yet not the
other" on a "default for all calls" on that line - yet there might not
be a "per-call toggle to allow the default supresses info to temporarily
be displayed on that call"...
If someone's name is set to be allowed to appear, yet their number is
suppressed, I think that since I usually leave "Block-the-Blocker"
(Anonymous Call Rejection) turned on most of the time (*77 = 11-77;
turn-off as *87 = 11-87), my central office will not ring my phone (not
connect that caller to my line), but will play the "rejection"
announcement to the caller.
Another thing about "Calling Name", and I only found out about this
recently...
In Canada, the "Name" is sent-forward WITH the number. In the US, the
"NAME" is mostly requested by the distant end towards some central
database of names/numbers in a "reverse lookup" way.
The reason ... Canada being mostly DMS (Digital) when "Name" was being
planned for or introduced, the DMS offices had data storage capacity and
operational capability to store the "Name" with each number AT THE CALLING
PARTY's (DMS) central office; However, at the time, the US being mostly
analog non-digital but still electronic #1AESS switches made by good-ole'
Western Electric/AT&T (Lucent) -- those #1AESSes didn't have the storage
capacity to hold all of the "names" associated with all line-numbers, nor
the speed to prepare them to be "sent-forward" SS7 with the number on all
outbound calls.
It may be possible that DMS switches in the US _DO_ pass "name" forward
between each other, in SS7. I've been told that if one is served by a
DMS-100 _CENTREX_ in the US, calls from Canada (DMS), and POSSIBLY from
within the US (if they are made from a DMS) _CAN_ display the name on
calls from places where "name" might not usually be available to the
called party outside of the calling party's area, because that "name"
might not be available in a centralized database. Yet if it passes forward
(the LD carrier, even the LEC sends forward an entire SS7 message it gets)
and the DMS-100 CENTREX in the US might know "where" to find the "forward
name" in the SS7 message block.
I would _HOPE_ that at some point in the future, all of the LECs and LD
carriers in the NANP will be fully compatable and inter-operable in _ALL_
SS7-based custom-calling and vertical service features... but it may still
take some time for everything to be put into place for that.
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-
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Ring of Thieves Suspected in Cable Box Thefts
From: Tom.Horsley@worldnet.att.net (Thomas A. Horsley)
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 21:29:53 GMT
Organization: AT&T Worldnet
> The management of the telecommunications companies involved here
> should likewise be regarded as hopelessly naive and stupid -- or just
> plain short-sighted and irresponsible.
These *are* after all cable companies we're talking about here :-).
>>==>> The *Best* political site <URL:http://www.vote-smart.org/> >>==+
email: Tom.Horsley@worldnet.att.net icbm: Delray Beach, FL |
<URL:http://home.att.net/~Tom.Horsley> Free Software and Politics <<==+
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 16:54:39 -0500
From: James Bellaire <bellaire@tk.com>
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
Mark J Cuccia wrote:
> First, I will re-iterate what I (and others) have stated
> in earlier replies regarding the POSSIBILITY of Canada
> becoming +100...
> This is ONLY an OPTION being examined. It is NOT anything
> that has been finalized to "happen". Canadian regulatory
> is only looking into this and other NANP expansion plans
> on the table out there, for further industry discussion
> and public comment.
It is only a possibility, but it does open doors to the situations
that we have been discussing in numbering groups - basically splitting
off Canada within the NANP and dividing the NANP into zones.
All barriers can be overcome with the proper planning. If Canada wishes to
become +100 it could be done. They just have to make the rest of the NANP
admins see it as a good thing.
> The POSSIBILITY of Canada becoming +100 would FIRST have
> to be negotiated with the US (and Caribbean) entities that
> 'manage' and provide service in the NANP as well.
Right now the entire NANP is up for negotiation while planning the
expansion. This Canadian proposal could be added to the viable plans.
> Customer dialing from overseas to +1-etc. as (the usual '00'
> exist code from MOST countries outside of the NANP) followed
> by '10' or '11' is most likely going to be rejected.
Until it is fixed. Any numbering change into previously rejected space
needs adjustments to make it work.
> However, depending on the carrier you dial over, it is also
> possible that you could be routed to some "sleazeball"
> sex/porno/psychic/etc PAY-PAY-PAY-per-call number, which
> 'terminates' WHO KNOWS WHERE! There are NUMEROUS instances
> of such "sleazeball" companies that 'hi-jack' un-used numbering
> space in other country codes for such "services"(?). The major
> carriers' gateway switches and networks in the originating
> country will most likely block access to un-used numbering/codes.
That is an improper use of numbering space and the ITU should do
something to stop it. I don't believe we should rule out Canada's
plan or any other numbering scheme because of improper uses by
sleazeballs.
> Also note, by "un-used" numbering space, an OPERATOR in an
> originating country might actually "key" such codes to reach
> other operators in the destination country. The national
> operators in a particular country code would similarly use
> such codes for special routings, or the automated network
> could use such "un-used" codes for network control.
Unless there is a 00 beyond +1 that operators use internally I see no
problem. As you have posted before, the 0xx/1xx codes are used for
internal routing, but have you seen 00x in use?
If the NANP admins were willing to cooperate I can see Canada moving
to +1-00 even without leaving the NANP. It would be the same level of
cooperation needed for Canada to leave the NANP and use +100.
Maybe even move the Carribean to +199 npa nxx xxxx. There are always
possibilities.
DIALING PLAN
As a non-NANP country Canada would not be tied to 011 / 01 for
outgoing international. They could move to 00+ or 01+ dialing as I
have suggested several times before for the NANP. I don't believe the
cost of a timeout after the 00 is too high to pay to get rid of 011+
dialing.
If the remaining NANP would consider this (read: Accept IT!) then 00+
would be sent paid, 01+ would be operator assist, and we would still
have the parallel system without the confusing 011+ 01+ dialing.
I really hope this can be worked out without anyone leaving the NANP.
But I admire the Canadians for being willing to go to that extent to
come up with a numbering system for THEIR users.
> Countries that use '00+' for their international exit prefix
> CAN frequently use 00+ their own country code+ the complete
> national number (less any '0' access prefix 'embedded' into
> the national number), for local or national toll calls.
Another addition I would put in the NANP dialing plan.
> I don't know what Canada will ultimately choose to do. It
> might happen that number/code conservation procedures will
> be implemented throughout the NANP over the next couple of
> years that the NANP won't need to expand to more-than-ten
> digits for a LOOOOONNNNNGGGG time to come, thus Canada
> might choose to stay in a fully integrated NANP.
Thanks for the laugh. The kids are in the toy store and they have
been looking at these new fangled longer than 10 digit numbers. I
don't believe that they will stop until we have longer than 10 digits,
before the end of this unnamed decade.
James Bellaire
------------------------------
From: Mark Crispin <mrc@CAC.Washington.EDU>
Subject: Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 15:37:22 -0700
Organization: Networks & Distributed Computing
On Sun, 23 Apr 2000, J.F. Mezei wrote:
> It will be fascinating to see how historians/educators teach kids 50
> years from now about the transformation from industrial to information
> age. I wonder how many of the true builders will be remembered and how
> many will wrongly be given titles of builders of the net.
I suspect that many of the "true builders of the net" who are still living
are pleased not to be burdened with the recognition. Some have taken
careers in entirely different directions (one pioneer is reputed to have
become an exotic dancer). Some are unhappy at the crass commercialism and
loss of community in the past 10 years.
Still others simply prefer quiet lives.
-- Mark --
* RCW 19.190 notice: This email address is located in Washington State. *
* Unsolicited commercial email may be billed $500 per message. *
Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate.
------------------------------
From: Ed Ellers <ed_ellers@msn.com>
Subject: Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 18:44:38 -0400
Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> quoted:
Phil was a graduate of UWM Computer Science Engineering Program. He
was the author of the PKZIP/PKUNZIP software and owner of PKWARE
Inc. Co."
PKZIP came to be in an interesting way. PKware's original product was
PKARC, a file compression program that used the same format as System
Enhancement Associates' ARC utility. SEA sued PKware for copying its
format (I've forgotten whether it was on patent or copyright grounds),
and in a settlement PKware was allowed to release one last version
with the ARC format (now called PKPAK) but had to develop its own
format for future versions -- which turned out to be a massive mistake
on SEA's part, because (A) PKware placed the new ZIP format in the
public domain, and (B) BBS sysops and users touched off a massive
boycott of the ARC format, killing it (and the ARC program) off.
------------------------------
From: Roy Smith <roy@endeavor.med.nyu.edu>
Subject: Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died
Organization: New York University School of Medicine
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 19:36:05 -0400
J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca> wrote:
> generation who think that Bill Gates invented the internet
Silly. Everybody knows Al Gore invented the internet :-)
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #85
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Apr 26 22:32:06 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
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Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 22:32:06 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004270232.WAA08124@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #86
TELECOM Digest Wed, 26 Apr 2000 22:32:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 86
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
4/25/00 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died (Gary Breuckman)
Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died (Ed Ellers)
Changes to the NANP (georgep_on_ca@my-deja.com)
What's a "Don't Call List?" (Rick Ellis)
Justice Reaches Altamont, Kansas (TELECOM Digest Editor)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Anonymous Remailer)
Re: Telemarketer Stopper & SIT (Dave Levenson)
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Subject: 4/25/00 ICBTollFree.Com Heads up Headlines
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 21:06:59 -0400
*************************************************************************
ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES
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*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR APRIL 25, 2000
P - 866/855: WHEN?
SNAC meets once again to discuss SMS/800 first come first serve compliance.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1791
F - HONG KONG DOT COM POLITIC
Strict rules create a hardship for companies in the emerging Internet
sector. 'Those are anal-retentive and stupid,' said Joe Sweeney, an analyst
at Gartner Group in Hong Kong. Local clients of Gartner Group are
frustrated,
he added. Moreover, the impact is being felt as the territory tries to
become
a center for Internet activity. 'I think it's just constraining the growth,'
Sweeney said.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1729
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... promoting system conformity for domain name portability...
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P - COURT ORDERS REMOVAL OF LINKS
Contempt action was launched with the court now ruling that links from
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P - NSI IN BED WITH WHO?!
This is industry 'self regulation' at its finest
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1725
P - GAO ASKED TO EXPAND INVESTIGATION OF ICANN
The GAO's investigation is being led by Ed Warner, and was authorized by
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CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1726
F - ABSURDITY DOT COM
The U.S. District Court judge issued an injunction ordering Rogers to
contact the company that registers the domain names and tell them to
stop letting people access the site.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1727
*************************************************************************
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The International Telecommunications Union has created the code specifically
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CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1728
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Nextel recently ran a promotional campaign that offered a compelling CPP
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CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1789
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------------------------------
Subject: Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died
Organization: Puma's Lair
From: puma@lair.catbox.com (Gary Breuckman)
Date: 26 Apr 2000 02:18:12 GMT
In article <telecom20.84.14@telecom-digest.org>,
Steve Sobol <sjsobol@NorthShoreTechnologies.Net> wrote:
> From 'Monty Solomon':
>> ZWASKA FUNERAL HOME 354-5330 Serving the Family
> An area code would be helpful, Monty...
Zwaska Funeral Home
4900 W Bradley Rd
Milwaukee, WI
414-354-5330
puma@catbox.com
------------------------------
From: Ed Ellers <ed_ellers@msn.com>
Subject: Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 23:23:50 -0400
Mark Crispin <mrc@CAC.Washington.EDU> wrote:
> I suspect that many of the "true builders of the net" who are still living
> are pleased not to be burdened with the recognition. Some have taken
> careers in entirely different directions (one pioneer is reputed to have
> become an exotic dancer)."
Ed Roberts -- who founded MITS, often credited with kicking off the personal
computing revolution with the Altair 8800 -- did something similar (but
arguably more worthwhile) after he sold MITS to Pertec; he went back to
college to study medicine, went through medical school and became an MD. He
has been practicing as a family physician for, IIRC, well over a decade now.
------------------------------
From: georgep_on_ca@my-deja.com
Subject: Changes to the NANP
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 02:15:17 GMT
Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
We have the following in the NANP:
0 - Operator
10 - this range is for carrier access codes
11 - same as * codes (ie *98 call-answer or 1198)
011 - for international
why couldn't we use 00 for the international id.
yes in the usa 00 is your long distance carrier but
isn't 0 your local carrier?
so the following changes should occur:
0 - Operator (local)
0 - Plus area code for NANP collect calls
00 - Long Distance Operator
00 - Plus country code etc. for int. customer dialed numbers
01 - For overseas collect (same)
(However what would we use if the NANP does ever split up?)
(maybe we could use 0100 (assuming Canada uses a diff code
(ie calls to the UK dialed as 0100-044-20-7222-4444
(ie force 3digit country codes with leading zeroes???)
1 - For NANP toll calls
10 - for NANP carrier access codes.
11 - for * codes?
So if you are calling within USA/Canada a call within ie Buffalo number
to a Buffalo number could be dialed as
718-222-3333
1-718-222-3333
00-1-718-222-3333
for local calls numbers could be dialed with any of the above format.
However for toll calls they could only be dialed as
1-718-222-3333
00-1-718-222-3333
Which would indicate that it is a toll number. I noticed that my cell
phone company lets me enter a local number as 7 digits, 10 digits, or 11
digits and knows the differance. The reason they do this is for roaming
purposes, ie. so you don't need to keep changing the number as you move
outside the calling area.
If 800/888/877/866/855 calls are toll free why can't we dial them as
10-digit numbers esp. in areas which have forced 10-digit local dialing?
------------------------------
From: ellis@ftel.net (Rick Ellis)
Subject: What's a "Don't Call List?"
Date: 26 Apr 2000 04:26:35 GMT
Organization: Franklin interNet http://www.franklin.net
I've had *three* telemarketing calls pushing AT&T tonite. Starting
with the very first one I've asked them to put me on their don't call
list. What's the next step?
http://www.fnet.net/~ellis/photo/
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 01:10:54 -0400
From: TELECOM Digest Editor <ptownson@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: Justice Reaches Altamont, Kansas
You no doubt remember all the hysteria from the events at Columbine
High School about a year ago. Here and there around the USA for
months afterward, there were 'copycat' situations. Indeed, Columbine
was bad news, but many of the reactions afterward were bad also.
A lot of people reacted poorly, and started tramping on the rights
of teenagers whose only crime was marching to a different drummer.
Guilty of nothing, a lot of guys were harassed because they were
'different'; because there were suspicions about them 'possibly'
trying the same thing.
This last year, on December 19, 1999, there was a similar case
in this area, in the tiny town of Altamont, Kansas, population
1029, of which about 100 are teenagers. Six high school age guys
were sitting around in the house of one of them in a 'bull session',
as guys that age are known for, making elaborate claims about their
school. One of them said "what if they were all killed?", and started
telling how to do it. Five of them contributed ideas, including such
outlandish claims as one of the fellows getting his father's (a
local farmer) tractor, driving it through the school and running
it over people. Another suggested that the school bus could get
stalled at a railroad crossing and everyone would get killed when
a train came through. Each guy offered more and more bizzare claims
about 'all the teachers and students getting killed.'
Altamont is a small town just to the east of Independence a few
miles. If you were to meet the kids there, they are all incredibly
naive and innocent, as you would expect all guys that age from
a very small town to be. For entertainment they come over to
Indy to go to the movies. We are the big town in area after
all, second only to Coffeyville, which has 17 thousand people. We have
9000 people, Parsons has 10 thousand, Cherryvale has 2000, Tyro has
437, Caney has about a thousand. As noted above, Altamont, which
is actually in Labette County, next to us has 1029 people. One of
the six guys at the 'bull session' sat there quietly and said
very little. The next morning, he went to see the principal at the
school and told him about the 'plot'. The 'plot' quickly got out
of hand, and the principal told the sheriff and the sheriff told
the Labette County Attorney. Five of the six were rounded up and
arrested the same day. The snitch was not arrested or kicked out
of school; in fact he was treated as a hero. The other five were
expelled from school, and kept in jail for *five months*. That
timing is important for what comes next.
In January, about a month after the five were jailed, the sheriff was
talking to the snitch, asking a lot of questions. Then very suddenly
the whole story started to unravel. There were no explosives and no
guns. No maps, no masks. Two of the boys came from homes where there
were guns; that is not uncommon in this area. But neither boy had
permission to EVER touch his father's gun, let alone take it to school
or fire it for any reason. There were no diaries or sketches of the
school. In summary the 'informant' had badly mis-informed the sheriff
and the county attorney as well as the principal of the school where
all of them went.
In the meantime, altough the county attorney suspected there was
absolutely nothing to the allegations, he ordered the five boys
to continue being held in the county jail while they went over
the evidence one more time. Finally today, April 25, just at the
five month mark following their arrest, the Labette County attorney
dismissed all the charges. The school principal was not so generous,
and still won't let them back in school. This has become critical
since three of the five are due to graduate from school next month.
The boys have secured attorney representation who has said the
only remedy will be a lawsuit against the county attorney, the
sheriff and the school principal with real and punitive damages
to be decided by the court. All of those people are screaming
about this saying if anything, the boys should file suit against
the parents of the boy who made up the story. 'Why pick on the
school principal and the sheriff?' 'Because', said the one boy
who seems to be the speaker for all of them, 'That is where the
money is at for one thing, and two, the sheriff does have an
obligation to investigate all offenses, however the same sheriff
and county attorney have considerable latitude in deciding what
to prosecute and what to ignore. Even when they knew none of us
guys had done anything or planned anything, we were kept in
jail another month because they were too embarassed to let us
out when they saw it was all falling apart.'
The {Independence Reporter} today said they were all released
from jail over the weekend and that they are asking a court to
rule that the county attorney and the county sheriff kept them falsely
imprisoned, and the same court to rule that the principal violated
their rights by not allowing them to go to school. Their attorney is
asking for one million dollars for each boy. I hope they win all they
are asking for.
All this started on December 19, 1999, while I was in a three-week
coma in Topeka at Stormont-Vail hospital. I was certainly glad to
find out that while I was sick, our government was diligently
continuing to look after my welfare by the arrests of those
boys, aren't you?
And that's the news this week from Independence.
PAT
------------------------------
From: Anonymous Remailer <Use-Author-Supplied-Address-Header@[127.1]>
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 12:55:03 +0200 CEST
Organization: mail2news@zedz.net
>> I'm working on an anti-telemarketing device of my own, one that acts
>> like an auto-attendant in that it requires the caller to enter a
>> passcode before ringing the handset. For an outgoing call the box
>> senses handset offhook and directly connects handset to outside
>> line. It does not depend on CallerID or any special services by the
>> telco. It will need a transformer plugged in to a wall outlet. It'd be
>> nice if I could get the purchase price down to US$50.
> Maybe I'm a little sensitive because I work in the public safety
> industry (software developer for 911 systems), but there's no way in
> the world I would ever put one of these devices on my phone line. What
> happens if there is an emergency and someone needs to get hold of me?
> If they don't know the passcode, they can't. My privacy is valuable to
> me, but being able to contact me in an emergency is far more important.
This is the standard argument that people come up with. Here is the
standard reply: if there is an emergency and someone needs to get ahold
of you, there's a very good chance that someone has the passcode because
you gave it to them earlier on. Example: if Aunt Edna had a stroke Uncle
Ernie could call me because Uncle Ernie has my passcode. Question: how
many emergency calls do you get in your lifetime from a total stranger?
I agree that due to the nature of your employment my box is probably not
for you. I feel it is a safe assumption to make that the vast majority
of phone customers do not face such a critical need.
A more-advanced version of my box could have more than one passcode,
perhaps a whole hierarchy of passcodes you'd give out to different groups
of people in your life. And a "one-shot" capability whereby the passcode
is only good for one call - this is what you'd give out to the mechanic
so he could call when your car has been repaired. But, first things first.
> If you really hate being interrupted, why not turn off the ringer and
> let your answering machine answer after one ring. Then have the
> greeting state that if this is a sales call (or other junk call -0- you
> figure out the wording), hang up because you don't accept those kinds
> of calls. Also warn them about the law concerning unsolicited repeat
> calls. Anyway, only if they stay on the line do you then pick up.
> This way at least the calls that need to get through really can.
You must have dealt with very polite courteous and virtuous telemarketers
to have such faith that telemarketers will "do the right thing". My life
experience has been somewhat different.
Steve
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 07:46:31 -0400
From: Dave Levenson <dave@westmark.com>
Organization: Westmark, Inc.
Subject: Re: Telemarketer Stopper & SIT
If you answer your telephone with SIT you may discourage telemarketers
who use predictive dialers. You may also suffer certain side-effects.
Some callers from payphones, PBXs, and other devices will be unable to
reach you. In general, devices which re-sell telephone service need
to be able to distinguish between calls which were answered and calls
which were incomplete due to busy, no-answer, or telco conditions which
are usually reported by a voice recording preceded by SIT.
Ideally, devices which need answer-supervision get it from the
originating central office. Line-side answer supervision is the name
given to a service which reports far-end answer to the originating
party in the form of a loop battery-reversal. Unfortunately, this
service is not offered everywhere. Here in New Jersey, it is offered
by the Lucent 5ESS central offices, but not by the Northern Telecom
DMS-series of central offices. It is also not offered to subscribers
with non-metallic loops. Bell Atlantic tariffs offer the service
'where available' which turns out to be about 70% of the state.
We operate about 100 COCOTs in New Jersey. We request LSAS for every
COCOT line we order. It actually gets provisioned on about 60% of them.
At locations where we are unable to obtain LSAS, we have to make due
with simulated supervision. This is done using the DSP in the COCOT
to sense call-progress tones. If we detect a busy signal, or a ring
signal, we assume that the call has not been answered. If we detect
speech, we assume that the call has been answered. If we detect SIT,
we allow the caller to hear the speech that follows, but we treat
the call as incomplete. This means that we do not turn on the
transmit audio path, and that we return the caller's coin deposit.
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #86
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed Apr 26 23:31:12 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id XAA10011;
Wed, 26 Apr 2000 23:31:12 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 23:31:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004270331.XAA10011@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #87
TELECOM Digest Wed, 26 Apr 2000 23:31:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 87
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
4/26/00 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer
Massive Tracking of Web Users Planned -- Via ISPs! (Monty Solomon)
UCITA Prevails in Maryland (W. Hatfield)
Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died (Bruce Wilson)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any
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should not be considered any official expression by the organization.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 4/26/00 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 18:54:57 -0400
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
Click Here to Subscribe to ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES
http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm
(Registration is required. Names are not sold, rented or leased.)
*************************************************************************
New Report Available:
U.S. TOLL FREE SERVICES: YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW
Details: http://www.icbtollfree.com/productInformation.cfm?ProductId=25
or go to http://www.icbtollfree.com/productInformation.cfm?ProductId=28 for
Discount Purchase, with upgrade to ICB Premium Service.
*************************************************************************
ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND
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*************************************************************************
If you like this service,
Click Here to Recommend-It(r) http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=118920
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*************************************************************************
ICB's ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution: currently,
-- Vapor-constituency: ICANN At Large Membership ...
-- SMS/800 system performance problems
-- delayed rollout of 866 and 855;
-- ICANN plans for Famous Marks and new Top Level Domains;
-- flaws in the Domain Dispute System.
see http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm.
*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR APRIL 26, 2000
F - PAN-EUROPEAN PHONE CODE & DOT EU - WHERE IS THE DEMAND? +388 code
is merely a bureaucratic success of a number of people who played
subtle on the vanity of European Commission-officials and European
Parliament Members, just as they recently been able to manage
EU-representatives to apply at ICANN for the introduction and awarding
of the .eu Top Level Domain. The real political issue comes when the
EC starts to spend large sums of money to promote these numbers and
domains to the general public. Editorial by Hendrik Rood, Stratix
Consulting Group, the Netherlands. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1830
F - AFTERNIC.COM OPENS POLICY FORUMS FOR PUBLIC DIALOGUE
In a move unique in the domain name industry, Afternic.com has, for the
very first time, given the public access to the roiling debates on issues
concerning domain name policy, law, business and technology.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1831
F - GOING UP?
Companies are retrofitting the country's most heavily traveled elevators
with state-of-the art flat panel monitors that will offer continually
updated, streaming video news, weather, sports and stock information.
The installations also will mean the beginning of some of the most highly
targeted marketing campaigns the business world has seen since the advent
of the Internet-connected desktop computer.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1834
F - AMERICANS LAG BEHIND IN WIRELESS
About 5 million Japanese consumers already have hand-held mobile
devices that provide access to the Internet; Europe is heading in that
direction; America is third. This weakness matters.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1835
**************************************************advertisements*********
convenient, flexible domestic toll-free ... robust, value-added ITFS:
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*************************************************************************
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
*************************************************************************
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 APRIL 26, 2000
F - BEWARE OF MONOPOLIES PROPOSING TO 'OPEN UP' MARKETS
An Analysis of Network Solution's proposal for new top-level domain
names. Editorial by Milton Mueller, Associate Professor, Syracuse
University School of Information Studies. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1832
P - POPULARITY OF NET APPLIANCES ON THE RISE
Comprised of TV-based Internet Appliances, Web Phones and Internet
Terminals, this market's overall growth will be led by Web Phones with
an estimated 5-year Compounded Annual Growth Rate of 202%. AOL and
Microsoft are rushing to release their next-generation Internet
gadgets. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1833
F - BUSINESS CHAT
Andrei Jezierski, a VocalTec vice president, believes cost savings
will help drive the ASP model. The Net phone companies will charge
per-minute fees for the customer service calls, but because the calls
are over the Internet, the costs are well below what businesses pay
for 1-800 phone calls, he said. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1837
F - ETRIEVE YOUR EMAIL
A service that turns standard cell phones into e-mail retrieval devices
has entered beta testing.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1837
P - ITU GROUP RECOMMENDS SETTLEMENT RATE SYSTEM FOR INTERNET
An ITU study group has drafted a recommendation that would impose an
international settlement system now in place for voice telephony on
Internet traffic, sparking the concern of the U.S. and others.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1838
*************************************************************************
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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 <<<<<<<<<<<<<
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 26, 2000
F - UNP FOR NUMBER CONSERVATION?
The FCC's recent number conservation order supports voluntary UNP
transfers but suggests further industry study on making it mandatory.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1839
F - LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION
Make no mistake: Your Web site's name is your single most valuable asset.
Often it's all a person sees, whether buried deep in search results or
tacked on in the last seconds of a TV spot.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1840
F - EC TO OUTLAW ANONYMOUS EMAIL
The European Commission is set to push for the abolition of anonymous
e-mail which, its claims, is used by criminals.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1841
P - ITU ACCREDITATION FOR WEB SITES
An April 2000 ITU Reform Advisory Panel Report suggests, "A global
marketplace as represented by the Internet requires a global system
of regulations to govern such marketplace in spite of the doubts
raised about its propriety. ... Perhaps one approach to enhancing
the environment for markets in the Internet is to establish a system
of government and/or international accreditation to certify that the
websites entered into are legitimate "to do transactions". Read the
full report here.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1842
P - STRIKE ONE FOR THE GOOD GUYS
It is a well-established principle in trademark law - also in U.S.
state laws and under federal law - that trademark rights can be protected,
and even enforced, in the absence of [trademark] registration. One of the
shortcomings of having an unregistered common law trademark is its more
limited geographical scope. But in relation to the use of trademarks on
the Internet in general... it is the opinion of the Panel that this
limitation should not be given weight: The domain name in question is
registered under a generic top level domain (i.e. the .com-domain)
which by its nature is global.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=1843
**************************************************advertisements*********
Please kill the new tld sunrise proposal: http://sunrise.open-rsc.org
*************************************************************************
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telecom_e_clips@hotmail.com.
*************************************************************************
The Salzburg Seminar has announced the ICANN Travel Support Project,
which offers travel and accommodation support for upcoming ICANN
meetings. Twelve to fifteen applicants will be supported by this
Project. Details at: ICANN.salzburgseminar.org
This Project is made possible by grants from the Markle and Ford
foundations.
*************************************************************************
Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html
*************************************************************************
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
*************************************************************************
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: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 09:21:44 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Massive Tracking of Web Users Planned -- Via ISPs!
Excerpt from PRIVACY Forum Digest V09 #13
http://www.vortex.com/privacy/priv.09.13
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 18:04:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: lauren@vortex.com (Lauren Weinstein; PRIVACY Forum Moderator)
Subject: Massive Tracking of Web Users Planned -- Via ISPs!
Greetings.
This is not a delayed April Fools' Day joke. It's all too real,
and I assume that you're already sitting down.
Picture a world where information about your every move on the Web,
including the sites that you visit, the keywords that you enter into
search engines, and so on, are all shipped off to a third party, with
the willing cooperation of your Internet Service Provider (ISP). None
of those pesky cookies to disable, no outside Web sites to put on
block lists--just a direct flow of data from your ISP to the unseen
folks with the dollar signs (or pound, yen, euro, or whatever signs)
gleaming brightly in their eyes behind the scenes. You'll of course
be told that your information is "anonymous" and that you can trust
everyone involved, that you'll derive immense benefits from such
tracking, and that you have an (at least theoretical) opt-in or
opt-out choice.
But just for some frosting on the cake, also picture that if you avail
yourself of the opportunity not to participate in such tracking (via
opt-out or opt-in choices), that you either cannot use the associated
ISPs at all, or will be faced with paying significantly higher fees
than persons who are willing to play along with tracking.
As you have no doubt guessed by now, this is not a theoretical
scenario. We're on the verge of starting down the slippery slope to
this end right now, with the imminent operations of Predictive
Networks (http://www.predictivenetworks.com) and other similar
businesses also in the works.
When I recently learned about Predictive (which has apparently been
established for some time and seems to be well funded), I naturally
visited their Web site, which was sadly lacking in obvious specifics
such as an actual posted privacy policy. (I've since been told that
this is a temporary condition which will shortly be remedied.) I
spoke briefly with the firm's president and had a much more detailed
chat with his V.P. for Business Development, and received an e-mailed
copy of their privacy privacy. Both of these fellows were polite,
cordial, and willing to provide me with the information I desired
about their plans.
Unfortunately, the more that I learned from these sources, the
increasingly concerned I became.
In brief, Predictive's business is to engage ISPs (not just "free"
ISPs where usage tracking has become typical, but conventional
fee-based ISPs as well) in arrangements where the ISP will directly
feed Web usage data to Predictive. The firm also claims to be working
with Internet backbone providers. To quote from Predictive's privacy
policy:
"Predictive Networks uses Digital Silhouettes to match Internet content
and advertising with appropriate subscriber recipients. As a result,
subscribers receive information that appeals to their current needs and
interests. To develop a Digital Silhouette, The Predictive Network
analyzes URL click-stream data, such as web pages visited, and date and
time of visit. URLs are then evaluated against more than 120 affinity
and demographic categories, and assigned a score between zero and one.
The resulting Digital Silhouette is simply an anonymous set of numerical
probabilities inferred from subscriber behavior. URL histories are not
permanently stored and the data in the Digital Silhouette is not
personally identifiable."
and:
"To provide subscribers with content most relevant to their current
interests, The Predictive Network may retain key words from Internet
searches. These key words are attached to the subscriber's anonymous
Digital Silhouette and, like the Digital Silhouette itself, are not
personally identifiable. The Predictive Network also gathers data about
a subscribers' response to messages and content, which is used to
fine-tune future messages and message format."
It is Predictive's contention that they do not maintain an ongoing
history of sites visited (URLs), and that the Digital Silhouettes are
maintained in an "anonymous" fashion--so they feel that there is no
violation of users' privacy.
But outside of the fact that keyword search terms *themselves* can
often contain personally-identifiable or other sensitive data, also
note from the Predictive privacy policy that:
"To optimize the format of the content delivered to subscribers, the
anonymous Digital Silhouette may include specifications about the
subscriber's computer, such as processor type, browser plug-ins and
available memory. For some of our ISP partners, Predictive Networks
may provide a built-in dialer system. Should an ISP select this
option, The Predictive Network may require subscribers to furnish their
ISP user name and password. This information will be used strictly for
account authentication purposes and will not be associated with the
subscriber's anonymous Digital Silhouette. Our ISP partners can also
the leverage the power of The Predictive Network for customer service
purposes. Should a subscriber's ISP select this option, the ISP user
name may be matched with the Digital Silhouette ID number. This will
allow The Predictive Network to send specific individuals important
customer service information. In addition, some subscribers may elect
to have email service from their ISP. Subscribers on The Predictive
Network that choose this option may be required to supply Predictive
Networks with their email address. This information is used for email
notification only."
In other words, there is a variety of personally-identifiable
information that you may need to provide to Predictive at various
times, and you are expected to trust Predictive not to purposely or
accidentally misuse this data. You also must trust that Predictive
will not associate this information with your "Digital Silhouette" in
any manner -- nor let anyone else make such an association. One wonders
what would happen in the face of a court order to provide associated
data for a civil or criminal proceeding or investigation.
Most of the familiar problems we've seen in the past with so-called
"anonymous" tracking systems are present in this case. Privacy
policies can be changed at any time (e.g., the recent DoubleClick
fiasco). Detailed data that is theoretically discarded in the process
of building "anonymous" profiles could be preserved at any time,
simply through software alterations. The very *existence* of these
sorts of data collection and tracking infrastructures is of great
concern. Even with the best of intentions, the possibility for abuse
is impossible to ignore -- and as we know there is a vacuum of laws to
provide consumers with useful protections in these areas.
Predictive claims that all of this effort is to bring better services
to Web users. Their apparent view is that tracking people's usage to
figure out what sorts of ads to send them is far better than simply
*asking* people to select the sorts of materials that they might wish
to receive.
Of course, whenever you use automated techniques to try figure out
what people want based on the Web sites they happen to visit, there is
the possibility of embarrassing errors. For example, people may be
suckered into pornography sites by misleading banner ads, and not be
at all interested in receiving adult-oriented advertising. Similar
errors relating to other topic areas can occur from any number of the
inadvertent Web sites that all of us hit in the process of typical Web
browsing. Predictive will let people see the profiles that have been
built about them -- but sometimes you'll have to *pay* for the
privilege! There are other interesting catches as well:
"In developing our anonymous subscriber Digital Silhouettes, Predictive
Networks captures, analyzes and then discards URL click-stream data.
While we do not permanently retain a record of each subscriber's usage,
we can, upon request, make their Digital Silhouette available to them
for review. Any subscriber on The Predictive Network has the right to
view their Digital Silhouette free of charge twice during the calendar
year. Subscribers will be charged $50.00 per request thereafter.
Subscribers can obtain a copy of their Digital Silhouette by emailing
Predictive Networks at silhouette@predictivenetworks.com. The email
request must contain the subscriber's anonymous ID number, which can be
found on their computer by holding down the shift key and
right-clicking on about. The corresponding Digital Silhouette will be
emailed back to the subscriber within approximately ten business days.
Subscriber should note that by emailing Predictive Networks, they may
be "identifying" themselves to the Company. While we do not
incorporate this information into our Digital Silhouettes, we do
maintain a separate record of Digital Silhouette requests for
accounting and billing purposes. Should a subscriber object to any or
all of the information contained in their Digital Silhouette, they can
opt-out of The Predictive Network permanently, or opt-out and
re-register, which will erase the existing Digital Silhouette and begin
a new one. Again, Predictive Networks urges subscribers to consult
their Internet service provider before opting-out as doing so may
affect their Internet service and/or their Internet service rate."
The last sentence above is of *special* interest to the question of
how "optional" this tracking really would be. It is apparently
Predictive's intention to encourage ISPs, both free and the
conventional fee-based types, to partner with them to create new
revenue streams for the ISPs (and for Predictive, of course). It
would appear to be the plan that in most cases any use of free ISPs
who have associated themselves with Predictive would be predicated on
your acceptance of the tracking. You can opt-out, or refuse to
opt-in, but then you can't use the ISP. Not much of an option! The
details about the tracking may also be buried within an ISP's own
privacy or other policy statements, making it even less likely that
most people will ever bother reading or understanding all of the
detailed ramifications of their using these systems.
It also appears to be Predictive's intention to encourage fee-based
ISPs to offer lower rates to users willing to be tracked. This can
rapidly degrade into a coercive situation where users who do not wish
to participate in such tracking will be forced to pay ever higher
rates simply to maintain the same level of privacy and non-tracking
that they had in the first place (as the immortal Alice learned,
"running faster and faster to stay in the same place" ...) Can ISPs
resist this temptation? If not, the *fundamental* structure of the
Internet and Web will be permanently changed in a manner that could
make reasonably-priced, non-tracked Internet access a rapidly fading
memory, and make all of the abuse potentials of these tracking
technologies the status quo engrained within the Internet
infrastructure.
After Predictive gets their privacy policy online at their Web site, I
urge everyone interested in these issues to read the entire text.
There are many other interesting sections, such as how they're dealing
with the issue of tracking children under the age of 13 (vis-a-vis the
new Federal Trade Commission regulations on this topic). Basically,
Predictive says that you either must keep such children away from the
computer, or must agree that it's OK for the children to be tracked.
It's all or nothing.
Predictive of course says that they are very concerned about privacy.
They told me that they're forming a "privacy advisory board" -- and so
on.
I have a different suggestion. How about if the users of the Internet
and World Wide Web, the millions and soon billions of individuals,
take a stand while we still have the opportunity? We still have the
chance to say that our personal information is our own and that our
Web browsing behavior is private. We may yet be able to successfully
assert that we won't be manipulated, coerced, or otherwise "bribed"
into allowing our Web activities to (as "The Prisoner" put it) be
"pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered!"
The Internet and Web have tremendous commercial potential. But it can
be achieved ethically and without the use of obnoxious technologies
that are being shoved down our throats like feed for animals destined
for the dinner table. The firms who view the Internet as little more
than a "cash cow" are already placing the software rings in our noses
in an effort to see us made easier to manipulate and control.
The stink of the slaughterhouse may not be far away.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@pfir.org or lauren@vortex.com
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
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 18:39:22 -0400
From: W. Hatfield <mail02744@pop.net>
Subject: UCITA Prevails in Maryland
Maryland governor Parris Glendening signed the UCITA into law
yesterday. UCITA is now the law in Virginia and Maryland. e.g.,
http://www.newsbytes.com/pubNews/00/147990.html
------------------------------
From: blw1540@aol.comxxnospam (Bruce Wilson)
Date: 27 Apr 2000 03:00:29 GMT
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com
Subject: Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died
I got out to my storage unit Wednesday evening, dug through the 360K
floppy disks, and found the disks of files from the "ARC Wars" days
... almost a full meg of the stuff through most of 1988 with lots of
memories of days and people gone by, including the "confidential"
settlement that someone had transcribed after simply walked into the
clerk of court's office and photocopying it and SEA's attempt to have
Katz held in contempt because of his continued use of "arc" and
various forms of it.
Searching for "Thom Henderson" on the internet finds he sold SEA in
1992 and retired back to Virginia, where his wife turned her BBS into
a local ISP.
Bruce Wilson
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #87
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Apr 27 01:43:12 2000
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by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id BAA14057;
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Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 01:43:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004270543.BAA14057@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #88
TELECOM Digest Thu, 27 Apr 2000 01:43:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 88
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Motorola Cellular Phone Programming (Thaddus Cox)
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (Terry Knab)
Re: Reconditioned Cellular Phone Retail? (Terry Knab)
What's a Nortel Sentinel? (Michael Spencer)
New Area Codes on Tap For Bay State (Monty Solomon)
Call Me Anywhere? (A.E. Siegman)
For Sale: 40 ATT 7444's w/Display $95; 60 7434's w/Display $35 (M. Wilson)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 00:30:00 GMT
From: Thaddeus Cox <TCox@corillian.com>
Subject: Motorola Cellular Phone Programming
Excerpts from the Motorola Bible, as found on
http://hackersclub.com/km/files/pfiles/motbible23.txt
Note that this phile dates from 96, so hopefully is current enough for your
purposes.
Enjoy. =)
Tad
T*E*S*T***M*O*D*E*******************************S*E*C*T*I*O*N***4
TEST MODE ACCESS:
NEWER 95xx PHONES (Thank you Motorola!!!)
