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TELECOM Digest Thu, 31 Mar 2005 22:20:00 EST Volume 24 : Issue 139 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Obituary: Schiavo Dies After Feeding Tube Removed (Lisa Minter) Re: Cell Phone Jammer For Sale MONIX MGB-1S (T. Sean Weintz) Re: Blackboards vs. Whiteboards (Chris Farrar) Re: Blackboards vs. Whiteboards (Dale Farmer) Re: Blackboards vs. Whiteboards (DevilsPGD) Re: Blackboards vs. Whiteboards (Barry Margolin) Re: Blackboards vs. Whiteboards (T. Sean Weintz) Re: Blackboards vs. Whiteboards (Mark Atwood) Re: Blackboards vs. Whiteboards (John Hines) Re: Fax Station ID (Rich Greenberg) Re: Fax Station ID (Robert Bonomi) Re: GSM-900 (Robert Bonomi) Re: GSM-900 (Joseph) Re: Time for the Recording Industry to Face the Music (Dave Garland) Re: Science and Society: Anatomy of a Techno-Myth (Thomas A. Horsley) Re: Science and Society: Anatomy of a Techno-Myth (T. Sean Weintz) Re: Verizon, Voicewing and Portability (Robert Bonomi) Re: Secret Service DNA - "Distributed Networking Attack" (John McHarry) New Sponsor on Board at Digest Web Site (TELECOM Digest Editor) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 31 Mar 2005 11:54:41 -0800 From: Lisa Minter <lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com> Subject: Obituary: Schiavo Dies After Feeding Tube Removed By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press Writer PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - Terri Schiavo, the severely brain-damaged woman who spent 15 years connected to a feeding tube in an epic legal and medical battle that went all the way to the White House and Congress, died Thursday, 13 days after the tube was removed. She was 41. Schiavo died at 9:05 a.m. at the Pinellas Park hospice where she lay for years while her husband and her parents fought over her in what was easily the longest, most bitter and most heavily litigated right-to-die dispute in U.S. history. The feud between the parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, and their son-in-law continued even after her death: The Schindlers' advisers complained that Schiavo's brother and sister had been at her bedside a few minutes before the end came, but were not there at the moment of her death because Michael Schiavo would not let them in the room. "And so his heartless cruelty continues until this very last moment," said the Rev. Frank Pavone, a Roman Catholic priest. He added: "This is not only a death, with all the sadness that brings, but this is a killing, and for that we not only grieve that Terri has passed but we grieve that our nation has allowed such an atrocity as this and we pray that it will never happen again." Michael Schiavo's attorney, George Felos, announced the death but had no immediate comment beyond that. Michael Schiavo's whereabouts were not immediately known. "She's got all of her dignity back. She's now in heaven, she's now with God, and she's walking with grace," Michael Schiavo's brother, Scott Schiavo, said at his Levittown, Pa., home. Outside the hospice, a small group of activists sang hymns, raising their hands to the sky and closing their eyes. After the tube that supplied a nutrient solution was disconnected, protesters had streamed into Pinellas Park to keep vigil outside her hospice, with many arrested as they tried to bring her food and water. Dawn Kozsey, 47, a musician who was among those outside Schiavo's hospice, wept. "Words cannot express the rage I feel," she said. "Is my heart broken for this? Yes." Schiavo suffered severe brain damage in 1990 after her heart stopped because of a chemical imbalance that was believed to have been brought on by an eating disorder. Court-appointed doctors ruled she was in a persistent vegetative state, with no real consciousness or chance of recovery. She left no written instructions, but her husband argued that his wife told him long ago she would not want to be kept alive artificially. His in-laws disputed that, saying that would have gone against her Roman Catholic faith, and they contended she could get better with treatment. They said she laughed, cried, responded to them and tried to talk. Over and over, Pinellas County Circuit Judge George W. Greer said that Michael Schiavo had convinced him that Terri Schiavo would not have wanted to be kept alive under such conditions. The feeding tube was removed with the judge's approval March 18 the third time food and water were cut off during the seven-year legal battle. Florida lawmakers, Congress, President Bush and his brother Gov. Jeb Bush tried to intervene on behalf of her parents, but state and federal courts at all levels repeatedly ruled in favor of her husband. The case focused national attention on living wills, prompting perhaps thousands of Americans to discuss their end-of-life wishes with their loved ones and put their instructions in writing. The dispute also stirred a furious debate over the proper