Many newer phones don't require grounding. If your software version
number
is 9526 (I think) or newer, enter this:
FCN + 0 + 0 + * + * + 8 3 7 8 6 6 3 3 + STO
In case you have trouble remembering the number sequence, it spells out
"TESTMODE." Leave it to Motorola to make this easier and easier all the
time.
I have used this and it does work. This command just backs up my claim
even
further that esn changing via handset is a reality. It's a matter of
finding
the correct combination of keys.
Normal test mode commands work like usual from then on.
For some odd reason, this hasn't been included in all the 95xx phones. I
believe they started it in Software 9526. This is only an estimate, so if
you have a 95xx flip, let me know what software version you have and
whether
it works or not so this date can be isolated. Mine is a 9562 that worked.
INSTALLED MOBILE PHONES AND TRANSPORTABLE MODELS
To enter test mode on units with software version 85 and higher you must
short pins 20 and 21 of the transceiver data connector. An RS232 break out
box is useful for this, or construct a test mode adaptor from standard
Radio Shack parts.
For MINI TR or Silver Mini Tac transceivers (smaller data connector) you
can either short pins 9 and 14 or simply use a paper clip to short the
hands free microphone connector.
HAND HELD PORTABLE MODELS:
There are two basic types of Motorola portable phones, the Micro-Tac series
"Flip" phones, and the larger 8000 and Ultra Classic phones. Certain newer
Motorola and Pioneer badged Micro-Tac phones do not have a "flip", but
follow the same procedure as the Micro-Tac.
8000 & ULTRA CLASSIC SERIES:
If you have an 8000 series phone determine the "type" before trying to
enter test mode. On the back of the phone, or on the bottom in certain
older models, locate the F09... number this is the series number. If the
FOURTH digit of this number is a "D" you CAN NOT program the unit through
test mode, a Motorola RTL4154/RTL4153 programer is required to make any
changes to this unit.
Having determined that you do not have a "D" series phone the following
procedure is used to access test mode:
Remove the battery from the phone and locate the 12 contacts at the top
near the antenna connector. These contacts are numbered 1 through 12 from
top left through bottom right. Pin 6, top right, is the Manual Test Mode
Pin. You must ground this pin while powering up the phone. Pin 7 (lower
left) or the antenna connector should be used for ground. Follow one of
these procedures to gain access to pin 6:
1. The top section of the battery that covers the contacts contains
nothing but air. By careful measuring you can drill a small hole in the
battery to gain access to pin 6, alternately simply cut the top off the
battery with a hack saw. Having gained access use a paper clip to short
pin six to the antenna connector ground while powering up the phone.
2. If you do not want to "destroy" a battery you can apply an external 7.5
volts to the + and - connectors at the bottom of the phone, ground pin 6
while powering up the phone as above.
3. You can also try soldering or jamming a small jumper between pins 6 and
7 (top right to lower left), or between pin 6 and the antenna connector
housing ground. Carefully replace the battery and power up the phone. Use
caution with this method not to short out any other pin.
4. A cigarette lighter adaptor, if you have one, also makes a great test
mode adaptor as it can be disassembled to give you easier access to pin 6.
Many are pre marked, or even have holes in the right location. This is
because they are often stamped from the same mold that the manufacturer
uses for making hands free adaptor kits and these kits require access to
the phone's connectors.
ULTRA CLASSIC II SERIES:
Ground Pin 2 to pin 4.
MICRO-TAC "FLIP" SERIES:
This phone follows similar methods as outlined for the 8000 series above.
Remove the battery and locate the three contacts at the bottom of the
phone, the two outer contacts are raised and connect with the battery. The
center contact is recessed, this is the Manual Test Mode connector.
Now look at the battery contacts, the two outer ones supply power to the
phone, the center contact is an "extra" ground. This ground needs to be
shorted to the test mode connector on the phone. The easiest way to do
this is to put a small piece of solder wick, wire, aluminum foil or any
other conductive material into the recess on the phone. Having done this
carefully replace the battery and turn on the power, if you have been
successful the phone will wake up in test mode.
GENERAL NOTES:
HANDSETS: Most Motorola handsets are interchangeable, when a handset is
used with a transceiver other than the one it was designed for the display
will show "LOANER". Some features and buttons may not work, for instance
if the original handset did not have a RCL or STO button, and the
replacement does, you will have to use the control * or control # sequence
to access memory and A/B system select procedures.
LOCK/UNLOCK PROCEDURES:
Phones with "LOCK" buttons: Press lock for at least 1/2 a second.
Phones with a "FCN" button: Press FCN 5, note that 5 has the letters
"J,K, and L" for lock.
Phones with no FCN or LOCK button: Press Control 5, control is the
black
volume button on the side of the
handset.
SYSTEM SELECT PROCEDURES:
Phones with a RCL button: Press RCL *, then * to select, STO to store.
Phones with no RCL button: Press Control * then * to select, # to
store.
Options are: CSCAn: Preferred/Non preferred with system lockout.
Std A/b, or Std b/A: Preferred/Non preferred.
SCAn Ab, or SCAn bA: Non preferred/Preferred
SCAn A: "A" ONLY
SCAn b: "B" ONLY
HOME: Home only
(these are typical options, some phone's vary. C-Scan is only
available
on newer models and does not appear unless programed, see below.)
----------------------------------------------------------
TEST MODE
NOTE:1 Not all commands work on all telephones. If a command is not
valid the display will show "ErrOr." Not all numbers have been
assigned. Not all numbers have been listed here. Some commands were
intended only for Motorola factory applications. (This is the
disclaimer in the technical training manual. I have included all of
the other commands I have discovered one way or another. Some that
say no function do have a function but it is unknown until it is
figured out.)
Three test commands are significant for programming and registering the
the telephone for service: see full descriptions under TEST MODE COMMANDS.
32# Clears the telephone. (Older Motorola allowed either three or
fifteen changes in the MIN. After that, the phone had to be sent to
Motorola to reset the counter. This is the command they use.)
38# Displays the ESN
55# This is the TEST MODE PROGRAMMING (as described below).
TEST MODE DISPLAY:
Test mode consists of two separate levels. When the telephone is
first placed in Test Mode, it is in the STATUS DISPLAY LEVEL. The
display will be scrolling (or flashing), or it will be locked. If
locked, enter the unlock code and the display will begin scrolling.
If the unlock code is not known, press #. By pushing the # key, the
technician causes the cellular telephone to change to its SERVICING
LEVEL. The display will be US' . There are five types of display,
depending on the model of the telephone: a 16 character display, a 14
character display, a 10 digit display (with two versions), an 8
character display, and a 7 character display. The status display is
different in analog operation than in a TDMA call.
NOTE: Use of a loaner handset is allowed in servicing level, but may
not be allowed in the status display level. A locked telephone will
not show the status display, but will enter the servicing level.
14 Character Analog Call Display 14 Character TDMA Call
Display
+---------------+ +---------------+
| A B C D E F G | | A B C D E F G |
| H I J K L M N | | H I J K L M N |
+---------------+ +---------------+
ABC = Channel ABC = Channel ("A" in the
D = *Call Processing Mode position indicates a
EFG = RSSI channel above 1000)
H = **(D)SAT D = *Call Processing
Mode
I = 1=TX on EFG = RSSI
J = 1=Signalling Tone On HIJ = Digital Verification
K = Power Level (0-7) Color Code (1-255)
L = 1=Control Channel K = Power Level (0-7)
M = 1=RX Audio off L = 1=TX on
N = 1=TX Audio off M = 1=Bit Error Rate
(0-7)
N = 1=Audio Muted
*Call Processing Mode: *Call Processing Mode
BLANK = AMPS BLANK = AMPS
A = NAMPS High Sub-Channel 1 = Slot 1, half rate
B = NAMPS Center Sub-Channel 2 = Slot 2, half rate
C = NAMPS Low Sub-Channel 3 = Slot 3, half rate
4 = Slot 4, half rate
**(D)SAT: 5 = Slot 5, half rate
0 = 5970 Hz 6 = Slot 6, half rate
1 = 6000 Hz 7 = Slot 1, full rate
2 = 6030 Hz 8 = Slot 2, full rate
3 = No SAT 9 = Slot 3, full rate
0-6 = DSAT Vector NOTE: The Analog Call
7 = No DSAT Display will always
show when on a
control
channel.
# Enter SERVICING LEVEL from Test Command Mode.
00# no function
01# Restart (Re-enter DC power start-up routine.) On TDMA telephones, this
command has the same effect as 13#.
02# Display Current Telephone Status (This is a non-altering version of the
STATUS DISPLAY. On a 14 character display, all the information is
shown.
On a 7 character display only the information on the second line of a
14
character display is shown. On a 10 character display, all the
information on the second line of a 14 character display plus the last
three characters of the first line are shown.)
STATUS DISPLAY, ALTERNATES BETWEEN:
AAA BBB AAA = Channel Number (decimal) BBB = RSSI reading for
channel
CDEFGHI are as follows:
C = SAT frequency (0=5970, 1=6000, 2=6030, 3=no channel lock)
D = Carrier (0=off, 1=on)
E = Signalling tone (0=off, 1=on)
F = Power attenuation level (0 through 7)
G = Channel mode (0=voice channel, 1=control channel)
H = Receive audio mute (0=unmuted, 1=muted)
I = Transmit audio mute (0=unmuted, 1=muted)
Press * to hold display and # to end.
03# Reset Autonomous Timer. This command results in the reset of the
autonomous timer but does not provide any test function on these
models.
04# Initializes Telephone to Standard Default Conditions:
Carrier Off, Power Level 0, Receiver Audio Muted, Transmit Audio Muted,
Signalling Tone Off, SAT Off, Resetting of Watch-Dog Timer Enabled,
DTMF and Audio Tones Off, Audio Path Set to Speaker
05# TX Carrier On (Key Transmitter)
06# TX Carrier Off
07# RX Audio Off (Mute Receiver Audio)
08# RX Audio On (Unmute Receiver Audio)
NOTE: It seems Motorola finally discovered that people were
using
this command to eaves-drop on cellular conversations. On
the
newer phones (95xx), this command when used with 11xxxx#
will only work with the following channels:
11xxxx# Tower Freq. Mobile Freq. Channel
#300 Tx 879.00 Rx 834.00 0300
#333 Tx 879.99 Rx 834.99 0333
#385 Tx 881.55 Rx 836.55 0385
#799 Tx 893.97 Rx 848.97 0799
#991 Tx 869.04 Rx 824.04 0800
09# TX Audio Off
10# TX Audio On
11(Ch.No.)# Set Transceiver to Channel xxxx (Receive and Transmit in
Decimal;
accepts 1, 2, 3, or 4 digits)
see Section 9 for detailed information on this command
12x# Set Power Step to x; (0,1-7) 0=Maximum Power (3 Watts) 7=Minimum Power
Out
13# Power Off (Shuts off the radio)
14# 10 kHz Signalling Tone On
15# 10 kHz Signalling Tone Off
16# Setup (Transmits a five word RECC message; each of the five words will
be "FF00AA55CC33." Transmitter de-keys at the end of the message.)
17# Voice (Transmits a two word REVC message; each of the two words will
be
"FF00AA55CC33." Transmitter de-keys at the end of the message.)
18# C-Scan (Allows for entry of as many as 5 negative SID's for each NAM.)
Newer Motorola phones are equipped with a feature called C-Scan, this
is
an option along with the standard A/B system selections. C-Scan allows
the phone to be programed with up to five inhibited system ID's per
NAM.
This is designed to prevent the phone from roaming onto specified
non-home
systems and therefore reduce "accidental" roaming fees.
1. C-Scan can only be programed from test mode, power phone up with
the
relevant test mode contact grounded (see above).
2. Press # to access test mode.
3. Press 18#, the phone will display "0 40000".
4. Enter the first inhibited system ID and press *.
Continue to enter additional system ID's if required. After the 5th
entry
the phone will display "N2". Press * to continue and add system ID's
for
NAM 2 as required.
5. If an incorrect entry is made (outside the range of 00000-32767)
the
display will not advance, press CLR and re-enter. Use a setting of
40000 for any un-needed locations.
6. When the last entry has been made press * to store and press # to
exit,
turn off power.
or
[**Phones without the C-Scan option used this command to SEND NAM.**]
18# SEND NAM. Display shows AA BB. Where AA=Address and BB=Data.
Displays
the contents of the NAM, one address at a time, advanced by pressing
the
* key. The following data is contained in NAM. The test is exited by
depressing the # key.
SIDH Sec. Code
OPT. (1,2,&3) MIN
MIN1, MIN2 FCHNA
SCM FCHNB
IPCH NDED
ACCOLC CHKSUM GIM
19# Display Software Version Number (4 digits displayed as year and week)
NOTE: Entering commands 20# through 23# or 27# causes the transceiver to
begin
a counting sequence or continuous transmission as described below.
In
order to exit from the commands to enter another test command, the #
key must be depressed; all other key depressions are ignored.
20# Receive control channel messages counting correctable and uncorrectable
errors. When the command starts, the number of the command will be
displayed in the upper-right corner of the display. Entering a # key
will terminate the command and display two three-digit numbers in the
display. The first number is the number of correctable errors and the
second is the uncorrectable errors.
21# Received voice channel messages counting correctable and uncorrectable
errors. When the command starts, the number of the command will be
displayed in the upper right-hand corner of the display. Entering a #
key terminates the command and will display two three-digit numbers in
display. The first is the number of correctable errors and the second
is the uncorrectable errors.
22# Receive control channel messages counting word sync sequence. When the
command starts, the number of the command will be displayed in the
upper
right-hand corner of the display. Entering a # key will terminate the
command and display the number of word sync sequences in the display.
23# Receive voice channel messages counting word sync sequences. When the
command starts, the number of the command will be displayed in the
upper
right-hand corner of the display. Entering a # key will terminate the
command and display the number of word sync sequences in the display.
24# Receive control channel data and display the majority voted busy/idle
bit. 0=idle 1=busy
25x# SAT On When x=0, SAT=5970HZ
x=1, SAT=6000HZ
x=2, SAT=6030HZ
26# SAT Off
27# Transmit Data (Transmits continuous control channel data. All words
will be "FF00AA55CC33." When the command starts, '27' will be
displayed
in the right side of the display. Entering a # key will terminate the
command. The transmitter de-keys when finished.)
28# Activate the high tone (1150 Hz +/- 55 Hz)
29# De-activate the high tone
30# Activate the low tone (770 Hz +/- 40 Hz)
31# De-activate the low tone
32# Clear (Sets non-volatile memory to zeroes or factory default. This
command will affect all counters, all repertory memory including the
last
number called stack, and all user programmable features including the
setting of System Registration. It does not affect the ESN, NAM,
phasing
data, or lock code. This takes a minute or so. DO NOT TURN OFF THE
TELEPHONE WHILE THIS IS SHOWING '32' ON THE DISPLAY. WAIT UNTIL THE
NORMAL SERVICE LEVEL DISPLAY RESUMES! [maybe a minute or so])
33x# Turn on DTMF for x (1-9, *, 0, #, plus the single tones)
Where x=1 697 Hz + 1209 Hz 14 1150 HZ (not used in cellular)
2 697 Hz + 1336 Hz 15 1209 Hz
3 697 Hz + 1477 Hz 16 1336 Hz
4 770 Hz + 1209 Hz 17 1477 Hz
5 770 Hz + 1336 Hz 18 1633 Hz (not used in cellular)
6 770 Hz + 1477 Hz 19 Turn DTMF off
7 852 Hz + 1209 Hz 20 2087 Hz
8 852 Hz + 1336 Hz 21 2308 Hz
9 852 Hz + 1477 Hz 22 2553 Hz (not used in cellular)
* 941 Hz + 1209 Hz 23 Turn DTMF off
0 941 Hz + 1336 Hz 24 3428 Hz (not used in cellular)
# 941 Hz + 1477 Hz 25 3636 Hz (not used in cellular)
10 697 Hz 26 4000 Hz (not used in cellular)
11 770 Hz 27 3555 Hz (not used in cellular)
12 852 Hz 28 4571 Hz (not used in cellular)
13 941 Hz 29 Turn DTMF off
Someone Please Check Out 24 thru 28 for accuracy. I had weak equipment.
34# Turn DTMF Off
35# Display RSSI ("D" Series Portable Only)
or
35x# Set Audio Path to x x=0, V.S.P Microphone (Applies to mobiles only.)
x=1, Speaker
x=2, Alert
x=3, Handset
x=4, Mute
x=5, External Telephone (Applies to Portables
Only)
x=6, External Handset (Applies to NEWER
Portables)
36nnn# Scan (TDMA Telephones only. Scans the primary control channels and
attempts to decipher the forward data stream. The display will show
PASS1
if the strongest control channel was accessed, PASS2 if the second
strongest was accessed, and FAIL if no control channel could be
accessed.)
(nnn=Scan speed in milliseconds). Tunes from channel 1 to 666 in
order.
Entering a * pauses the scan and displays current Channel Number and
RSSI reading (AAA=Channel Number and BBB=RSSI Reading). When scan
speed
is 300 milliseconds or greater, the current status is displayed during
the
scan; when less than 300 milliseconds the status is displayed only
during
pause. Entering * during a pause causes the scan to resume. Entering
#
aborts the scan and leaves the mobile tuned to the current channel.
During
this command only the * and # keys are recognized.
NOTE: While I haven't heard from ONE single person that this has
worked,
Motorola has continued to print this command in all the
Technical
Training Books (including the January 96 edition).
37# Sets Low Battery Threshold. Usage: #37#x# where x is any number
from 1 to 255. If set to 1, the Low Battery indicator will come up
when the phone is powered on. If set to 255, it may never come up.
38# Display ESN (Displays ESN in four steps, two hexadecimal digits at a
time
in a for digit display. The decimal shows the address, 00 through 03
as
the first two digits, and two digits of the ESN as the last two digits.
Use the '*' to step through the entire hexadecimal ESN.)
Compander OFF ("D" Series Portables)
or
38# SND-SNM. Display shows AA BB. Where AA=Address;BB=Data. Send the SNM
to the display. All 32 bytes of the SNM will be displayed, one byte at
a time. The byte address will be displayed in the upper right-hand
corner and the contents of that address will be displayed in the hex.
The * key is used to step through the address similar to the SEND-NAM
(18#) command.
39# Compander ON ("D" Series Portables)
or
39# RCVSU. Receive one control channel word. When the word is received it
is displayed in hex. This command will be complete when a control
channel
word is received or when the # key is entered to abort the command.
40# RCVVC. Receive one voice channel word. When the word is received it
is
displayed in hex. This command will be complete when a voice channel
word is received or when the # key is entered to abort the command.
41# Enables Diversity (On F19CTA... Series only.)
42# Disables Diversity (On F19CTA... Series only.)
43# Disable Diversity
USE T/R ANTENNA (On F19CTA... Series only.)
USE R ANTENNA (On D.M.T./ Mini TAC)
44# Disable Diversity
USE R ANTENNA (On F19CTA... Series only.)
USE T/R ANTENNA (On D.M.T./ Mini TAC)
45# Display Current Receive Signal Strength Indicator (Displayed as a 3
digit
decimal number) The strongest signal I have ever received was 179 and I
was sitting directly below the tower WITHOUT an external antenna.
46# Display Cumulative Call Timer
47x# Set RX Audio level to X
(For F19CTA ...Series Transceivers)
X=0, Lowest Volume
X=6, Highest Volume
X=7, mute
Normal setting is 4.
(For D.M.T./ Mini TAC Transceivers)
X=0, Lowest Volume
X=7, Highest Volume
Normal setting is 4.
(For TDMA Transceivers and F09F... Series and Higher Portables)
X=0, Lowest Volume
X=15, Highest Volume
Normal setting is 2 to 4. (On TDMA
Transceivers and Micro TAC portables,
settings 8 through 15 are for DTMF
applications only.)
48# Side Tone On. Use this command in conjunction with 350# to test the
entire audio path in hands-free applications.
49# Side Tone Off
50# Maintenance data is transmitted and test results displayed:
PASS=received data is correct
FAIL 1=2second timeout, no data rec.
FAIL 2=received data is incorrect
51# Test of mobile where maintenance data is transmitted and looped back.
Display is as follows:
PASS=looped-back data is correct
FAIL 1=2 second timeout, no looped-back data
FAIL 2=looped-back data is incorrect
52x# SAT Phase Adjustment. A decimal value that corresponds to phase shift
compensation in 4.5 degree increments. Compensation added to inherent
phase shift in transceiver to achieve a total of 0 degrees phase shift.
Do NOT enter any values except those shown below.
0 degrees = 0 121.5 degrees = 59 243.0 degrees = 86
4.5 = 1 126.0 = 60 247.5 = 87
9.0 = 2 130.5 = 61 252.0 = 112
13.5 = 3 135.0 = 62 256.5 = 113
18.0 = 4 139.5 = 63 261.0 = 114
22.5 = 5 144.0 = 40 265.5 = 115
27.0 = 6 148.5 = 41 270.0 = 116
31.5 = 7 153.0 = 42 274.5 = 117
36.0 = 16 157.5 = 43 279.0 = 118
40.5 = 17 162.0 = 44 283.5 = 119
45.0 = 18 166.5 = 45 288.0 = 120
49.5 = 19 171.0 = 46 292.5 = 121
54.0 = 20 175.5 = 47 297.0 = 122
58.5 = 21 180.0 = 64 301.5 = 123
63.0 = 22 184.5 = 65 306.0 = 124
67.5 = 23 189.0 = 66 310.5 = 125
72.0 = 48 193.5 = 67 315.0 = 126
76.5 = 49 198.0 = 68 319.5 = 127
81.0 = 50 202.5 = 69 324.0 = 104
85.5 = 51 207.0 = 70 328.5 = 105
90.0 = 52 211.5 = 71 333.0 = 106
94.5 = 53 216.0 = 80 337.5 = 107
99.0 = 54 220.5 = 81 342.0 = 108
103.5 = 55 225.0 = 82 346.5 = 109
108.0 = 56 229.5 = 83 351.0 = 110
112.5 = 57 234.0 = 84 355.5 = 111
117.0 = 58 238.5 = 85 360.0 = 70
53# Enable scrambler option, when equipped.
54# Disable scrambler option, when equipped.
55# Display/Program N.A.M. (Test Mode Programming)
TEST MODE PROGRAMING:
Assuming you have completed one of the above steps correctly the phone
will wake up in test mode when you turn the power on. When you first
access test mode the phone's display will alternate between various
status
information that includes the received signal strength and channel
number.
The phone will operate normally in this mode. You can now access
Service
Mode by pressing the # key, the display will clear and a ' will appear.
Use the following procedure to program the phone:
1. Enter 55# to access programing mode.
2. The * key advances to the next step. (NOTE that test mode
programing
does NOT have step numbers, each time you press the * key the phone
will display the next data entry).
3. The CLR key will revert the display to the previously stored data.
4. The # key aborts programing at any time.
5. To complete programing you must scroll through ALL entries until a
appears in the display.
6. Note that some entries contain more digits than can be displayed by
the
phone, in this case only the last part of the data can be seen.
TEST MODE PROGRAMING DATA: For AMPS and NAMPS Cellular Telephones
STEP# #OF DIGITS/RANGE DESCRIPTION
01 00000 - 32767 SYSTEM ID
02 8 DIGIT BINARY OPTION PROGRAMING, SEE NOTE 1 BELOW
03 10 DIGITS MIN (AREA CODE & TEL#)
04 2 DIGITS STATION CLASS MARK, SEE NOTE 2 BELOW
05 2 DIGITS ACCESS OVERLOAD CLASS
06 2 DIGITS GROUP ID (10 IN USA)
07 6 DIGITS SECURITY CODE
08 3 DIGITS UNLOCK CODE
09 3 DIGITS SERVICE LEVEL, SEE NOTE 3 BELOW
10 8 DIGIT BINARY OPTION PROGRAMING, SEE NOTE 4 BELOW
11 8 DIGIT BINARY OPTION PROGRAMING, SEE NOTE 5 BELOW
12 0333 OR 0334 INITIAL PAGING CHANNEL
13 0333 "A" SYSTEM IPCH
14 0334 "B" SYSTEM IPCH
15 3 DIGIT NUMBER PAGING CHANNEL (021 IN USA)
16 8 DIGIT BINARY OPTION PROGRAMING, SEE NOTE 6 BELOW
Steps 01 through 06 and 12 will repeat for NAM 2 if the second phone
number bit has been enabled in step 11.
TEST MODE PROGRAMING DATA: For TDMA Cellular Telephones
STEP# #OF DIGITS/RANGE DESCRIPTION
01 00000 - 32767 SYSTEM ID
02 8 DIGIT BINARY OPTION PROGRAMING, SEE NOTE 1 BELOW
03 10 DIGITS MIN (AREA CODE & TEL#)
04 2 DIGITS STATION CLASS MARK, SEE NOTE 2 BELOW
05 2 DIGITS ACCESS OVERLOAD CLASS
06 2 DIGITS GROUP ID (10 IN USA)
07 6 DIGITS SECURITY CODE
08 3 DIGITS LOCK CODE
09 3 DIGITS SERVICE LEVEL, SEE NOTE 3 BELOW
10 8 DIGIT BINARY OPTION PROGRAMING, SEE NOTE 4 BELOW
11 8 DIGIT BINARY OPTION PROGRAMING, SEE NOTE 5 BELOW
12 0333 OR 0334 INITIAL PAGING CHANNEL
13 0333 "A" SYSTEM IPCH
14 0334 "B" SYSTEM IPCH
15 3 DIGITS DEDICATED PAGING CHANNELS (021 IN USA)
16 3 DIGITS SECONDARY INITIAL PAGING CHANNEL. 708 for
system A, 737 for system B. Allows the
TDMA
telephone to be assigned to a TDMA channel
in a call
17 708 SECONDARY INITIAL PAGING CHANNEL FOR SYSTEM A
18 737 SECONDARY INITIAL PAGING CHANNEL FOR SYSTEM B
19 8 DIGITS OPTION PROGRAMMING, SEE NOTE 6 BELOW
NOTES:
Take care with Motorola's use of "0" and "1". Some options use "0" to
enable, some use "1".
These are eight digit binary fields used to select the following
options:
1. (step 02 above, suggested entry is: 11101001 for "A" system,
10101001
for "B" sys)
Digit 1: Local use mark, 0 or 1.
Digit 2: Preferred system, 1=system A, 0=system B.
Digit 3: End to end (DTMF) dialing, 1 to enable.
Digit 4: Not used, enter 0. Formerly used for test mobile.
Digit 5: Repertory (speed) dialing, 1 to enable. (Not used in TDMA)
Digit 6: Auxiliary (horn) alert, 1 to enable.
Digit 7: Hands free (VSP) auto mute, 1 to enable (mutes outgoing
hands
free audio until the MUTE key is pressed). (Not used in
TDMA)
Digit 8: Min mark, 1 = Enabled. NOT CHANGEABLE on series II or
III.
2. Station Class Mark
SCM | 666 or 832 Ch. | VOX | Max Power
-----+----------------+-----+-----------
00 | 666 | N | 3.0 W
01 | 666 | N | 1.2 W
02 | 666 | N | 0.6 W
03 | | |
04 | 666 | Y | 3.0 W
05 | 666 | Y | 1.2 W
06 | 666 | Y | 0.6 W
07 | | |
08 | 832 | N | 3.0 W
09 | 832 | N | 1.2 W
10 | 832 | N | 0.6 W
11 | | |
12 | 832 | Y | 3.0 W
13 | 832 | Y | 1.2 W
14 | 832 | Y | 0.6 W
15 | | |
3. Service Level Codes:
001 The telephone will only dial numbers in memory locations 01,
02
and 03. No keypad entries or memory storage is possible.
Restrict ALL outgoing calls by clearing locations 01, 02, and
03
and place the phone in servicing level 001. In some phones
this
applies to memory locations 01 - 10.
002 The telephone will dial only numbers from memory locations.
The
keypad is disabled and super speed dialing is not enabled.
003 Keypad dial only; no memory recall allowed.
004 Unlimited keypad and memory dialing. (DEFAULT)
005 Seven-digit dialing only
006 Full keypad and memory dialing, but memory locations 1
through
10 cannot be changed.
007 The phone will dial only from as many as 50 programmable
memory
locations
4. (step 10 above, suggested entry is: 00000100)
Digits 1 - 3: Not used in USA, enter 0.
Digit 4: Extended Field. When enabled, the telephone will scan
more than 32 paging channels. Not used in USA, 0 to
disable
Digit 5: Single system scan, 1 to enable (scan A or B system only,
determined by bit 2 of step 02. Set to "0" to allow user
the
option).
Digit 6: Super speed dial, 1 to enable (pressing N, or NN SND will
dial the number stored in memory location NN).
Digit 7: User selectable service level, 0 to enable (allows user to
set long distance/memory access dialing restrictions).
Digit 8: Lock function, 0 to enable (allows user to lock/un-lock
the
phone, if this is set to 1 the phone can not be locked).
5. (step 11 above, suggested entry is: 00000000)
Digit 1: Handset programing, 0 to enable (allows access to
programing mode without having to enter test mode).
Digit 2: Second phone number (not all phones), 1 to enable.
Digit 3: Call timer access, 0 to enable. (Not used in TDMA)
Digit 4: Auto system busy redial, 0 to enable.
Digit 5: Internal Speaker disable, 1 to enable (use with select VSP
units only, do not use with 2000 series mobiles).
Digit 6: IMTS/Cellular, 1 to enable (rarely used).
Digit 7: User selectable system registration, 0 to enable.
Digit 8: Dual antenna (diversity), 1 to enable.
6. (step 16 and 19 above, suggested entry is: 0011010 for portable and
0011011
for mobile units)
Digit 1: Enhanced Scan, when enabled, four strongest signalling
channels are scanned instead of two. 1=enabled, 0-disabled.
Digit 2: Cellular Connection, used only in series II phones if a
series I cellular connection is used with a series II.
0=series II, 1=series I, 0 for ALL TDMA PHONES
Digit 3: Continuous DTMF, 1 to enable (software version 8735 and later)
Digit 4: Transportable Internal Ringer/Speaker. When set to 0, audio
is routed to the external speaker of the transportable; 1
routes it to the handset.
Digit 5: 8 hour time-out, 0 to enable (software version 8735 and
later)
Digit 6: Not used, 0 only.
Digit 7: Failed page indicator, 0 to enable (phone beeps when an
incoming call is detected but signal conditions prevent
completion of the call).
Digit 8: Portable scan, 0 for portable, 1 for mobile units.
56# Illumination Diagnostic. Lights up all lights (except the green in use
light) and displays all "8"'s. The phone is also muted until
repowered.
57x# Call Processing Mode
x=0, AMPS
x=1, NAMPS
x=2-4, RESERVED
x=5, TDMA signalling
x=6, TDMA signalling with loopback before decoding
x=7, TDMA signalling with loopback voice after decoding
x=8, TDMA signalling with loopback FACCH after decoding
x=9, TDMA forced synchronization
58# Compander On (Audio compressor and expander) (See 39#)
59# Compander Off (Audio compressor and expander) (See 38#)
60# no function
61# ESN Transfer (For Series I D.M.T./Mini TAC only)
62# Turn On Ringer Audio Path
63# Turn Off Ringer Audio Path
64# ? Does something, doesn't display anything
65# ? Does something, doesn't display anything
66# Identity Transfer (Series II Trancvrs and later mobiles, F09HG...,
F09HL..., F09HY..., F09HR..., F09LF..., F09NF..., F09PY..., F09QY...,
F09RY..., and most retail portables shipping prior to April 1, 1995.)
Does the actual transfer of the ESN and NAM info. See the 80x#
command.
67# Displays two 3 digit numbers. If you keep entering this command
repeatedly, the first number will constantly change, the second won't
(as far as I have seen).
68# Diaplay FLEX and Model Information
69# Used with 66# for Identity Transfer. In models shipped without the 66#
command, this is used with 80x# instead. Reads NAM information,
repertory
memory, and C-Scan ID SID's from old phone.
70# Abbreviated field transmitter audio deviation command, for transceivers
with FCC ID ABZ89FT5668.
71# Abbreviated field power adjustment command, for transceivers with FCC
ID
ABZ89FT5668.
72# Field audio phasing commands. The left side of the display should read
"00" followed by a two digit number. The "00" indicates the first
programming step. If you press the *, the 00 changes to 01 and so on
until
08. The "06" and "0A" are used to change the audio level (to change:
press the volume up or down keys). Other registers...don't know.
73# Field power adjustment command.
80x# Current Identity Transfer Procedure. (Available in telephones shipping
after April 1, 1995.) This does NOT transfer the ESN.
x=0, Transfers NAM information (On TDMA telephones, this
command also transfers C-Scan SID's.)
x=1, Transfers repertory memory (names & telephone numbers
in memory.)
x=2, Transfers C-Scan SID's on analog telephones (Not
available on TDMA telephones.)
NOTES: As new fones come out, more commands are added/deleted as needed.
The majority of these commands were figured using VERY old software
versions. Some commands won't work on some phones. If you find a
command that does something, please inform me as well as the
software version number of the phone it was discovered on.
* NEW SECTION *
COMMANDS THAT DO SOMETHING BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT!!!
74#
75#
76#
77#
78#
99#
------------------------------
From: tknab@nyx.net (Terry Knab)
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
Organization: The Home Office
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 05:29:08 GMT
James Bellaire <bellaire@tk.com> wrote:
> Right now the entire NANP is up for negotiation while planning the
> expansion. This Canadian proposal could be added to the viable plans.
Actually, with the number of Area Codes that Canada and the Carribean
use, splitting them *both* out of NANP may be a short-term fix to the
crunch we're having.
>> possible that you could be routed to some "sleazeball"
>> sex/porno/psychic/etc PAY-PAY-PAY-per-call number, which
>> 'terminates' WHO KNOWS WHERE! There are NUMEROUS instances
>> of such "sleazeball" companies that 'hi-jack' un-used numbering
:> space in other country codes for such "services"(?). The major
>> carriers' gateway switches and networks in the originating
>> country will most likely block access to un-used numbering/codes.
> That is an improper use of numbering space and the ITU should do
> something to stop it. I don't believe we should rule out Canada's
> plan or any other numbering scheme because of improper uses by
> sleazeballs.
I think if someone tried to abuse Canada's numbering scheme, the RCMP
would have a few things to say about it, as well as the fact that in
the NANP, abusers of the sleazeball services already have a hard time
finding abuse targets (hence why they go to the third world countries)
> If the NANP admins were willing to cooperate I can see Canada moving
> to +1-00 even without leaving the NANP. It would be the same level of
> cooperation needed for Canada to leave the NANP and use +100.
> Maybe even move the Carribean to +199 npa nxx xxxx. There are always
> possibilities.
In any case, splitting up the NANP and making it strictly a US thing may
(and probably) will be one solution used even in the short-term
> I really hope this can be worked out without anyone leaving the NANP.
> But I admire the Canadians for being willing to go to that extent to
> come up with a numbering system for THEIR users.
Well, Canada is for once thinking ahead. With the number of
cell/pagers/faxes and internet lines coming into use, they're going to be
hurting for numbers soon anyway, so they better be thinking about it.
Actually, as to an NANP fix, there are a couple of good ones, but they
require a *lot* of changes in how numbers are assigned and local calling
areas.
I remind this group that there are many rural communities in the USA with
one NXX, 10,000 numbers, with little hope of using all of them. Now, if
they could say merge with a nearby NXX that was in similar situation,
there's a lot of numbers that can be freed up.
The problem with how phone numbers were assigned goes back to the days
when there were many mom-and-pop telcos, who had say one town and the
next town was either a RBOC, United/Sprint, GTE, or another indie.
What ended up happening was that local calling areas were defined
based on that particular telco's reach (which was usually one town or
sometimes a county). So, when NANP was invented, every CO was
assigned a code. Once the mom-and-pops started selling out to
Sprint/United, GTE, and the others, the scope of calling either was
enlarged or COs were merged with a RSU used in the small town USA.
Basically what I am saying is that if the local telcos would
re-tarriff themselves and elminiate the boundries between nearby COs
(The technology is already in place, the limitations are purely
legally driven), they'd free up tens of thousands of phone numbers.
Terry E. Knab
News/Acting System Administrator
Nyx Public Access Unix
------------------------------
From: tknab@nyx.net (Terry Knab)
Subject: Re: Reconditioned Cellular Phone Retail?
Organization: The Home Office
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 05:47:00 GMT
Norm <norm63@theglobe.com> wrote:
> Can anyone recommend a retail source of reconditioned analog
> portable cellular phones?
> I need to replace a broken phone I've been using with with
> Verizon-Wireless (formerly Bell Atlantic) and am looking for
> alternatives to signing year's contract to get a discounted price
> ($222 total) on a replacement from Verizon-Wireless.
It might be worth looking into Verizon's Complete Prepaid Wireless
Solution, which is a no-contract way to get an analog phone cheap. In
Kansas City, they're offering $50 for a phone activated with something
like an hour of prepaid time. When my old Ultra Classic died, I went
to Verizon (then Cell One), bought a phone there, activated it with
thier prepaid, and had another NAM programmed for Southwestern Bell's
service (Until my arrangement wtih Bell ran out, then I migrated to
standard service with Verizon once I saw how much cheaper it
was.. Needless to say, Verizon bought a customer this way!)
Basically, it was a cheap way to get a new phone.
Terry E. Knab
News/Acting System Administrator
Nyx Public Access Unix
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 02:39:25 EDT
From: Michael Spencer <mspencer@ceci.mit.edu>
Subject: What's a Nortel Sentinel?
Can anyone tell me anything (or everything :-) about this device?
Marque, top of front panel: Sentinel
Maker: Northern Telecom, 1992; Also marked Brock Telecom
ID: NATO 5810-21-908-9364
Front panel: LCD display, six indiactor lights marked Test; Alarm;
Bypass; Power, Battery; and Standby. Two buttons marked _> and
Enter. Also a round, recessed boss, ca. 1 cm dia. with a
rectangular hole -- looks like it might be a combination mechanical
key and dongle port.
Rear panel: Twp ports marked "RS-232 Plaintext" and "RS-232
Ciphertext" (and also in French), a 115 volt plug and what appears
to be a security tab for a padlock or the like.
Any info appreciated.
Michael Spencer
mspencer@ceci.mit.edu
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 10:15:09 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: New area codes on tap for Bay State
New area codes on tap for Bay State
by L. Kim Tan
If you live or work in Boston and find dialing 508, 781, or 978
telephone numbers a pain, wait till next year.
State regulators yesterday ordered four new area codes to be created for
Eastern Massachusetts for use starting next May, in a system that will
force 10- or 11-digit dialing for all calls in the region. The new codes
will cover the 617, 781, 978 and 508 areas.
Officials said this method of adding the new area codes -- called an
``overlay'' -- means that no current subscribers will have to change
their telephone number.
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/business/code04262000.htm
------------------------------
From: A.E. Siegman <siegman@stanford.edu>
Subject: Call Me Anywhere?
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 11:17:51 -0700
Organization: Stanford University
All I want is the usual set of desires: ability to do everything, with
total flexibility and total ease of use.
Looking for a desktop phone/answering machine that will
* Let me give out just *one* phone number to everyone who knows me
* If I'm not there, be able to forward incoming calls to some other
number (including possibly a cell phone)
(Is it possible to have such a machine that will forward to, or ring to,
*multiple* other lines simultaneously? Would this require multiple
add'l outgoing lines?)
* If forwarded call is not answered within a few rings, be able to
sense this and revert to answering-machine mode
* Be (easily) remote-programmable so I can dial in from a remote
location and pick up messages, change the answering message,
shift to a different forwarding number, etc.
Will much appreciate advice and information on what can be done, and how
to do it.
[The two things I can suggest are MyLine and MCI/Worldcom, both of
which offer programmable, multi-ring services with toll-free 800 or
888 services. Gary Oppenheimer, brother of our Judith works for
MCI and handles that one. MyLine is not presently being marketed,
but I hope it will become available again soon. PAT]
------------------------------
From: M. Wilson <mtywomyn@wvi.com>
Subject: For Sale: 40 ATT 7444's w/Display $95 60 7434's w/Display $35 Each
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 16:29:57 -0700
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
I have about 40 of each
This is quantity pricing, I see dealers sell these for $295 and $125
each.
Please email
Misty
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #88
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Thu Apr 27 20:34:37 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id UAA20631;
Thu, 27 Apr 2000 20:34:37 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 20:34:37 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004280034.UAA20631@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #89
TELECOM Digest Thu, 27 Apr 2000 20:34:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 89
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
4/27/00 ICBTollFree.Com Hads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Venture Phone System Has Quit Working (Toby Nixon)
Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming For Windows (D. Nikifor)
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - not Canada's Plan (John R. Levine)
Re: Reconditioned Cellular Phone Retail? (John R. Levine)
Re: What's a "Don't Call List?" (Kevin Serafini)
Re: Caller ID - Name Display (Al Varney)
Re: Caller ID - Name Display (Herb Sutherland)
Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died (Joe Greco)
Re: UK "Big Number" Change (Linc Madison)
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From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 4/27/00 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 17:50:19 -0400
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HEADLINES FOR APRIL 27, 2000
F - OPPOSITION TO AOL/TIME WARNER MERGER GROWS
Industry analysts say dizzying expansion means that AOL is poised to be
the all-in-one communications company of the 21st century, combining what
the world now thinks of as separate media, telecommunications and Internet
realms.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2027
F - WIRELESS DOMAIN GIVE-AWAY
Drawing tickets for WirelessStockTrading.com may be purchased for only
$25.00 by visiting the homepage at www.microspeak.com. 10% of all the
proceeds from this drawing give-away are being donated to the Make-A-Wish
Foundation.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2028
F - LUCENT TECH RELEASES NEW IP ADDRESS MGT SOFTWARE
With QIP 5.0 Service Pack 3 (SP3), network administrators can
comprehensively manage IP services and addresses in a Windows 2000
network environment with Lucent's scalable, secure and
high-performance Domain Name Server (DNS) and Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2029
F - CONTROL THE ROOT, CONTROL THE NET
Network Solutions, sole domain name registry, last week selected IBM
to provide the servers that will power the Internet's most important
service, the 'A' root name server the master computer for all web
addresses everywhere and the global constellation of authoritative
name servers for .com, .net and .org. The choice of IBM comes at little
surprise as Roger Cochetti, Senior Vice President-Policy and author of
NSI's recent '2 new TLDs only and let NSI do the back office work'
proposal, is a recent IBM import to NSI.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2030
P - .WEB REGISTRY READY TO COMPETE
Beginning operations in 1996, The .Web Domain Registry went online at
the urging of the Internet Assigned Numbering Authority, the
predecessor to ICANN. Initially expected to be a proof-of-concept
prior to the addition of new domains in early 1997, the registry has
been continuously operational during the 4 years of debate that has
framed the governance of the Internet. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2031
*************************************************************************
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*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 27, 2000
F - DOMAIN MONITORING SERVICE
.. tracks new domain names being registered world-wide, as well as
domains being sold in the secondary markets that have the potential
to conflict with a company's domain, misdirect its customers or be
used by a potential online competitor.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2032
F - WEB GUIDELINES FOR COMPANIES CLEARED BY SEC
The SEC guidelines include rules addressing the type of content companies
can put on their Web sites, hypertext links and how Web sites can avoid
liability for content on third-party Web sites.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2033
P - FCC OUTLINES OPPOSITION TO ITU PLAN
Draft recommendation by an ITU study group would impose the international
settlement system now used for voice telephony on Internet traffic.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2034
F - DOMAIN BUYERS GUIDE LAUNCHED
'The biggest problem with Network Solutions is that they take the
position that there is no such thing as a domain name and nobody owns it,'
Truax said, referring to Network Solutions' legal claims that the domain
names they provide are the result of services rather than tangible assets.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2035
F - TOLL FREE TALK: THE IM
AOL's IM allows users to communicate in real-time online -- and AOL
controls more than 90 per cent of the instant messaging market.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2036
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------------------------------
Subject: Venture Phone System Has Quit Working
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 15:28:06 -0700
From: Toby Nixon <tnixon@Exchange.Microsoft.com>
Does anyone have experience with troubleshooting the Nortel Venture
phone system? I'm having a problem and could use some advice. Here's
an overview.
We have eight Venture phones in our house, and about five other
non-Venture devices. All of the non-Venture devices have terminators on
them, as required in the manual. All of the phones have line 1 in
common, and three of the phones also have access to line 2. The system
was working very nicely and was stable. Directory sharing, phone status
displays, intercom, paging, it all worked.
Then we had some remodeling done, and added four new drops to line 1
(this is not a home-run configuration; they just tapped into the cable
in the attic and dropped down into the walls of those four rooms).
Now, the system just doesn't work well at all. A couple of the phones
can see a couple of the others, but that's about it. Attempts to use
intercom or paging just give a busy signal and "system busy" message.
Directory sharing and phone status displays also don't work reliably,
although partial directory replication seems to occur. We can still call
and answer outside lines from any phone, but none of the "smart"
internal features work right.
I have tried disconnecting and resetting all of the Venture phones, and
adding them back one at a time. This seems to work up to a point, but
after a couple of phones are added they start to have trouble
communicating, and by the time I add the last one, nothing works.
My understanding is that the system must have less than 500 feet of
wiring between any two phones. We certainly have less than that,
although we might, possibly, be over 500 feet total wiring in the entire
system (I really doubt it, though).
A couple of additional complicating factors. Line 1 has DSL from the CO,
but it is split off to a separate pair outside the demarc; besides, it
worked fine before the new drops were added. Also, inside, the demarc,
we have a centrally-monitored burglar alarm system with an RJ-31X
arrangement; again, it worked fine before the new drops. However, there
is no terminator on the alarm controller (no good place to hook it).
Three of the non-Venture drops are digital cable TV boxes that use PSTN
back channels; all are terminated. One of these is in a room with no
phone drop, and a powerline phone extended is used to get to a phone
jack in another room; the terminator is between the extender and the
phone jack.
The only thing that changed was the addition of the four drops into
rooms that didn't have phones previously. I had the contractor
double-check the wiring, and it all looks and works fine.
Any ideas as to what might be causing this misbehavior?
Unfortunately, Nortel sold the Venture business to Aastra, and the
Aastra folks really don't seem to have a clue as to how the system works
or how to troubleshoot it.
Thanks for any help you can provide!
Toby
------------------------------
From: Dmitry Nikiforov <admin@pbxsoftware.com>
Subject: Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming Software for Windows
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 02:40:40 +0400
Organization: Garant-Park-Telecom
Dmitry Nikiforov, Manager
ZEOSoft Corp.
admin@pbxsoftware.com
http://www.pbxsoftware.com
Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming Software for Windows
ZEOSoft Corp. (http://www.pbxsoftware.com) has released the new version of
Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming Software which allows
Panasonic PBX installers and users to program their PBX using any PBX
firmware ROM version (http://www.pbxsoftware.com/winprog.shtml).
Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming Software successfully
works with any version of PBX KX-TD firmware all over the world. The list of
the countries in which this program is in use includes more than 40
countries from 5 continents. And this list keeps growing.
Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming Software can be useful for
Panasonic KX-TD installers and programmers who work with different versions
of Panasonic KX-TD PBX and even for end users, who can easily program their
own PBX usibg friendly interface and built - in user help.
Main features of Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming Software:
easy understandable interface; full compatibility with any Panasonic
KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 ROM version (including Dash3 version);
supporting all features of Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 ROM
version from any region; easy program data copying from one Panasonic
PBX to another to prevent loosing settings for any reason; easy and
quick program simultaneous multiple data for Extensions or CO Lines;
remote programming compatibility; if you want to decrease the cost of
your system, with our Software you do not need any proprietary phone
to be connected to Panasonic PBX; technical support and easy upgrade
for new versions of Panasonic ROM.
The low cost of Panasonic KX-TD1232/KX-TD816/KX-TD308 Programming
Software (only $ 50) makes it affordable not only for companies
engaged in sale and installation of Panasonic KX-TD PBX, but also for
firms and even individuals who own Panasonic KX-TD PBX.
------------------------------
Date: 27 Apr 2000 10:00:15 -0400
From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine)
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - not Canada's Plan
Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA
> In any case, splitting up the NANP and making it strictly a US thing may
> (and probably) will be one solution used even in the short-term
I would bet serious money that will not happen. As others have noted,
Canada and other non-US parts of the NANP are small compared to the
US, so this would not offer significant relief. Moreoever, the trend
over recent decades has been for more integration between the U.S. and
Canadian economies, not less, and it's hard to imagine Canadian
businesses accepting a plan that gives them phone numbers that look
strange to their U.S. suppliers and customers. It's now pretty common
for calls to Canada to cost the same as interstate U.S. calls (I pay
4.9 cpm for either), why ruin that with funky numbers?
> I remind this group that there are many rural communities in the USA with
> one NXX, 10,000 numbers, with little hope of using all of them. Now, if
> they could say merge with a nearby NXX that was in similar situation,
> there's a lot of numbers that can be freed up.
That's true, and they've done this in Colorado already, but it's not
true for the reason you think.
> Well, Canada is for once thinking ahead. With the number of
> cell/pagers/faxes and internet lines coming into use, they're going
> to be hurting for numbers soon anyway, so they better be thinking
> about it.
Urban legend alert! Despite considerable disinformation on the part
of telephone companies, that is NOT the reason we're running out of
phone numbers. The problem is CLECs, competitive local phone
companies. Under the current setup, every CLEC needs a 10,000 number
prefix in every rate center they plan to serve. Having a prefix for
every two-bit town wasn't much of a problem, but having ten prefixes
for every town if there are ten CLECS active in the area (not an
uncommon number) is a big problem. For example, down the road from
me, Ithaca NY has 13 CLEC prefixes assigned, none of which has more
than a handfull of numbers in use. By comparison, there are only
three cell prefixes (four if you count Omnipoint) and about eight regular
landline prefixes.
There are two solutions here: one is to combine rate centers. In
fact, all of the Ithaca CLEC prefixes are located on switches in
Syracuse, 75 miles away. There's no reason other than history not to
make all calls in the Ithaca-Cortland-Syracuse-Utica area local, which
would mean that a CLEC would only need one prefix to be local to
everyone in the area rather than about 15 prefixes now. This requires
no technical changes, just billing changes. The sticking point is
that the existing telcos make a lot of money from inflated local toll
charges and rates would have to be rebalanced, i.e., monthly rates
would go up even though overall phone charges would remain the same
due to lower toll charges. But regulators don't like to do that, they
get a lot of heat for raising monthly rates.
The other is prefix sharing, handing out numbers to CLECs in 1000
number blocks rather than 10,000. This does require some switch
software changes which are under way here in New York, although I
don't think it's happening here upstate yet.
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
------------------------------
Date: 27 Apr 2000 10:01:08 -0400
From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine)
Subject: Re: Reconditioned Cellular Phone Retail?
Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA
>> Can anyone recommend a retail source of reconditioned analog
>> portable cellular phones?
Look on eBay. There are zillions of cell phones for sale, most quite
cheap.
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
------------------------------
From: Kevin Serafini <kserafin@fore.com>
Subject: Re: What's a "Don't Call List?"
Date: 27 Apr 2000 10:06:26 -0400
Organization: Marconi
ellis@ftel.net (Rick Ellis) writes:
> I've had *three* telemarketing calls pushing AT&T tonite. Starting
> with the very first one I've asked them to put me on their don't call
> list. What's the next step?
On a similar note, about six months ago I received several
telemarking calls from a company pushing some credit cards.
I told them to put me on the "Do Not Call List", but the
lady on the phone said that it would take four weeks to
process, and I might get some calls in the meantime. I
think I did get one or two calls, but I never followed up.
Was the lady BS'ing me? Four weeks to process a request
seems like a long time. I'm assuming it would take less
than four weeks if I had wanted a credit card.
Later,
Kevin
|Kevin Serafini | Phone: (724) 742-7317 |
|Marconi Communications | FAX: (724) 742-6800 |
|ATM Switch Software | |
------------------------------
From: varney@ihgp2.ih.lucent.com (Al Varney)
Subject: Re: Caller ID - Name Display
Date: 27 Apr 2000 15:50:47 GMT
Organization: Lucent Technologies, Naperville, IL
Reply-To: varney@lucent.com
In article <telecom20.85.4@telecom-digest.org>,
Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu> wrote:
> ed_ellers@msn.com wrote:
>> Jeremy Greene wrote:
>>> I don't know how that works, but I wish all phone companies would let
>>> you do it. And similarly, I guess some people might want to have the
>>> name displayed but the number private.
>> I doubt that that's possible, since SS7 doesn't provide for caller name
>> display -- there is only one flag to control ID display, so you can
>> either display both or inhibit both.
There are separate flags to control both Number and Name display.
> I don't think that _NANPA_ nor the FCC has recommended any "standard"
> *XX = 11-XX "Vertical Service Codes" to supress one yet allow the other.
Actually, the FCC in one of its rulings on Caller ID and privacy
dictated two codes and ONLY two codes for Name and Number privacy. You
either block Number (and Name), or you unblock Number (and Name).
FCC rules don't apply in Canada. Certainly the original design/
development of Calling Name had many more options.
Details of what capabilities exist (for example, the Name could be
marked "private" in the Name Database, but displayed if the user dialed
a code to allow Name display) were in a thread called "Priority Ringing"
on comp.dcom.telecom.tech somewhere in 1998. But you can't use them
because the LECs are forced to tie Name/Number privacy together, due to
the FCC ruling. If you can convince the FCC that the public won't be
confused by having other options, feel free to try.
> between each other, in SS7. I've been told that if one is served by a
> DMS-100 _CENTREX_ in the US, calls from Canada (DMS),
Canada (well, the part whose features are whatever Nortel says they
are) sends Calling Name from the Originating Switch. The USA elected
another standard -- they can interwork, with some effort. Into the
International area, there isn't much happening in this area (except for
wireless).
> I would _HOPE_ that at some point in the future, all of the LECs and LD
> carriers in the NANP will be fully compatable and inter-operable in _ALL_
> SS7-based custom-calling and vertical service features... but it may still
> take some time for everything to be put into place for that.
The unresolved rules/arguments regarding SCCP (query messages)
having to follow the inter-LATA preferred IXC (unless 101XXXX was
dialed somewhere) currently prevents this between LATAs. One issue of
compensation. The FCC said passing Called ID was so easy that IXCs
should do it without any change in access charging. But the SCCP
changes aren't even close to free. So how does AT&T, for example, get
paid for helping your LEC implement something like Automatic Callback
-- when you pay a flat rate to the LEC for the service?
But I'd have to say the focus (funding) by carriers is on
packet-based services, where current SS7-based features are replaced
by "smart" CPE and/or proxies outside the carrier's networks.
Certainly that's where wireless is headed, so I wouldn't bet on
SS7-based features migrating beyond their current boundaries.
Al Varney - just my opinion, of course
------------------------------
Date: 27 Apr 00 11:58:35 PDT
From: Herb Sutherland <herbsu@netscape.net>
Subject: Re: Caller ID - Name Display
I wrote:
>> Also, prior to the last
>> week of November 1999, at my GTE location, if someone called from a
>> GTE phone the name would be displayed but if someone called from Pac
>> Bell, even though the number was displayed, the name would say out
>> of area. As of the last week in November, the name has been
>> displayed. Do you suppose something was upgraded in my central office
>> or did Pac Bell start doing something different?
Jeremy Greene wrote:
> When your GTE phone rings, the terminating central office (GTE) receives the
> calling number. It then does a database lookup, using the SS7 network, into
> PacBell's line database to find the matching name. It looks like, prior to
> November, GTE did not have an arrangement with PacBell to use their line
> database.
Mark J Cuccia wrote:
> In Canada, the "Name" is sent-forward WITH the number. In the US, the
> "NAME" is mostly requested by the distant end towards some central
> database of names/numbers in a "reverse lookup" way.
> The reason ... Canada being mostly DMS (Digital) when "Name" was being
> planned for or introduced, the DMS offices had data storage capacity and
> operational capability to store the "Name" with each number AT THE CALLING
> PARTY's (DMS) central office; However, at the time, the US being mostly
> analog non-digital but still electronic #1AESS switches made by good-ole'
> Western Electric/AT&T (Lucent) -- those #1AESSes didn't have the storage
> capacity to hold all of the "names" associated with all line-numbers, nor
> the speed to prepare them to be "sent-forward" SS7 with the number on all
> outbound calls.
Very interesting! I just assumed that the name information was being
sent from the originating switch, just as the number is. This makes
sense though. Now that I think of it, most of the switches would not
have any way to associate the name on the account with the line
number. The name on the account was probably just kept in the
database of customers on another computer. This does open up another
can of worms though. How many of these "lookup" databases are there
across the country and how does the terminating switch know which
database to query? This would be bad enough in the past but now with
so many companies offering local service, would they each have their
own lookup database? I.E. If someone gets their local service from
MCI Worldcom, would that lookup database need to be queried, or would
the name information for that customer be included in the Pac Bell
database?
Thanks,
Herb Sutherland
------------------------------
From: Joe Greco <jgreco@ns.sol.net>
Subject: Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 21:48:12 CDT
> PKZIP came to be in an interesting way. PKware's original product was
> PKARC, a file compression program that used the same format as System
> Enhancement Associates' ARC utility. SEA sued PKware for copying its
> format (I've forgotten whether it was on patent or copyright grounds),
> and in a settlement PKware was allowed to release one last version
> with the ARC format (now called PKPAK) but had to develop its own
> format for future versions -- which turned out to be a massive mistake
> on SEA's part, because (A) PKware placed the new ZIP format in the
> public domain, and (B) BBS sysops and users touched off a massive
> boycott of the ARC format, killing it (and the ARC program) off.
Heh, yeah. ExecPC BBS, which was local to Katz and has held the title
of largest BBS in the world, was one of the BBS's which participated
in that boycott, according to a discussion I had with Bob Mahoney
years ago.
The details are probably still posted on ExecPC BBS (telnet
bbs.execpc.com) somewhere, but I don't know where. If you look
through the Free/Utilities collection and the Mahoney collection, you
can find numerous files relating to the controversy.
Also, ExecPC carries a comprehensive (I believe?) archive of all the
various software PKware released over the years. For anyone who is
feeling a bit nostalgic ... :-)
Joe Greco - Systems Administrator jgreco@ns.sol.net
Solaria Public Access UNIX - Milwaukee, WI 414/342-4847
------------------------------
From: Linc Madison <lincmad001@telecom-digest.zzn.com>
Subject: Re: UK "Big Number" Change
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 13:28:37 -0700
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
In article <telecom20.83.2@telecom-digest.org>, Richard D G Cox
<Richard@office.mandarin.com> wrote [an excellent outline, with one
picky little error]:
>> They have done something interesting, in that the first two digits that
>> you dial now tell you what kind of call it is:
> In fact the first three digits are a better key: the idea is that users
> are more likely to remember fewer, shorter codes than the 800-odd area
> and service codes that existed in the old scheme.
>> Nonzero first digit - Local
> NO!!!! That's one thing both the regulator and the "publicity"
> campaign have failed to make clear. Non-zero first digit means "in
> same code area" and is NOT necessarily charged as local. Our previous
> system did give a form of toll-alerting (anything starting with
> non-zero digit was certain to be charged at local-rate) but for people
> in Southampton and Portsmouth that is no longer the case: Northern
> Ireland follows suit later this year.
As Richard and others have discussed extensively in uk.telecom, before
the introduction of the 02X codes, it was mostly, but not 100%, true,
that numbers in the same area code were local rate. There are a few
exceptions in sparsely populated areas where the land area covered by a
single area code is much larger than in most of the U.K., so that a
call from one end to the other is regional rate rather than local.
> Here's the rest of the scheme (from the callers' viewpoint):
> 1 Service codes (some chargeable) and network selection (dial-around).
> 2-9 Numbers in the caller's local dialling area - not always local rate.
> 00 International (voice/64k data - previously this was 000 for 64k data)
> 01 People whose numbers haven't changed recently ...
> 020 London (Inner and Outer)
> 023 South of England (currently Portsmouth and Southampton)
> 024 West Midlands (currently Coventry)
> 028 Northern Ireland
> 029 Wales (currently only Cardiff and surrounding area)
> 070 Personal numbers (in most cases, high cost, "caller-pays")
> 076 Pager numbers (in some cases, high cost, "caller-pays")
> 077-079 Mobile numbers (in all cases, high cost, "caller-pays")
> 080 Free (except 0802, mobile, which is being withdrawn)
> 082 Special rate numbers: School Internet services
> 084 Special rate numbers: Local rate or below
> 087 Special rate numbers: Local rate or below
That should be 087 = NATIONAL rate or below.
> 090 Premium rate (pay-per-call) numbers
> Other prefixes are still in use for numbers (mostly mobile) that are in
> the process of changing. They will have been phased out by next year.
> (For the plan as seen from outside the UK, omit prefixes, 1,2-9,00, and
> remove the first digit "0" from all the prefixes in my list that remain).
Yipes! The charge structure for 0802 numbers (a mobile range being
migrated to 07802) I find quite strange: 17.5p weekdays, 17p weekday
evenings and weeknights, but only 2.5p on weekends. Either there's
some huge source of demand for mobiles at 3 a.m. on Wednesdays
compared with, say, 3 p.m. on Saturdays, or there's something wrong
with BT's charging structure (surprise, surprise).
Incidentally, a side note on the situation in Northern Ireland that I
found interesting. For some time, there has been a shortcut available
for calling from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland. You can
dial 08 + UK area code + number (e.g., 08 + 01232 + XXXXXX for Belfast
-- note that you do not drop the leading 0 on the area code). That code
will be phased out in favor of the 048 code for all of N.I. (e.g., dial
048 + 90XX-XXXX for Belfast). There used to also be shortcut codes in
the other direction, but they have all been eliminated; it is now
necessary to dial 00 + 353 + area + number.
There will also be a significant level of organisation to the local
numbers in Northern Ireland:
028 2 = County Antrim (except Belfast district)
028 3 = County Armagh
028 4 = County Down (except Belfast district)
028 6 = County Fermanagh
028 7 = County Londonderry (a.k.a. Derry)
028 8 = County Tyrone (Omagh, etc.)
028 9 = Belfast district (incl. Bangor, Lisburn, Ballyclare, Antrim,
Saintfield)
(There might be minor boundary variations if telephone exchanges don't
exactly match county boundaries.)
Under the old numbering plan, N.I. had more than its share of places
with an extra digit shifted onto the area code: 016625 XXXXX instead of
01662 5XXXXX for Ballygawley (although 01662 is also a valid code, for
Omagh). It also had a couple of the few remaining towns with 01XXX area
codes but still some 5-digit local numbers (e.g., 01693 XXXXX in
Newry).
Larne, County Antrim, are the lucky(?) folks who get 028 28-XX-XXXX
numbers. They also have one of the major ferry ports.
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #89
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Apr 28 01:13:38 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id BAA29095;
Fri, 28 Apr 2000 01:13:38 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 01:13:38 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004280513.BAA29095@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #90
TELECOM Digest Thu, 27 Apr 2000 01:13:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 90
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
PSINet Buys Canada's Largest Independent ISP (Joey Lindstrom)
Re: Emergencies (was Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works) (Peter Corlett)
Re: Dialing Codes in/from the NANP (Re: NANP; Canada's Plan) (P. Corlett)
How Do You Get Two British Field Telephones to Ring Using Battery (Steve)
Peacefire: Eudora "Stealth Attachment" Security Hole (Bennett Haselton)
Excellent Telecom Job Opportunities (Pamela Strong)
Telecom Security - Is It a Problem? (snapmicrolink@my-deja.com)
Want book For Introducing Terms in Mobile Systems (ntuman@ms5.hinet.net)
Re: Justice Reaches Altamont, Kansas (Louis Raphael)
Re: Justice Reaches Altamont, Kansas (Peter F. Dubuque)
More Area Code Fun in Eastern Massachusetts (Jeremy Greene)
White House Changed Phone Software (Patrick Townson)
Workers Return E-Mail Fire (Monty Solomon)
Re: Call Me Anywhere? (Jeremy Greene)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Joey Lindstrom <Joey@GaryNumanFan.NU>
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 05:46:57 -0600
Reply-To: Joey Lindstrom <Joey@GaryNumanFan.NU>
Subject: PSINet Buys Canada's Largest Independent ISP
CADVision, an independent ISP in Calgary, Alberta, has been purchased
by PSINet. Until this move, CADVision was a bit of an oddity in the
ISP field -- they were staunchly independent, had no plans to expand to
other cities, and were kicking ASS on the "big boys", namely Telus and
Shaw. They were also the largest privately-held ISP in Canada. Last
time I checked, CADVision had more customers than all other
Calgary-area ISP's combined, despite Shaw's very aggressive marketing
of its "Shaw@Home" cablemodem offering. All I know about PSINet is
that they used to use my favourite ex-Law & Order cop Chris Noth in
their commercials. He needed the work ... :-)
The following email message was sent out yesterday to all CADVision
customers (including myself -- I've been with these guys since 1995,
and there's a reason they're #1 in Calgary: their service is second to
none):
===================================================================
CADVision Times PSINet Acquires CADVision Apr 26, 00
===================================================================
TOPICS
WHAT'S NEW?
WHO IS PSINET?
YOUR INTERNET SERVICE
QUESTIONS
WHAT'S NEW?
Dear Customer,
We are pleased to share with you the news that CADVision has joined
the PSINet family of companies. PSINet Limited acquired CADVision,
the largest privately held Internet Service Provider in Canada, on
April 26, 2000.
WHO IS PSINET?
PSINet (NASDAQ:PSIX) is a publicly traded Internet Super Carrier
offering a global eCommerce infrastructure and a full suite of retail
and wholesale Internet services through wholly-owned PSINet
subsidiaries. Services are provided on PSINet-owned and operated
worldwide fiber and satellite networks, and switching facilities with
optronic equipment capable of speeds of more than three terabits per
second providing direct access in more than 800 metropolitan areas in
28 countries on five continents. These services are supported by
extensive global distribution of over 1,000 sales personnel, 2,500
value-added resellers, systems integrators and Web design
professionals. PSINet is also engaged in building e-commerce web
hosting centers in 20 centers in key financial and business centers
including New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Toronto,
Tokyo, Sao Paolo, and Hong Kong.
YOUR INTERNET SERVICE
Please be assured that CADVision will continue to be based in Calgary
under current management, and will retain the same name ("CADVision")
for your email domain. Thanks to you, CADVision has experienced
tremendous growth and success over the years. PSINet looks forward to
that continued success in the future, and building on it, through the
addition of new Internet services including end-to-end eCommerce
solutions, as well as network stability and reliability, and new
product offerings. We look forward to telling you about some of these
new opportunities including high-speed access, electronic commerce and
security services.
QUESTIONS
If you would like more information please visit either the CADVision
web site (http://www.cadvision.com) or the PSINet Limited site
(http://www.psi.ca). Your current CADVision contact will remain your
point person, so please don't hesitate to be in touch. We appreciate
your business, and look forward to continuing to meet your Internet
communication needs.
Sincerely,
CADVision & PSINet Limited
CADVision Times 300 5th Ave SW
Phone 777-1300 Calgary AB
newslet@cadvision.com T2P 3C4
CADVision Development Corporation http://www.cadvision.com
"Internet for Everyone"
/ From the messy desktop of Joey Lindstrom
/ Visit The NuServer! http://www.GaryNumanFan.NU
/ Visit The Webb! http://webb.GaryNumanFan.NU
/
/ "Share your second favorite thing in the universe with a friend."
/ --Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Babylon 5
------------------------------
From: abuse@cabal.org.uk (Peter Corlett)
Subject: Re: Emergencies, was: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Date: 26 Apr 2000 22:51:53 GMT
Organization: None
Danny Burstein <dannyb@panix.com> wrote:
[...]
> Danny 'and while you're at it, could you explain to me how a man in Poland
> has a watch set to London time?' Burstein
Depends on what you actually mean by "London time", I guess.
Local time in London is currently GMT+0100, which would certainly be
odd for somebody in Poland, but having a clock set to GMT would not be
unreasonable in certain circumstances, especially if the wearer has to
think in several time zones - a not exactly uncommon event in
Continental Europe where people do cross country borders to work.
In the case of Americans crossing timezone borders a lot, what
timezone do they set their watch to? Do they really adjust it twice a
day? I think my watch would break if I did that ...
------------------------------
From: abuse@cabal.org.uk (Peter Corlett)
Subject: Re: Dialing Codes in/from the NANP (Re: NANP; Canada's Plan)
Date: 26 Apr 2000 23:16:08 GMT
Organization: None
Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu> wrote:
> There are NUMEROUS instances of such "sleazeball" companies that 'hi-jack'
> un-used numbering space in other country codes for such "services"(?). The
> major carriers' gateway switches and networks in the originating country
> will most likely block access to un-used numbering/codes.
Wasn't there a Digest reader that actually visited one of the
countries that supposedly hosts these chatlines, only to find that
they couldn't actually dial the number?
I've also heard a few suspiciously accurate stories about equipment
that intercepts calls from the UK to various high-priced destinations
and answers them locally. I've got no proof that they are true, and it
would be difficult to actually verify, unfortunately.
> Also note, by "un-used" numbering space, an OPERATOR in an originating
> country might actually "key" such codes to reach other operators in the
> destination country. The national operators in a particular country code
> would similarly use such codes for special routings, or the automated
> network could use such "un-used" codes for network control.
+44080 appeared to break out in "Mmmgf" (the usual answer when calling
it) which I understood was actually an engineers' test bench or
similar. How an operator in the USA calls a UK operator (or vice
versa), I have no idea. I'd suspect that the UK operator actually has
a +4420 number.
> HOWEVER, we in the NANP _ALSO_ use 01+country-code+ for placing calls to
> other country codes that require SPECIAL BILLING or operator assistance.
Ah, I'd forgotten about that one. That certainly complicates matters beyond
the "simple fix" I suggested.
> Countries that use '00+' for their international exit prefix CAN
> frequently use 00+ their own country code+ the complete national number
> (less any '0' access prefix 'embedded' into the national number), for
> local or national toll calls.
I can't speak for the Continent, but this doesn't generally work in
the UK. There's no apparent reason why, perhaps BT's billing system
can't cope.
> i.e., a call WITHIN London UK can OPTIONALLY be dialled as
> 00-44-20-7/8xxx-xxxx.
In general, no. Either 0171/0181 plus seven digits, 020 plus eight
digits, or just the eight digit number. International format doesn't
work.
If I dial 00442 directly from my BT line, I get an intercept of "The
number you have dialled has not been recognised, please check and try
again". Using CWC's 131 service gives a Number Unobtainable tone
before I've finished dialling my number. Telco's 1696 service actually
lets me dial my own number, giving engaged tone. (Interestingly, I'm
invited to dial "5 for ringback", which doesn't work.)
Orange naturally allows me to dial +44 by providing a nice "+" key on the
phone ...
> As long as the ITU
does _NOT_ begin to assign country-codes 0XX, this
> COULD be possible.
I suspect that it's reserved for a higher-level access digit. It'll be
interesting to see if we're still using telephone numbers when we need
to contact Mars.
------------------------------
From: Steve <Steve@NOSPAMaerographics.demon.co.uk>
Subject: How do You Get Two British Field Telephones to Ring Using Battery?
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 21:05:18 +0100
Apparently, according to the guys on rec.antiques.radio+phono, you
guys on this newsgroup are the best at answering this one! (Fingers
crossed.)
I have a bakelite 'TELEPHONE SET 2F2.MK II. T.M.C. ' . It is a
freestanding unit (as opposed to being in a carrying box) which has a
handset, a rotating handle on the front with plaque that says 'REPLACE
HANDSET WHEN FINISHED AND RING OFF', two bells on top, a button just
round the right side to the handle and marked 'PRESS FOR BUZZER CALL'
and two terminals to left of the handle and is apparently in working
order except it has an empty battery compartment. This, according to a
diagram, takes two cells which have a connection between them on their
tops, and are connected up to two leads (present), one to each cell.
For the purposes of a re-enactment ONLY a week away, at the least, we
want to get the bell to ring. What do we do? And what would have been
the operating procedure for the use of this phone, e.g. does one turn
the handle to signify end of call etc? We also have another field
telephone, I'm unsure of the model though. HELP !
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 18:35:39 -0500
From: Bennett Haselton <bennett@peacefire.org>
Subject: Peacefire: Eudora "Stealth Attachment" Security Hole Discovered
Reply-To: peacefire-press@iain.com
Peacefire has discovered a security hole in all versions of Eudora
mail for Windows, that can allow a hacker to execute code on a user's
machine, by sending the user email and having them click on a link:
http://www.peacefire.org/security/stealthattach/
(For example, a Eudora user would see this message with the URL above
made into a hyperlink so that you can click on it and load it into
your browser. Using the "stealth attachment" security exploit, you
can force code to run on the user's machine when they click on the
link. Don't worry, *this* message is safe :-) But you can go to the
above URL and request a "demonstration mail" to be sent to you.)
Security holes that allow you to run code on a remote user's machine
just by sending them email, are extremely dangerous -- a hacker could
use this to steal or erase any classified data on a remote user's hard
drive, even if that user were behind a corporate firewall and had
anti-virus software running. A virus writer could use the exploit to
write a virus that could spread to almost all Eudora users --
numbering in the millions -- and potentially do hundreds of millions
of dollars' worth of damage. (Unlike most such tricks, this exploit
does not require the user to do anything "naive", like run an .exe
that is sent to them as an attachment.) USA Today reported last year
on the "BubbleBoy" virus, which similarly used a security hole in
Microsoft Outlook to cause code to run on a user's machine, simply by
reading an email message:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/ctg633.htm
Unfortunately, unlike the security hole that Peacefire discovered last
week:
http://www.peacefire.org/security/jscookies/
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-1717169.html
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2553337,00.html
http://www.ntsecurity.net/go/load.asp?iD=/security/netscape2.htm
this security hole doesn't involve any cool industry buzzwords like
"javascript" or "cookies". This one just involves -- *YAWN* --
email. That is, like, *so* 20th-century. Sorry if this is inconvenient
for journalists writing about this stuff :-)
-Bennett
bennett@peacefire.org (425) 649 9024 http://www.peacefire.org
------------------------------
From: Pamela Strong <pamela.strong@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Excellent Telecom Job Opportunities
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 19:44:38 GMT
Organization: AT&T Worldnet
Major Telcom co. has immediate openings for Operations Supervisors,
Switch Techs, Network Techs, Facilities Engineers, CPE Techs in
Pennslyvania and New York. Excellent compensation package. Call
today for more information!
IFC Staffing
Ph: 888-886-0440
Fax: 888-886-0442
Attn: Pamela Strong
p.strong@ifcstaffing.com
------------------------------
From: snapmicrolink@my-deja.com
Subject: Telecom Security - Is It a Problem?
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 07:51:04 GMT
Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
Do you think Microlink Ltd. (http://www.microlink.co.il) can really
solve the world wide wiretapping problem
(http://www.microlink.co.il/fs_12.html) as they mention about this?
------------------------------
From: ntuman@ms5.hinet.net ()
Subject: Want Book For Introducing the Terms in Mobile Systems
Date: 27 Apr 2000 07:54:16 GMT
Organization: DCI HiNet
Dear All:
Please refer the book for explaining the basic terms in mobile
communication systems.
Thanks in advances.
------------------------------
From: Louis Raphael <raphael@cs.mcgill.ca>
Subject: Re: Justice Reaches Altamont, Kansas
Organization: Societe pour la promotion du petoncle vert
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 11:20:46 GMT
Isn't there such a thing as bail which "shall not be unreasonably
denied"? I guess that gets flushed in the mass hysteria as well?
I find that the trend to criminalise everything (particularly
prevalent in the US, but existing here as well) is very disturbing. It
seems as if society has lost the ability to distinguish between a bull
session and reality, and everyone over-reacts, to not be the one
blamed "in case."
Louis
TELECOM Digest Editor <ptownson@telecom-digest.org> wrote:
> In the meantime, although the county attorney suspected there was
> absolutely nothing to the allegations, he ordered the five boys
> to continue being held in the county jail while they went over
> the evidence one more time. Finally today, April 25, just at the
> five month mark following their arrest, the Labette County attorney
> dismissed all the charges. The school principal was not so generous,
> and still won't let them back in school. This has become critical
> since three of the five are due to graduate from school next month.
------------------------------
From: Peter F. Dubuque <peterd@shore.net>
Subject: Re: Justice Reaches Altamont, Kansas
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 11:48:54 GMT
Organization: Shore.Net, a PRIMUS Company (info@shore.net)
In accordance with the prophecy, TELECOM Digest Editor
<ptownson@telecom-digest.org> wrote:
> All this started on December 19, 1999, while I was in a three-week
> coma in Topeka at Stormont-Vail hospital. I was certainly glad to
> find out that while I was sick, our government was diligently
> continuing to look after my welfare by the arrests of those
> boys, aren't you?
All I can say is, thank God I'm not a teenager now. I don't know what
I find more frightening -- that kids are being taught that anyone who
doesn't fit into the perfectly homogenized blandness of mainstream
society is a threat to them, or that they're being trained to accept
constant surveillance, unwarranted searches, and capricious exercises.
of authority as facts of life.
I hope that a few massive lawsuit payouts are enough to bring law
enforcement and school officials to their senses before it's too late.
But in an era where the question "who will protect our children?"
seems to start a mad rush to give up as many rights as possible lest
one hair on Junior's little head gets out of place, I'm not that
optimistic.
Peter F. Dubuque - peterd@shore.net - Enemy of Reason(TM) O-
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Nor am I. Kids got a very bum rap as
a result of Columbine. The kids who were/are 'different' in one way
or another have been getting all sorts of trouble since Columbine.
The nightmarish reports of kids being kicked out of school for no
reason except authorities think they might be planning something
like Columbine are all too common. The computer 'nerds' have been
subject to taunting and threats by classmates. The five in Altamont
have been pariahs since this began. Now that they are talking in
terms of suits and money, one old biddy on the school board said,
'why are they so bitter? Why can't they just forget it?' In your
final year of high school, you lose five months of school (or maybe
a full year if the principal goes through with *his* threat to
keep them out for a full year for 'being disruptive', (the liar
who was the (mis)informant has not seen a day of punishment); all
five of them lost their jobs they had after school although two
of them have gotten their jobs back; their possessions including
their computers were rifled through and damaged by ignorant cops
who know nothing about how to use them, and an old biddy wants to
know why they are 'being so bitter'. The two who got their jobs
back are employed in the kitchen of a local area hospital. One other
employee there -- another older lady -- told the two of them she
hoped they would 'burn in hell' for the plot they cooked up. The
one boy started to respond but his friend told him to say nothing.
'She was looking for a chance to say we threatened her also.' The
lawyer has told all of them to let him do the talking henceforth.
I'm personally cheering for all of them, and would like to see
them get a substantial judgment. PAT]
------------------------------
From: Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net>
Subject: More Area Code Fun in Eastern Massachusetts
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 01:18:45 -0400
Four more area codes will be coming to eastern MA next year. In
addition, the 128 LATA (eastern part of the state) will be converted
to mandatory 10-digit dialing.
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/117/nation/State_to_get_four_new_area_code
s_in_2001+.shtml
There are four existing area codes. Each will be overlayed by a single
additional area code. 978 is overlayed by something like 331; 617 is
overlayed by something like 847 or 857. (I know, those are Chicago codes...
but I can't remember the exact numbers.)
Eleven-digit dialing will still be required for calls outside your
local calling area. I think toll alerting (the practice of forcing you
to dial a 1 every time you make a call outside your local calling
area) is silly, given how cheap phone service is becoming. But
luckily, state regulators grew a brain and they will allow
eleven-digit dialing for all calls, even local ones. Those who do not
care whether or not they are making toll calls can just dial 11 digits
every time they pick up the phone.
The state has petitioned the FCC for permission to create
technology-specific overlays (a practice that the FCC has so far
banned, but is currently reviewing). This would assign the new area
codes solely for new cellular/pager numbers. The state DTE does not
anticipate receiving permission to do this.