role of government in such life-and-death decisions. And it led to allegations that Republicans in Congress were pandering to the religious right and violating their own political principles of limited government and states' rights. In Washington, the president said he was saddened by the death. "The essence of civilization is that the strong have a duty to protect the weak," Bush said. "In cases where there are serious doubts and questions, the presumption should be in favor of life." In Rome, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, head of the Vatican office for sainthood, called the removal of the feeding tube "an attack against God." An autopsy is planned, with both sides hoping it will shed more light on the extent of her brain injuries and whether she was abused by her husband, as the Schindlers have argued. In what was the source of yet another dispute between the husband and his in-laws, Michael Schiavo will get custody of the body and plans to have her cremated and bury the ashes in the Schiavo family plot in Pennsylvania. A funeral Mass, sought by the Schindlers, was tentatively scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday. Gov. Jeb Bush said that millions of people around the world will be "deeply grieved" by her death but that the debate over her fate could help others grapple with end-of-life issues. "After an extraordinarily difficult and tragic journey, Terri Schiavo is at rest," he said. "I remain convinced, however, that Terri's death is a window through which we can see the many issues left unresolved in our families and in our society. For that, we can be thankful for all that the life of Terri Schiavo has taught us." Although several right-to-die cases have been fought in the courts across the nation in recent years, none had been this public, drawn-out and bitter. Six times, the Court declined to intervene. As Schiavo's life ebbed away earlier this month, Congress rushed through a bill to allow the federal courts to take up the case. President Bush signed it March 21. But the federal courts refused to intervene. Described by her family as a shy woman who loved animals, music and basketball, Terri Schindler grew up in Pennsylvania and battled a weight problem in her youth. "And then when she lost all the weight, she really became quite beautiful on the outside as well. What was inside she allowed to shine out at that point," a friend, Diane Meyer, said in 2003. She met Michael Schiavo, pronounced SHY-voh, at Bucks County Community College near Philadelphia in 1982. She worked for a short time for the Bell Telephone Company in Pennsylvania. They wed two years later. After they moved to Florida, she worked in an insurance agency. But recurring battles with weight led to the eating disorder that was blamed for her collapse at 26. Doctors said she suffered severe brain damage when her heart stopped beating because of a potassium imbalance. Her brain was deprived of oxygen for 10 minutes before she was revived, doctors estimated, while waiting for an ambulance and in transit to emergency care. Because Terri Schiavo did not leave written wishes on her care, Florida law gave preference to Michael Schiavo over her parents. But the law also recognizes parents as having crucial opinions in the care of an incapacitated person. A court-appointed physician testified her brain damage was so severe that there was no hope she would ever have any cognitive abilities. Still, her parents, who visited her nearly every day, reported their daughter responded to their voices. Video showing the dark-haired woman appearing to interact with her family was televised nationally. But the court-appointed doctor said the noises and facial expressions were reflexes. Both sides accused each other of being motivated by greed over a $1 million medical malpractice award from doctors who failed to diagnose the chemical imbalance. However, that money, which Michael Schiavo received in 1993, has all but evaporated, spent on his wife's care and the court fight. Just $40,000 to $50,000 remained as of mid-March. Michael Schiavo's lawyers suggested the Schindlers wanted to get some of the money. And the Schindlers questioned their son-in-law's sincerity, saying he never mentioned his wife's wishes until winning the malpractice case. The parents tried to have Michael Schiavo removed as his wife's guardian because he lives with another woman and has two children with her. Michael Schiavo refused to divorce his wife, saying he feared the Schindlers would ignore her desire to die. Schiavo lived in her brain-damaged state longer than two other young women whose cases brought right-to-die issues to the forefront of public attention. Karen Quinlan lived for more than a decade in a vegetative state brought on by alcohol and drugs in 1975 when she was 21; New Jersey courts let her parents take her off a respirator a year after her injury. Nancy Cruzan, who was 25 when a 1983 car