James Connelly, chairman of the DTE, was a guest on WBZ 1030AM
Wednesday night. He made a few valid points in defending the
overlays. But given the DTE's total ineptitude in everything they lay
their hands on, I was more inclined to believe the arguments put forth
by the second guest Lee Selwyn, president of an organization called
ETI in Boston. Dr. Selwyn argued that, although the overlay is the
best solution for the predicament we are currently in, the DTE has had
ample time to address the issues at hand, and has basically botched
the job by not instituting number-conservation measures earlier. One
such measure that Chairman Connelly did not address is rate-center
consolidation, which Dr. Selwyn claims would greatly reduce the number
of exchange codes needed when a new telecom provider enters the
market. But rate center consolidation might also reduce intra-state
revenues for Bell Atlantic, whom one could argue are practically in
bed with the DTE.
ETI is here: http://www.econtech.com
... and their paper "Where have all the numbers gone?" is here:
http://www.econtech.com/Eti_numb.pdf
The DTE is here: http://www.state.ma.us/dpu/
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 03:12:24 -0400
From: Patrick Townson <ptownson@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: White House Changed Phone Software
(Address obliterated; mine used instead).
Pat this is NOT FOR PUBLICATION under my e-mail address, but just in
case no one else has sent it to you, I thought you might like to see
it:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_sperry_news/20000427_xnspy_new_coveru.shtml
New cover-up:
'Project PBX' White House changed phone software
to disguise long-distance caller traffic
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 01:51:20 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Workers return e-mail fire
By Michael J. McCarthy, WSJ Interactive Edition
April 26, 2000 5:08 AM PT
A desktop revolt is brewing. Many companies may assume they have
bulletproof authority to ban all personal use of office computers or
to discipline workers for sending e-mail that management considers
inappropriate.
And employees certainly haven't made much headway with
invasion-of-privacy claims. The nation's courts have basically held
that since employers own the computers, they can do whatever they want
with them. Last year, for example, a Texas court sided with Microsoft
Corp. against an ex-employee who claimed the company had "broken into"
his personal-computer files at work.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2555552,00.html
------------------------------
From: Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Call Me Anywhere?
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2000 02:07:45 -0400
A.E. Siegman <siegman@stanford.edu> wrote in message
news:telecom20.88.6@telecom-digest.org...
> All I want is the usual set of desires: ability to do everything, with
> total flexibility and total ease of use.
> Looking for a desktop phone/answering machine that will
> * Let me give out just *one* phone number to everyone who knows me
> * If I'm not there, be able to forward incoming calls to some other
> number (including possibly a cell phone)
> (Is it possible to have such a machine that will forward to, or ring to,
> *multiple* other lines simultaneously? Would this require multiple
> add'l outgoing lines?)
> * If forwarded call is not answered within a few rings, be able to
> sense this and revert to answering-machine mode
> * Be (easily) remote-programmable so I can dial in from a remote
> location and pick up messages, change the answering message,
> shift to a different forwarding number, etc.
I don't know about a machine to do this ... but there are
voicemail-based services with fairly reasonable prices that will do
exactly what you're describing. Try Personaloffice -- they can assign
your line a toll-free number, and I think you can also get local
numbers in Chicago: http://www.personaloffice.com
If you order a toll-free number, you get live caller ID on your
incoming calls (assuming your ring-to number subscribes to caller
ID). Also, when you retrieve a voicemail, you can have the voicemail
system read back the caller ID to you.
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #90
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Fri Apr 28 22:20:16 2000
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Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 22:20:16 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
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To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #91
TELECOM Digest Fri, 28 Apr 2000 22:20:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 91
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Lauren Weinstein's Privacy Forum Digest Article (Robert S. Hall)
Re: Changes to the NANP (Bob Goudreau)
Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died (Jack Decker)
Country Codes of the 0XX Format? (was NANP, Canada, etc) (Mark J. Cuccia)
Feds Order Mitnick to Quit Lecture Circuit (Michael A. Desmon)
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Reply-To: <robhall@syssoft.net>
From: Robert S. Hall <robhall@syssoft.net>
Subject: Lauren Weinstein's Privacy Forum Digest Article
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 14:33:22 +0800
While I am as concerned as anyone else about privacy on the Net, Lauren
Weinstein's story strikes me as a whole lot of "Chicken Little". Let me
state up front that I despise the idea of tracking. Consider these points:
In TELECOM Digest Wed, 26 Apr 2000 23:31:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 87,
Lauren Weinstein (via Monty Solomon) writes:
Excerpt from PRIVACY Forum Digest V09 #13
[SNIP]
First point of contention:
"But just for some frosting on the cake, also picture that if you
avail yourself of the opportunity not to participate in such tracking
(via opt-out or opt-in choices), that you either cannot use the
associated ISPs at all, or will be faced with paying significantly
higher fees than persons who are willing to play along with tracking."
Does Mr. Weinste`in have any idea what it costs to set up and run an
ISP? He should, since he "has been involved with Internet and other
technology issues for over 25 years, starting in the early 1970's at
the first site on the ARPANET (the ancestor of the Internet), which
was located at UCLA (http://www.pfir.org/mediainfo)".
Network hardware, telephone circuits, IP bandwidth, personnel,
etc. all cost money (BIG money).
ISPs that offer free access are in business too. The difference is
that some derive their revenues (to pay for their capital investments
and recurring monthly costs) by tracking users surfing habits and
selling that information to advertisers. We, as consumers, have the
right to choose to use a "free ISP" or a "pay ISP" so long as we have
the facts available to make an informed decision (e.g. you will be
tracked vs. no tracking).
"Nothing in life is free". Don't want to be tracked? Don't use a
"free" ISP!
[SNIP]
Second point of contention:
"When I recently learned about Predictive (which has apparently been
established for some time and seems to be well funded), I naturally
visited their Web site, which was sadly lacking in obvious specifics
such as an actual posted privacy policy".
It sounds to me like Mr. Weinstein is amazed that a company like
Predictive could exist without his express approval ...
No where in the article is it suggested that Predictive is offering
free Internet access themselves, rather they are facilitating the
collection of the data from those ISPs that choose to join their
service (and, yes, they sell that data to advertisers and compensate
their ISP partners from their revenues). That idea obviously doesn't
appeal to Mr. Weinstein (me neither), but does that mean they
shouldn't be allowed to try it out?
If you don't see a privacy statement on a web site, don't go beyond
the home page.
Don't want to risk being tracked just by hitting a home page? Turn off
automatic acceptance of cookies.
[SNIP]
"Unfortunately, the more that I learned from these sources, the increasingly
concerned I became".
The sky is falling, the sky is falling ...
[SNIP]
"One wonders what would happen in the face of a court order to provide
associated data for a civil or criminal proceeding or investigation."
In visiting any web site, the user's associated IP address will be
logged. Mr. Weinstein acknowledges this at his own site
(http://www.vortex.com/privpolicy.html). Likewise your ISP will
record your session using this IP address. This, in theory, could be
used to associate an individual dial-up account with a hit, and should
"Big Brother" obtain the necessary paperwork, they could tie a user
back to a visit anyway.
[SNIP]
Third point of contention:
"The email request must contain the subscriber's anonymous ID number,
which can be found on their computer by holding down the shift key and
right-clicking on about"
Gee, it sounds like this service requires the user to install some
software on their computer, which will create an "About" menu
option/icon. I doubt they're referring to a Product ID for Microsoft
Word! Nowhere in Mr. Weinstein's article was this (installing
software) mentioned.
Urban Legend #21347 - connecting your PC to the Internet will
automatically load Predictive's software onto your computer, thereby
providing you the "About" menu required to send your anonymous ID
number to them and allowing them to track your every move on the
Internet.
"Consumer beware".
[SNIP]
Forth point of contention:
"It would appear to be the plan that in most cases any use of free
ISPs who have associated themselves with Predictive would be
predicated on your acceptance of the tracking. You can opt-out, or
refuse to opt-in, but then you can't use the ISP. Not much of an
option!"
Don't want to be tracked? Don't use a "free" ISP
First (and only) point of (partial) agreement:
"The details about the tracking may also be buried within an ISP's own
privacy or other policy statements, making it even less likely that
most people will ever bother reading or understanding all of the
detailed ramifications of their using these systems.".
This must be controlled, and should be part of Predictive's Terms &
Conditions with its ISP partners -- tell the users up front (top of the page,
front of the CD/diskette, first screen of software installation wizard) what
you're up to.
Fifth point of contention:
"It also appears to be Predictive's intention to encourage fee-based
ISPs to offer lower rates to users willing to be tracked. This can
rapidly degrade into a coercive situation where users who do not wish
to participate in such tracking will be forced to pay ever higher
rates simply to maintain the same level of privacy and non-tracking
that they had in the first place (as the immortal Alice learned,
"running faster and faster to stay in the same place" ...)"
I like cartoons too ...
Read the first sentence carefully. "... encourage fee-based ISPs to
offer lower rates....".
Don't want to be tracked? Pay the normal rates. Want "lower rates",
they can be yours if you agree to be tracked.
How is the coercion? You chose to be tracked (in exchange for lower rates)
to begin with. If you want to stop being tracked, you pay the normal fee.
Sixth point of contention:
"Can ISPs resist this temptation? If not, the *fundamental* structure
of the Internet and Web will be permanently changed in a manner that
could make reasonably-priced, non-tracked Internet access a rapidly
fading memory, and make all of the abuse potentials of these tracking
technologies the status quo engrained within the Internet
infrastructure."
Just a minute here -- a few paragraphs ago we were talking about
"free" ISP access. Now we're talking about "reasonably-priced"
ISPs?!?! Let's confuse the ill-informed public even more ...
Non-tracked Internet access will not disappear if there are enough
consumers that choose not to be tracked! If there is demand, someone
will provide service. If non-tracking ISP A charges $10 a month
access fees, you can be damned sure non-tracking ISP B will pop out of
the woodwork offering better service for $9 a month. It's called
"supply and demand".
[SNIP]
Seventh point of contention:
"Basically, Predictive says that you either must keep such children
away from the computer, or must agree that it's OK for the children to
be tracked. It's all or nothing."
Don't want your kids tracked? Don't use a tracking ISP!
[END]
I detest the idea of tracking, but this article, in my opinion, is
nothing more than an attempt to incite another public outcry about the
evils of the Net (or Net company) and provides fodder for ill-informed
journalist to spew their misinformation over the front pages of the
world's newspapers (the press are invited to contact Mr. Weinstein
personally "for interviews and/or information" -
http://www.pfir.org/mediainfo - should that read "mis-information"?).
Maybe if we scare enough consumers away from the Net, it won't be so
crowded. Oh, but wait ... If there are no consumers using the Net, who
needs it? Maybe it will shrink back to the pre-consumer-explosion-day size,
making some people very happy.
It strikes me that Mr. Weinstein thinks it's his God-given right to be
able to use ISPs without giving anything in return. Maybe in the UCLA
and ARPANET days it didn't cost (personally) anything to access the
network (it did cost UCLA and others plenty!).
Providing access to the Internet cost money. This is fact. Using
that access cost money. What is cost (in the context of his article)?
It's the dollars the consumer pulls from their wallet for "pay ISP
service" or the privacy they give up by being tracked. The consumer
makes the choice. No one is going to force anyone to used a tracking
ISP.
I think Mr. Weinstein needs a new hobby. Go design a new, better
network (as you did so well in the days of the ARPANET - you've got
lots of history to use to back up new ideas). You'll be back in your
old clique of a few thousand hacks and will have a few years of "peace
and quiet" to play with your toy.
In the meantime, the Internet will run circles around you and you'll
come away from your new hobby, scratching your head asking 'what the
hell's going on'. Your new network may be 1,000 times faster than the
Internet, but by that time the Internet (as it has evolved) will be
ingrained so deeply in the consumer market that it will take years to
be adopted. Let's hope your investors have deep pockets and can keep
you afloat until you have the opportunity to convince
consumers/businesses to make a change.
Let's go back to Business 101. The whole idea of a business is to
generate revenues in excess of capital outlay and expenses so as to
make a profit for the shareholders.
Take away the free ISPs' revenue stream (in this business model) and
they go out of business. Apply Mr. Weinstein's logic and no free ISPs
= no choice.
Isn't this the foundation of many of Mr. Weinstein's arguments -
"choice".
Likewise, if the (informed, with the whole, unbiased picture) public
doesn't like the concept of being tracked (and I don't!), the free
ISPs will go out of business.
Restrict the free-ISPs business practices (require disclosure of how
they generate revenue and the implications for consumers who choose to
use their service), but let the consumer ultimately decide.
Let market forces decide whether tracking ISPs are a viable business.
Hey, here's an idea -- convince the governments of the world to
provide free Internet access (paid for by our tax dollars) and which
they (government) control! Oh, but wait ... We don't want the
Internet to be controlled by Big Brother. They're too nosy and
infringe our rights to privacy.
I've seen it said here (TELECOM Digest) on many occasions that the Net
is no longer the playground that it used to be "in the good ol' days".
While I hold the utmost respect for the Internet Pioneers (and that
appears to include Mr. Weinstein), I cannot stand idly by and listen
to Mr. Weinstein bash "the new Net users" (and companies that attempt
to offer them services) for ruining what he used to enjoy so much.
Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, but when you state you
position, give all of the facts.
"The only constant is change".
The Internet is a living, growing thing. There are almost a billion
users (according to Mr. Weinstein). Let those billion people decided
whether the idea of tracking ISPs is acceptable.
For what it's worth, I'm not an ISP, and I in no way benefit from
Predictive's proposed business model. I do, however, take issue with
people who pray on the unsuspecting/ill-informed/topic-specific
ignorant public to stir emotion without giving them all of the facts.
"The stink of the slaughterhouse may not be far away."
Personally, I smell a different stink here. Go back to your roost
Chicken Little.
Rob Hall
------------------------------
From: Bob Goudreau <BobGoudreau@nc.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Changes to the NANP
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 01:55:13 -0400
georgep_on_ca@my-deja.com wrote:
> so the following changes should occur:
> 0 - Operator (local)
> 0 - Plus area code for NANP collect calls
> 00 - Long Distance Operator
> 00 - Plus country code etc. for int. customer dialed numbers
> 01 - For overseas collect (same)
> (However what would we use if the NANP does ever split up?)
> (maybe we could use 0100 (assuming Canada uses a diff code
> (ie calls to the UK dialed as 0100-044-20-7222-4444
> (ie force 3digit country codes with leading zeroes???)
Your plan still works fine even if the NANP does split up into various
+1X and/or +1XX country codes. No need for any 0100 hacks; just use
the same international prefixes you would use for any other country.
E.g., an operator-assisted or calling card call to another ex-NANP
country would be dialed 01-1X[X]-NPA-NXX-XXXX; and a direct-dialed
call there would require 00-1X[X]-NPA-NXX-XXXX. The plan even allows
using international prefixes to dial inTRA-national numbers, if you
include your own country code!
Bob Goudreau
Cary, NC
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 16:21:12 -0400
From: Jack Decker <jack_REMOVE_THIS@novagate.com>
Subject: Re: Obituary: Phil Katz (PKZIP, PKWARE) Has Died
From a system that has an obviously incorrect date setting (Mon, 1
May 2000 21:48:12 -0500 (CDT)) :-) Joe Greco <jgreco@ns.sol.net>
wrote:
> PKZIP came to be in an interesting way. PKware's original product was
> PKARC, a file compression program that used the same format as System
> Enhancement Associates' ARC utility. SEA sued PKware for copying its
> format (I've forgotten whether it was on patent or copyright grounds),
> and in a settlement PKware was allowed to release one last version
> with the ARC format (now called PKPAK) but had to develop its own
> format for future versions -- which turned out to be a massive mistake
> on SEA's part, because (A) PKware placed the new ZIP format in the
> public domain, and (B) BBS sysops and users touched off a massive
> boycott of the ARC format, killing it (and the ARC program) off.
Heh, yeah. ExecPC BBS, which was local to Katz and has held the title
of largest BBS in the world, was one of the BBS's which participated
in that boycott, according to a discussion I had with Bob Mahoney
years ago.
Since we're all indulging in a little history here, I'll just point
out that not all BBS's were so enthusiastic about this. Some of you
may recall an amateur network of BBS's called Fidonet (which still
exists, although I am not sure why). Now Fidonet in the late 1980's
had some of the greatest sysops in the world in it, but also a few of
the biggest jerks I've ever had the misfortune of dealing with
(including one guy whom I won't name, but he was from Chicago and I
suspect he took charm lessons from "big Al" himself). Of course the
biggest jerks managed to get themselves appointed as coordinators of
various stripes (not that all Fidonet coordinators were bad, just the
ones that seemed to have the greatest influence). :-(
Now for some reason that is long forgotten, ARC was considered the
"official" compression method of Fidonet. ARC was really pretty
inefficient compared to the compression methods that came along later.
Now keep in mind that back in those days long distance calls were
fairly expensive compared to today and doubly expensive for many
Fidonet sysops because the coordinators often decreed that sysops had
to use the most expensive of available connections. This is because
the coordinators of that time were so small-minded that they could not
conceive of a network that was not based on geography. Thus, if you
wanted to get echomail (the Fidonet equivalent of a newsgroup), you
were often told that you had to obtain it from a system that was
geographically close to your home. To those who did not live in the
United States, let me put this in perspective: A call to the nearest
Fidonet echomail hub might have been an in-state call with a rate as
high as 25 cents per minute or more, while a call to an out of state
hub (the one you weren't allowed to use) might only cost 10-12 cents a
minute, due to the difference in intrastate rates (regulated by the
individual states) and intrastate rates (regulated by the federal
government, and almost always much lower).
Then keep in mind that a 9600 bps modem was considered state of the
art (many of us were still limping along at 2400 bps) and you can
perhaps understand why higher compression for echomail was a very
desirable thing from the viewpoint of most Fidonet sysops. But I
guess that Thom Henderson had somehow obtained some status in Fidonet
due to having created the first compression program (after all, even
an inefficient compression format was better than none!) and some of
the software used in Fidonet was even hardcoded to call the ARC
program.
At some point in the late '80's, other compression formats started to
appear. The first one I recall was PAK, a relatively short-lived
format that still gave a small improvement over ARC. Then for a while
it seemed like we had the "new compression format of the month", a few
others that I recall were DWC, ZOO, LHARC, and of course Phil Katz's
PKZIP.
However, some of the Fidonet coordinators were not enthusiastic about
these new formats. In fact, when PAK came out there were even overt
and veiled threats that any sysop that used any compression method
other than ARC might be thrown out of Fidonet. Again, I don't know
exactly what the reluctance was, but I do know that once you became a
regional coordinator, for the most part you could have other sysops
call you, rather than you making outgoing calls. Thus, some of the
coordinators didn't care that much about phone charges, their bills
were not that high (also I think many of the regional coordinators
actually had their Fidonet systems at company sites, so any outgoing
calls they did make got charged to a company account). It was the
small sysops and the local (net) coordinators that were getting hit
with the big phone bills, sometimes to the tune of hundreds of dollars
per month.
Just before all this happened, a friend of mine (whose life has taken
a decided turn for the worse in recent years, but that's another
story) was running a Fidonet BBS in Milwaukee. Someone at one of the
local Wisconsin Bell offices saw his system and decided this might be
a great thing to have for their employees, so my friend set up a
system for them. I had been helping my friend with his system by
remote control, so we set up a similar arrangement with the Wisconsin
Bell system. So even though I did not live in Milwaukee and did not
work for Wisconsin Bell, I was essentially a co-sysop of their
employee BBS. But wait, it gets weirder.
It turns out that even though Wisconsin Bell could not handle
interLATA traffic for anyone else in the post-divestiture era, they
still had an "internal" network between Ameritech offices, and could
jump off their internal net at anyplace inside Ameritech's territory.
Since the employee BBS was physically located inside the Wisconsin
Bell building, it could use the internal phone circuits, therefore it
could call out to the regional echomail feed (wherever it was, I don't
recall at the moment) for "free". In an attempt to be a good
neighbor, they offered the use of their BBS as the echomail hub for
Milwaukee, and they even placed outgoing calls to feed echoes to
certain BBS's that were in Net 154 but not the Milwaukee local calling
area. Since I was the one who set up all the configuration files to
make this work, I was named the Net Echomail Coordinator.
This happy situation didn't last long for several reasons. The
Fidonet regional coordinator (who lived in Chicago) was not happy
about the fact that I was getting my echomail from this BBS in
Milwaukee, or acting as the echomail coordinator when I lived in
Michigan, despite the fact that I was the one running that echomail
hub by remote control (making most changes via DOS batch files sent in
the middle of the night!) and the hub itself was in a Wisconsin Bell
building in Milwaukee. Also, we had committed the cardinal sin of
Fidonet, by actually providing echomail to a couple of BBS's (one in
Northern Wisconsin and one in Upper Michigan) that were in remote
areas but technically not part of our net (they HAD been part of Net
154 at one time, but then a new net was created for northern
Wisconsin). I am not kidding when I say that the Fidonet coordinators
seemed absolutely incapable of mentally coping with the idea of a
network not based on Geography. Then we had an incident where
political correctness and company policy clashed (that is all I will
say about that) and finally we all agreed that it wasn't worth the
hassle and that Net 154 would have to get a new echomail hub.
Anyway, if you get the idea that I often found myself in the position
of locking horns with some tin-pot dict... er, coordinator, you would
be right. And thus it was that when they started making noises about
throwing out anyone who used some compression method other than ARC, I
wrote an article in Fidonews that pretty much said that it was none of
any coordinator's business what method two "consenting sysops" used to
transfer mail packets, and I wrote a program (in QuickBasic!) called
PAKIT, which allowed sysops to choose how to compress mail on a
node-by-node basis. The original choices were PAK or ARC (using
PKARC), later versions also supported PAK, ZIP, ZOO, DWC, and LHarc.
Others who wrote programs for Fidonet quickly added similar
functionality. After a few months, ZIP and LHarc (the forerunner of
the LZH format) were the pretty clear winners, and with each new
release of PKZIP it seemed that there were improvements in the
compression algorithm, so most everyone pretty much migrated to that
over the course of time.
I probably should add just a few things. First of all, this is based
mostly on my recollection of things, and my memory is not the best (to
put it mildly), so feel free to correct me if I messed up on some
detail in this narrative. Second, I know that not everyone in Fidonet
had as low an opinion of the coordinators (especially the ones at the
"regional" level) as I did, but all I can say to that is, you probably
didn't have the same regional coordinator that we did, or else you
were in his local net (for some reason the guys that were in his local
net thought he could do no wrong, while many others in the region
hated his guts). Third, by early 1983 I was out of Fidonet completely
-- by then the Wisconsin Bell BBS (an aging XT class system) was on its
last legs and no one seemed in a hurry to upgrade it, and I advised
them that they should get an Internet-connected BBS, because Fidonet
was already starting to fall apart (many of the best people, including
software authors had left in disgust after their own run-ins with
various people who thought that the sun rose and set at their
command). I do realize that Fidonet still has some usefulness,
particularly in some remote parts of the world, but I cannot ever
foresee a set of circumstances where I would even be tempted to go
back to it. I honestly feel that the years I was in Fidonet were the
"wasted years" in my life.
But it is worth pointing out that Phil Katz's program probably wound
up saving Fidonet sysops a LOT of money on phone charges over the
years, despite the initial opposition from the Fidonet head honchos.
And among the common sysops - the ones who were not "coordinators" - I
think that there was a great deal of anger directed toward Thom
Henderson and SEA after he filed that lawsuit against Phil. If only
people on the 'net still had that same level of anger and disgust when
one company files a lawsuit against another... I'd probably better
stop here.
Jack
(If you send me private e-mail, please make the obvious modification
to my e-mail address)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 12:26:18 CDT
From: Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu>
Subject: Country Codes of the 0XX Format? (was NANP, Canada, etc)
I recently wrote in TELECOM Digest:
"As long as the ITU does _NOT_ begin to assign country-codes 0XX, this
COULD be possible. However, _IF_ the ITU has already assigned
country-codes of the form 0XX or does so AFTER Canada would
potentially become "semi-NANP", then 0+100+ would conflict with
US/NANP dialing (as speical billed) to any 00X country code which
would need to follow the 01+00X+ dialing procedure. Of course, maybe
the ENTIRE NANP might change their special-billed customer-dialed
international exit prefix from 01+ to 010+, as it really (IMO) SHOULD
have been planned for since the 1960's when customer-dialed IDDD was
being discussed for the future!!!"
Peter Corlett (abuse@cabal.org.uk) wrote:
> I suspect that it's reserved for a higher-level access digit. It'll be
> interesting to see if we're still using telephone numbers when we need
> to contact Mars.
The discussion is if Canada were to actually become "semi-NANP" using
country code +100, this particular proposal has the US dialing to
Canada as 100+nxx-nxx-xxxx, without any IDDD exit prefix (which from
the NANP are 011+ for station-sent-paid calls, and 01+ for customer
dialed yet special operator/card billing assistance).
In the NANP, we use:
1+nxx-nxx-xxxx for station-sent-paid inTRA-NANP (and sometimes, local
calls to adjacent area codes or maybe overlaid home/different
local/toll area codes in certain places)
0+nxx-nxx-xxxx for customer dialed yet special operator/card billing
inTRA-NANP
011 + country-code + national-number (+'#') for station-sent-paid IDDD
(non-NANP)
01 + country-code + national-number (+'#') for customer dialed yet
special operator/card billing IDDD (non-NANP)
Some people say that we should make '00+' as an optional way to place
IDDD station-sent-paid calls, and "be just like most of the rest of
the world". I'm not going to get into all the problems that could
occur if 00+ were to be made an (optional) IDDD prefix ... I'm not
totally opposed to permitting it, but with special conditions ... but
that's another post.
Anyhow, _IF_ Canada becomes "semi-NANP" as +100, the documented
proposals indicate that inTRA-Canada calls would be dialed now as
STRAIGHT ten-digits with NO access/toll prefix, whether the
destination is toll or local/free ... and Canada->US/NANP calling
would be dialed as 1+ the NANP number. But these are for the
"station-sent-paid" method of dialing.
I went into problems of how 0+type calling would now be done for
US->Canada and Canada->US, and mentioned some things about 01+ IDDD
special billed, and maybe 0+100+ for Canada, or maybe 01+100+ for
special billed calls from the US/NANP to Canada ...
AS LONG AS the ITU hasn't started assigning 0XX+ country codes ...
OR, maybe the NANP will MIGRATE its 01+ special-billing calls IDDD
prefix to 010+ (before any 0XX country-codes are assigned). BUT, I
still don't know how Canada might be dialed from the US as "special"
billing, maybe 100+0+?
But right now ... even though the ITU has mentioned the POSSIBILITY of
assigning country-codes of the 0XX format, it may be a LONG time
before they do so, if ever.
Peter Corlett's reply post asked if the ITU using the initial
"country" code digit of '1' for some "higher level", such as in the
future contacting telephone numbers assigned on Mars ...
Well ... yes and no.
In an earlier post, I mentioned about some reasons why the ITU might
NOT really go to actual country-codes of the 0XX format.
For one, there is a packet-data-network protocol of the ITU,
documentation known as "X.121" networks/protocols/recommendations.
These X.121 data networks can place "calls" (via ISDN protocols) to
the "E.164" public switched TELEPHONE (and ISDN) network. The "escape"
digit used by the X.121 network over to the PSTN/ISDN E.164
(telephone) network, is '0'. I think that to prevent
conflicts/confusion, the ITU has decided to delay as long as possible,
any actual assignments of 0XX telephone country codes.
Also, in +52 Mexico's currently evolving numbering/code/dialing
modifications, the new and future way to dial non-Mexican numbers from
Mexico is as: 00+ country-code + national-number, the same as used from
(most of) the rest-of-the-world. This is for "station-sent-paid" Intl
from Mexico ... They also use 09+cc+nn for "special/operator billed" Intl
from Mexico. Domestic toll from Mexico is 01+ domestic number, for station
sent-paid. Special/Operator billed domestic toll within Mexico is dialed
as 02+ domestic number. (020 is the domestic operator of their primary
carrier; 090 is the International operator of their primary carrier).
However, Equal Access is available in Mexico, very much like it is in
the US/Canada. You pick a PRIMARY carrier for your default toll/intl
calls but you do have the capability to "dial-around" with special
digits.
Domestic toll is "dialed-around" as follows:
01+0+ a three-digit carrier code+(01)+ domestic number (station sent-paid)
01+0+ a three-digit carrier code+ 02 + domestic number (special billed)
01+0+ a three-digit carrier code+ 020 (Domestic Operator of that Carrier)
International is "dialed-around" as follows:
00+0+ a three-digit carrier code+(00)+ intl number (station send-paid)
00+0+ a three-digit carrier code+ 09 + intl number (special billed)
00+0+ a three-digit carrier code+ 090 (Intl Operator of that Carrier)
So, if '00+' is used from Mexico for International/Overseas access
(sent-paid), if there are to be country-codes 0XX, then 00+0XX would
actually in Mexico, really be dialing 00+0+ for "dialing around" an
international call, via some carrier 'XXx'.
I think that there are too many miscellaneous dialing/code assignments
in too many countries here and there, which could conflict or be
ambiguous with any potential ITU-assigned country codes of the 0XX
format. For each of these individual countries to comply with an
international standard of 0XX for country codes, they would have to do
other forms of moving or renumbering their dialing that begins
'000 ...'
And, if Mexico is only recently introducing this new dialing format with
000+, the Mexican "Cofetel" agency probably consulted with ITU people
and it was PROBABLY determined that 0XX country codes or even details of
future 0XX country codes won't be possible at this time....
If the ITU were really certain about assigning 0XX country codes
within the near future, then I doubt that Mexico would have introduced
a NEW or RECENTLY MODIFIED numbering plan that used 00+ for Intl, and
also had 000+ for certain things not exactly dialing 00+0XX to such
0XX country codes!
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-
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 11:34:38 EDT
From: Michael A. Desmon <mdesmon@us-one.net>
Subject: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit
By Linda Deutsch
The Associated Press
April 28, 2000 6:14 AM EDT
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kevin Mitnick, the notorious computer hacker
accused of causing millions of dollars in damage to technology
companies, has been ordered to get off the lecture circuit or risk
going back to prison.
The federal probation department sent word through his probation
officer that his activities must stop, Mitnick said Thursday.
"They're saying I can no longer write or speak about technology
issues." Mitnick said in a telephone interview. "I think it is an
abrogation of my First Amendment rights. ... Probation is not supposed
to be punitive."
Government officials could not be reached for comment after business
hours Thursday.
Mitnick, who was released in January after nearly five years in
federal prison, allegedly cost companies and institutions millions of
dollars by stealing their software and altering computer
information. Victims included such companies as Motorola, Novell,
Nokia and Sun Microsystems, and the University of Southern California.
He became an icon to some hackers after leading the FBI on a
three-year manhunt that ended in 1995 when investigators traced his
electronic footprints to a Raleigh, N.C., apartment.
Under a plea agreement, U.S. District Judge Mariana Pfaelzer
prohibited Mitnick for three years after his release from any access
to computers, cellular telephones, televisions or any equipment that
can be used for Internet access. She said that she thought Mitnick
would be unable to earn anything above minimum wage.
However, a recent Internet report said Mitnick had some $20,000 worth
of speaking engagements scheduled through August.
"They don't like the idea of my being like a celebrity," Mitnick
said. "They are trying to chill my free speech in hopes that my
notoriety will die down."
Mitnick, 36, said he has been trying to educate others about protecting
themselves against cyberspace intrusions.
"This is good for the public and good for me because I feel
productive," Mitnick said. "I recognize the errors of my past and I
want to be productive."
Mitnick, who served nearly five years in prison, said probation
officials have instructed him to find employment in a field totally
unrelated to computers. He has refused.
"I'm not going to spend time and money educating myself in a new field
when in two years I'll be off probation and can go back to computers,"
he said.
Copyright 2000 The Associated Press
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #91
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Apr 29 08:23:05 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id IAA17824;
Sat, 29 Apr 2000 08:23:05 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 08:23:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004291223.IAA17824@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #92
TELECOM Digest Sat, 29 Apr 2000 08:22:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 92
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Emergencies, was Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (W. Craig Trader)
Re: Emergencies, was Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Joel B Levin)
Re: Emergencies, was Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works (Lance Purple)
Re: More Area Code Fun in Eastern Massachusetts (Jeffrey J. Carpenter)
URLs for Telephone Calls (Bram Dov Abramson)
Telex<->Email<->Telex (and Fax Too) (cpetty@goodnet.com)
Re: More Area Code Fun in Eastern Massachusetts (James Carlson)
Re: Justice Reaches Altamont, Kansas (Eric Bohlman)
Re: PSINet Buys Canada's Largest Independent ISP (J.F. Mezei)
Re: What's a Nortel Sentinel? (ctiguy)
Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles (Dale Robinson)
Re: Caller ID - Name Display (Stan Schwartz)
Information Wanted on Key Systems (Joe Williams)
Ringback Number(s) for Alberta? (Ian W. Douglas)
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (Bob Goudreau)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: W. Craig Trader <ct7@unicornsrest.org>
Subject: Re: Emergencies, was Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 10:34:21 -0400
Organization: Unicorn's Rest
Reply-To: ct7@unicornsrest.org
Peter Corlett wrote:
> Danny Burstein <dannyb@panix.com> wrote:
> [...]
>> Danny 'and while you're at it, could you explain to me how a man in Poland
>> has a watch set to London time?' Burstein
> Depends on what you actually mean by "London time", I guess.
> Local time in London is currently GMT+0100, which would certainly be
> odd for somebody in Poland, but having a clock set to GMT would not be
> unreasonable in certain circumstances, especially if the wearer has to
> think in several time zones - a not exactly uncommon event in
> Continental Europe where people do cross country borders to work.
> In the case of Americans crossing timezone borders a lot, what
> timezone do they set their watch to? Do they really adjust it twice a
> day? I think my watch would break if I did that ...
<sigh>
That's the problem -- no one pays attention to the classics
anymore. The question was obviously a reference to the first
episode of that classic 60's TV show "The Prisoner". Anytime you
think you've lost your paranoia, just watch a couple of episodes
and you'll be back in prime form again in no time.
- Craig -
------------------------------
From: Joel B Levin <levinjb@gte.net>
Subject: Re: Emergencies, was: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Organization: On the desert
Reply-To: levinjb@gte.net
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 15:30:31 GMT
In <telecom20.90.2@telecom-digest.org>, abuse@cabal.org.uk
(Peter Corlett) wrote:
> In the case of Americans crossing timezone borders a lot, what
> timezone do they set their watch to? Do they really adjust it twice a
> day? I think my watch would break if I did that ...
I usually don't bother if the trip is three days or less. (And it's often
useful to be aware of what time it is back home.)
JBL
------------------------------
From: lpurple@netcom.com (Lance Purple)
Subject: Re: Emergencies, was: Re: Telemarketer Stopper That Works
Date: 28 Apr 2000 05:50:28 GMT
Organization: Mindspring/Netcom Online Services, Inc.
Peter Corlett <abuse@cabal.org.uk> wrote:
> Danny Burstein <dannyb@panix.com> wrote:
>> 'and while you're at it, could you explain to me how a man in Poland
>> has a watch set to London time?'
> Local time in London is currently GMT+0100, which would certainly be
> odd for somebody in Poland, but having a clock set to GMT would not be
> unreasonable in certain circumstances, especially if the wearer has to
> think in several time zones - a not exactly uncommon event in
> Continental Europe where people do cross country borders to work.
I think Mr. Burstein was quoting an episode of "The Prisoner", a TV
series about an ex-British spy being held captive in a small village
in order to find out why he resigned from MI-5.
In the above episode, the Prisoner (apparantly) manages to smuggle
himself back to MI-5 HQ in a shipping crate, but quickly discovers
he is not really in London: the supposed hours chimed by "Big Ben"
(which he heard from inside the crate) match the time on a watch
he stole from a "Polish" boat captain en route. Although he's let
out of the crate in a convincing replica of his ex-boss's office,
by imposters who look very much like his former colleagues, he
knows the crate never left The Village, and the whole "escape"
was yet another ruse by his captors.
,--------------------------------------------,
| Lance Purple (lpurple at netcom dot com) |
'--------------------------------------------'
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 20:09:33 -0400
From: Jeffrey J. Carpenter <jjc@POBOX.COM>
Subject: Re: More Area Code Fun in Eastern Massachusetts
This is my first post since you have returned PAT, it is good to have
you back.
> I was more inclined to believe the arguments put forth
> by the second guest Lee Selwyn, president of an organization called
> ETI in Boston. Dr. Selwyn argued that, although the overlay is the
> best solution for the predicament we are currently in, the DTE has had
> ample time to address the issues at hand, and has basically botched
> the job by not instituting number-conservation measures earlier.
I do not know much about the situation in Massachusetts, but
Dr. Selwyn is a quack. He testitfied and submitted a large statement
in the 215/412/610 area code relief cases where he supported the
proposal made by the Pennsylvania Consumer Advocate for a "tranparent
overlay". The tranparent overlay is was an ill-conceived, technically
flawed proposal to use unused NXX's from the 814 area code and make
this transparent to the user. I read his briefs and participated in a
hearing where this was discussed, and it was obvious that he did not
understand the technical implications of what he was proposing.
jeff
jjc@pobox.com
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 22:20:39 -0400
From: Bram Dov Abramson <babramson@telegeography.com>
Subject: URLs for Telephone Calls
> RFC 2806
> Title: URLs for Telephone Calls
> Author(s): A. Vaha-Sipila
> Status: Standards Track
> Date: April 2000
> Mailbox: avs@iki.fi, antti.vaha-sipila@nokia.com
> Pages: 21
> Characters: 50647
> Updates/Obsoletes/SeeAlso: None
> I-D Tag: draft-antti-telephony-url-12.txt
> URL: ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2806.txt
This document specifies URL (Uniform Resource Locator) schemes
"tel", "fax" and "modem" for specifying the location of a
terminal in the phone network and the connection types (modes of
operation) that can be used to connect to that entity. This
specification covers voice calls (normal phone calls, answering
machines and voice messaging systems), facsimile (telefax) calls and
data calls, both for POTS and digital/mobile subscribers.
------------------------------
From: cpetty@goodnet.com
Subject: Telex<->Email<->Telex (and Fax Too)
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 19:22:25 GMT
Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
Hi,
We need a service which will accept incoming telex and fax messages
(on our behalf) and send us an email containing the document.
Conversely, we need something that will take our outbound email and
send via telex or fax as directed. We have identified numerous
services which handle fax, but not telex. Or they handle outgoing,
but not incoming. The only one which seems to meet our needs is
(itelex.com). But, my research has been based on a quick Internet
search. I have a feeling there are other options, but can't seem to
find any.
We do not want to deal with managing any hardware ourselves. Traffic
will be light, but reliability and high service levels are required.
I am based in USA, but this is a global operation, so location is not a
big issue.
On a side issue, is there such a thing as a world-wide toll-free phone
number? How about telex?
Thanks,
------------------------------
From: James Carlson <james.d.carlson@sun.com>
Subject: Re: More Area Code Fun in Eastern Massachusetts
Date: 28 Apr 2000 09:59:09 -0400
Organization: Sun Microsystems Inc. - BDC
Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net> writes:
> Eleven-digit dialing will still be required for calls outside your
> local calling area. I think toll alerting (the practice of forcing you
> to dial a 1 every time you make a call outside your local calling
> area) is silly, given how cheap phone service is becoming. But
> luckily, state regulators grew a brain and they will allow
> eleven-digit dialing for all calls, even local ones. Those who do not
> care whether or not they are making toll calls can just dial 11 digits
> every time they pick up the phone.
Yay! We're finally being dragged into the 1970's. I can't wait. No
more need to dial each number four times before getting it right.
(Let's see, is it NXX XXXX, 1 NXX XXXX, NPA NXX XXXX, or 1 NPA NXX
XXXX for this number ... ?)