crash placed her in a vegetative state, lived nearly eight years before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that her parents could withdraw her feeding tube. Schiavo's feeding tube was briefly removed in 2001. It was reinserted after two days when a court intervened. In October 2003, the tube was removed again, but Gov. Jeb Bush rushed Terri's Law through the Legislature, allowing the state to have the feeding tube reinserted after six days. The Florida Supreme Court later struck down the law as unconstitutional interference in the judicial system by the executive branch. Nearly two weeks ago, the tube was removed for a third and final time. Associated Press reporters Allen Breed, Vickie Chachere, Mark Long, Mitch Stacy and Ron Word contributed to this story. This message to TELECOM Digest was prompted by friends of Terri Shiavo from her college days at Bucks Community College. NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra . Hundreds of new articles daily. *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, in this instance, the Associated Press. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ------------------------------ From: T. Sean Weintz <strap@hanh-ct.org> Subject: Re: Cell Phone Jammer For Sale MONIX MGB-1S Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 21:28:23 -0500 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Robert Bonomi wrote: > On some systems, with some cards, you can over-ride the built-in > Ethernet address, and tell it to use an Ethernet address you specify. > This is not an option under MS-Windows. Talk about ignorance in action! ;-) (hey, you said it first <G>) IT IS an option in Windows, if you have a card and driver that support it. MOST modern ethernet cards and drivers will allow this under Windows. In fact it's been years since I have encountered one that did NOT support assigning your own mac address under windows. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 17:04:38 -0500 From: Chris Farrar <cfarrar1307@rogers.com> Subject: Re: Blackboards vrs. Whiteboards hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote about Subject: Blackboards vs. Whiteboards on Date: 30 Mar 2005 10:25:59 -0800 > I heard my school district will modernize and replace the classic > "blackboard" (or greenboard) with modern 'whiteboards'. I can't help > but wonder if this is a dumb idea. > AFAIK, blackboards last forever. Lots of old schools still have their > original ones. In contrast, whiteboards seem sensitve to nicks and > scrapes. > I believe black/greenboards cost less than whiteboards. > But most significantly is the chalk vs. marker. > Chalk is much cheaper than markers. Markers always run out quickly. > Someone forgets and uses the wrong kind permanently staining the > whiteboard. > Lastly, markers have that weird chemical smell. > Seems to me there's nothing wrong with blackboards and nothing to be > gained by whiteboards. > Thoughts anyone? Well, blackboards do generate chalk dust. And the way kids seem to have alergies to almost everything under the sun, and parents that will file contingency lawsuits if someone looks at their kids funny, I wonder if it is to head off lawsiuts that the chalk dust is causing Johnny's asthma to act up. Chris ------------------------------ From: Dale Farmer <dale@cybercom.net> Organization: The fuzz in the back of the fridge. Subject: Re: Blackboards vs. Whiteboards Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 22:51:51 GMT hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > I heard my school district will modernize and replace the classic > "blackboard" (or greenboard) with modern 'whiteboards'. I can't help > but wonder if this is a dumb idea. > AFAIK, blackboards last forever. Lots of old schools still have their > original ones. In contrast, whiteboards seem sensitve to nicks and > scrapes. > I believe black/greenboards cost less than whiteboards. > But most significantly is the chalk vs. marker. > Chalk is much cheaper than markers. Markers always run out quickly. > Someone forgets and uses the wrong kind permanently staining the > whiteboard. > Lastly, markers have that weird chemical smell. > Seems to me there's nothing wrong with blackboards and nothing to be > gained by whiteboards. > Thoughts anyone? That this has nothing to do with telecom. So I'll leave it at that. --Dale ------------------------------ From: DevilsPGD <ihatespam@crazyhat.net> Subject: Re: Blackboards vs. Whiteboards Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 17:13:15 -0700 Organization: Disorganized In message <telecom24.137.12@telecom-digest.org> hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > I heard my school district will modernize and replace the classic > "blackboard" (or greenboard) with modern 'whiteboards'. I can't help > but wonder if this is a dumb idea. > AFAIK, blackboards last forever. Lots of old schools still have their > original ones. In contrast, whiteboards