James Carlson, Internet Engineering <james.d.carlson@east.sun.com>
SUN Microsystems / 1 Network Drive 71.234W Vox +1 781 442 2084
MS UBUR02-212 / Burlington MA 01803-2757 42.497N Fax +1 781 442 1677
"PPP Design and Debugging" --- http://people.ne.mediaone.net/carlson/ppp
------------------------------
From: ebohlman@netcom.com (Eric Bohlman)
Subject: Re: Justice Reaches Altamont, Kansas
Date: 28 Apr 2000 06:09:15 GMT
Organization: MindSpring Enterprises
TELECOM Digest Editor Noted:
> I'm personally cheering for all of them, and would like to see
> them get a substantial judgment. PAT]
In fact, I hope that the judgment is so substantial that the only way
the local authorities will be able to satisfy it is to do that very
thing that the elder Bush promised not to do under penalty of having
his lips misread. Public support for witchhunts will dry up *very*
quickly if they become known as a source of monster property tax
bills. The main reason local officials with kooky beliefs that lead
them to witchhunts stay in office is that in most local elections, 5%
of the registered voters is a fantastic turnout. But when a tax hike
rides on the outcome of a particular election, you get better than 75%
turnouts.
------------------------------
From: J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca>
Subject: Re: PSINet Buys Canada's Largest Independent ISP
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 03:02:14 -0400
Joey Lindstrom wrote:
> CADVision, an independent ISP in Calgary, Alberta, has been purchased
> by PSINet.
PSInet , I beleive, also purchased Totalnet in Montreal. It too was
the largest independant remaining ISP in the area. Totalnet had been
purchased by Mpac Immedia, and when BCE Emergis purchased Mpac, MPac
sold Totalnet to PSINET instead of integrating it into Sympatico.
I have to assume that PSINET is doing the same in every large city in
Canada to acquire a national presence.
------------------------------
From: ctiguy <ctiguy@my-deja.com>
Subject: Re: What's a Nortel Sentinel?
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 12:37:15 GMT
Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
This is a device added to provide dial-up security to the M1 PBX
(maybe it can be used on other switches as well). It also monitors
internal services and pages out in the event of failure of a monitored
component. At least thats how we use Sentinel. Hope that helps.
CTIGUY
Lessening the pain of implementing and supporting
call centre technologies by sharing experience
and information.
http://homestead.deja.com/user.ctiguy/CallCentreTech.html
In article <telecom20.88.4@telecom-digest.org>,
Michael Spencer <mspencer@ceci.mit.edu> wrote:
> Can anyone tell me anything (or everything :-) about this device?
> Marque, top of front panel: Sentinel
> Maker: Northern Telecom, 1992; Also marked Brock Telecom
> ID: NATO 5810-21-908-9364
> Front panel: LCD display, six indiactor lights marked Test; Alarm;
> Bypass; Power, Battery; and Standby. Two buttons marked _> and
> Enter. Also a round, recessed boss, ca. 1 cm dia. with a
> rectangular hole -- looks like it might be a combination mechanical
> key and dongle port.
>
> Rear panel: Twp ports marked "RS-232 Plaintext" and "RS-232
> Ciphertext" (and also in French), a 115 volt plug and what appears
> to be a security tab for a padlock or the like.
> Michael Spencer
> mspencer@ceci.mit.edu
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 22:12:24 +0930
From: "Dale 'Cat' Robinson" <ctosian@tpg.com.au>
Subject: Re: *#06# Email Going Around About Mobiles
Way back in TELECOM Digest, Volume 20, Issue 75, there was talk about IMEI,
*#06# and whether IMEI is recorded/used by GSM carriers.
In the case of Optus (www.optus.net.au), they do use IMEI if you report
your phone is terminally damaged. (eg. dropping the phone into the sea).
One case of I heard of recently involved a person obtaining a "dead"
handset, inserting his Optus SIM card into it, and then claiming the
handset became faulty after some time.
Optus wrote this person a nice letter along the lines of
"Our records show you have never used this phone with your SIM card. Do
you really wish to pursue your claim?"
He didn't :-)
Regards,
Cat.
------------------------------
Reply-To: <stannc.no1spam@yahoo.com>
From: Stan Schwartz <stannc.no1spam@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Caller ID - Name Display
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 08:51:12 -0400
Herb Sutherland wrote:
> Very interesting! I just assumed that the name information was being
> sent from the originating switch, just as the number is. This makes
> sense though. Now that I think of it, most of the switches would not
> have any way to associate the name on the account with the line
> number. The name on the account was probably just kept in the
> database of customers on another computer. This does open up another
> can of worms though. How many of these "lookup" databases are there
> across the country and how does the terminating switch know which
> database to query? This would be bad enough in the past but now with
> so many companies offering local service, would they each have their
> own lookup database? I.E. If someone gets their local service from
> MCI Worldcom, would that lookup database need to be queried, or would
> the name information for that customer be included in the Pac Bell
> database?
Well now you've hit upon a pet peeve of mine. I've spouted off a bit
here in the past about the miserable service that I get from Alltel
Carolina. I was spoiled by BellSouth for a couple of years before
moving just outside their boundaries (literally JUST outside).
For the first two years that I lived here, it appears that Alltel was
leasing their CID/Name information from BellSouth. All incoming calls
from within BellSouth areas had correct names with their numbers (as
correct as the BellSouth billing database was). The only problem with
this was that Alltel 'forgot' how to send their customer data back to
BellSouth to populate the database for both BellSouth customers and
Alltel's customers who were getting their data from BellSouth
anyway. The end result of that was any call from within the Matthews
NC central office (my home C.O.) would display as 'MATTHEWS NC' on
displays all over BellSouth's and Alltel's territories.
Sometime last summer, Alltel stopped getting services from
BellSouth. Our operator and directory assistance services were
provided by BellSouth (with the 'BellSouth' recorded ID masked). They
were switched to some Alltel-provided call center which was probably
in Ohio. I don't know if the operator or DA operators are Alltel
employees or not. The other byproduct of this was that Alltel changed
CID/Name database providers. Now, we started to receive all names
within the Matthews, NC C.O. We started to see some name information
from other areas of the country (Bell Atlantic, SBC, etc). Oh, happy
day ... right? Not for long, as I noticed that the BellSouth information
that we were now getting was either missing entirely or grossly out of
date. Many LOCAL calls from within Charlotte NC show up as either
'CHARLOTTE NC' or just plain don't display name OR number. Someone was
bright enough to load the prefix database with mobile phones, so we
now see "Cell Phone XX" and "PCS Phone XX" (where XX is the state),
depending on the provider. I just wish they'd get local name and
number delivery correct before they start getting fancy.
For the life of me, I just can't figure out where they get their names
from. My parents are in Bell Atlantic territory and for a while I got
their billing name on the display. Just recently, I started getting my
Mom's name on the box, which is interesting since they have non-pub
service and Mom's name isn't on the bill.
Every so often, I call and complain to deaf ears. Alltel is in an
island in this area, with BellSouth surrounding it on most sides and
GTE in one area. Hopefully, they'll submit to the competition and let
some RBOC swallow them up. Maybe one of the 'big boys' could get us at
least into the 1990's.
- Stan
------------------------------
From: Joewilliams@kscable.com
Reply-To: <Joewilliams@kscable.com>
Subject: Information Needed on Key Systems
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 11:40:30 -0500
Great web site!!
I am looking for some information on the web about KEY systems. I am
taking a test and looking for information to fill in the holes of my
knowledge. Can you suggest any sites which could help??
Thanks
Joe Williams
------------------------------
From: Ian W. Douglas <idouglas@calcna.ab.ca>
Subject: Ringback Number(s) for Alberta?
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 15:09:05 -0600
Organization: Calgary Community Network Assoc.
Does anyone out there know the ringback number(s) for northern and
southern Alberta, Canada, where I live? I tried the number in the FAQ
which is 999-XXX-XXXX where the X's are the number I phone from, but the
phone just squawks at me.
Regards,
Ian Douglas
------------------------------
From: Bob Goudreau <BobGoudreau@nc.rr.com>
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 01:44:45 -0400
Terry Knab (tknab@nyx.net) wrote:
> Actually, with the number of Area Codes that Canada and the Carribean
> use, splitting them *both* out of NANP may be a short-term fix to the
> crunch we're having.
Which number crunch? There are, what, 300 or so general use area codes
still available for assignment, even excluding the ones set aside for
numbering expansion, etc. Will putting the 43 non-US codes back into
the pool really make much of a difference? The US already uses most
of the NANP numbering space. Breaking up the NANP has certain other
potential merits, but if simply expanding the pool of US area codes from
about 550 to about 600 is the goal, the effort hardly seems worth it.
Bob Goudreau
Cary, NC
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #92
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Sat Apr 29 11:01:12 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
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Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 11:01:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004291501.LAA21830@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #93
TELECOM Digest Sat, 29 Apr 2000 11:01:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 93
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
4/28/00 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Re: Justice Reaches Altamont, Kansas (Anonymous User)
Infamous Computer Hacker Under Fire (Monty Solomon)
Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit (Tom Betz)
Criminals Hot on Cyberspace Money Trail (Dot Com News-April 2000)
ATT Nowhere Near Target on Cable-Phone Subscribers (Danny Burstein)
Child Privacy Law Locks Out Some Hotmail Members (Monty Solomon)
RIAA Wins Suit Against MP3.com (Monty Solomon)
U.S. Confused About Privacy (Monty Solomon)
Bell 202 (Phillippe Monzat)
Correction to Previous Post (messed up quoting) (Jack Decker)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 4/28/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 00:34:11 -0400
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
Click Here to Subscribe to ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES
http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm
(Registration is required. Names are not sold, rented or leased.)
*************************************************************************
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ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options:
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..................and you could win $10,000!
*************************************************************************
P - OF NOTE: *NON* UNIFORM DISPUTE RESOLUTION ...
'If it is the holding of the panel in General Machine that the Policy
permits speculative registration of names that happen to be the trademarks
of others without a demonstrable plan for bona fide use of the domain name,
then a majority of the present Panel must respectfully disagree with the
decision.'
see http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2102
*************************************************************************
ICB's ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution: currently,
-- Vapor-constituency: ICANN At Large Membership ...
-- SMS/800 system performance problems
-- delayed rollout of 866 and 855;
-- ICANN plans for Famous Marks and new Top Level Domains;
-- flaws in the Domain Dispute System.
see http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm.
*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR APRIL 28, 2000
P - IS IT SOUP YET?
SMS/800 FIFO ' fix' still being 'negotiated'.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2109
P - 411 DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE SERVICES
The FCC seeks comment on Telegate, Inc.'s (Telegate) proposal that the
FCC enhance competition in the directory assistance market by requiring
LECs to implement presubscription to the N11 code '411.'
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2100
P - INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OBLIGATIONS OF ILECS
The FCC has ordered ILECs to use their 'best efforts' to obtain intellectual
property rights from equipment manufacturers and software suppliers for
CLECs when the CLECs utilize network elements provided by the ILECs.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2101
P - J. CREW V. CREW.COM
'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.' G. Gervaise Davis III, Dissenting Panelist
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2102
**************************************************advertisements*********
convenient, flexible domestic toll-free ... robust, value-added ITFS:
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*************************************************************************
P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a
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*************************************************************************
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 APRIL 28, 2000
P - CONVERGED NETWORKS TO TRIPLE DEMAND FOR MANAGED SERVICES
During the next three years, more than half of U.S. companies will
begin converting their data, voice and video traffic onto a single
next generation network using IP Telephony. CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2103
F - SUNRISE + 20: THE NUMBERS TELL THE STORY
According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, the US alone has more
than one million active registered marks. Sunrise+20 variations therefore
represents a potential set-aside of 20 million domain names before a single,
markless individual, association, organization, foundation, cause or event
gets even one.
Editorial by Ellen Rony, Co-author, The Domain Name Handbook: High Stakes
and Strategies in Cyberspace, Member WG-B
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2104
P - CALIFORNIA ON ANTI-'SQUAT' CAMPAIGN
Senate leader John Burton (D-SF), who sponsored the bill, said it is
intended to fill gaps in the Trademark Cyberpiracy Prevention Act.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2105
*************************************************************************
New Report Available:
U.S. TOLL FREE SERVICES: YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW
Details: http://www.icbtollfree.com/productInformation.cfm?ProductId=25
or go to http://www.icbtollfree.com/productInformation.cfm?ProductId=28 for
Discount Purchase, with upgrade to ICB Premium Service.
*************************************************************************
>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<<
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Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name &
Trademark Matters.
When success is the only option.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<<
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR APRIL 28, 2000
P - IT'S 10 PM - DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR AREA CODE IS?
We're so often asked why our insistence on 800 and only 800 for toll
free ... with the proliferation of so many new local area codes,
anything else just gets lost in the consumer blur ... CONTINUED HERE:
http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2106
F - TRENDS
'The explosion of news and information on the World Wide Web is tempting
governments, developed and developing, politically free and not free, to
consider restricting content on the Internet,' said the report conducted
by human rights group Freedom House.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2107
P - CHINA CO. DEFEATS INFOSPACE DOMAIN CHALLENGE
The Jiangsu Jintu High-Tech Co. is a software firm, while Infospace is an
ecommerce company. Their core businesses have no relation with each other.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2108
**************************************************advertisements*********
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*************************************************************************
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*************************************************************************
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Project. Details at: ICANN.salzburgseminar.org
This Project is made possible by grants from the Markle and Ford
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*************************************************************************
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*************************************************************************
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*************************************************************************
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*************************************************************************
Copyright 2000 ICB, Inc. All rights reserved.
*************************************************************************
------------------------------
From: Anonymous User <nobody@lobeda.jena.thur.de>
Subject: Re: Justice Reaches Altamont, Kansas
Date: 29 Apr 2000 14:09:07 +0200
Organization: Anonymous Posting Service
>> All this started on December 19, 1999, while I was in a three-week
>> coma in Topeka at Stormont-Vail hospital. I was certainly glad to
>> find out that while I was sick, our government was diligently
>> continuing to look after my welfare by the arrests of those
>> boys, aren't you?
> All I can say is, thank God I'm not a teenager now. I don't know what
> I find more frightening -- that kids are being taught that anyone who
> doesn't fit into the perfectly homogenized blandness of mainstream
> society is a threat to them, or that they're being trained to accept
> constant surveillance, unwarranted searches, and capricious exercises.
> of authority as facts of life.
SOP for any totalitarian government. Every tyrant knows that to ensure
your hold over the citizenry for tomorrow you must mold the children of
today.
> I hope that a few massive lawsuit payouts are enough to bring law
> enforcement and school officials to their senses before it's too late.
> But in an era where the question "who will protect our children?"
> seems to start a mad rush to give up as many rights as possible lest
> one hair on Junior's little head gets out of place, I'm not that
> optimistic.
Nor should you be. No amount of lawsuits will change a single LEO's
mind because the law-enforcement industry is paid for by government -
and we all know where governments get their money don't we? Correct -
from the citizenry. That's you and me. And as for "before it's too
late", well, it's way past already being too late. LEOs actually look
forward to each new tragedy as it gives them more opportunities to get
"tough new laws" passed granting them even more sweeping powers. Face
it - the Constitution and BoR are pretty much in tatters.
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Nor am I. Kids got a very bum rap as
> a result of Columbine. The kids who were/are 'different' in one way
> or another have been getting all sorts of trouble since Columbine.
> The nightmarish reports of kids being kicked out of school for no
> reason except authorities think they might be planning something
> like Columbine are all too common. The computer 'nerds' have been
> subject to taunting and threats by classmates. The five in Altamont
> have been pariahs since this began. Now that they are talking in
> terms of suits and money, one old biddy on the school board said,
> 'why are they so bitter? Why can't they just forget it?' In your
> final year of high school, you lose five months of school (or maybe
> a full year if the principal goes through with *his* threat to
> keep them out for a full year for 'being disruptive', (the liar
> who was the (mis)informant has not seen a day of punishment); all
> five of them lost their jobs they had after school although two
> of them have gotten their jobs back; their possessions including
> their computers were rifled through and damaged by ignorant cops
> who know nothing about how to use them, and an old biddy wants to
> know why they are 'being so bitter'. The two who got their jobs
> back are employed in the kitchen of a local area hospital. One other
> employee there -- another older lady -- told the two of them she
> hoped they would 'burn in hell' for the plot they cooked up. The
> one boy started to respond but his friend told him to say nothing.
> 'She was looking for a chance to say we threatened her also.' The
> lawyer has told all of them to let him do the talking henceforth.
Who says kids can't learn? Heh. Too bad they have to learn about
lawyers and "No comment" so early in life.
This episode also points out why school board elections are so
important. I'm as guilty as most for blowing these off as unimportant
so shoulder my share of blame for letting the socialists infiltrate
school boards across the nation and furthering their political agenda
of indoctrination. But no more! I'm about ready to run for a school
board position myself.
Talk about bitterness - what the LEOs and politicians don't realise is
that every time they commit an act of oppression on a citizen they
turn that citizen a little more against the System. Perpetrate enough
acts and you turn the citizen into a malcontent. Create enough
malcontents and you have the basis for a revolution. Create a
malcontent angry enough and you have a McVeigh or Unabomber.
It'll go one of two ways: kids today are so oppressed by the System
that they'll either be permanently crushed and molded into whatever
shape the government and the media choose , or they will rise up and
remold the government and media. Sadly, the former is more likely.
Steve
living in the USSA
PS - Pat, great quote from your prescient PolSci teacher about how the
USA and USSR would become indistinguishable from one another. Sad but
true.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 01:54:39 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Infamous Computer Hacker Under Fire
Filed at 5:10 a.m. EDT
By The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kevin Mitnick, the notorious computer hacker
accused of causing millions of dollars in damage to technology
companies, has been ordered to get off the lecture circuit or risk
going back to prison.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/a/AP-Computer-Hacker.html
------------------------------
From: tbetz@panix.com (Tom Betz)
Subject: Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit
Date: 29 Apr 2000 03:24:51 GMT
Organization: Society for the Elimination of Junk Unsolicited Bulk Email
Reply-To: tbetz@pobox.com
Quoth Michael A. Desmon <mdesmon@us-one.net> in
<telecom20.91.5@telecom-digest.org>:
> Under a plea agreement, U.S. District Judge Mariana Pfaelzer
> prohibited Mitnick for three years after his release from any access
> to computers, cellular telephones, televisions or any equipment that
> can be used for Internet access. She said that she thought Mitnick
> would be unable to earn anything above minimum wage.
I suspect that if some sympathetic billionaire were to offer Mitnick
a stipend for the next three years not to do anything, Pfaelzer
would order him not to accept it.
I sincerely hope Mitnick wins on appeal.
|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. | <http://www.panix.com/~tbetz/mailterms.shtml>
|<http://www.pobox.com/~tbetz> | YO! MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS HEAVILY SPAM-ARMORED!
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: 'She thought Mitnick would be unable
to earn anything above minimum wage.' That's what she was hoping!
That judge sounds about as nutty as most federal judges. She definitly
is good at preserving the status-quo. The thing you have to remember
about federal probation officers, judges and other justice department
employees is their need and desire to have total, unmitigated control
over the lives of the people who fall into their trap. If you allow
someone to start earning a decent living, first thing you know they
will be able to hire a smart-mouth lawyer who will make it harder for
you to do your work. The United States Department of Justice, starting
with Janet Reno and working its way down the line to the lowest
employees on the totem pole -- the police officer -- is all as
corrupted as they come, and none of them believe in rights for anyone
but themselves. As Orwell stated, 'some pigs have more rights than
the other ones'. I have said here in the past that the federal
government will not be happy in Mitnick's case until they have him
locked up for good. He has made them look like the fools they are.
I wish him the best of luck and hope he wins on appeal also. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 06:17:06 -0400
From: Network Solutions <thedotcompeople.20@news.networksolutions.com>
Subject: Criminals Hot on Cyberspace Money Trail, THE DOT COM NEWS -April 2000
A NOTE FROM OUR GENERAL MANAGER
You've asked, and we've delivered! Welcome to our inaugural issue of
THE DOT COM NEWS. Based on customer feedback, we're now providing you
with an NSI quarterly newsletter focused on delivering tools to
enhance and further your web presence. In this issue, we've focused
our topic on security and protecting your online identity.
Network Solutions is very proud and pleased to work with the leading
ISPs, web hosting companies, and corporations in the industry as our
business partners. If you usually deal with one of our partners, I
encourage you to continue. If a product or service that you are
interested is not available yet through one of our partners, please
let them know, and feel free to follow the links noted below.
We hope this e-newsletter helps you, and we are always open to your
questions and comments for future topics.
Until next time!
Best,
Doug Wolford
GM-Registrar, Network Solutions, Inc.
========================================================
FEATURE STORY
========================================================
CRIMINALS HOT ON CYBERSPACE MONEY TRAIL
By M.J. Zuckerman, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON -- A survey of systems professionals shows 70% report being
victimized by serious computer crimes, especially on the Internet.
When equipment theft, viruses and other pilfering are factored in, the
figure rises to 90%, according to the fifth annual survey by the FBI
and the Computer Security Institute (CSI) of San Francisco.
Those claiming financial losses reported totals exceeded $265 million,
more than double that of 1999. Full Story:
http://news.networksolutions.com/go/t1/USA/
Copyright 2000, USA TODAY. Reprinted with permission.
___________________________________________________________
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Copyright 2000 Network Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.
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com people are registered trademarks and trademarks of
Network Solutions, Inc.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 11:24:53 -0400 EDT
From: danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com>
Subject: ATT Nowhere Near Target on Cable-Phone Subscribers
URL: http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB956875951229975231.htm
(although the WSJ requires paid subscriptions, I just tried direct
access to this clip and it worked. Don't know if that was a fluke)
April 28, 2000 [Tech Center]
Cable-Telephone Target Poses Challenge for AT&T This Year
By LESLIE CAULEY
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
AT&T Corp. finished the first quarter with about 40,000 customers for
its phone service that runs over beefed-up cable-television lines, and
it faces a daunting challenge meeting its year-end goal of 400,000 to
500,000 customers, people familiar with the matter said.
For AT&T to reach its target, and find at least 360,000 new customers,
it has to sign up at least 43 times as many as it did in all of 1999.
Some people close to the company insist that AT&T is up to the
challenge. AT&T is "going to deliver, come hell or high water," said
one such person.
[snip]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 00:57:25 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Child Privacy Law Locks Out Some Hotmail Members
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Microsoft's implementation of a new federal law protecting children's
privacy has cost some Hotmail customers their accounts.
Some Hotmail members found themselves permanently shut out of their
accounts after Microsoft enacted changes to comply with new regulations
that mandate parental consent for Net users under the age of 13.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-1772629.html
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 01:47:31 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: RIAA Wins Suit Against MP3.com
by Brad King
Months of legal wrangling came to a head Friday when a federal judge
issued a terse order holding MP3.com liable for copyright infringement,
giving the recording industry an early win in its battle to stop the
company from allowing consumers to stream music from a virtual database.
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,35933,00.html
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 01:48:34 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: U.S. Confused About Privacy
by Manny Frishberg
5:00 p.m. Apr. 28, 2000 PDT
SEATTLE -- Differing attitudes and laws covering privacy rights and
free speech are generating conflicting rules for governing the
Internet in the United States and Europe, making it difficult to come
up with a set of global standards to govern the new medium, said a
professor addressing a conference on the issue here.
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,35979,00.html
------------------------------
From: Philippe Monzat <NOSPAMp.monzat@mediaphonics.com>
Subject: Bell 202
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 15:16:10 +0200
Organization: Swisscom IP+ (post doesn't reflect views of Swisscom)
Hi,
I'm looking for an accurate description of the Bell202 standard.
Does anyone know where I can find this information?
Thanks a lot.
Philippe.
Please reply to my personal e-mail by deleting NOSPAM
------------------------------
From: Jack Decker <jack_REMOVE_THIS@novagate.com>
Subject: Correction to Previous Post (messed up quoting)
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2000 9:45:00 AM
For some odd reason, in my previous post about PKZIP and Fidonet, a
level of quotes got stripped. Just for the record, the first TWO
paragraphs (the one that appears to be quoted, and the first one that
does not) were from Joe Greco's original message. The part I wrote
begins with the paragraph that starts out "Since we're all indulging
in a little history here"...
Although I spent quite a bit of time on ExecPC while visiting my
friend in Milwaukee back in maybe 1988 or 1989, I never had a
discussion with Bob Mahoney, but Joe apparently did. Don't want
anyone to think I'm name-dropping! :-)
Jack
(If you send me private e-mail, please make the obvious modification
to my e-mail address.)
Want to know about many useful and FREE Internet services? See this page:
http://freeservices.uni.cc/
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #93
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Apr 30 00:23:06 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
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Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 00:23:06 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200004300423.AAA14063@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #94
TELECOM Digest Sun, 30 Apr 2000 00:23:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 94
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Lauren Responds: My PRIVACY Forum Digest Article (Lauren Weinstein)
Please Help: Reading tyin2000/tyin4000 PC4 Data (Niebonn)
Re: White House Changed Phone Software (Jeremy Greene)
Re: PSINet Buys Canada's Largest Independent ISP (Bram Dov Abramson)
Re: PSINet Buys Canada's Largest Independent ISP (Tony Pelliccio)
Re: PSINet Buys Canada's Largest Independent ISP (Walter Dnes)
Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit (Bill Levant)
Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit (William H. Bowen)
Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit (Art Walker)
Re: Infamous Computer Hacker Under Fire (William H. Bowen)
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Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 11:32 PDT
From: lauren@vortex.com (Lauren Weinstein)
Subject: Lauren Responds: My PRIVACY Forum Digest Article
Greetings. A "few" words on Rob Hall's recent message, where he asserts:
> While I am as concerned as anyone else about privacy on the Net...
An interesting assertion, though perhaps somewhat from the Darth Vader
"We can bring order to the galaxy" school of thinking. Rob's
definition of "privacy" may be a somewhat unique one. In any case ...
> ISPs that offer free access are in business too. The difference is
> that some derive their revenues (to pay for their capital investments
> and recurring monthly costs) by tracking users surfing habits and
> selling that information to advertisers. We, as consumers, have the
> right to choose to use a "free ISP" or a "pay ISP" so long as we have
> the facts available to make an informed decision (e.g. you will be
> tracked vs. no tracking).
And therein lies the rub. One of them, anyway. The manner in which
information about tracking is buried in many free ISP service
agreements (where, as I pointed out originally, tracking has become
the norm) is such that many persons are clearly not making informed
decisions. Does a box pop up the first time people access such
services that clearly states something along the lines of "We will be
tracking your Web usage, including the sites you visit, and using it
for commercial purposes. Do you agree?" Generally not -- the only
clues are in the privacy statements, subject to change at any time and
basically unenforceable, that most people never even bother to read.
Can we blame them for not reading nor understanding the complex
gobbledegook usually presented in these statements? Problematic, at
best. Certainly a lot of people contact me expressing their concern
about tracking by various programs and services -- tracking which they
hadn't realized was going on, even though the privacy policies
involved theoretically included this information.
> Nothing in life is free". Don't want to be tracked? Don't use a
> "free" ISP!
If people fully understand that they are being tracked, how the
information will be distributed and used, and the other relevant
factors, I'd agree -- but only if such practices don't spread to
conventional fee-based ISPs, resulting in situations where the
alternative to buying into the tracking is an unreasonably high fee
premium to maintain your privacy. And that's a serious risk with
Predictive's system, since they are explicitly targeting fee-based
ISPs and backbone providers, as well as free ISPs.
Rob makes the assertion that, in essence, it's people's responsibility
to protect their privacy by, if they wish, not visiting sites without
privacy policies, turning off cookies, and so forth. Unfortunately, a
fundamental complexity in privacy issues is that most people don't
think about privacy until *after* they've been burned. They tend to
use whatever software their ISP hands them, leave the settings at
their defaults (e.g. cookies fully enabled), and not even install
minimum security or browser upgrades. In some respects it's hard to
blame them. So much software is so badly designed that they stand a
good chance of messing up their entire systems, blowing out a Windows
registry, or otherwise finding their systems screwed up after new
software installs. But the bottom line is that my e-mail is
constantly full of messages from folks who have had privacy-related
problems on the net and want to know "why didn't someone tell me this
was going on?"
I refuse to accept the viewpoint that such people, most of them casual
Internet users, should be left to their own devices and be somehow
penalized for not understanding all of the complexities of these
technologies and their ramifications.
> record your session using this IP address. This, in theory, could be
> unused to associate an individual dial-up account with a hit, and should
> "Big Brother" obtain the necessary paperwork, they could tie a user
> back to a visit anyway.
It is certainly the case that all standard Web servers record IP
addresses. Delivery of IP numbers to the remote end of a connection
is a fundamental operational requirement of the net. How *meaningful*
that number is in terms of identifying an individual is another
matter. Dynamic IP address allocations, proxy servers, and other
factors can make this linkage somewhat tenuous in many cases.
However, it is clear that there is increasing use of static IP numbers
from which a fairly direct association can be drawn. But the key
question isn't the numbers themselves, but rather what is *done* with
them later. Many people now realize that their IP addresses are
recorded on the Web servers they visit. The problems really only
start when such information is used for commercial purposes without
the explicit permission of the visitor, is distributed to third
parties, is tied to other external sources of information, or is
otherwise abused.
> Gee, it sounds like this service requires the user to install some
> software on their computer, which will create an "About" menu
> option/icon.
I assumed that this was obvious. Predictive's privacy statement
(which I urged everyone to read when available -- it's now at
http://www.predictivenetworks.com/privacy/index.html) doesn't seem to
explicitly mention the installation of software. But it is clear that
there must be software "hooks" involved, since they need some way to
establish an ID, and to gather the other information about your system
that their policy discusses. This however is unlikely to involve the
downloading of an obvious "tracking module" or anything beyond the
normal startup downloads from an ISP, which is the mechanism by which
tracking technology is typically embedded by existing free ISPs.
Similar software systems, which in some cases persist even after the
originally downloaded "main" application has been removed, have been
at the heart of the ongoing controversy over data reporting modules
found to be embedded in a variety of popular shareware programs.
Predictive makes it clear -- if you try to opt out of their service,
the related ISP may disconnect you, or start charging you a higher
rate. How long will it be before the level of ISP privacy we now
accept as the norm is something you'll effectively have to pay *extra*
for, assuming you can get it at all?
Rob didn't address the issues of Predictive's charging people $50 to
even access their profile more than twice a year, their recording of
keywords used in searching, or many of the other specifics, but I
won't repeat the related info here -- interested parties can both see
their entire privacy policy at the URL above and/or read my entire
report at: http://www.vortex.com/privacy/priv.09.13.
> I detest the idea of tracking, but this article, in my opinion, is
> nothing more than an attempt to incite another public outcry about the
> evils of the Net (or Net company) and provides fodder for ill-informed
> journalist to spew their misinformation over the front pages of the
> world's newspapers ...
You are certainly welcome to your opinion. Another opinion is that of
the FCC's Chief Technologist, Dave Farber, one of the Internet's most
respected personages. He wrote an article (as a private party, not in
his official capacity) strongly agreeing with my concerns that I cited
in my report on this topic. Everyone is free to accept or reject
anyone else's opinions, of course.
> Providing access to the Internet cost money. This is fact. Using
> that access cost money. What is cost (in the context of his article)?
> It's the dollars the consumer pulls from their wallet for "pay ISP
> service" or the privacy they give up by being tracked. The consumer
> makes the choice. No one is going to force anyone to used a tracking
> ISP.
> Let's go back to Business 101. The whole idea of a business is to
> generate revenues in excess of capital outlay and expenses so as to
> make a profit for the shareholders.
Ah, the "Internet as 'cash cow', privacy as a commodity" argument. I
think it's great that people (and indeed, it won't be all that long
before there are a billion of them on the net) can generate revenue
on, by, and with the Internet. Excellent. But what's not acceptable
is the view that somehow the "old rules" of society do not apply in
Internet space. Time and again we see businesses on the net pull
stunts that would never be acceptable in the "real world"-- simply
because they figure that they can get away with them, and the
technology makes such intrusions possible (and most people don't
realize that they are going on). Instead of relying on conventional
advertising, or simply "asking" people what they're interested in,
these folks take the view that the business model that will pay off
the biggest is to follow you around and dig into your activities.
Few of us would likely be accepting of some guy following us around in
a shopping mall with a notepad, making notes of everywhere we look,
anything we touch, anything we buy. Or how about someone peering
through your office window to see when you open a piece of advertising
mail that was sent to you, and then reporting it back to the sender?
But these sorts of activities have become widespread in the Internet
world, without even a modicum of rules or laws to regulate the
collection, use, or distribution of such data which can be so easily
and invisibly collected.
Since this is the TELECOM Digest, how about a telecom analogy? What
if phone companies started offering the following deal: "We'll give
you a discount on your phone service if you'll let us keep track of
everyone you call, and listen in on your calls to find out what topics
you discuss. You can trust us! We'll keep track of all this using a
digital-anonymous-ID system, and we'll only use it to send you special
offers that we're sure you'll enjoy! You can read our privacy policy
(subject to change at any time, so check back often!) for the complete
details ..."
No doubt there'd be some people who'd happily sign up for this (assuming it
were legal, which much of it wouldn't be at this point). But would most
people find it acceptable to undergo such intrusions to save money? Would
their opinion change if the only way to avoid paying substantial rate
increases was to go along with such a plan? Would they give up their
privacy simply out of financial necessity? The similarities between this
scenario and the Internet case are significant, except that on the Internet
many such actions can be completely legal!
It seems fundamentally wrong to use cost-based mechanisms to
manipulate people into giving up aspects of their privacy,
particularly in an almost totally unregulated environment regarding
how that information is used, distributed, sold, or combined with
other data. In a more reasonable regulatory environment, the factors
might be a bit different. But as it stands now, most of the weight is
on the side of the firms who want to extract as much information from
individuals via whatever means that they can, and still remain largely
free from regulatory scrutiny and basic consumer protections.
Since I didn't post my original report to this venue, I probably won't
be able to keep up a continuing dialogue here on this matter, though
interested parties are of course invited to continue this discussion
via the PRIVACY Forum. And by the way, I really appreciated Rob's
message. It helped to reinforce that my educational and informational
efforts in this regard are needed now more than ever. Positive
reinforcement like that is always useful.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@pfir.org or lauren@vortex.com
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
------------------------------
From: niebonn@aol.com (Niebonn)
Date: 29 Apr 2000 23:27:43 GMT
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com
Subject: Please Help: Reading tyin2000/tyin4000 PC4 Data
Please help:
Urgent problem: Any ideas ...?
I am trying to read some audio (voice mostly) which originally came
from the National Semiconductor tyin2000 voice/modem board and by the
tyin4000 voice/modem board. The file are "PC4" format, whatever that
is.
I've tried opening them as raw with a few different packages, with
little success. So far, via Sound Forge 4.5 (demo)/4.0 (release), I
can open them as raw. The following dialog box then asks how to decode
the data, including parameters like:
sample rate, mono/stereo, signed/unsigned/signbit,
16bit-pcm/8bit-pcm/G.711-u-Law/G.711-A-Law.
So far, the most likely-looking waveform has been via raw read with the
following parameters: 8kHz, mono, G.711-A-Law.
I get a reasonably good looking waveform, with a reasonably
appropriate sound clip playing time, etc. However, when played, they
still sound a little like chipmunks. I've tried changing the sample
rate slower and faster, but they still sound like chipmunks.
Does anyone know if there are other packages with further parameters
to try? Does anyone know if there are any packages which can
automatically sort through the various combinations of parameters?
Does anyone know what PC4 is (a standard maybe)?
Thanks in advance ...
------------------------------
From: Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net>
Subject: Re: White House Changed Phone Software
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 20:40:37 -0400
Patrick Townson <ptownson@telecom-digest.org> wrote in message
news:telecom20.90.12@telecom-digest.org ...
> New cover-up:
> 'Project PBX' White House changed phone software
> to disguise long-distance caller traffic
Hmm, now we know why there are no call-detail records. This kind of
behavior makes me furious ... perhaps the Feds who raided Elian's
house could raid the White House phone closet and seize the "doctored"
phone switch.
PBX-gate, anyone?
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 21:21:07 -0400
From: Bram Dov Abramson <babramson@telegeography.com>
Subject: Re: PSINet Buys Canada's Largest Independent ISP
J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca>:
> Joey Lindstrom wrote:
>> CADVision, an independent ISP in Calgary, Alberta, has been purchased
>> by PSINet.
> PSInet , I believe, also purchased Totalnet in Montreal. It too was
> the largest independant remaining ISP in the area. Totalnet had been
> purchased by Mpac Immedia, and when BCE Emergis purchased Mpac, MPac
> sold Totalnet to PSINET instead of integrating it into Sympatico.
> I have to assume that PSINET is doing the same in every large city in
> Canada to acquire a national presence.
And don't forget Montreal's well-liked Mlink too, which I'd assume was
one of the larger ones as well. Let's not blame Canada though ;-) --
acquiring major independent ISPs in the different national markets is
hardly unusual for PSINET! What would really be fun to read would be
a blow-by-blow of the network integration process into the PSINET
backbone in a city like Montreal (or HK or TOkyo) where PSINET bought
multiple large (competing) access providers.
Cheers,
Bram
------------------------------
From: Tony Pelliccio <nogoddamnedspam.tonypo1@nofreakinspam.home.com>
Subject: Re: PSINet Buys Canada's Largest Independent ISP
Organization: Providence Network Partners
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 19:57:40 GMT
In article <telecom20.92.9@telecom-digest.org>,
jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca says ...
> Joey Lindstrom wrote:
>> CADVision, an independent ISP in Calgary, Alberta, has been purchased
>> by PSINet.
> PSInet , I beleive, also purchased Totalnet in Montreal. It too was
> the largest independant remaining ISP in the area. Totalnet had been
> purchased by Mpac Immedia, and when BCE Emergis purchased Mpac, MPac
> sold Totalnet to PSINET instead of integrating it into Sympatico.
> I have to assume that PSINET is doing the same in every large city in
> Canada to acquire a national presence.
I hope you all realize that this will mean additional spam in you
mailbox.
Vist http://www.spamcop.net and check out the top spam sites reported.
They rank as follows:
1) AOL
2) PSI Net
3) UUNet
Interesting that the ones who aggresively market themselves are the ones
spawning all the spam.
Tony
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 16:49:39 EDT
From: Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>
Subject: Re: PSINet Buys Canada's Largest Independent ISP
On Fri Apr 28 05:23:31 2000, Joey Lindstrom <Joey@GaryNumanFan.NU> wrote:
> CADVision, an independent ISP in Calgary, Alberta, has been purchased
> by PSINet. Until this move, CADVision was a bit of an oddity in the
> ISP field -- they were staunchly independent, had no plans to expand
> to other cities, and were kicking ASS on the "big boys", namely Telus
> and Shaw. They were also the largest privately-held ISP in Canada.
> Last time I checked, CADVision had more customers than all other
> Calgary-area ISP's combined, despite Shaw's very aggressive marketing
> of its "Shaw@Home" cablemodem offering.
I have a sickening sense of of deja-vu here. I would urge you to
start scouting out other ISP's. If my experience is anything to go by,
things will hum along as per normal for several months. Then they'll
start unravelling.
> I've been with these guys since 1995, and there's a reason they're #1
> in Calgary: their service is second to none):
I was with Interlog here in Toronto for a few years. They grew to
approx 50,000 members and had an excellent reputation. The reputation
contributed to Interlog being voted #1 ISP in Toronto in an
independant magazine survey ... *FOR THREE YEARS IN A ROW*. Then they
were bought out by PSI.
At first nothing seemed to change. The first noticeable change was an
increase in the monthly free traffic quota on downloads from personal
websites. So far, so good. Then, last fall/winter the beancounters
started hacking+slashing.
The first noticeable change was the consolidation of news servers.
PSI had bought up several Toronto ISPs, and decided to consolidate
their infrastructure. So instead of getting usenet news from
news.interlog.com, it became news.psi.ca. At times, it seemed like
"no-news.psi.ca" might have been more truthful. There were lots of
outages, which the support staff didn't seem to believe. Many groups
had far fewer articles than the same groups on other ISPs' servers.
Other groups were simply empty, period. After a lot of stonewalling
and denials, it was finally confirmed the news server had a "technical
limitation" of 10,000 bytes in text newsgroups. So we could basically
forget digestified newsgroups like comp.risks; dumb, dumb, dumb.
Then the Toronto area mailservers were merged into mail.psi.ca,
which was physically located at another of the Toronto-area ISPs that
PSI had gobbled up. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the admin
of that machine about the change, and that Interlog customers were now
authorized to send out email via that machine. So Interlog's
customers were unable to send email for a couple of days, getting back
"relaying not allowed" messages. That was straightened out, but there
were a lot more mail outages than we had been used to at Interlog.
The billing office in downtown Toronto was shut down in November, and
accounts are now handled (or in my case, mis-handled) from Ottawa.
The thing that pushed me to jump was the announcement at the
beginning of December that shell service was being discontinued in
four weeks. I use procmail on the ISP's server to keep my mailbox
readable, so shell was a necessity for me. Today, I'm running a linux
box at home, providing my own shell for me, so that might not be such
a major item today. But back then, I was not able to run procmail on
my machine at home.
On a more sombre note, the local support staff was all laid off in
December, just before the holidays, with support being done via a
toll- free long distance number. I believe that they got quite good
financial settlements, including the new hires who had been hired just
a few weeks earlier. Even a beancounter understands the potential
costs of lawsuits, so generous settlements are simply cheap insurance.
For a telecommunications company, one would think that communications
inside the company might be a priority, but that wasn't the case with
PSI and Interlog. I have to feel sorry for the local staff who had to
take the flack for stupidity at HQ, which they were not aware of until
after the fact. Examples ...
1) As noted above, help-desk staff were being hired locally mere weeks
before the entire operation was canned.
2) I was one of the customers who favoured implementation of MAPS RBL
at Interlog. The local staff were against it because of potential
blockages of legitimate email. However, one day, one customer
complained in one of the support groups that email from some other ISP
to him (at Interlog) was being bounced, with a message referring to
MAPS. That was when we found out that MAPS RBL had been implemented
here for several months *WITHOUT THE LOCAL STAFF/MANAGEMENT BEING AWARE
OF IT*.
3) The shell fiasco was a total comedy of errors. It started out with
months of assurances that no, shell was not going to be dropped. That
was followed by the announcement in December, that it was going to be
dropped. Then in early January, it was still going, and it was
announced that it would continue. Speculation on the local newsgroups
was ...
a) somebody threatened to sue for false advertising (i.e. assurances
that shell would not be dropped)
b) it became obvious to staff that shell was required to administer
the system
c) one wag suggested that in December, they laid off the last person
who knew how to turn off the shell service.
I downgraded my account to minimal (10 hours month) and kept it as an
emergency backup. Interlog used to grow by word-of-mouth referrals.
Now PSI has to offer incentives to get people to refer new customers.
Walter Dnes <waltdnes@waltdnes.org>
formerly waltdnes@interlog.com
------------------------------
From: Wlevant@aol.com (Bill Levant)
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 17:03:12 EDT
Subject: Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: ... I have said here in the past that the
> federal government will not be happy in Mitnick's case until they
> have him locked up for good.
You and I have disagreed on this in the past, PAT, but now I concur -- the
feds are overreaching. This smacks of vindictiveness.
> I wish him the best of luck and hope he wins on appeal also. PAT]
You and me both.
Bill
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: From the beginning they kept Kevin
in prison without a trial for years, then when they eventually had
a trial they started counting the time then, instead of from the
minute the handcuffs went on him as they are supposed to do. Kevin
has been screwed royally by the federal government. PAT]
------------------------------
From: bowenb@best.com (William H. Bowen)
Subject: Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 22:53:41 GMT
Reply-To: bowenb@best.com
Daniel Seagraves <root@bony.umtec.com> wrote:
> On 29 Apr 2000, Tom Betz wrote:
>> Quoth Michael A. Desmon <mdesmon@us-one.net> in
>> <telecom20.91.5@telecom-digest.org>:
>>> Under a plea agreement, U.S. District Judge Mariana Pfaelzer
>>> prohibited Mitnick for three years after his release from any access
>>> to computers, cellular telephones, televisions or any equipment that
>>> can be used for Internet access. She said that she thought Mitnick
>>> would be unable to earn anything above minimum wage.
>> I suspect that if some sympathetic billionaire were to offer Mitnick
>> a stipend for the next three years not to do anything, Pfaelzer
>> would order him not to accept it.
>> I sincerely hope Mitnick wins on appeal.
> [The sarcasm-impaired will want to stop reading now. I'm in a nasty mood
> and I feel like writing something nasty. Do with it what you will.]
> This one's real simple - the judge wanted to make sure he didn't do any
> better than minimum wage. So he smarted off to her by doing better[1].
> Now she'll correct his bad behaviour.
> Mitnick should just shut up and bide his time a McDonalds or whatever he
> can get (Oh wait, Mickey Ds uses computers, doesn't it? Scratch that...
> Maybe he could mow lawns?) He's been convicted of using computers to
> commit crime, so the general population will see him as a wiseass little
> punk comptuer hacker that needs put in his place.
> Of course, it's his own fault for getting caught hacking in the first
> place. You're not SUPPOSED to understand how telephones, computers, etc.
> operate, you're just supposed to shut up and buy their products.
> Knowlege is power, and power is dangerous, and all that fun stuff.
> You're supposed to just Shut Up and Follow The Rules.
> OK, rant off, I'm done for now...
> [1] Or at least that's how she will see it, and that's all that really
> counts. We all know how useful your so-called Constitutional Rights
> are in this day and age, when anyone with sufficient $$$ can merely
> ignore them.
This witch of a judge has made a career of stomping on the
Constitutional rights of folks.
I'm no great fan of Mitnicks, but I want him to win on this one.
Regards,
Bill Bowen
bowenb@best.com
Daly City, CA
------------------------------
From: awalkernav99@earthlink.net (Art Walker)
Subject: Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit
Organization: The Flippydoo Group, Denver CO
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 20:41:38 GMT
On 29 Apr 2000 03:24:51 GMT, Tom Betz <tbetz@panix.com> wrote:
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: 'She thought Mitnick would be unable
> to earn anything above minimum wage.' That's what she was hoping!
Then why hasn't Mitnick been "encouraged" to find work doing field
cleanup at whichever Superfund site is currently considered the most
hazardous ("for two years or life, whichever comes first")?
Art
------------------------------
From: bowenb@best.com (William H. Bowen)
Subject: Re: Infamous Computer Hacker Under Fire
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 23:00:29 GMT
Reply-To: bowenb@best.com
Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> wrote:
> LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kevin Mitnick, the notorious computer hacker
> accused of causing millions of dollars in damage to technology
> companies, has been ordered to get off the lecture circuit or risk
> going back to prison.
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/a/AP-Computer-Hacker.html
As far as I'm concerned, it is the JUDGE that needs to spend some time
in the "Gray Bar Hotel". This is not the first time this witch has run
roughshod over the Constitution.
Just as a point of reference for those of you from California, this is
the same judge that, in concert with our commie Governor "Red" Davis,
buried Prop. 187.
Regards,
Bill Bowen
bowenb@best.com
Daly City, CA
P.S. Definition of our government: Organized crime with a flag on the
wall.
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #94
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Sun Apr 30 23:46:03 2000
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Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 23:46:03 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
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To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #95
\q
TELECOM Digest Sun, 30 Apr 2000 23:46:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 95
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Lauren Weinstein's Privacy Forum Digest Article (Richard D.G. Cox)
Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit (Curtis Bohl)
Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit (Tony Pelliccio)
Al Gore and the Internet (Re: Obituary: Phil Katz) (Lars Poulsen)
Re: Child Privacy Law Locks Out Some Hotmail Members (Joel M. Hoffman)
Re: Child Privacy Law Locks Out Some Hotmail Members (Tad Cook)
Re: White House Phone Coverup (Charles B. Wilber)
Are There Three-Watt Digital Car Phones? (John R. Levine)
Re: PSINet Buys Canada's Largest Independent ISP (Mark Brader)
Re: More Area Code Fun in Eastern Massachusetts (Fred Goldstein)
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'.
TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 11:21 +0100
From: Richard@office.mandarin.com (Richard D G Cox)
Subject: Re: Lauren Weinstein's Privacy Forum Digest Article
It's one thing having your ISP start to track your 'net activity.
At least, as Lauren says, you have the ability to change your ISP:
but when a government does it, you can't easily change the government!
(Possibly you can't change them at all -- depending on your view of
where the real power lies ...)
The following item from the UK "Sunday Times" explains what we are facing:
law that would never have been acceptable to a Right Wing administration
is now being introduced "fast-track" by a "socialist" government
http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/sti/2000/04/30/stinwenws01034.html
MI5 builds new centre to read e-mails on the net
(Nicholas Rufford)
MI5 is building a new e-mail surveillance centre that will have the
power to monitor all e-mails and internet messages sent and received
in Britain. The government is to require internet service providers,
such as Freeserve and AOL, to have "hardwire" links to the new
computer facility so that messages can be traced across the internet.
The security service and the police will still need Home Office
permission to search for e-mails and internet traffic, but they can
apply for general warrants that would enable them to intercept
communications for a company or an organisation.
The new computer centre, codenamed GTAC -- government technical
assistance centre -- which will be up and running by the end of the
year inside MI5's London headquarters, has provoked concern among
civil liberties groups. "With this facility, the government can track
every website that a person visits, without a warrant, giving rise to
a culture of suspicion by association," said Caspar Bowden, director
of the Foundation for Information Policy Research.
The government already has powers to tap phone lines linking computers,
but the growth of the internet has made it impossible to read all
material. By requiring service providers to install cables that will
download material to MI5, the government will have the technical
capability to read everything that passes over the internet.
Home Office officials say the centre is needed to tackle the use of
the internet and mobile phone networks by terrorists and international
crime gangs. Charles Clark, the minister in charge of the spy centre
project, said it would allow police to keep pace with technology.
"Hardly anyone was using the internet or mobile phones 15 years ago,"
a Home Office source said. "Now criminals can communicate with each
other by a huge array of devices and channels and can encrypt their
messages, putting them beyond the reach of conventional
eavesdropping."
There has been an explosion in the use of the internet for crime in
Britain and across the world, leading to fears in western intelligence
agencies that they will soon be left behind as criminals abandon the
telephone and resort to encrypted e-mails to run drug rings and
illegal prostitution and immigration rackets.
The new spy centre will decode messages that have been encrypted.
Under new powers due to come into force this summer, police will be
able to require individuals and companies to hand over computer
"keys", special codes that unlock scrambled messages.
There is controversy over how the costs of intercepting internet
traffic should be shared between government and industry. Experts
estimate that the cost to Britain's 400 service providers will be
30m in the first year. Internet companies say that this is too
expensive, especially as many are making losses.
About 15m people in Britain have internet access. Legal experts have
warned that many are unguarded in the messages they send or the material
they download, believing that they are safe from prying eyes.
"The arrival of this spy centre means that Big Brother is finally here,"
said Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes. "The balance between the
state and individual privacy has swung too far in favour of the state."
[End quoted article]
Richard D G Cox
Mandarin Technology, P.O. Box 111, Penarth, South Glamorgan, CF64 3YG UK
Telephone: +44 1222 311111; Fax: +44 1222 311110; Pager: +44 76 4111 5555
Senders of genuine e-mail should delete "office" from the e-mail address.
------------------------------
From: Curtis Bohl <cbohl@trib.net>
Subject: Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 12:25:39 -0500
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
I have to agree. At first, I was put off by finding out Mitnick was on the
lecture circuit, but...
1. I would rather have him earning money to pay off his fines and
restitution;
2. As a Network Engineer, I would like to hear how he was able to hack in in
order to cover my bases on my systems;
3. After hearing this morning that some college let a <piece of filth>
incarcerated convicted murderer of a police officer speak via tape to their
graduation class, while a judge tries to take away the first amendment
rights of a person no longer incarcerated, I do have to hope that someone
from the ACLU is out there ...
William H. Bowen <bowenb@best.com> wrote in message
news:telecom20.94.8@telecom-digest.org...
>> Of course, it's his own fault for getting caught hacking in the first
>> place. You're not SUPPOSED to understand how telephones, computers, etc.
>> operate, you're just supposed to shut up and buy their products.
>> Knowlege is power, and power is dangerous, and all that fun stuff.
>> You're supposed to just Shut Up and Follow The Rules.
> I'm no great fan of Mitnicks, but I want him to win on this one.
Agreed.
Curtis
cbohl@trib.net
------------------------------
From: Tony Pelliccio <nogoddamnedspam.tonypo1@nofreakinspam.home.com>
Subject: Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit
Organization: Providence Network Partners
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 17:48:57 GMT
In article <Pine.LNX.4.10.10004291108260.2368-100000@bony.umtec.com>,
root@bony.umtec.com says ...
> This one's real simple - the judge wanted to make sure he didn't do any
> better than minimum wage. So he smarted off to her by doing better[1].
> Now she'll correct his bad behaviour.
I'm sorry, but when a judge does something like this it just poisons the
credibility of the entire legal body. Then again, there hasn't been much
credibility in that for years.
> Mitnick should just shut up and bide his time a McDonalds or whatever he
> can get (Oh wait, Mickey Ds uses computers, doesn't it? Scratch that
...
> Maybe he could mow lawns?) He's been convicted of using computers to
> commit crime, so the general population will see him as a wiseass little
> punk comptuer hacker that needs put in his place.
CPU's live in lawnmowers too. He's pretty much confined to manual labor
without the assistance of technology.
As far as I'm concerned, that is cruel and unusual punishment.
> Of course, it's his own fault for getting caught hacking in the first
> place. You're not SUPPOSED to understand how telephones, computers, etc.
> operate, you're just supposed to shut up and buy their products.
> Knowlege is power, and power is dangerous, and all that fun stuff.
> You're supposed to just Shut Up and Follow The Rules.
Please, people like him enhanced the security of those systems by
exposing the blatant flaws in them. Back in the early 80's I was running
amok all over the Bell System and never got caught. Mitnik was just the
scapegoat chosen by the fed, that's all.
------------------------------
From: Lars Poulsen <lars@cmc.com>
Subject: Al Gore and the Internet (Re: Obituary: Phil Katz)
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 16:05:04 -0700
Organization: None
Roy Smith wrote:
>> generation who think that Bill Gates invented the internet
>> Silly. Everybody knows Al Gore invented the internet :-)
Unfortunately, not everybody knows that; in fact I suspect that
YOU don't know it ... that you are mentioning this precisely
because you don't believe it to be true ... but it is!
Prior to about 1993, there was something called the Internet,
but it was mostly a toy for university researchers. The backbone
that connected the various regional networks was a set of routers
built by IBM, connected by T1 circuits provided by MCI and
operated by the Michigan Educational Research and Information
Techology non-profit foundation (MERIT) under contract to the
National Science Foundation (NSF) which had commisioend the network
to connect its supercomputer centers. While for-profit businesses
(including the first fledgling dial-up Internet Service Providers)
were allowed to connect to the network, they were not allowed to
send traffic to each other across the government paid network;
they were only supposed to use it to connect to the non-profits
in support of the government mission.
Senator Al Gore created the Internet as we know it, by sponsoring
legislation that shifted the funding from NSF to the universities,
encouraging them to buy the backbone connections from a new set
of commercial backbone network service providers, thus opening
the network to commercial traffic.
Vint Cerf (and others) designed the protocols, but Al Gore
designed the economics.
/ Lars Poulsen - http://www.cmc.com/lars - lars@cmc.com
125 South Ontare Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 - +1-805-569-5277
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Child Privacy Law Locks Out Some Hotmail Members
From: joel@exc.com (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman)
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 13:40:43 GMT
Organization: Road Runner
> Some Hotmail members found themselves permanently shut out of their
> accounts after Microsoft enacted changes to comply with new regulations
> that mandate parental consent for Net users under the age of 13.
In a related development, I just got mail from Yahoo concerning an
account I set up a year ago. I called it joelho1999 (or something
like that, maybe johoffman1999; something1999). I got e-mail saying
that, based on the name I have chosen, Yahoo suspects that I am under
18 years of age. I guess they're assuming that the date represents
the year I was born, which is often the case. But do they really
think that I've yet to reach my second birthday and already I've set
up my own e-mail account? I must be a prodigy ...
------------------------------
From: Tad Cook <tad@aa.net>
Subject: Re: Child Privacy Law Locks Out Some Hotmail Members
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 23:44:09 -0700
Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> wrote:
> Microsoft's implementation of a new federal law protecting children's
> privacy has cost some Hotmail customers their accounts.
> Some Hotmail members found themselves permanently shut out of their
> accounts after Microsoft enacted changes to comply with new regulations
> that mandate parental consent for Net users under the age of 13.
This happened to my 12 year old stepdaughter a couple of days ago. I got this second-hand from her, but as she tells it she logged
into her Hotmail account, was asked if she was over 13 and if an adult were present. Always honest to a fault, she answered no to
both questions and is now permanently locked out of the mail account she has been using for over a year.
Tad Cook
tad@aa.net
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: That's what happens to teenagers who
are honest. She should remember to lie to Microsoft when asked about
something like that. PAT]
------------------------------
Date: 30 Apr 2000 10:40:30 EDT
From: Charles.B.Wilber@Dartmouth.EDU (Charles B. Wilber)
Reply-To: Charles.B.Wilber@Dartmouth.EDU (Charles B. Wilber)
Subject: Re: White House Phone Coverup
> New cover-up:
> 'Project PBX' White House changed phone software
> to disguise long-distance caller traffic
> Hmm, now we know why there are no call-detail records. This kind of
> behavior makes me furious ... perhaps the Feds who raided Elian's
> house could raid the White House phone closet and seize the "doctored"
> phone switch.
> PBX-gate, anyone?
First the White House circumvents the legally required bid process and
purchases a $25 million PBX even though there was nothing wrong with
the one that was already in place. Then they spend another half
million to have the software rewritten to mask the origin of calls
placed from the White House. This tells me two things.
First, their intent was clearly to deceive and obfuscate since no
other scenario makes sense. No one but the White House crowd
themselves and the courts would have had access to the call detail
records so claims of 'security risk' would be ridiculous coming from
the least security conscious administration in modern history.
Second, all calls coming from the White House must be assumed to have
come from the President or Vice-President until proven otherwise. In a
White House where billing records disappear when subpoenaed and later
mysteriously appear on a sitting room table after the heat dies down,
it is difficult to see an innocent motive in these PBX shenanigans.
CBW
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 23:49:47 EDT
From: John R Levine <johnl@iecc.com>
Subject: Are There Three-Watt Digital Car Phones?
Does anyone make digital car phones? By "car phone" I mean a phone
that's permanently mounted in the vehicle, is powered from the car's
electrical system, has a separate microphone (usually on the sun
visor) for hands-free that really works, and most importantly, can
transmit at 3W using a half-wave antenna as opposed to the .75W that
handhelds do.
The reason I ask is that I have a five year old analog Motorola phone
in my truck which works fine but the cell companies are offering much
better rate plans for digital service than for analog. It's rural and
hilly around here, and I get much more reliable service with my 3W
phone than my friends do with their .75W phones. Either TDMA or CDMA
is OK, Verizon is CDMA, SBC/CellOne is TDMA, their prices are about
the same. PCS isn't interesting, the only PCS in the area is
Omnipoint and their closest tower is over 10 mi away, too far for PCS
service.
I see that Motorola has a car kit for their Star-Tac phones for about
$200 that does power, hands-free, and has an external antenna
connection, but it's not clear whether it boosts the power above .75W.
Any other suggestions?
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
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 02:20:00 EDT
From: msb@vex.net (Mark Brader)
Subject: Re: PSINet Buys Canada's Largest Independent ISP
Walter Dnes writes:
> 3) The shell fiasco was a total comedy of errors. It started out with
> months of assurances that no, shell was not going to be dropped. That
> was followed by the announcement in December, that it was going to be
> dropped. Then in early January, it was still going ...
Walter tells the story well, but this part he understates. It started
out with an announcement that shell service was going to be moved to
one or more new, dedicated servers, and all shell users had to
register via a certain web page to make sure their accounts were put
on the new server.
This announcement was disseminated in multiple ways. In particular,
it went into the /etc/motd file, so we saw it for some months every
time we logged on to the shell.
Then on November 3, they sent out a mass email message whose first
paragraph read:
> Please be advised that the current dial up number you use to obtain your
> SLIP/SHELL/STATIC service is being changed. If you currently dial into
> 416-555-XXXX, effective November 5th you must begin to dial into
> 416-957-XXXX. Also be advised that this service will be discontinued as of
> December 1, 1999. After which point we will no longer support SLIP, SHELL
> or STATIC accounts.
That's right -- the notice that the service was going away was phrased
as an *afterthought*. (And there was nothing further about that
subject in the rest of the message.)
Now back up to the second sentence, where I've X'd out the last digits
of the phone numbers. Notice that 555? They quoted their own phone
number wrong, in a message about how it was being changed!
Needless to say, angry threads began in the Interlog newsgroups. At
least one person never got the mass email message. After several
days, someone pointed out in a posting that the old notice in about
the new shell server was still in /etc/motd, and only then did they
sheepishly remove it.
I didn't wait for December 1 to get out.
On December 2 (sic), they announced that shell service would continue
until December 31. And as Walter writes, sometime after that they
decided not to take it away after all.
> one wag suggested that in December, they laid off the last person
> who knew how to turn off the shell service.
Makes sense to me!
Mark Brader, Toronto, msb@vex.net
"Have you ever heard [my honesty] questioned?"
"I never even heard it mentioned." -- Every Day's a Holiday
My text in this article is in the public domain.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 23:23:22 -0400
From: Fred Goldstein <fgoldstein@wn.net>
Subject: Re: More Area Code Fun in Eastern Massachusetts
Jeffrey J. Carpenter <jjc@POBOX.COM> wrote,
> I do not know much about the situation in Massachusetts, but
> Dr. Selwyn is a quack. He testitfied and submitted a large statement
> in the 215/412/610 area code relief cases where he supported the
> proposal made by the Pennsylvania Consumer Advocate for a "tranparent
> overlay". The tranparent overlay is was an ill-conceived, technically
> flawed proposal to use unused NXX's from the 814 area code and make
> this transparent to the user. I read his briefs and participated in a
> hearing where this was discussed, and it was obvious that he did not
> understand the technical implications of what he was proposing.
I don't know about the Pennsylvania testimony in question, but it is
outrageous to label Dr. Selwyn a "quack". He is one of the top
experts in the economics of the telecommunications business, and is
well versed on technical issues as well. (Disclaimer: My first job in
the industry, over two decades ago, was working for his firm, ETI, and
we are both currently doing work for the same client on a case.) The
paper he wrote about (in 1998) area code conservation in Massachusetts
is excellent, summarizing a number of issues that the state and
federal regulatory agencies have failed to take into account. He's
especially hard on the cellular players, who are at once exempt from
area code splits (cellular numbers don't change, regardless of what
rate center they're theoretically in) and protected against being put
into "service-specific" overlays, where I suspect most cellular
customers would be happy to be. But he's also clear about the
obsolescense of the tiny rate centers which cause numbers to be
consumed so rapidly by CLECs. We have one Bell urban wire center here
divided into four distinct rate centers, and a suburban one divided
into three!
For those who think a "transparent overlay" is a problem, what about
Florida's "Double-Back-Somersault Reverse Concentrated Overlay with a
Twist", to quote http://www.lincmad.com/commentary.html? The whole
thing is out of hand.
We just split all of Eastern MA two years ago, creating 781 and 978 to
relieve 617 and 508. They split in order to retain seven-digit dialing,
since the FCC, again causing unnecessary pain, demands that overlays
be accompanied by ten-digit dialing. But the new areas (actually the
old codes, 617 and 508) were rapidly exhausted by pent-up demand,
which isn't all sated yet, though 1000s-block pooling will help a lot.
So now it's overlay time anyway, only four overlays are needed instead
of two (which could have added additional overlay area codes as
needed, rather than re-split). Certainly an overlay is better than
splitting it down to micro-areas.
But the whole thing is unnecessary. We have number portability across
the entire LATA (all four area codes). The FCC could have allowed the
state to implement total number pooling, wherein the ownership of all
numbers moves from carriers to a neutral third party. That's how 800
works, and 800 portability is technically fairly similar to local
number portability. It's also rather like DNS, wherein the name and
address are different; under total number pooling, a ten-digit number
becomes the equivalent of a name, with no network-address semantics
attached. I guess Bell has been fighting that, since they have most
of the numbers and would rather blame CLECs for the splits.
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #95
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon May 1 23:34:31 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id XAA23911;
Mon, 1 May 2000 23:34:31 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 23:34:31 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200005020334.XAA23911@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #96
TELECOM Digest Mon, 1 May 2000 23:34:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 96
Inside this issue:
Telecom Update (Canada) #231, May 1, 2000 (Angus TeleManagement)
Mitnick Reacts to Speaking Ban (Monty Solomon)
NOS Comm Affinity Network, ANI, QuantumLink, HorizonOne (Trevor Reynolds)
Re: Al Gore and the Internet (Re: Obituary: Phil Katz) (J.F. Mezei)
GPS Selective Availability Gone (S. Falke)
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'.
TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
service offered to the Internet by Patrick Townson. All the contents
of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
some other media on an occasional basis, but please attribute my work
and that of the original author.
Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
Post Office Box 259
Independence, KS 67301
Phone: 805-545-5115
Email: editor@telecom-digest.org
Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org
This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
unications on the Internet, having been founded in August, 1981 and
published continuously since then. Our archives are available for
your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/
mailing list on the internet in any category!
URL information: http://telecom-digest.org
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 10:20:58 -0400
From: Angus TeleManagement <editors@angustel.ca>
Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #231, May 1, 2000
************************************************************
TELECOM UPDATE
Angus TeleManagement's Weekly Telecom Newsbulletin
http://www.angustel.ca
Number 231: May 1, 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:
** Call-Net No Longer for Sale
** Senate Committee to Review Telecom Competition
** Telus Delays CEO Announcement
** BCE Completes Spinoff of Nortel
** Bell Discounts on Business Lines Approved
** Nortel Expanding Again in Ottawa
** PSINet Buys CADVision
** SaskTel Allies With SkyCable
** Norigen, Cadillac Fairview Come to Terms
** Telus Wants Out-Of-Territory Forbearance
** Optel Joint Venture Offers DSL
** Globalstar Starts Up Overseas Roaming
** Gateway Raises $25 Million
** Primus Appeals Service Charge on Centrex Lines
** Bell Wants to Extend Winback Promotion, Again
** Ottawa Proposes Microwave Licensing Changes
** TIW Wins Wireless License in UK Auction
** Financial Results
AT&T Canada
Aliant
JDS Uniphase
Look Communications
Manitoba Tel
QuebecTel
SaskTel
** Nortel Changes IP-PBX Plans
============================================================
CALL-NET NO LONGER FOR SALE: The Board of Directors of Call- Net
Enterprises says the company is no longer for sale. The Board says the
acquisition proposals it reviewed "were not as attractive as
[Call-Net's] new growth plan."
** Call-Net has named Randall Benson as Chief Financial
Officer. Benson was a Crescendo Partners' nominee for
Board of Directors in last fall's fight for control of the
company. (See Telecom Update #203b)
** Call-Net's first-quarter 2000 revenue rose 4.2% from the
previous quarter; sales to business customers rose 7.3%
and now make up 71% of revenue. The net loss was $101
Million, compared to $88 Million the previous quarter.
SENATE COMMITTEE TO REVIEW TELECOM COMPETITION: The Senate
Subcommittee on Communications has launched a three-phase
review of the communications industry in Canada, examining
convergence, competition, and the role of federal regulatory
agencies.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/36/2/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/comm-e.htm
TELUS DELAYS CEO ANNOUNCEMENT: Telecom Update has learned that Telus
Communications will not announce its new CEO at its annual meeting
this week. The company, which is now negotiating contract terms with
its preferred candidate, expects to announce the appointment in June.
BCE COMPLETES SPINOFF OF NORTEL: BCE's distribution of most
of its Nortel stock begins this week: public trading of the
new BCE-without-Nortel stock begins Wednesday.
** Jean Monty is BCE's new Chairman, replacing L.R. (Red)
Wilson.
** BCE reported first-quarter baseline earnings (without
Nortel) of $278 Million, up 2.6% from last year. Bell
Canada local service revenue was up 10%, long distance and
network services were up 4%. Bell Mobility's cellular
subscriber total rose 83,000 to 1.88 Million.
BELL DISCOUNTS ON BUSINESS LINES APPROVED: The CRTC has okayed Bell
Canada's proposed discounts on local business lines ($2 to $5.50/month
for one- or three-year contracts, plus a further discount of
$2.50/month for customers using Bell long distance). Bell must
formally confirm customers' consent to the contract terms. (see
Telecom Update #222).
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/Orders/2000/O2000-346.htm
NORTEL EXPANDING AGAIN IN OTTAWA: Nortel Networks is adding 600,000
square feet to its facilities in Ottawa and plans to hire an
additional 1,250 employees there this year. (See Telecom Update #207,
220)
** Nortel's first-quarter revenue increased 48% over last
year to US$6.32 Billion. Net earnings were US$347 Million,
up 80%. Sales rose 54% in the U.S. and 4% in Canada.
PSINET BUYS CADVISION: CADVision, Canada's largest independent
Internet Service Provider, has been acquired by PSINet. The
Calgary-based company was the first independent ISP to offer
high-speed Internet access using DSL technology.
SASKTEL ALLIES WITH SKYCABLE: SaskTel has purchased 29.9% of SkyCable,
a Manitoba "wireless cable" carrier owned by Craig Broadcast
Systems. SaskTel plans to develop service for its Saskatchewan fixed
wireless license in partnership with SkyCable. (See Telecom Update
#226)
NORIGEN, CADILLAC FAIRVIEW COME TO TERMS: Cadillac Fairview has agreed
to provide Norigen with equipment space in 13 of its Toronto-area
office buildings. (See Telecom Update #210)
TELUS WANTS OUT-OF-TERRITORY FORBEARANCE: Telus wants to amalgamate
all of its subsidiaries into a single company by January 1,
2001. First, however, it wants the CRTC to rule that the amalgamation
will not trigger re-regulation of its CLEC and payphone activity
outside of BC and Alberta.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ENG/public/2000/8640/t42-01.htm
OPTEL JOINT VENTURE OFFERS DSL: Rhythms Canada, a 50/50 joint venture
of OCI Communications and Colorado-based Rhythms NetConnections, now
wholesales DSL services in Toronto and Montreal. Rhythms is Optel's
exclusive DSL provider. (See Telecom Update #202)
GLOBALSTAR STARTS UP OVERSEAS ROAMING: Satellite phone
provider Globalstar Canada now offers international calls to
or from 18 countries, for about $3/minute plus long distance.
GATEWAY RAISES $25 MILLION: Gateway Telecom Canada has raised $25.35
Million in equity to finance its North American fiber network. (See
Telecom Update #225)
PRIMUS APPEALS SERVICE CHARGE ON CENTREX LINES: Primus Canada says
that in February Bell Canada began charging Primus a $69 service
charge for each new line added to its Centrex III contract, even
though neither the tariff nor the contract has changed since
1998. Primus resells these lines to provide local business service.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ENG/public/2000/8661/p11-01.htm
BELL WANTS TO EXTEND WINBACK PROMOTION, AGAIN: During the last half of
1999, Bell offered a $40/line credit to business customers returning
to Bell from an alternative local service provider. In February, the
winback credit increased to $120/line. Bell now wants to extend this
offer through July.
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ENG/public/2000/8740/b2-6472.htm
OTTAWA PROPOSES MICROWAVE LICENSING CHANGES: Industry Canada wants to
liberalize and streamline policies on microwave radio licensing, and
invites comments by July 10, 2000.
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/sf02123e.html
TIW WINS WIRELESS LICENSE IN UK AUCTION: Telesystem International
Wireless, in partnership with Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa, has
won the widest band offered in Britain's auction of Third Generation
wireless spectrum, with a bid equivalent to C$10.2 Billion.
FINANCIAL RESULTS: Unless otherwise stated, results are for the three
months ended March 31.
** AT&T Canada: Revenue was $364 Million, up 4.9% from the
previous quarter. EBITDA rose 9.8% to $22.1 Million; the
net loss was $103 Million.
** Aliant: Revenue was $532 Million, up 12.1% from last year;
telecom revenue increased 8%. Net income increased 33% to
$46.2 Million.
** JDS Uniphase: Sales were $395 Million, up 40% from the
previous quarter and 155% from last year. Net income
exclusive of merger-related and other charges was $85.8
Million, up from $33.2 Million last year.
** Look Communications: Revenue was $14 Million; for 1999,
$15.7 Million. Look added a net 54,000 subscribers in the
quarter, bringing its total to 203,000.
** Manitoba Tel: Bell Intrigna contributed $5.0 Million
toward MTS sales of $189.5 Million. Profits were unchanged
at $26.1 Million.
** QuebecTel: Sales were $94 Million, 8.8% higher than last
year. Net income rose 9.5% to $7.7 Million.
** SaskTel: Net income in 1999 fell 28% to $67.5 Million.
SaskTel retained a 93% long distance market share, but LD
revenues fell 12% to $244 Million.
NORTEL CHANGES IP-PBX PLANS: In the May issue of Telemanagement, PBX
expert Alan Sulkin analyzes the evolution of Nortel's plans for
IP-based PBXs.
** Telemanagement #175 also reports on Cisco and Mitel's
expanded PBX offerings and on a Cisco study that says IP
voice systems save money.
To subscribe to Telemanagement call 1-800-263-4415, ext 225, or visit
the Angus TeleManagement Group Web site 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:
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Insert as the subject of your message the two words:
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===========================================================
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.
============================================================
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 16:22:18 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Mitnick Reacts to Speaking Ban
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-1781398.html
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
April 29, 2000, 7:00 a.m. PT
Q&A Convicted hacker Kevin Mitnick is back in the news over the
Justice Department's unhappiness with his speaking on the lecture
circuit.
Mitnick, recently released from prison, was told by his probation
officer earlier this month that such appearances violate the terms of
his parole. Under his plea agreement, he is prohibited from using
computers, mobile phones or any other device to access the Internet
for three years.
News.com caught up with Mitnick as he prepared to challenge the decision
to bar him from speaking and writing engagements.
CNET News.com: Since your release, where have you been engaged to speak
and write?
I've been a commentator to Fox News, Court TV, CNN and Canada AM. I've
written for Newsweek and Time, though Newsweek killed the article when
they found out I was writing for Time the same week. I wrote an op-ed
piece for the Guardian in the U.K. Brill's Content wanted me to write a
critique of articles in the computer trade press, but I'm being
precluded from doing that.
Couldn't there be some concern about your profiting from your crimes?
I signed an assignment agreement as part of my settlement. It says that
if I were to write a book that I couldn't profit from that for seven
years. It was a side agreement to settle the case. The money would go to
the government for anything portraying the story of my crime. I don't
intend to write a book about my experience because of that limitation.
How did the directive on speaking and writing come about?
I got a letter from the department on April 12th. My probation officer
was very supportive of my doing these engagements, but when he submitted
it to the judge, to deny any further participation as a writer for
technology or as a speaker. The April 12th letter confirmed that they
had changed their mind.
What would the consequences be if you violated the terms of the letter?
It's clear if I violate their directive I will be back in court and they
will try to put me back in jail.
Why do you think they've given you this prohibition?
The conditions of my probation are that I couldn't act as computer
consultant or advisor, and the probation department is interpreting that
to be that I'm not allowed to speak or write about technology. The
ironic thing is that on March 2nd I testified before the Senate
government affairs committee and assisted that committee on information
security. Why would I get permission to assist the government in that
regard but when I'm trying to support myself by assisting the private
sector I'm told I can't do this type of work? And it's not only
work -- they didn't distinguish between paid and unpaid (activities). I'm
being told I'm not allowed to work as a journalist or participate in
speaking engagements period. I think it goes beyond computers because I
was invited to Carnegie Mellon to speak on civil rights and that was
denied as well.
Do you think the decision is fair?
Of course not. The First Amendment granting the right to express
yourself is pretty much sacred in this country. That's why it's the
First Amendment. I believe that what I have been doing in engaging in
speaking engagements and writing op-ed pieces for Time and Newsweek is
for the public good because I have been able to express why I think
Internet security is important. It is helpful to corporations and
individuals to get some insight from my background as a computer hacker.
What I'm trying to do is make a positive contribution by educating
people about the threats that are out there and letting them protect
themselves. It's a shame and a disappointment that they won't let me do
that.
Are you going to challenge the directive on First Amendment grounds?
I can tell you that judges have broad discretion and could impose
conditions that restrict fundamental rights. But only if those
restrictions are primarily designed to protect the public or
rehabilitate the offender. My argument is, what I've been doing about
information security has pretty much been about helping people
understand how to protect themselves. That's for the public good. And
it helps in my rehabilitation because it means taking my skills to
benefit society while at same time trying to make a living. So how
this directive that I not participate in writing articles or even
critiquing articles -- I don't see how that condition is related to
the dual goal of protecting the public and my rehabilitation.
How would my speaking in front of a group of people and educating them
on how to protect themselves be a danger to the public? If I were out
there advocating how to break into computers I could understand the
government's case. But it's the exact opposite.
Why do you think the government is doing this then?
I have to think some people in the administrative offices of the
department don't like my celebrity in the computer field, and are trying
to prevent me from speaking or writing about technology so that my
celebrity status will die down. But I never discuss my unauthorized
access during these talks. I'm not telling the story of my crime at all.
What are your plans in light of this directive?
I have an attorney assisting me in preparing a motion that we're going
to file in federal court to get this clarified. I am being ordered by a
U.S. probation department (to refrain) from being a journalist or
accepting speaking engagements, but at the restitution phase of my trial
I had the prosecutors arguing that I could profit as journalist so they
could ask for more restitution.
What's next for you?
Hopefully we're working on getting this back into court, and hopefully
the court will be reasonable. If I can't speak and write, I don't know
what I'll do.
------------------------------
From: Trevor Reynolds <trerey@hotmail.com>
Subject: NOS Communications DBA Affinity Network, ANI, QuantumLink, HorizonOne,
Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 22:09:06 GMT
I recently recieved this email. NOS Communications DBA Affinity Network,
ANI, QuantumLink, HorizonOne, Inetba have been running their funny TCU
billing method under one name or another for years now. It seems NOS now
wants to silence the source of most of the information involving their
deceptive billing practices. NOS has threatened Telecom Agent Association's
ISP. Read on for more info on this from Dan Baldwin, TAA's President:
From: Dan Baldwin <dbaldwin@pacbell.net>
To: (Recipient list suppressed)
Subject: NOS Communications DBA Affinity Network, ANI, QuantumLink,
HorizonOne, Inetba, Internet Business Association, et al - TAA Needs Your Help
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 23:33:28 -0700
Your are receiving this email message because at some time in the past
18 months you communicated via email with the Telecom Agent
Association (TAA) regarding the companies in the subject line above.
You were most likely commenting about an experience you had with these
companies or had learned information about them via one of our web
sites (www.telecomagent.org/nos or www.telecombuyer.com/).
TAA needs your help. NOS has contacted the internet service provider (ISP)
that hosts TAA's web sites and threatened to involve our ISP in a lawsuit if
they do not "terminate access" to our web site within 72 hours.
NOS has never contacted TAA directly about the information we have
posted about them on our sites. I have spoken to other non-TAA
individuals who have in the past posted information about NOS on the
internet. NOS has threatened their ISPs as well.
TAA's attorney is currently reviewing the letter NOS sent to our ISP.
What I am requesting from you is a short statement of what you would
be willing to share with TAA's attorney regarding your experience with
NOS. I am not requesting these statements to post on our web site - I
need them to give to my attorney so he doesn't think I just made all
this NOS stuff up. (Since NOS has never communicated with TAA
regarding the information we've posted about them -- even when we've
forwarded it to their attorneys for comment -- I never saw the need for
me to pay our attorney to review the information prior to today.)
Please forward to me your name and phone number (with a good time we
can contact you) and a brief sentence or two about what NOS
information you would be willing to share with TAA's attorney so he
can get a good idea that the information about NOS posted on our web
sites is based in fact and your actual NOS experiences.
Thanks for your help -- we really do need it.