seem sensitve to nicks and > scrapes. > I believe black/greenboards cost less than whiteboards. > But most significantly is the chalk vs. marker. > Chalk is much cheaper than markers. Markers always run out quickly. > Someone forgets and uses the wrong kind permanently staining the > whiteboard. > Lastly, markers have that weird chemical smell. > Seems to me there's nothing wrong with blackboards and nothing to be > gained by whiteboards. > Thoughts anyone? I'll take a whiteboard over a blackboard for readability any day. ------------------------------ From: Barry Margolin <barmar@alum.mit.edu> Subject: Re: Blackboards vs. Whiteboards Organization: Symantec Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 20:28:58 -0500 In article <telecom24.137.12@telecom-digest.org>, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > Seems to me there's nothing wrong with blackboards and nothing to be > gained by whiteboards. This web site mentions chalk dust as a common trigger of asthma attacks in children: http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/allergy/asthma.html A google search shows a number of other pages mentioning similar connections. Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu Arlington, MA *** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me *** ------------------------------ From: T. Sean Weintz <strap@hanh-ct.org> Subject: Re: Blackboards vs. Whiteboards Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 21:35:16 -0500 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > I believe black/greenboards cost less than whiteboards. I would expect a good quality, real slate blackboard (the kind I had in all my classrooms growing up) is considerably MORE than a whiteboard. > But most significantly is the chalk vs. marker. Yes. > Chalk is much cheaper than markers. YES! > Markers always run out quickly. > Someone forgets and uses the wrong kind permanently staining the > whiteboard. Yup. However I have seen some good enameled white boards that DON'T stain very easily -- "permanent" marker wipes right off with a little alcohol. > Lastly, markers have that weird chemical smell. And teenagers can sniff them ... Happens when you give them glue, paint, correction fluid ... It will happen with markers. > Seems to me there's nothing wrong with blackboards and nothing to be > gained by whiteboards. Initially they may be cheaper to install new. It's a losing proposition fiscally when you look at the cost of markers vs. chalk and the cost of replacing damaged white boards. > Thoughts anyone? ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Blackboards vs. Whiteboards From: Mark Atwood <mark@atwood.name> Organization: EasyNews, UseNet made Easy! Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 08:22:40 GMT hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com writes: > Chalk is much cheaper than markers. Markers always run out quickly. > Someone forgets and uses the wrong kind permanently staining the > whiteboard. > Lastly, markers have that weird chemical smell. Seems to me there's > nothing wrong with blackboards and nothing to be gained by > whiteboards. Thoughts anyone? Chalk dust is hell on electronics. Mark Atwood | When you do things right, people won't be sure mark@atwood.name | you've done anything at all. http://mark.atwood.name/ http://www.livejournal.com/users/fallenpegasus [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The fact that so many classrooms are now also equipped with computers and other electronics may have played some role in the decision. PAT] ------------------------------ From: John Hines <jbhines@newsguy.com> Subject: Re: Blackboards vs. Whiteboards Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 10:15:12 -0600 Organization: www.jhines.org Reply-To: john@jhines.org hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > Lastly, markers have that weird chemical smell. Blackboards are always dusty if they get used. White reflects light, so it would brighten up a room. ------------------------------ From: richgr@panix.com (Rich Greenberg) Subject: Re: Fax Station ID Date: 30 Mar 2005 16:32:28 -0500 Organization: Organized? Me? In article <telecom24.137.6@telecom-digest.org>, <NOTvalid@surplus4actors.INFO> wrote: > John Schmerold wrote: >> Anyone know if it's a law or regulation that requires faxes to include >> station identification at top of every page sent ? > Yes ... but > Only if made after a certain year. > My 4800bps fax card from my XT which I still use is exempt. Time to upgrade. Adding the ID is not the responsibity of the modem, but of the fax software that drives the modem. Winfax in my case. Newer faxes do 14.4 kbaud faxes. Rich Greenberg Marietta, GA, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 770 321 6507 Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67 Canines:Val, Red & Shasta (RIP),Red, husky Owner:Chinook-L Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. www.panix.com/~richgr/ Asst Owner:Sibernet-L ------------------------------ From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com (Robert Bonomi) Subject: Re: Fax Station ID Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 02:01:37 -0000 Organization: Widgets, Inc. In article <telecom24.137.6@telecom-digest.org>, <NOTvalid@surplus4actors.INFO> wrote: > John Schmerold wrote: >> Anyone know if it's a law or regulation that requires faxes to include >> station identification at top of every page sent ? > Yes ... but > Only if made after a certain year. > My 4800bps fax card from my XT which I still use is exempt. Sorry, John, but you are *wrong*. You, "the person" sending the fax are *still* required to place the identification information at the top/bottom of every page, or on the first page. You are correct that _equipment_ manufactured before 20 Dec 1992 does not have to do this 'automatically', HOWEVER, just because you are using such equipment you are _not_ exempt from the requirement of 47 USC 227 (d) (1). ------------------------------ From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com (Robert Bonomi) Subject: Re: GSM-900 Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 02:50:32 -0000 Organization: Widgets, Inc. In article <telecom24.137.20@telecom-digest.org>, Jason <cheanglong@gmail.com> wrote: > Thank you all for the explanation. It really helps. > But may I know for a transmitter and a receiver, will the transmitting > frequency be different than the receiving frequency? I know there are > such cases. But why they make it this way? So they can both work _at_the_same_time_. duh! ------------------------------ From: Joseph <JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: GSM-900 Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 19:02:30 -0800 Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com On 30 Mar 2005 05:04:16 -0800, Jason <cheanglong@gmail.com> wrote: > But may I know for a trasnmitter and a receiver, will the trasnmitting > frequency be different than the receiving frequency? I know there are > such cases. But why they make it this way? Transmitting and receiving frequencies are different. ------------------------------ From: Dave Garland <dave.garland@wizinfo.com> Subject: Re: Time for the Recording Industry to Face the Music Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 16:00:38 -0600 Organization: Wizard Information It was a dark and stormy night when hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > Well then, what would be an appropriate royalty for musicians and > price for CDs? Well-known recording artists seem to be living quite > well. Actually, most musicians make their money from concerts and maybe merchandising. "Few musicians ever actually receive royalties from their record sales on major labels", even including name bands like the Backstreet Boys (NYT article reprinted at http://knowyourmusic.com/index.asp?LogID=131 ), and individuals like Janis Ian, who said "in 37 years as a recording artist, I've created 25+ albums for major labels, and never once received a royalty check that didn't show I owed _them_ money" ( http://www.janisian.com/article-internet_debacle.html ) and David Byrne ( http://www.boingboing.net/2005/03/28/david_byrne_launches.html ). Royalties get paid on "profits", and the recording industry is as ingenious as Hollywood in creative accounting practices that ensure there never will be anything labelled a profit. The economics for a hypothetical successful band are described in an entertainment column: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/60991p-57008c.html Of course, none of that is to say that the record companies aren't entitled to make some money. But it's misleading to suggest that shared music steals food from the tables of the creators of the music. (Sorry, stretch as I may, the only ObTelecom I can think of is "and the recording companies use _telephones_ in plotting their nefarious deeds" :-D ) ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Science and Society: Anatomy of a Techno-Myth -- Economist.com From: tom.horsley@att.net (Thomas A. Horsley) Organization: AT&T Worldnet Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 22:40:11 GMT > I don't think the scare of using cell phones while pumping gas ever > got too far. It'd be a very easy thing to check -- what were the > causes of gas station fires and technically could a cell phone cause > that? As an all-electronic device, cell phones normally don't > generate sparks. There is certainly no evidence that cellphones can start gas station fires (and a lot of evidence against it from MythBusters episodes to research by the peteroleum safety institute), nevertheless every gas station I go to has an official looking sign near the pumps telling you not to use cellphones :-). -- >>==>> 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 <<==+ ------------------------------ From: T. Sean Weintz <strap@hanh-ct.org> Subject: Re: Science and Society: Anatomy of a Techno-Myth -- Economist.com Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 21:37:21 -0500 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote: > You don't need to be a scientist to see through this crap, only some > common sense and some careful thinking is needed. Both (common sense and careful thinking) are in woefully short supply in this area. ------------------------------ From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com (Robert Bonomi) Subject: Re: Verizon, Voicewing and Portability Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 02:45:40 -0000 Organization: Widgets, Inc. In article <telecom24.137.13@telecom-digest.org>, Robert Bonomi <bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com> wrote: [[.. munch ..]] > *IF* you have a _reliable_ cable TV provider, they may offer Internet > access, and could be worth checking out. If, like many places, the cable > TV service is subject to frequent short-duration outages, you should take > into consideration what effect similar outages will have on your Internet > use. > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: In the nearly two years since I decided > to ditch Southwestern Bell (for everything) and go with CableOne for > my high speed internet, I do not think there has been five minutes of > downtime. Well, there was one time I decided to move a television set > into my computer room so I could watch television while working on the > Digest, and in the process of hooking up a splitter to the cable line > and attaching a television/radio combination to the cable which (at > that point in my system) had just been the internet, I got a splitter > installed incorrectly. I had that same day installed a Cisco router > for the computers, and between the ill-advised television/radio on the > cable line in my computer room and the Cisco router, the Motorola SB-4220 > Surfboard Cable Modem (supplied by CableOne) somehow lost track of what > it was doing. But the tech guy at CableOne very graciously got me back > on line in about 10 minutes once I decided to call them and ask for help. > Cable only rarely goes off line, I have found. PAT] A lot depends on where you are, and who your cable provider is. "Big city" cable tends to be -less- reliable than smaller-town installation. Probably because bigger cities tended to get wired earlier. Older, more problematic, infrastructure. Cable TV here -- metro Chicago -- has short-duration outages (i.e., 3-15 seconds or so) several times a week, *on*average*. It looks like an amplifier somewhere power-cycles. I _don't_ know about the Internet service, but the "reliability" of the TV failures does not inspire confidence. My folks, in another state, have 'cable Internet' -- they don't have any choice, being a couple of thousand feet too far away from the C.O. for DSL. A few weeks ago, the cable company did an over-night 'upgrade' of the head-end equipment. It was FIVE DAYS before my folks Internet connection worked again. Getting the problem resolved took: more than TWELVE HOURS (cumulative) sitting on hold, waiting to speak to a customer-service rep, _and_ *THREE* on-site visits by the cable co. techs, Ultimate determination, it _was_ a problem in the new head-end gear; the site visits didn't accomplish anything, except to establish that what my folks were reporting was the _exact_ truth. *sigh*. Cable may be a good choice for some. A lot depends on the provider. Unfortunately, in most locales, you have as much choice for a cable provider as you have for an ILEC. ------------------------------ From: John McHarry <jmcharry@comcast.net> Subject: Re: Secret Service DNA - "Distributed Networking Attack" Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 04:09:52 GMT Organization: EarthLink Inc. -- http://www.EarthLink.net Since this is their job, at least it is an efficient use of public money, but it does give one an idea about how subtle security can be when challenged by an adversary with intelligence and resources. I worked for a short period for an entity that dealt in national security, although I never got more than peripherally involved. The one thing that struck me immediately was that we weren't up against kids or crooks, but people as smart and patriotic as ourselves. ------------------------------ From: TELECOM Digest Editor <ptownson@telecom-digest.org> Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 20:55:00 CST Subject: New Sponsor Comes on Board With Digest Web Site I am pleased to welcome AllSlots.com, an online casino service as a new sponsor for one year, effective April 1, 2005. If you enjoy online wagering, casino-style, from the privacy of your home computer, you may wish to check out http://www.allslots.com/online-casinos.php . And, my thanks for their support. PAT ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. 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