Sincerely,
Dan Baldwin, President
Telecom Agent Association
619-522-6221 x101
619-522-6223 Fax
dbaldwin@pacbell.net
830 Orange Avenue, Suite "C"
Coronado, CA 92118
------------------------------
From: J.F. Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot@vl.videotron.ca>
Subject: Re: Al Gore and the Internet (Re: Obituary: Phil Katz)
Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 16:27:19 -0400
Lars Poulsen wrote:
> Prior to about 1993, there was something called the Internet,
> but it was mostly a toy for university researchers.
> Senator Al Gore created the Internet as we know it, by sponsoring
> legislation that shifted the funding from NSF to the universities,
This is specific to the USA. The Internet is a collection of networks
around the world, and Al Gore didn't not invent anything. He may have
participated in the commercialisation of the internet in the USA, but
he did not invent it.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 14:31:28 -0700
From: S. Falke <busbar@pacbell.net>
Subject: GPS Selective Availability Gone
Organization: SBC Internet Services
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Foster" <mfoster@ci.beverly.ma.us>
To: <FEMA@ci.beverly.ma.us>
Sent: Monday, May 01, 2000 1:22 PM
Subject: GPS Improvement
> NOTE: Distribution suppressed for convenience.
> Announced today:
> May 1, 2000
> STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT REGARDING THE UNITED STATES? DECISION TO STOP
> DEGRADING GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM ACCURACY
> THE WHITE HOUSE
>
> Office of the Press Secretary
> For Immediate Release May 1, 2000
>
> STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT REGARDING
> THE UNITED STATES? DECISION TO STOP DEGRADING
> GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM ACCURACY
> Today, I am pleased to announce that the United States will stop the
> intentional degradation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) signals
> available to the public beginning at midnight tonight. We call this
> degradation feature Selective Availability (SA). This will mean that
> civilian users of GPS will be able to pinpoint locations up to ten times
> more accurately than they do now. GPS is a dual-use, satellite-based
> system that provides accurate location and timing data to users worldwide.
> My March 1996 Presidential Decision Directive included in the goals
> for GPS to encourage acceptance and integration of GPS into peaceful civil,
> commercial and scientific applications worldwide; and to encourage private
> sector investment in and use of U.S. GPS technologies and services.? To
> meet these goals, I committed the U.S. to discontinuing the use of SA by
> 2006 with an annual assessment of its continued use beginning this year.
> The decision to discontinue SA is the latest measure in an on-going
> effort to make GPS more responsive to civil and commercial users
> worldwide. Last year, Vice President Gore announced our plans to
> modernize GPS by adding two new civilian signals to enhance the
> civil and commercial service. This initiative is on-track and the
> budget further advances modernization by incorporating some of the
> new features on up to 18 additional satellites that are already
> awaiting launch or are in production. We will continue to provide
> all of these capabilities to worldwide users free of charge. > My
> decision to discontinue SA was based upon a recommendation by the
> Secretary of Defense in coordination with the Departments of State,
> Transportation, Commerce, the Director of Central Intelligence, and
> other Executive Branch Departments and Agencies. They realized that
> worldwide transportation safety, scientific, and commercial
> interests could best be served by discontinuation of SA. Along with
> our commitment to enhance GPS for peaceful applications, my
> administration is committed to preserving fully the military utility
> of GPS. The decision to discontinue SA is coupled with our
> continuing efforts to upgrade the military utility of our systems
> that use GPS, and is supported by threat assessments which conclude
> that setting SA to zero at this time would have minimal impact on
> national security. Additionally, we have demonstrated the
> capability to selectively deny GPS signals on a regional basis when
> our national security is threatened. This regional approach to
> denying navigation services is consistent with the 1996 plan to
> discontinue the degradation of civil and commercial GPS service
> globally through the SA technique.
> Originally developed by the Department of Defense as a military
> system, GPS has become a global utility. It benefits users around
> the world in many different applications, including air, road,
> marine, and rail navigation, telecommunications, emergency response,
> oil exploration, mining, and many more. Civilian users will realize
> a dramatic improvement in GPS accuracy with the discontinuation of
> SA. For example, emergency teams responding to a cry for help can
> now determine what side of the highway they must respond to, thereby
> saving precious minutes. This increase in accuracy will allow new
> GPS applications to emerge and continue to enhance the lives of
> people around the world.
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #96
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue May 2 00:58:41 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id AAA26192;
Tue, 2 May 2000 00:58:41 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 00:58:41 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200005020458.AAA26192@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #97
TELECOM Digest Tue, 2 May 2000 00:58:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 97
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
5/1/00 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (Al Varney)
Press Wireless (Bob Brandenburg)
Financial Privacy (Monty Solomon)
President Ends Selective Availability Effective Midnight On May (M Solomon)
Start-up's Tracking Software Sets Off Privacy Alarm (Monty Solomon)
Re: Child Privacy Law Locks Out Some Hotmail Members (Joel B. Levin)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated
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Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
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*************************************************************************
* TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from *
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* 800 & Dot Com News, Intelligence, Analysis, and Consulting. *
* http://ICBTollFree.com, http://1800TheExpert.com *
* Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing *
* views of Judith Oppenheimer or ICB Inc. *
*************************************************************************
ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased.
Access to Premium (P) links requires upgrade to a paid subscription.
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
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LEGAL STUFF: TELECOM Digest (sm) is owned by Patrick Townson.
Copyright 2000 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert
has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and
enter the 21st century sort of on schedule. His mail order
telephone parts/supplies service based in the Chicago area has
been widely recognized by Digest readers as a reliable and very
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 5/1/00 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines
Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 23:29:50 -0400
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
Click Here to Subscribe to ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES
http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm
(Registration is required. Names are not sold, rented or leased.)
*************************************************************************
ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND
ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options:
F = Free - News and Features articles
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*************************************************************************
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*************************************************************************
NOTABLE QUOTES:
"Some call it cyber-squatting, which is fairly pejorative."
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2113
"It's an online service for every phone."
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2114
*************************************************************************
ICB's ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution: currently,
-- Vapor-constituency: ICANN At Large Membership ...
-- SMS/800 system performance problems
-- delayed rollout of 866 and 855;
-- ICANN plans for Famous Marks and new Top Level Domains;
-- flaws in the Domain Dispute System.
see http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm.
*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR MAY 1, 2000
P - IS CODE OPENING FINALLY IN SIGHT?
... SNAC and SMT talk FIFO, 866 and 855 ...
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2117
F - WIRELESS SHOPPING SERVICE
: ... will offer access to a proprietary database that contains, according
to the company, more than 100 million items.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2118
F - NASDAQ IN DOMAIN SUIT
In a 14-page complaint filed in a Virginia federal court, Nasdaq alleged
that Deltacross Ltd. registered the two domain names in violation of law
signed by President Bill Clinton in November that is designed to protect
businesses from having others set up Web site ''domain'' names that are
similar to their trademarks.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2110
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*************************************************************************
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Are you listed? http://www.whosells800.com/800serpro.cfm
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR MAY 1, 2000
F - MOBILE WEB ACCESS: JUST DIAL 800
To access the Internet, you just dial a toll-free number from any phone
and speak a set of one-word commands that even a technophobe can grasp.
No embedded microchips or fancy screens are necessary. ``It's an online
service for every phone,'' says Tellme Networks' McCue, who was vice
president of advanced technology at Netscape Communications before leaving
in 1998.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2114
F - PAGERS: A DYING BREED?
BellSouth Chief Executive Officer Duane Ackerman made his thoughts about
paging clear in a conference call with reporters Wednesday. "We don't have
paging assets," Ackerman said.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2115
*************************************************************************
New Report Available:
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*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR MAY 1, 2000
F - NSI STOCK SURGES ON EARNINGS REPORT
Explosive global demand for Internet domain names fueled a 206 percent
rise in first-quarter income.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2111
P - COURT UPHOLDS FCC DECISION
The century-old doctrine allowed long-distance companies to charge only
the rates for services they had filed with the agency. The tariff trumped
all other agreements with customers, verbal or otherwise.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2112
F - DOMAIN NAMES: CAPITALISM AT WORK
Brian O'Shaughnessy, a spokesman for Network Solutions, said the market
for domain names is a straightforward example of capitalism at work. "If
you look at Internet identity as real estate, then certainly real estate
prices are going up," O'Shaughnessy said. "Some call it cyber-squatting,
which is fairly pejorative. However, there are others who say this is the
greatest entrepreneurial gold rush since the late 1800s."
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2113
**************************************************advertisements*********
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*************************************************************************
Haven't time to search? Get targeted telecom news every week from the
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telecom_e_clips@hotmail.com.
*************************************************************************
The Salzburg Seminar has announced the ICANN Travel Support Project,
which offers travel and accommodation support for upcoming ICANN
meetings. Twelve to fifteen applicants will be supported by this
Project. Details at: ICANN.salzburgseminar.org
This Project is made possible by grants from the Markle and Ford
foundations.
*************************************************************************
Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html
*************************************************************************
One click a day feeds a person a meal. Go to http://www.thehungersite.com
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
------------------------------
From: varney@ihgp2.ih.lucent.com (Al Varney)
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
Date: 1 May 2000 22:24:46 GMT
Organization: Lucent Technologies, Naperville, IL
Reply-To: varney@lucent.com
In article <telecom20.85.6@telecom-digest.org>, James Bellaire
<bellaire@tk.com> wrote:
> Unless there is a 00 beyond +1 that operators use internally I see no
> problem. As you have posted before, the 0xx/1xx codes are used for
> internal routing, but have you seen 00x in use?
It's useful to distinguish between codes Operators use and codes
used internally in the network for routing/billing/misc. I don't know
of Operators keying 00, but 00x is certainly in use for discrimination
of caller attributes in Toll-free service (in place of the NPA 800/8xx
digits).
TR-TSY-000024 started the practice, and it has continued in
TR-TSY-000533. Basically, to allow callers in multiple NPAs to
share a single MF CAMA trunk group, but be distinguished at the
querying SSP which MUST know the caller's NPA, Bellcore chose 00Y
as a substitute for the digits 800. (CAMA only sends a 7-digit
billing number, no NPA). The value of Y is assigned to not conflict
with other 00Y usage on the same trunk group.
Coin/non-coin callers to Toll-free numbers are sometimes
distinguished by using values of 00Y as well, when non-CAMA MF trunks
are used (no ANI).
Since these appear as NPAs in the 00x spectrum, they will likely
have an impact on NANP evolution even though no one ever dials them.
Al Varney
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 13:08:41 -0700
From: Bob Brandenburg <brandenb@cts.com>
Subject: Press Wireless
I'm looking for information about Press Wireless Corporation
point-to-point HF communications antennas in the vicinity of
Point Reyes, California in 1937.
I would appreciate hearing from anyone with such information.
Thanks in advance,
Bob Brandenburg
brandenb@cts.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 15:44:46 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Financial Privacy
http://www.pub.whitehouse.gov/uri-res/I2R?urn:pdi://oma.eop.gov.us/2000/5/1/2.text.1
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release April 30, 2000
CLINTON-GORE PLAN TO ENHANCE CONSUMERS' FINANCIAL PRIVACY:
PROTECTING CORE VALUES IN THE INFORMATION AGE
April 30, 2000
Clinton today, in his commencement address to Eastern Michigan
University graduates and their families, announced a new legislative
proposal to protect the financial privacy of American consumers. This
proposal, which the Administration will send to Congress next week,
fulfills the promise that the President made on November 12, 1999,
when he signed historic legislation modernizing our financial system.
While that bill took significant steps to protect the privacy of our
financial transactions, the President made clear upon signing that he
did not believe the protections were strong enough. He directed the
NEC, Treasury Department, and Office of Management and Budget to
develop a new legislative proposal. Setting out the theme of today's
proposal, the President said at the time: "We cannot allow new
opportunities to erode old and fundamental rights."
PRESIDENT CLINTON AND VICE PRESIDENT GORE BELIEVE THAT WE MUST KEEP OUR
PRIVACY PROTECTIONS AS UP TO DATE AS OUR NEWEST TECHNOLOGY:
Breakthroughs in technology should not break down the walls of privacy.
Special protections are needed for Americans' most sensitive information
-- about health, children, and our personal finances. The Clinton-Gore
Administration has taken steps to enhance privacy for medical
information and for children on the Internet. Today, President Clinton
and Vice President Gore challenge Congress to provide Americans with
comprehensive financial privacy protections.
THE CLINTON-GORE PLAN TO PROTECT CONSUMERS' FINANCIAL PRIVACY:
- Consumer choice: Give consumers the right to choose whether a firm
can share consumer financial information with third parties or
affiliated firms.
- Enhanced protection for especially sensitive information: Require
that a consumer give its affirmative consent before a firm can:
- Gain access to medical information within the financial
conglomerate; or
- Share detailed information about a consumer's personal spending
habits.
- Access and Correction: Give consumers a new right to review their
information and correct material errors.
- Effective enforcement: Provide effective enforcement tools for
financial institutions subject to FTC enforcement of privacy rules.
- Comparison Shop on Privacy Policies: Give consumers privacy
notices upon application or request, so they know how information is
protected before a customer relationship is established.
- Study Privacy Issues Raised by Bankruptcy Data: The President
directed a study of the privacy impact of electronic availability of
detailed bankruptcy records, containing financial information of
vulnerable debtors.
PROTECTING FINANCIAL PRIVACY FOR AMERICAN CONSUMERS WHILE REAPING THE
BENEFITS OF TECHNOLOGY, COMPETITION, AND INNOVATION: The financial
services industry has changed dramatically in recent years, due to
greater integration of banking, securities and insurance firms, new
technologies that speed and expand access to information, and growing
reliance on electronic payments systems (credit cards, debit cards, and
even so-called digital wallets (on-line accounts that pay for purchases
and bills) instead of cash. Such innovation has helped provide
consumers with added convenience, lower prices, and more choices.
The challenge is to take advantage of these benefits without threatening
privacy. The Clinton-Gore Plan strikes the right balance between the
need for consumer privacy protection and the benefits that information
sharing can provide to consumers and the economy. Firms will be able to
share information to serve customers needs in new and innovative ways --
for example, through customized statements and call centers that include
all of a customer's accounts. Firms' risk management practices also
will be unaffected, which will also benefit consumers: lower losses mean
lower prices for everyone in the financial system.
DETAILS OF THE CLINTON-GORE FINANCIAL PRIVACY LEGISLATION
- Consumer Choice: Consumers should have meaningful choice -- the
opportunity to opt-out -- before a financial services firm can share
their private financial data with anyone. Last year's financial
modernization legislation granted important rights to opt-out of
information sales to telemarketers and other unaffiliated firms.
Today's proposal extends those protections to information shared within
financial conglomerates. The plan also closes an unnecessary exception
for "joint marketing" from last year's bill. We will preserve, however,
financial firms' ability to share the information that they need to
develop new products and manage their risks, subject to appropriate
confidentiality and reuse limitations.
- Enhanced Protection for Especially Sensitive Information:
- Affirmative Consent Before Sharing Medical Information: A consumer
applying for a loan or other financial product should not have to worry
that the lender is making decisions based on personal medical records
received from an insurance affiliate. The Clinton-Gore plan will ensure
that companies would not gain any special access to insurance medical
records by being part of a financial holding company. The consumer
would be required to affirmatively consent ("opt-in") before any
financial firm could receive medical information from a life insurance
company or other affiliate.
- Affirmative Consent for Personal Spending Information: Just as we
do not expect a postal worker to read our mail, we do not expect a bank
processing our checks or credit card payments to take our most sensitive
financial information and share that information with others. Under the
Clinton-Gore plan, a financial firm will not be permitted to transfer
individualized, personal spending habits (where we spend our money,
where we earn our money, and what we buy) unless a customer
affirmatively consents.
- The Right to Access and Correct: As financial conglomerates
collect more and more data about us, it is increasingly important that
consumers have the ability to review that information and correct
material errors. Expanding on a protection already provided for credit
reports, the Clinton-Gore plan would allow a consumer to ensure that
firms are not deciding whether to offer them products or special
services based on mistaken information about their financial status.
- Effective Enforcement: The Clinton-Gore plan makes these
protections fully enforceable against banks and other regulated
financial institutions. For institutions not subject to bank,
securities, or insurance regulation, the Administration proposes to
provide the FTC with clear authority to seek monetary damages and to
grant State Attorneys General the authority to work with the FTC to halt
deceptive practices by those institutions.
- Allow Consumers To Comparison Shop: Consumers concerned about
their privacy should be able to choose the firm that offers the best
protection. But today, consumers often get privacy policy information
after they have already decided to do business with a firm. The
Clinton-Gore plan would enable consumers to learn about any firm's
privacy practices up front, before committing to a customer
relationship.
- Study of the Privacy Needs of Vulnerable Debtors in Bankruptcy:
Bankruptcy records contain detailed sensitive information about debtors
(including account numbers, social security numbers, account balances,
income sources, and payment histories). Aggregation and electronic
distribution of this information could lower bankruptcy costs, but it
also could make information easily available to neighbors, employers,
marketers and predators looking for those most likely to be lured by
scams. The President today directed the Departments of Justice and
Treasury and the Office of Management and Budget to conclude a study
this year on how best to handle privacy issues for sensitive financial
information in bankruptcy records.
THE CLINTON-GORE STRATEGY TO PROTECT THE PRIVACY OF
AMERICAN FAMILIES AND CONSUMERS.
Rapid changes in technology, and the vast increases in access to
information that they make possible, are enormously important to our
future prosperity. To ensure that such growth is consistent with our
core values including privacy, Vice President Gore announced an
Electronic Bill of Rights in 1998, calling for private sector leadership
where possible, on legislation when necessary, on responsible government
handling of personal information, and on an informed public. Today's
announcement continues the great progress already made toward achieving
those goals. The Administration continues to encourage self-regulatory
efforts by industry to address privacy issues posed by emerging
technologies. But, as the Vice President underscored in 1998, certain
medical, financial, and other information is so sensitive that legal
protections are needed.
- Medical Privacy: Last year, the Clinton-Gore Administration
announced historic proposed rules that would legally guarantee the key
privacy protections: notice of data uses; consent before records are
used for non-medical purposes; patient access to records; proper
security; and effective enforcement. Final rules will be issued later
this year.
- Children's On-line Privacy: The Administration worked with
Congress to pass the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998.
Rules went into effect this month to ensure that web sites aimed at
children will not gather personal information except with the consent of
the parents.
- Genetic Discrimination: In February, the President issued an
Executive Order that prohibits federal agencies from using genetic
information in hiring and promotion. He also called on the Congress to
ensure that these same rights apply to employees in the private sector
and to individuals purchasing health insurance.
- Government Privacy: The President and Vice President believe that
the Federal government must also continue to build privacy protections
into its own activities. All Federal agencies now have privacy policies
clearly posted on their web sites, and we are making privacy impact
assessments a regular part of the development of new government computer
systems.
###
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 15:59:41 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: President Ends Selective Availability Effective Midnight On May
n* STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT REGARDING THE UNITED STATES? DECISION TO STOP DEGRADING GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM ACCURACY
http://www.whitehouse.gov/library/PressReleases.cgi?date=0&briefing=0
* President Clinton: Improving the Civilian Global Positioning System (GPS)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/library/PressReleases.cgi?date=0&briefing=4
* President Clinton: Improving the Civilian Global Positioning System (GPS)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/library/PressReleases.cgi?date=0&briefing=5
http://www.igeb.gov/
PRESIDENT ENDS SELECTIVE AVAILABILITY
EFFECTIVE MIDNIGHT ON MAY 1, 2000
* Statement by the President
http://www.igeb.gov/sa/potus.txt
* White House Fact Sheet
http://www.igeb.gov/sa/whfactsheet.txt
* Statement by the Secretary of Commerce (MS Word format)
http://www.igeb.gov/sa/daley.doc
* DOC Fact Sheet on Civilian Benefits of SA Termination (MS Word format)
http://www.igeb.gov/sa/benefits.doc
* Remarks by Dr. Neal Lane, Presidential Science Adviser
* Remarks by Arthur Money, Assistant Secretary of Defense (MS Word format)
http://www.igeb.gov/sa/money.doc
* Remarks by Eugene Conti, Assistant Secretary of Transportation
* Remarks by Dr. D. James Baker, NOAA Administrator
http://www.igeb.gov/sa/baker.shtml
* Remarks by Daniel S. Goldin, NASA Administrator
* "Before & After" Diagrams
http://www.igeb.gov/sa/diagram.shtml
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 16:19:48 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Start-up's Tracking Software Sets Off Privacy Alarm
By Jim Hu
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
May 1, 2000, 11:50 a.m. PT
Predictive Networks today released a software product that can precisely
track online behavior and then use the information to send targeted
advertisements to individual Web surfers.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-1795712.html
------------------------------
From: Joel B Levin <levinjb@gte.net>
Subject: Re: Child Privacy Law Locks Out Some Hotmail Members
Organization: On the desert
Reply-To: levinjb@gte.net
Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 14:32:11 GMT
In <telecom20.95.6@telecom-digest.org>, Tad Cook <tad@aa.net> wrote:
> This happened to my 12 year old stepdaughter a couple of days ago.
> I got this second-hand from her, but as she tells it she logged
> into her Hotmail account, was asked if she was over 13 and if an
> adult were present. Always honest to a fault, she answered no to
> both questions and is now permanently locked out of the mail account
> she has been using for over a year.
You can probably get it unlocked by using/obtaining your own account and
verifying hers, though you might also have to get in touch with the
support_x address there. I ran into the same problem (except I managed to
escape without a permanent lock) because when I signed up, I chose not to
give my real age. Since a birthdate was mandatory, I chose the then current
(or just past) year; so I also at "age three" or so was diverted to the
kids' passport login. I somehow authorized myself well enough to get in and
change my profile, since their support people informed me that they had
started sending young people to the kids' page. Good luck (or change to one
of many other free web accounts).
JBL
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: For instance, your daughter or anyone
who wishes to do so can use http://telecom-digest.org/postoffice
without any questions asked. Neither do I gather any information. PAT]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #97
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue May 2 19:28:57 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id TAA28016;
Tue, 2 May 2000 19:28:57 -0400 (EDT)
Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 19:28:57 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200005022328.TAA28016@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #98
TELECOM Digest Tue, 2 May 2000 19:18:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 98
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Charlotte Observer Reports on Rotary Phones (Stan Schwartz)
704 Overlay: Charlotte Observer Almost Gets it Right (Stan Schwartz)
Birth of Internet: The Architectural Conception (Ronda Hauben)
FAA Launches First Oceanic Data Link Services Over Atlantic (Monty Solomon)
Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman)
Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit (Tad Cook)
Re: Infamous Computer Hacker Under Fire (Matthew Black)
Re: Are There Three-Watt Digital Car Phones? (Jonathan Seder)
Re: 5/1/00 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Jeremy Greene)
VOIP Job (Dennis Montgomery)
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'.
TELECOM Digest is a not-for-profit, mostly non-commercial educational
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of the Digest are compilation-copyrighted. You may reprint articles in
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and that of the original author.
Contact information: Patrick Townson/TELECOM Digest
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Phone: 805-545-5115
Email: editor@telecom-digest.org
Subscribe/unsubscribe: subscriptions@telecom-digest.org
This Digest is the oldest continuing e-journal about telecomm-
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published continuously since then. Our archives are available for
your review/research. We believe we are the second oldest e-zine/
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* TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from *
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* Views expressed herein should not be construed as representing *
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ICB Toll Free News. Contact information is not sold, rented or leased.
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Only subscribers or registered users of ICB Toll Free News web site
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LEGAL STUFF: TELECOM Digest (sm) is owned by Patrick Townson.
Copyright 2000 ICB, Inc. and TELECOM Digest. All rights reserved.
Our attorney is Bill Levant, of Blue Bell, PA.
In addition, a gift from Mike Sandman, Chicago's Telecom Expert
has enabled me to replace some obsolete computer equipment and
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply-To: <stannc.no1spam@yahoo.com>
From: Stan Schwartz <stannc.no1spam@yahoo.com>
Subject: Charlotte Observer Reports on Rotary Phones
Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 00:48:56 -0400
'The Charlotte Observer' 04/30/00
Dial `R' for rotary
Julie Farthing suspects the telephone in her kitchen was installed
sometime between the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Truman
administration.
It's black, it's rotary and it's mounted to the wall, pay-phone
style. The cord is so short, you can't take more than a step away from
the wall without the phone snatching the receiver out of your hand.
"We did have a newer phone with a longer cord there for about three
weeks, when my daughters were complaining about having to sit in one
spot for too long," says Farthing, 37. "Well, they were roaming around
in the kitchen with this longer cord, and it melted on the wood
stove. We went back to the rotary and the 24-inch cord."
The phone is a fixture in a Watauga County farmhouse where clothes are
still dried on a line, 45s are played on a record player, and TV
channels (all three of them) don't get changed unless you get up, walk
across the room, turn the dial and then adjust the antenna.
But rotary phones aren't limited to the boonies. Like Cher and
cockroaches, they were built to last. So a subculture of stubborn
people continue to use them, regardless of the fact that they don't
work with automated touch-tone systems.
You can't press 1 for more options. You can't press 0 for an
operator. "And you can't even find the pound (#) key," says
Farthing. "It's not there."
So why not give up and buy a cordless phone?
That's the question we were dying to ask when The Observer ran a brief
seeking the last of the rotary phone generation. We expected maybe a
dozen calls. We got closer to six dozen, mostly from people who had
used the same phone for 30 or 40 years and saw no reason to change.
Few realized rotary phones are behind glass at BellSouth's phone museum in
uptown Charlotte.
"Why do I need a faster phone?" asked rotary user Jack Ritterskamp,
who is 56. "If I don't have time to dial a phone number, then I'd say
that my life is too fast-paced. I don't get what we need all these
timesaving devices for anyway. If I build a new house, do I need to
leave out the kitchen and install a vending station with a microwave?"
Rotary user Sally Kovach, 54, was even more blunt. "I've thrown away a
lot of pieces of junk called portable telephones in the past 10 years,
at least six of them. But you can't kill a rotary phone," she
said. "You can take one of these things and throw it down 20 flights
of stairs and it works. You take a touch-tone phone and drop it on the
floor and it's broken."
Yet there's no denying the rotary phone is rapidly headed the way of
the milkman. In a span of 20 years, it has become both an antique and
a reference point for diverging generations: those raised with a
rotary phone and those who only know how to push buttons.
Rotary user Roger Duval, 76, says he had no idea how much things had
changed until the day a twenty-something van driver asked to use his
phone.
"He'd come from California and was delivering to the house next door,
so I let him in," recalled Duval. "When I pointed the phone out, he
looked at it a second, then said: `How do you use it?' I told him it
was simple: look at the numbers and dial. He finally handed me the
number and asked me to dial it for him."
Even more comical is the sight of a child confronting the phones for the
first time. Some punch the holes. Others assume you stick your finger in at
zero and rotate the dial only as far as the number you want, then jerk it
out quickly. Still others stand and look like they saw a snake.
"I've got a granddaughter who thinks it's a big treat to use it," says
Robert Keeter, 75, who has two rotaries. "She'll come into the house
and the first thing she'll do is run to the dining area, pick it up
and call somebody. She's almost 8 years old. I have no earthly idea
why."
Pop culture experts say at least part of the appeal is the idea that
using a rotary makes talking on the phone feel different. The sound
quality is often better, the ringer is loud as the dickens, and the
receivers are big and heavy, like a bat.
"It actually makes the call seem more important when the phone is
heavier and it takes longer to dial the numbers," says Jack Nachbar, a
professor in the department of popular culture at Bowling Green State
University in Ohio. "These things are almost symbolic to us. I just
got one for my study, and it brings me back to that feel of the past."
For that reason alone, rotaries may make a comeback, he
says. Collectors are willing to pay as much as $75 for a wall unit
dating to the '50s. The Web site www.oldphones.com notes that other
styles fetch even higher prices, as much as $475 for models from the
1920s.
The oldest rotary phones date to 1919, when they were first introduced
to American consumers. However, it wasn't until the mid-1950s that
they became common.
BellSouth has no idea just how many people in the Charlotte area are
still using such phones, since the company doesn't lease phones any
more. However, a January Boston Globe report noted AT&T has 3 million
customers who continue to pay, many of them elderly.
Mary Ann McDill, 59, of the Hickory area, still leases a rotary,
despite the efforts of her phone company to switch the home to
touch-tone service. "The last time the lady called, she got kind of
cranky," says McDill. "They wanted to change my phone over. I told her
no, because I've never had to have this one repaired. `Well,' she
said. `You better hope you don't ever have to, because we don't have
the parts any more.' Then she hung up on me."
In all likelihood, McDill may never have to have her phone
repaired. Retired BellSouth engineer Avery A. Shaffer, 76, recalls one
incident in which a man hung himself with his rotary phone cord, and
it kept working. Just as bizarre, he says, is the tale of a rotary
that melted into a blob after someone's desk caught fire, but you
could still make a call on it.
"If you've got one, I say keep it, 'cause they're only going to get
more valuable," he says. "Since AT&T made them, they simply gave you a
new one when the old one broke. There weren't any parts made for
them. To my knowledge, you can't even buy a screw to fix one."
That's a sad thought to someone like Julie Farthing, who believes
marrying a farmer with a rotary phone and lousy television reception
was one of the smartest things she ever did. Using a wall phone with a
24-inch cord is so darn inconvenient, they've settled for talking to
each other, usually around the dinner table, with the phone off the
hook.
"Rotary phone? Yeah, we have one," she says, "but you can't reach our
family unless you know the name of our dog and two horses. We're not
listed."
A rotary phone is ... Slower. It takes 18 seconds to dial a long
distance number on one, compared to 5 seconds on a touch
tone. Heavier. Models from the '60s weighed more than 6 pounds,
compared to 2 pounds for a touch tone and a few ounces for a
cellular. More expensive. Models from the '20s cost as much as $400,
while you can get a touch tone for about $5. More sinister. Rotary
phones have been used as weapons in every way possible, including that
"Midnight Cowboy" murder scene in which Jon Voight shoves the receiver
in some guy's mouth. The only time a cellular phone scares people is
when the batteries run low. Bound for a comeback. Popular culture
experts say it's already happening, thanks to nostalgic Baby Boomers
and the Internet.
Mark Price
------------------------------
Reply-To: <stannc.no1spam@yahoo.com>
From: Stan Schwartz <stannc.no1spam@yahoo.com>
Subject: 704 Overlay: Charlotte Observer Almost Gets it Right
Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 00:46:45 -0400
Here's a news report about an impending overlay that doesn't just
blame 'pagers, cell phones, and fax machines' for all the exchange
shortages:
'The Charlotte Observer' 04/30/00
10 Numbers please
Monday is start of long goodbye to 7 digits
By TIM WHITMIRE
Maybe you're the kind of person who likes to be ahead of the curve.
You started practicing writing the year 2000 last summer, to be ready for
the new millenium. You move your watch forward a few days before
daylight-saving time, to ease the transition.
If that's you, Monday is a big day: the first day of 10-digit dialing for
local phone calls in the Charlotte area's 704 area code.
Ten digits won't be mandatory until early next year, around the time phone
providers start assigning numbers to the new 980 area code that's being
added to 704. Having two area codes requires that the 1.3 million people
affected by the change include a code with all calls, local and
long-distance.
What begins Monday is called a "permissive dialing period," during which
calls can be completed with seven or 10 digits. Consider it a nine-month
practice period.
And don't be surprised Feb. 10, when you dial seven digits for a pizza
delivery and get a recording that tells you to dial an area code first.
"It's when that permanent cut-over comes and they get a recording,
that's when it's going to hit home" for phone users, said Hugh
Gerringer, an engineer with the N.C. Utilities Commission. "I may be
wrong, but that's just human nature."
Like ZIP codes or the "@" in an e-mail address, area codes are one of
those mundane-yet-essential components of the systems that make modern
communication possible.
When they were introduced in 1947, there were 78 area codes for the
United States. For 35 years, everything went smoothly.
Then, in the 1980s, everything changed. In the early part of the
decade, there was the historic court ruling that broke up the AT&T
phone monopoly and ushered in an era of telecommunications
deregulation, leading eventually to local phone competition.
Later in the decade came technological innovations such as affordable
fax machines, computer modems, remote paging devices and cellular
phones. With them came an unprecedented demand for new phone numbers.
One family, 8 numbers
In 1980, a typical family probably had just a single phone number.
Twenty years later, in addition to that line, Mom and Dad might each
have a cell phone and the kids might have their own line. Maybe a son
carries a pager, while a daughter has a cell phone. Let's say Dad
works from the house, so that means dedicated lines for a fax machine
and an Internet connection.
Voila! Eight phone numbers for one family.
Further complicating matters has been the entry of new providers into
the deregulated local phone market. Each new cell phone company or
local phone company that sets up shop in an area needs numbers to
assign to its customers in each billing area it serves.
This is where the trouble begins. In a convention that dates from the
days of the Bell monopoly, numbers are handed out in blocks of 10,00
-- all of the numbers that would be assigned to the switching center
for a single exchange.
With dozens, even hundreds, of billing areas in a single area code,
each new local provider entering the market can be assigned hundreds
of thousands of phone numbers, most of which may go unused. Under the
old system, there's no way to "recapture" those unused numbers -- they
simply go to waste.
Let's say two new local phone companies and a new cell phone service
provider all want to enter the Charlotte market. Each wants to serve
20 billing areas, requiring assignment of some 60 number blocks, or
600,000 numbers, only a fraction of which might ever be assigned. Tens
of thousands of numbers go unused, and the 704 area code edges that
much closer to running out of the 7.92 million available phone
numbers.
A 911 for area codes
In 1994, when the area code celebrated its 47th birthday, there were
126 in use in the United States. In the five-plus years since, more
than 125 new codes have been assigned. At the current rate, the North
American Numbering Plan Administration estimates we'll run out of
three-digit area codes in 2006 or 2007.
Though area code changes are a burden on businesses and consumers,
they're nothing compared with the chaos that would ensue if the
country had to go to 11- or 12-digit dialing, said Ron Binz, head of
the Competition Policy Institute, a Washington-based
telecommunications consumer group.
"That makes these area code changes look like chicken feed," Binz said.
"That's the cliff that everybody's trying to avoid."
However, a solution is in sight: software that allows unused
1,000-number blocks to be recovered and future numbers to be assigned
in blocks of 1,000. Tests have been held in California, Illinois and
New York and are under way in a number of other states. Last month,
the Federal Communications Commission ordered that so-called "number
pooling" begin next year.
Binz estimates that efficient number pooling could extend current
system viability 20 years. By then, he said, the phone system may be
obsolete, with phones integrated into computers and voice calls
carried over the Internet in a world where e-mail addresses have
replaced phone numbers.
The promise of overlays
For now, though, area code chaos continues. The new 980 code will be
North Carolina's fifth in the past six years. It is the first in the
Carolinas to be implemented by overlaying an existing area code,
rather than by splitting an area code.
Gerringer said overlays have become more popular recently, as state
regulators decide they're the lesser of two evils.
"Regulators have found that although there's disruption of a sort," in
going to 10-digit dialing, "you avoid another dislocation, which is
switching a whole lot of people over to a new area code," he said.
"The folks in the Greensboro area were very upset" when they went from
919 to 910 in 1994, then to 336 just three years later, Gerringer
said.
And once people are in 10-digit mode, Binz said, it's easy to do another
overlay. "The promise of overlays is that the next one is no more painful
than the last one," he said.
Also driving the overlay decision, Gerringer said, was the fact that
there was no way to split the current 704 area code that made sense
geographically. He said an overlay is likely when a new area code
becomes necessary in 919 next year or in 2002.
Alarming change
Over the coming months, companies that include their phone number in
advertising - on billboards, in print ads, on sides of trucks - will
need to add the area code. Speed-dialing systems will need to be
reprogrammed. One industry that will be hard hit is the home security
business, where companies must update alarms that are programmed to
automatically dial a seven-digit local number when they go off.
At CPI, a Charlotte security firm, Eric Walters is in charge of
reprogramming the company's approximately 9,000 systems that dial
locally. A software fix can be downloaded from CPI's main computer,
removing the need for house calls, but progress is still slow - about
30 to 50 customers per day, Walters said.
"We've got me and one other guy right now that that's strictly what we
do," Walters said. "If those numbers aren't changed and their alarm
goes off, they can't dial in and their alarm's not going to get taken
care of."
The state Utilities Commission originally scheduled the start of
mandatory 10-digit dialing for Nov. 1, but this week pushed the date
back to Feb. 10. In its ruling, the commission said a delay was
necessary "because this is the first overlay implemented in North
Carolina, and because the change to mandatory dialing represents a
major change for the consumers of the state."
Binz lives in Denver, which recently went to 10-digit dialing.
"There were some initial complaints about the 10-digit dialing, but I
think people have gotten used to it," he said.
Even so, he added, "I'm sure everyone feels a sense of loss, that
you've lost a simpler world than before."
------------------------------
From: rh120@columbia.edu (Ronda Hauben)
Subject: Birth of Internet: The Architectural Conception (Draft for Comment)
Date: 2 May 2000 14:59:01 GMT
Organization: Columbia University
Reply-To: rh120@columbia.edu
The Birth of the Internet:
An Architectural Conception
for Solving the Multiple Network Problem
by Ronda Hauben
rh120@columbia.edu
http: //www.columbia.edu/~rh120/other/birth_internet.txt
Status: RO
Abstract
The Internet makes it possible to transmit a message across the
boundaries of dissimilar networks. What is the architectural
conception that makes such internetwork communication possible?
TCP/IP is a communications protocol. What are the foundations
that it is built upon? What does it mean to be a communications
protocol?
This draft paper explores these questions and connects them
to the conceptual foundations of communications engineering and
communications science, as developed by Claude Shannon, Norbert Wiener
and others.
The ARPANET and then the Internet are developments that contribute a new
body of communications experience and knowledge to that which has
been developed in the past as part of communications engineering.
This context makes it possible to understand what it means that
the computer is a communications device, and a very general one at that.
And this context makes it possible to understand the nature of the
Internet as a new conception which builds on the experience and
research done developing the ARPANET.
Ronda
ronda@panix.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 11:25:37 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: FAA Launches First Oceanic Data Link Services Over Atlantic
http://www.faa.gov/apa/pr/pr.cfm?id=1034
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APA 28-00
May 1, 2000
Contact: Tammy Jones
Phone: 202-267-8521
FAA Launches First Oceanic Data Link Services Over Atlantic
WASHINGTON - In a move that increases the safety and
efficiency of oceanic air travel, the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) has initiated use of electronic air/ground
communication services for aircraft operating over the Atlantic
Ocean. The same system has been operating for aircraft flying
over Pacific Ocean airspace for more than a year.
The FAA's New York Air Traffic Control Center began initial
operations in March of the Multi-Sector Oceanic Data Link
System, which provides a means for air traffic controllers to have
two-way electronic communications with aircraft equipped with
data link. This technology is designed to eliminate the need for
voice communication between data link-equipped aircraft and air
traffic controllers, improving the reliability and timeliness of
message delivery.
In conjunction with aircraft equipped with the Future Air Navigation
System (FANS -- an international standard for avionics that are
compliant with Oceanic Data Link), the Oceanic Data Link system
provides a means to automatically check pending clearances for
conflicts, while allowing the flight crews to automatically load flight
clearances they have received into the aircraft's Flight
Management System. The Oceanic Data Link system also
provides the controllers with an integrated interface to the flight
data processor and addresses the existing high frequency
communications problems with aircraft, such as frequency
congestion, transcription errors, and lack of timeliness.
Oceanic controllers began using the system in limited operations
at a single sector in March 2000. As controllers become more
familiar with Oceanic Data Link, operations will expand to include
full system capabilities. Full operations are planned at all
Caribbean sectors later this year. Once full operations in the
Caribbean are in effect, operation of the system will transition to
New York's North Atlantic sectors.
Other North Atlantic air traffic service providers are planning the
initiation of FANS-based data link trials later this year. New
York's early lead in those efforts will be important in the realization
of the goal of a seamless data link operation in Atlantic airspace.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit
From: joel@exc.com (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman)
Date: Tue, 02 May 2000 12:33:41 GMT
Organization: Road Runner
> Please, people like him enhanced the security of those systems by
> exposing the blatant flaws in them. Back in the early 80's I was running
> amok all over the Bell System and never got caught. Mitnik was just the
> scapegoat chosen by the fed, that's all.
More than anything else, this is the attitude that creates crime on
the Internet. For some reason, people think that a security hole is
in an invitation to vandalism, and that the providers of the service,
not the vandals, are at fault.
If I have a simple lock on my car, and someone breaks into my car and
uses it to transport drugs, who's at fault? What if I don't even lock
my car? It's >still< not my fault. But if I have an open mail relay
on my system and someone uses it --- illegally --- to send you spam,
suddenly my ISP turns off my access and blames me. What's going on?
In the real world we're entitled to the presumption that most people
are basically honest (which they are). Why is that in cyber-space
criminals are entitled to the assumption that if they're smart enough
to figure out how to dammage, it's not their fault?
------------------------------
From: Tad Cook <tad@aa.net>
Subject: Re: Feds Order Hacker to Quit Lecture Circuit
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 23:29:37 -0700
Curtis Bohl <cbohl@trib.net> wrote:
> 3. After hearing this morning that some college let a <piece of filth>
> incarcerated convicted murderer of a police officer speak via tape to their
> graduation class, while a judge tries to take away the first amendment
> rights of a person no longer incarcerated, I do have to hope that someone
> from the ACLU is out there ...
He spoke at a college commencement here in Washington state too, but
you have to keep in mind that the college kids who invited Mumia Abu
Jamal to speak really believe he is innocent. When you look at some
of the misinformation that is out there about this case, and how hard
it is to get good factual information, it isn't hard to see wny many
well intentioned people have championed his cause. Just do a search
of the web on Mumia, and all you'll find are sites proclaiming his
innocence. Unfortunately, very few of the people who go looking for
info run across www.danielfaulkner.com.
Tad Cook Seattle, WA tad@aa.net
------------------------------
From: black@csulb.edu (Matthew Black)
Subject: Re: Infamous Computer Hacker Under Fire
Date: 2 May 2000 16:50:07 GMT
Organization: Your Organization
In article <telecom20.94.10@telecom-digest.org>, bowenb@best.com
says... [original message edited for brevity --matthew 000502] >
> Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> wrote:
>> http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/a/AP-Computer-Hacker.html
This link doesn't work for me Tuesday 0945 PDT.
> As far as I'm concerned, it is the JUDGE that needs to spend some time
> in the "Gray Bar Hotel". This is not the first time this witch has run
> roughshod over the Constitution.
> Just as a point of reference for those of you from California, this is
> the same judge that, in concert with our commie Governor "Red" Davis,
> buried Prop. 187.
> Regards,
> Bill Bowen
> bowenb@best.com
> Daly City, CA
California Proposition 187 was found unconstitutional.
+------------------------------(c) 2000 Matthew Black, all rights reserved--
matthew black | Opinions expressed herein belong to me and
network & systems specialist | may not reflect those of my employer
california state university |
network services BH-180E | e-mail: black at csulb dot edu
1250 bellflower boulevard | PGP fingerprint: 6D 14 36 ED 5F 34 C4 B3
long beach, ca 90840 | E9 1E F3 CB E7 65 EE BC
------------------------------
From: Jonathan Seder <JDS-nospam@syntel.com>
Subject: Re: Are There Three-Watt Digital Car Phones?
Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 09:24:49 -0700
Organization: Don't Spam Me!
> Does anyone make digital car phones? ...
> transmit at 3W using a half-wave antenna as opposed to the .75W that
> handhelds do.
I was told by a friend who works for Airtouch that in typical
situations, the first command received by a 3W cell phone is to power
down to the 500mW level used by handhelds. The higher power doesn't
help (!) and generates lots of interference. As I understand it, with
short wavelenght FM signals, the biggest issue is reflection and other
signal quality issues, not power.
They say that the fastest way to get good information the Web is to post
misinformation ... This is a test!
------------------------------
From: Jeremy Greene <celloboy@DIESPAMearthlink.net>
Subject: Re: 5/1/00 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines
Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 06:27:01 -0400
"Judith Oppenheimer" <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com> wrote in message
news:telecom20.97.1@telecom-digest.org ...
> 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
Pat, is this your new enterprise? :-)
The above web site calls it "Personal Assistant Technician" instead of Team.
> From the web site:
"How is PAT trained?
PATs follow a rigorous, ongoing training program. During the initial two
week training, they undergo classroom training, tests, simulated phone
calls, and of course hands-on experience under the watchful eye of more
experienced PATs. "
For some reason, I'm imagining a room full of robotic Pats (you
know ... Pat the obnoxious, asexual creature on Saturday Night Live --
not Pat the moderator).
Of course, this service could be a great tool for people who can't
afford a full-time assistant. Imagine someone's surprise when they're
leaving a message in your voicemail, they're given the option to press
zero, and suddenly an ACTUAL HUMAN comes on the phone! Makes you look
like a pro. I wonder what happens if you hang up, then have to talk to
Pat again. You dial the number, then hit zero.
"Hello, Pat here."
"Good morning- I just left an urgent message for Mr. Bond a few minutes
ago."
"My computer says you spoke to Pat #35234. I am Pat #17894. Please hold..."
...Muzak...
"Hello, Pat here"
"Hi, I need to update that message I just left for Mr. Bond."
"Go ahead, Miss Galore..."
------------------------------
From: Dennis Montgomery <dennism@stsi.net>
Subject: VOIP Job
Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 08:53:42 -0400
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
SouthNet TeleComm Services is a nationwide IP network services company
providing wholesale ISP and VOIP to resellers. Located in Atlanta, we cover
146 cities with a private ATM backbone and Lucent RAS and VOIP gateways.
We are currently looking for a Network Operations Manager to manage the
Network Operations Center. This position will be responsible for the day to
day care and feeding of SouthNet's network. This position will report to
the Network Operations Director and will supervise approximately 8
experienced network engineers. The successful candidate will have
management experience in network operations from either an ISP or LEC
environment. Technical experience in physical network practices such T1,
DS3, OC3 is necessary. Voice experience would be very helpful. We are
looking for an individual who is a manager and leader.
This is a wonderful opportunity for someone with a strong telco or voice
management background to build a new skill set on the IP network side.
Conversely, if you have management experience in large wide area IP
networks, this position will allow you to round out your skill set with
cutting edge VOIP equipment.
Email your resumes to dennism@stsi.net.
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #98
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue May 2 22:25:13 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
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Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 22:25:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200005030225.WAA05081@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #99
TELECOM Digest Tue, 2 May 2000 22:25:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 99
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
Re: Telex<->Email<->Telex (and Fax Too) (Marshall A. Levin)
Re: Telex<->Email<->Telex (and Fax Too) (John R. Levine)
Re: Telex<->Email<->Telex (and Fax Too) (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman)
Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan (Terry Knab)
Document Describing Valid Telephone Numbers? (Matt Bennett)
Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted (Thomas Dooley)
Re: Country Codes of the 0XX Format? (Bob Goudreau)
Re: Al Gore and the Internet (Re: Obituary: Phil Katz) (Bob Johnson)
* or # Numbers on the Highways? (Ted Koppel)
CID (Scott Stowe)
Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon" (Shalom Septimus)
High Speed Race (Michael A. Desmon)
Intel to Phase Out Processor Serial Numbers Attacked by Privacy (M Solomon)
I Need Manual to MATRA 6501 ISDN Telephone Exchange (Heikki Nykyri)
HP LaserJet 3150 Users; Can You Print Landscape? (Unhappy-HP-User)
Norstar M8 CLID Help (Gerry & Michele)
Shell Service Options (was Re: PSINet Buys Canada's ISP (Danny Burstein)
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inexpensive source of telecom-related equipment. Please request
a free catalog today at http://www.sandman.com
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 13:23:40 -0400
Subject: Re: Telex<->Email<->Telex (and Fax Too)
From: Marshall A. Levin <mlevin@meadhall.com>
I used to use MCI Mail many years ago and they offered email-fax-telex
services. I just checked their website and they still list these
features on their homepage -- www.mcimail.com. Apparently they offer
email<->telex (they give you an incoming telex address) and
email->fax, but not fax->email. They also offer email->paper mail
(regular mail or overnight), and for paper or fax messages you can
create a "letterhead" -- you send them a logo graphic file and they
add it to the top of faxes/paper mail. As I recall their services
were moderately priced.
There are also free and premium services for email-fax service
(www.efax.com, www.jfax.com, several others ...) They generally offer
fax->email for free and email->fax for a fee. Note that the
fax->email service is free for receiving an image file attachment of
the fax. With the premium accounts they offer some level of OCR, so
you can get text out of the fax message. They both also offer free
voice->email service (you get an audio file attachment in your email).
With the free service they give you a random local number somewhere,
but with the premium service you get a toll free number. With some
you can get a number in countries other than the US (I know you can
get a UK number), and you can also get email->voice service.
The free service is probably not well suited for heavy use and I
wouldn't want to rely on it to run my business, but the premium
services would probably work well. They are generally pretty fast (a
few minutes) but it _can_ take a few hours for a fax message to show
up in your email. Some of the services have "corporate solutions" for
businesses.
I am not affiliated in any way with any of these services!
Good luck.
-ML
> Hi,
> We need a service which will accept incoming telex and fax messages
> (on our behalf) and send us an email containing the document.
> Conversely, we need something that will take our outbound email and
> send via telex or fax as directed. We have identified numerous
> services which handle fax, but not telex. Or they handle outgoing,
> but not incoming. The only one which seems to meet our needs is
> (itelex.com). But, my research has been based on a quick Internet
> search. I have a feeling there are other options, but can't seem to
> find any.
> We do not want to deal with managing any hardware ourselves. Traffic
> will be light, but reliability and high service levels are required.
> I am based in USA, but this is a global operation, so location is not a
> big issue.
> On a side issue, is there such a thing as a world-wide toll-free phone
> number? How about telex?
------------------------------
Date: 29 Apr 2000 14:48:51 -0400
From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine)
Subject: Re: Telex<->Email<->Telex (and Fax Too)
Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA
> We need a service which will accept incoming telex and fax messages
> (on our behalf) and send us an email containing the document.
> Conversely, we need something that will take our outbound email and
> send via telex or fax as directed.
MCI Mail might fill the bill. Each account has an associated telex
number, incoming telexes show up in your mailbox. You can either dial
in via their 800 number to pick up the mail, or have mail forwarded to
another e-mail address. Outgoing telexes are sent like e-mail with
the telex number as part of the address. They do faxes, too. I had
an MCI Mail account for years until I decided that I got so few
telexes that I don't care any more. They're at 1-800-444-MAIL.
For faxes, I use the excellent free service from eFax for incoming,
while for outgoing I plug my laptop PC into the closest phone. (Tip:
if you're at a hotel and need a printer, just fax your document to the
hotel's fax machine.)
> On a side issue, is there such a thing as a world-wide toll-free phone
> number? How about telex?
In theory, country code 800 is for international toll free. In
practice, it only works some places. Never heard of toll free telex.
Since telex seems to be dying rapidly, a victim of improved phone
service and cheap fax machines, I doubt we'll be seeing many new telex
services.
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
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Telex<->Email<->Telex (and Fax Too)
From: joel@exc.com (Dr. Joel M. Hoffman)
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 13:37:51 GMT
Organization: Road Runner
> On a side issue, is there such a thing as a world-wide toll-free phone
> number? How about telex?
The closest you can come to a world-wide toll-free number is telling
people to call you collect. Many of the major phone companies have
gone to great lengths to provide their customers with toll-free access
to their networks, but this typically involves telling people to carry
qa small card with dozens of phone numbers, and it still doesn't cover
every country.
------------------------------
From: tknab@nyx.net (Terry Knab)
Subject: Re: NANP is Running Out of Codes - Canada's Plan
Organization: The Home Office
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 21:47:26 GMT
Bob Goudreau <BobGoudreau@nc.rr.com> wrote:
> Terry Knab (tknab@nyx.net) wrote:
>> Actually, with the number of Area Codes that Canada and the Carribean
>> use, splitting them *both* out of NANP may be a short-term fix to
>> the crunch we're having.
> Which number crunch? There are, what, 300 or so general use area codes
> still available for assignment, even excluding the ones set aside for
> numbering expansion, etc. Will putting the 43 non-US codes back into
> the pool really make much of a difference? The US already uses most
> of the NANP numbering space. Breaking up the NANP has certain other
> potential merits, but if simply expanding the pool of US area codes from
> about 550 to about 600 is the goal, the effort hardly seems worth it.
There's a real number crunch. The problem is that Kansas City, for
example, is already working on 816 relief, although they just
implemented 10 digit dialing across the river.
And its getting to the point where major cities like NYC, LA, and Chicago
are getting an out-of-control number of area codes as well.
There's not a soul around who knows at present the number of area
codes that will be available a year from now, either.
Terry E. Knab News/Acting System Administrator Nyx Public Access Unix
------------------------------
From: Matt Bennett <matthew_j_bennett@my-deja.com>
Subject: Document Describing Valid Telephone Numbers?
Date: Tue, 02 May 2000 18:13:16 GMT
Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
I'm looking for documentation on what telephone numbers are valid. For
example, in this NPA, local calls are made by just dialing a seven digit
number, long distance is 1+10 digits, and so on. Certain combinations
are pulled out, like the N11 codes, which place the call immediately
after the second 1.
I've found a great deal of information from the NANPA website,
http://www.nanpa.com/ , but nowhere that I can find does NANPA state
what is a complete set of rules for dialing.
I went to the Bellcore website (now telecordia,
http://www.telecordia.com/ ) and found a large number of documents I
could purchase there, but I'm not sure of the proper name for the
information that I need, and at upwards of $1000 for some of the
documents, I can't afford to buy them all. I suspect that it could be
MDP-700-009, AIOD AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION OF OUTWARD DIALING, 79-AIOD,
but that is dated March 1979, so I'm not confident that it contains the
most current information.
There is a persistent story of a magic book that contains all this
information, but I am at a loss to find it. I know this information
must be available, I just can't find it. I am willing and able to
purchase this if I have to, but I just need to find it.
Can anyone give me pointers to this information?
Matt Bennett |
matthew_j_bennett@my-deja.com |
http://web.hazmat.com/~mjb/ |
------------------------------
From: Thomas Dooley <fiberspec@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: Area Codes/Zip Codes Database Wanted
Date: Tue, 02 May 2000 22:38:13 GMT
Organization: AT&T Worldnet
John Stahl <aljon@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:telecom20.64.8@telecom-digest.org ...
> I have found that the DeLorme map program, Street Atlas (the latest
> version available I believe is Version 7.0), is a great 'database' for
> precisely the "codes" you require. Dropping down the "Find" box allows
> entry of either code. The result is a precise map of the geographic
> area covered by that "code".
John,
Could you tell me how precise is precise. Do you currently have that
software and if so, would you e-mail me a bitmap or whatever so that I could
see how detail it is? TIA
Tom
------------------------------
From: Bob Goudreau <BobGoudreau@nc.rr.com>
Subject: Re: Country Codes of the 0XX Format?
Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 00:32:47 -0400
Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu> wrote:
> Some people say that we should make '00+' as an optional way to place
> IDDD station-sent-paid calls, and "be just like most of the rest of
> the world". I'm not going to get into all the problems that could
> occur if 00+ were to be made an (optional) IDDD prefix ... I'm not
> totally opposed to permitting it, but with special conditions ... but
> that's another post.
OK, this is now another post, so let's get into all those problems :-).
I'm going to advance the opinion that there would be hardly any
problems at all with allowing 00 as an IDDD prefix in the NANP.
Yes, there would be ambiguity between 00-prefixed international
calls and the (already existing) two-digit number of the long-distance
operator, 00. However, this is certainly no worse than the
existing ambiguity posed by having a single "0" be simultaneously
the prefix for an operator-assisted intra-NPA call and also the full
number of the local telco's operator (not to mention being the
first digit of all international calls, be they 011+ direct-dialed
ones or 01+ operator-assisted ones!). Just like in the case of
a single "0", the two forms of "00" usage could be disambiguated
with a time-out or a short-circuit "#" terminator.
So, what am I missing? Is there any particular reason why
"00" as an international prefix should cause lots of problems
in the NANP? Certain obscure "inward" dialing strings
(used only by telco operators) that already begin with "00",
perhaps?
------------------------------
From: Bob Johnson <rejNOohnsonSPAM1@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Al Gore and the Internet (Re: Obituary: Phil Katz)
Reply-To: rejNOohnsonSPAM1@earthlink.net
Date: Tue, 02 May 2000 05:30:07 GMT
Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net
On Sun, 30 Apr 2000 16:05:04 -0700, Lars Poulsen <lars@cmc.com> wrote:
> Prior to about 1993, there was something called the Internet,
> but it was mostly a toy for university researchers.
Actually, it was a very nice tool, unencumbered by spam, porn, and
routine privacy violations. Pretty entertaining at times, too.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 17:42:42 -0400
From: Ted Koppel <tkoppel@mediaone.net>
Subject: * or # numbers on the highways?
A question about the way that calls to the State patrol are routed.
I was driving up 75/85 this afternoon, and saw the sign that said "Call
*GSP for assistance" or something like that. (The sign has obviously
been there for eons, this is the first time I actually wondered about
it.)
In the early days of cellular, there were only two providers in
town, and it was easy enough (I imagine) for them to program *GSP to
some ten digit number that would ring at the Highway patrol station.
Now that there are a dozen (or more) cellular/digital providers ...
how does that work? Are they ALL required to forward calls to the
proper number? Or is the sign obsolete?
------------------------------
From: Scott Stowe <ptownson@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: CID
Date: Tue, 02 May 2000 16:44:52 -0700
Hello, I am designing a simple telecom device and would like to offer
caller identification as an option. Can anybody tell me how to go
about doing this? Do I buy prebuilt CIDs from a manufacturer (if so
any recommendations?) Do I build my own and pay royalties? (To Who?)
I see numerous devices that have this feature offered my many
different manufacturers, do they all pay royalties or is this
technology open to all?
Thank you,
Scott Stowe
------------------------------
From: Shalom Septimus <druggist@telecom-digest.zzn.com>
Subject: Re: Bell-Atlantic to be Renamed "Verizon"
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 00:04:33 -0400
On Sun, 09 Apr 2000 20:07:35 GMT, nospam.tonypo1@nospam.home.com (Tony
Pelliccio) wrote:
> Those VeriFone boxes are disappearing quickly as
> point of sale software integrates credit card functionality. I happen
> to know, I sell Synchronics CounterPoint and the base version has cc
> processing through PNC Bank (Aka FDMS) built in.
But you'll still find one in almost every pharmacy in New York State,
as they are used to verify Medicaid cards. (We're using a Tranz 330.)
Shalom Septimus druggist@p0b0x.c0m
Registered pharmacist
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 11:29:20 EDT
From: Michael A. Desmon <mdesmon@us-one.net>
Subject: High-Speed Race
Despite strong local demand for high-speed Internet access, delivering the
service to customers has not been a slam dunk for BellSouth.
http://orlandosentinel.com/business/042800_speed28_12.htm
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 01:53:05 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
Subject: Intel to Phase Out Processor Serial Numbers Attacked by
Privacy Advocates
By CNET NEWS.COM
In the final chapter of a public relations fiasco, Intel Corp. will phase
out its practice of giving processors digital serial numbers that can
identify computers over the Internet.
h
------------------------------
From: Heikki Nykyri <heikki@pp.inet.fi>
Subject: I Need Manual to MATRA 6501 ISDN Telephone Exchange
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 12:22:49 GMT
Organization: Sonera corp Internet services
Hello,
Do anybody know where I can find or get installation manual to MATRA
6501 ISDN telephone exchange, and do you know any tips how to install
MATRA 6501. I know that it is possible to configure via RS232 port,
what kind of cabel I need. Where I can download new program version
upgrade to BIOS.
Best Regards,
Heikki Nykyri
------------------------------
From: Unhappy-HP-User-COMP@rxtmtxf.com
Subject: HP LaserJet 3150 Users; Can You Print Landscape?
Date: 29 Apr 2000 20:03:12 GMT
Organization: Prospective HP LaserJet 3150 Users Group
HP LaserJet 3150 Users... Can You Print Landscape???
Try it...
OK, neither can I - and neither can a whole lot of other users either.
So far I've identified several here in Usenet, but I'm sure there are
many, many more.
I'm attempting to identify as many people as possible with this problem,
so we can approach HP as a group and hopefully get them of their asses and
give us an appropriate firmware revision.
The workaround they currently recommend is completely unacceptable, since
it requires you to lower your video graphics acceleration significantly.
This degrades the video capabilities of your entire machine!
I don't think so...
Please write me at: fairnews@mailandnews.com if you are having
this problem so we can approach HP as a group and hopefully motivate/shame
them into fixing this.
I hope to heard from you.
Sincerely,
Charles Hamilton
mailto:fairnews@mailandnews.com
PS: Flames, SPAM complaints, death threats, or any other such crap
will be completely ignored.
------------------------------
From: Gerry & Michele <gfwalsh@avint.net>
Subject: Norstar M8 CLID Help
Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2000 08:09:57 -0230
Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com
I've got a Norstar M8 Call Identification unit that I'm trying to
install on an 8X24 DR5.1 KSU. I've run the trunks in first through the
M8 and on to the KSU. The unit is then terminated as a set.
Problem is - what to do next? Are there further programming issues?
Yes, we do have CLID on the lines from telco. Unfortunately I'm without
an M8 installation guide - can anyone help?
Gerry Walsh
------------------------------
From: dannyb@panix.com (Danny Burstein)
Subject: Shell Service Options (was Re: PSINet Buys Canada's ISP)
Date: 1 May 2000 02:18:48 -0400
In <telecom20.95.9@telecom-digest.org> msb@vex.net (Mark Brader) writes:
> Walter Dnes writes:
>> 3) The shell fiasco was a total comedy of errors. It started out with
>> months of assurances that no, shell was not going to be dropped.
[horror stories of shell users getting hosed snipped]
One option to consider is to separate out your internet access from your
shell service. Kind of like the split (in most cases in the US and many in
Canda) between local phone service and a long distance carrier.
There's no real "need" for your shell company to be local to you. As long
as you have good internet hookups, whether a dial-up, or cable, or dsl, or
whatever.. you can use them to reach your shell provider.
While you won't get the shell for free, you should be able to find places
that are moderate cost. For example, Panix (disclosure: I work there)
charges $10/month ($100/year) for shell access. (http://www.panix.com)
A good shell service shouldn't care where you're coming from. In our case
we have quite a few national _and_ international customers who use our
services.
Things to look for are:
Telnet access to the shell
optional secure logins (ssh/kerberos/others)
shell access to mail and news
and/or
pop3 for mail, nntp for news
procmail (or similar) configurable filters
web page hosting
web viewing from the shell connection
and, of course
a good and updated selection of usenet operating
systems and programs.
One very handy feature of doing things this way is you gain a second
e-mail and usenet id which is _distinct and isolated_ from your internet
access. Thus, you can change your local system, or move, or leave school,
switch employers, etc., and still maintain your permanent address.
Similarly, postings from an e-mail address at a respected service are
taken far more seriously than one from a disposable freebie system. Oh,
and e-mail from the freebies is far too often (because of the expletive
deleted spammers) filtered out -- often without notice.
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #99
*****************************
From editor@telecom-digest.org Wed May 3 00:22:06 2000
Received: (from ptownson@localhost)
by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id AAA08696;
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Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 00:22:06 -0400 (EDT)
From: editor@telecom-digest.org
Message-Id: <200005030422.AAA08696@massis.lcs.mit.edu>
To: ptownson
Subject: TELECOM Digest V20 #100
TELECOM Digest Wed, 3 May 2000 00:22:00 EDT Volume 20 : Issue 100
Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson
5/2/00 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines (Judith Oppenheimer)
Charlotte Observer ALMOST Got it Right, Re: Rotary Phones (Mark J. Cuccia)
Re: Infamous Computer Hacker Under Fire (William H. Bowen)
Number Pooling (C.T. Geast)
Re: Are There Three-Watt Digital Car Phones? (John R. Levine)
Gore Did Not 'Invent' the Internet (Charles B. Wilber)
Looking For "Introduction to Telecommunications" Book (Ray Dillon)
Re: PSINet Purchases CADVision (Joey Lindstrom)
TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Judith Oppenheimer <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
Subject: 5/2/00 ICBTollFree.Com Heads Up Headlines
Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 22:52:42 -0400
*************************************************************************
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.
*************************************************************************
Click Here to Subscribe to ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES
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ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND
ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options:
F = Free - News and Features articles
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NOTABLE QUOTES:
F - 'Truly free long distance is now here.'
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2126
P - 'An adamant refusal to sell a domain name cannot be deemed a clever
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SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2127
F - 'Nations wanting to be at the forefront of economic development
will unleash the Internet to be put to its most productive use by firms
and individuals as they see fit.'
SEE http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2130
*************************************************************************
ICB's ISSUE WATCH covers important matters pending resolution: currently,
-- Vapor-constituency: ICANN At Large Membership ...
-- SMS/800 system performance problems
-- delayed rollout of 866 and 855;
-- ICANN plans for Famous Marks and new Top Level Domains;
-- flaws in the Domain Dispute System.
see http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm.
*************************************************************************
HEADLINES FOR MAY 2, 2000
F - FREE VOICE MAIL
Users save money because eVoice and rivals such as Onebox.com and
uReach.com provide a toll-free number to pick up messages, while most
phone companies charge for a local call.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2120
P - .CA PROPOSAL DISCRIMINATORY
Small business does not necessarily require offices, phones and employees
in order to operate. Either of the definitions, if adopted, will take away
the rights of small Canadian corporations to have an internet presence
that utilizes the top level domain of Canada.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2121
F - FCC PLANS WEBSITE UPGRADE
The FCC plans to upgrade its Web site by offering an 'intelligent gateway'
that would make it easier to search for information, FCC Secretary Magalie
Salas said at a Commission forum April 28.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2122
F - ICANN UNDER GOV SCRUTINY - AGAIN
... facing a new round of scrutiny that promises to reignite a nearly
two-year-old debate over the validity of its creation, its mission and its
authority.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2123
**************************************************advertisements*********
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*************************************************************************
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 MAY 2, 2000
P - SIGNIFICANT -- OR SIMPLY COMMON SENSE?
'Even when a common name has become highly distinctive of a particular
product because massive advertising has generated substantial secondary
meaning, another party might legitimately register the common name because
of its primary meaning.' First decision to hold that an adamant refusal
to sell a domain name cannot be deemed a clever scheme to extort ever
higher demands from the trademark owner.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2127
F - BELL ATLANTIC UNVEILS 8-CENT LONG DISTANCE PLAN
The service is prepay, allowing BA to cut costs associated with billing,
including fraud, uncollectibles and billing queries, said Maura Breen,
president, BA Consumer Long Distance Service.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2128
F - ICANN TO GO UNDER? (DOWN UNDER, THAT IS)
Melbourne-based ICANN board member Gary Crew is pushing for the meeting
but is yet to secure the support of local large technology companies and
Internet organisations, and yet to find a suitable venue.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2129
F - THE REAL DIGITAL DIVIDE
In this country the Internet has become ubiquitous. Other countries
argue about how much freedom the private sector should be afforded to
develop and use the Internet. Nations wanting to be at the forefront
of economic development will unleash the Internet to be put to its most
productive use by firms and individuals as they see fit.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2130
*************************************************************************
>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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 <<<<<<<<<<<<<
*************************************************************************
more HEADLINES FOR MAY 2, 2000
F - LIGHT WAVES CARRY VOICE, DATA, MULTIMEDIA
'This is going to be huge, because the demand for bandwidth is really
insatiable.'
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2131
P - TO SELL OR NOT TO SELL …
As the best domain names increase in value, their owners are receiving
tempting offers. But not everyone is anxious to sell.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2124
F - AT&T TO CUT 6,200 JOBS
'AT&T's growth businesses are delivering,' AT&T Chairman and Chief
Executive C. Michael Armstrong said in a written statement. 'We'll
continue to cut costs in our legacy businesses while ramping up our
high-growth businesses.'
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2125
F - 'TOTALLY FREE VOIP LD'
O'Donnell said that truly free long distance is now here, meaning no
charges for Internet access and no charges for calls placed over the
Internet to anywhere in the world.
CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=2126
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 2 May 2000 19:25:27 -0500 (CDT)
From: Mark J Cuccia <mcuccia@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu>
Subject: Charlotte Observer ALMOST Got it Right, Re: Rotary Phones
Stan Schwartz posted an article from the Charlotte NC Oberserver on rotary
dial telephones:
"The oldest rotary phones date to 1919, when they were first introduced to
American consumers."
Actually, 1919 was the first new _Bell_System_ (AT&T) rotary dial service
(Step-by-Step), which I think was in Virginia. Many of the INDEPENDENTS
(competetive, non-connecting ones) had been providing (Step-by-Step)
rotary dial service since 1900 or even the 1890s in some of their exchange
areas.
The usual story is that a Kansas City undertaker (Mr. Strowger) was
concerned that he wasn't getting the telephone calls that he thought he
should be getting, and reasoned that the woman who ran the telephone
exchange switchboard was married to a competitor mortician, and she would
connect calls to her husband's mortuary instead of Mr. Strowger's when
people called up needing an undertaker.
So, Mr. Strowger invented the "girl-less" switchboard, a simple initial
version of what became the Step-by-Step automatic telephone exchange. The
headquarters of Bell weren't really interested in automating placing
telephone calls -- they thought that their customers (mostly wealthier
people) preferred the "personal service" that manual switchboard operators
provided. However, the new emerging competitive (but non-connected with
Bell) INDEPENDENT telephone industry began to embrace the idea of an
automatic exchange. They had a more middle-class base of customers who
couldn't afford, or didn't want, service from Bell.
I think that the first automatic (Step-by-Step) telephone exchange was in
La Porte IN, in 1896. The first systems used PUSH BUTTONS to produce the
open-circuit "dial"-pulses. You had two to four pushbuttons, one for each
of the digits in the local number. You pressed the first button so many
numbers of times, corresponding to what that first digit numerical was.
There was no 'timeout relay' used in the sense of later rotary/pulse
dials, where you have a single "dial" that is used for all digits, pulse
timing, inter-digit timing, on/off hook, etc - anything that would cause
an "open circuit" condition.
You had a bundle of individual wires connecting your phone with the SxS
exchange instead of a single pair/loop. Each set of wires corresponded to
each digit that you would press to open-circuit. Also, there was no
"dialtone" in the original systems. Everyone had a direct connection to
their "Step first selector", thus there was no need for a "line-finder".
You probably had no other "tones" or "announcements" back then as well. I
don't know if an assistance operator would have had to cut-in to let you
know that the line was "in use" or not ...
Also, there weren't any automatic "ringing machines" neither. You might
have had a magneto crank, or if there was centralized power to provide
ringing, you could press a button to ring that distant party that you had
just dialed - or "pressed buttons" for. Thus, you could even indicate
"codes" with "coded ringing" by the way you cranked the magneto or pressed
the ringing button.
Actual power for the speech path itself could have been either centralized
"common battery" or even local battery.
But the connecting of calls within an exchange or town was able to be
selected by the customer themselves, without need for an operator to
"plug in"!
By 1900, the rotary dial was perfected, but it frequently looked different
than the common GTE-AE or WECO/NECO dial. It usually had the finger-stop
at the "six-o'clock" position, and there were holes or "hooks" for each
digit along the right side of the dial ... you "pulled the dial down"
clockwise, in a sense.
There were other variations of how a dial should be in these early
1900's SxS dial phones, used in the US/Canada or in other parts of the
world, though.
Many systems had an "eleventh" or "twelth" finger hook/hole ... you could
dial the "11" or "12" digit (singular) to reach an assistance operator,
or Long Distance, or Repair, Business Office, etc.
By the mid-"teens", Bell was realizing that automated/dial service would
help cut down on increasing labor costs, especially in big cities.
Also, this was shortly after the Kingsbury Committment of 1912/13 when
Bell agreed not to take over the competing independents on their own, but
would work closely with the independent industry, doing "swap offs" of
nearby cities where you had competing (but non-connected) Bell and
independent exchanges. In many areas where the independent had dial
service, Bell tried to REMOVE the automated dial service and replace it
with MANUAL OPERATOR local service! The state/local commissions and the
public frequently objected, and in many cases, Bell would keep the
independent dial equipment until they later replaced it with Western
Electric SxS a few years later.
Incidently, Mr. Strowger's name was used for the Strowger Automatic
Electric Company of Chicago, which ultimately became GT&E's Automatic
Electric manufacturing/equipment division. Today, AE has mostly been
spun-off from GTE (soon to be merged with Bell Atlantic into VeriZon).
A few years ago, AT&T and GTE jointly owned AE under the name "AG
Communciations" - the 'A' standing for AT&T and the 'G' for GTE. AE->AG
is now mostly part of Lucent, now that Lucent (formerly Western
Electric) has been spun-out of AT&T.
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)
NWORLATUDS0?(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)
------------------------------
From: bowenb@best.com (William H. Bowen)
Subject: Re: Infamous Computer Hacker Under Fire
Date: Wed, 03 May 2000 01:14:37 GMT
Reply-To: bowenb@best.com
black@csulb.edu (Matthew Black) wrote:
> In article <telecom20.94.10@telecom-digest.org>, bowenb@best.com
> says ... [original message edited for brevity --matthew 000502] >
>> Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> wrote:
>>> http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/a/AP-Computer-Hacker.html
> This link doesn't work for me Tuesday 0945 PDT.
>> As far as I'm concerned, it is the JUDGE that needs to spend some time
>> in the "Gray Bar Hotel". This is not the first time this witch has run
>> roughshod over the Constitution.
>> Just as a point of reference for those of you from California, this is
>> the same judge that, in concert with our commie Governor "Red" Davis,
>> buried Prop. 187.
>> Regards,
>> Bill Bowen
>> bowenb@best.com
>> Daly City, CA
> California Proposition 187 was found unconstitutional.
That's only half the story - our great Governor, in concert with this
corrupt judge, rigged the deal so that the people who orginally placed
the prop. on the ballot cannot appeal it.
I don't want to get into a big non-telecom related political
discussion -- the only reason I brought the issue up is to show what a
low-life this particular judge is.
Regards,
Bill Bowen
bowenb@best.com
Daly City, CA
------------------------------
From: ctgeast@aol.com (C.T. Geast)
Date: 03 May 2000 01:43:51 GMT
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com
Subject: Number Pooling
This may be "old hat" to some or most of you, but I've just started
reading this ng in the past few days, and I thought I'd pass along
some information. Since I work for a telecom company, I found it
pretty relevant.
On March 31, the FCC issued a report on the exhausting North American
Numbering Plan, and plans to "stave off disaster". The basic finding
of the FCC was that they will begin implementing nationwide
hundreds-block number pooling. They will select an impartial third
party to act as Pooling Administrator. Nine months after that, they
will begin rolling out number pooling in the 100 most active and
populous areas/rate centers.
Personally, I think it's a good idea ... certainly the best solution
at this time to the outdated practice of doling out numbers an entire
NXX at a time. But since our company has been very sluggish to even
pass along this knowledge from the "higher ranks", I figured I'd pass
it along here in the ng, in case anyone else's company is the same
way, but I'm sure _all_ of the telecom companies are already right on
top of this one :grin:
------------------------------
Date: 2 May 2000 22:09:35 -0400
From: johnl@iecc.com (John R. Levine)
Subject: Re: Are There Three-Watt Digital Car Phones?
Organization: I.E.C.C., Trumansburg NY USA
>> Does anyone make digital car phones? ... transmit at 3W using a
>> half-wave antenna as opposed to the .75W that handhelds do.
> I was told by a friend who works for Airtouch that in typical
> situations, the first command received by a 3W cell phone is to power
> down to the 500mW level used by handhelds. The higher power doesn't
> help (!) and generates lots of interference. As I understand it, with
> short wavelenght FM signals, the biggest issue is reflection and other
> signal quality issues, not power.
In cities, that's quite true, the base station tells the mobile
dynamically what transmit power to use, and it's usually well under a
watt. But I don't live in a city, I live in a village of 1600 people
surrounded by apple orchards, corn fields, and pasture. The closest
cell tower is on the other side of the lake, at least five miles away.
That's why my 3W phone works pretty well around here, while people
with .75W handhelds get dropouts and hangups.
I used to own a wood lot in the northeastern corner of Vermont, miles
from the nearest payphone. But if I parked the truck on the top of a
hill, the phone worked pretty reliably even though the closest tower
was 25 miles away in St. Johnsbury. No .75W phone is going to do
that.
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
------------------------------
Date: 01 May 2000 08:41:52 EDT
From: Charles.B.Wilber@Dartmouth.EDU (Charles B. Wilber)
Reply-To: Charles.B.Wilber@Dartmouth.EDU (Charles B. Wilber)
Subject: Gore Did Not 'Invent' the Internet
-- You wrote:
Vint Cerf (and others) designed the protocols, but Al Gore
designed the economics.
-- end of quote --
Gore's claim was that he "invented" the Internet. He did not.
Charlie Wilber
Hanover, New Hampshire
------------------------------
From: Ray Dillon <rdillon@cableatlantic.nf.ca>
Subject: Looking For "Introduction to Telecommunications" Book
Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 10:50:46 -0230
Organization: Cable Atlantic News Server
...sort of a "Telecom 101", not too complicated or technical, rather an
overview of telecom in general. Any suggestions?
------------------------------
From: Joey Lindstrom <Joey@GaryNumanFan.NU>
Date: Mon, 01 May 2000 02:19:17 -0600
Reply-To: Joey Lindstrom <Joey@GaryNumanFan.NU>
Subject: Re: PSINet Purchases CADVision
On Sat, 29 Apr 2000 08:23:05 -0400 (EDT), J.F. Mezei wrote:
>> CADVision, an independent ISP in Calgary, Alberta, has been purchased
>> by PSINet.
> PSInet , I believe, also purchased Totalnet in Montreal. It too was
> the largest independant remaining ISP in the area. Totalnet had been
> purchased by Mpac Immedia, and when BCE Emergis purchased Mpac, MPac
> sold Totalnet to PSINET instead of integrating it into Sympatico.
> I have to assume that PSINET is doing the same in every large city in
> Canada to acquire a national presence.
The thing that scares the pants off of me is that it's primarily due
to these small, independent ISP's success that we enjoy rates as low
as we do. ADSL service in Calgary is quite competitive, and from all
providers runs about $40 per month for dynamic-IP "consumer" access,
with business rates ranging from $83 to $170 depending on your
provider and the details of your contract (I have accounts with both
Cadvision, at $1695/year including a 16-IP subnet, and Nucleus, at
$83/month with a single static IP). I had a peek at PSINet's webpage
-- they want over FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS PER MONTH for their
recently-rolled-out ADSL service. If overall prices went that high,
I'd have to shut down my operations, as my costs would VASTLY exceed
my meagre revenues.
These low rates also impacted on cablemodem rates here in Calgary - I
know that when Shaw first rolled out their cablemodem service, it was
$55/month everywhere else in Canada but only $40/month here. I don't
know if that's still the case, but they quickly realized that nobody
would buy their $55/month service when you could get better ADSL
service from at least four providers at $40/month or less (Cadvision's
is $449/year, so just a shade under).
But now along come the "big boys" and it does cause me to fret just a
bit ...
/ From the messy desktop of Joey Lindstrom
/ Visit The NuServer! http://www.GaryNumanFan.NU
/ Visit The Webb! http://webb.GaryNumanFan.NU
/
/ I owed my friend George $25. For about three weeks I owed it to him.
/ The whole time I had the money on me -- he didn't know it. Walking
/ through New York City, 2:30 in the morning and we got held up. He said,
/ "Gimme all your money." I said, "Wait a minute." I said, "George, here's
/ the 25 dollars I owe you." Then the thief took a thousand dollars out
/ of his own money and he gave it to George. At gunpoint made me borrow a
/ thousand dollars from George.
/ --Steven Wright
------------------------------
End of TELECOM Digest V20 #100
******************************