From editor@telecom-digest.org Tue Aug 31 15:26:00 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.6) id i7VJQ0e28005; Tue, 31 Aug 2004 15:26:00 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 15:26:00 -0400 (EDT) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200408311926.i7VJQ0e28005@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #407 TELECOM Digest Tue, 31 Aug 2004 15:25:00 EDT Volume 23 : Issue 407 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson HBO CGMS-A Copyright Protection (Monty Solomon) Startup Launching Web-To-TV Video Service (Monty Solomon) Verizon Wireless Takes a Bite Out of 'Spam' (Monty Solomon) Verizon Issues Consumer Alert: Beware of Pop-Up Internet Ads (M Solomon) Website Offers Caller I.D. Falsification Service (Monty Solomon) Caller ID Falsification Service (Sent by a Gnu) (ytm4jpc02@sneakemail) Re: Forced Ads on Auto Response System (Brian Inglis) Re: Forced Ads on Auto Response System (John David Galt) Re: Microsoft Changed My Mind (Paul Vader) Re: Verizon Cable TV? (Isaiah Beard) Re: Considering VoIP For Home? Think Twice About AT&T CallVantage (Chip) Re: Looking For Receive-Only VoIP (John Bartley) Re: Looking For Receive-Only VoIP (John R. Covert) Re: Obituary: Walter J. Zenner, 1904-2004 (Ned Protter) Re: Obituary: Walter J. Zenner, 1904-2004 (Klay Anderson) Re: Obituary: Walter J. Zenner, 1904-2004 (Justin Time) Re: Obituary: Walter J. Zenner, 1904-2004 (Paul A Lee) Re: Obituary: Walter J. Zenner, 1904-2004 (William Warren) Re: Obituary: Walter J. Zenner, 1904-2004 (Robert Bonomi) Re: You Can Still Send a Western Union Mailgram (Lisa Hancock) 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: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 23:20:39 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: HBO CGMS-A Copyright Protection CGMS-A: May 21 Affiliate Letter http://www.homeboxoffice.com/to/cgms_a_affiliate_letter.pdf CGMS-A: CSR Q & A http://www.homeboxoffice.com/to/cgms_a_attachment_qa.pdf HBO Copyright Protection Background http://www.hbo.com/corpinfo/cgmsafaq.shtml ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 23:34:45 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Startup Launching Web-To-TV Video Service By MAY WONG AP Technology Writer SAN MATEO, Calif. (AP) -- The promise of Internet-based video has long been hamstrung by copyright and piracy worries, slow dial-up connections, technical challenges and consumer disdain for watching blotchy videos on their home computers. But a Silicon Valley startup is tackling those obstacles, hoping to become the first major provider of cinema straight from the Internet to the living room boob tube. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=43367705 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 23:40:43 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon Wireless Takes a Bite Out of 'Spam' Nation's Leading Wireless Carrier Wins Legal Injunction Against RI-Based Wireless Spammer; Champions Customer's Right to Privacy BEDMINSTER, N.J. and WOBURN, Mass. Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless today announced it was granted a permanent, legal injunction against Rhode Island resident Jacob Brown, a known 'spammer' who knowingly executed a systematic spam attack on wireless phones owned by Verizon Wireless customers. The Honorable Mary L. Cooper, United States District Judge in Trenton, New Jersey, permanently enjoined Jacob Brown from sending further spam to Verizon Wireless customers. Brown and his cohorts distributed unsolicited short text messages (also referred to as 'spam') offering mortgage loans and directing individuals to adult Web sites. Additionally, these individuals 'spoofed' and disguised themselves by using IP addresses of innocent persons to distribute messages, creating identification protection for the guilty and an undercurrent of insecurity for innocent people. The company, which has long championed a customer's right to privacy and 'spam-free' wireless environment, believed legal action was necessary to deter future wireless phone 'attacks' that force customers to pay for unsolicited commercial spam messages each time one reaches their phone. The action taken against Jacob Brown is the latest of many legal filings by Verizon Wireless against wireless 'spammers.' Last year, for example, Verizon Wireless filed two suits against wireless spammers in federal court in Georgia -- which were disseminating repeated, unsolicited, text messages to Verizon Wireless customers -- and succeeded in stopping those spam attacks. These are believed to be some of the only legal actions taken in the nation against wireless spammers. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=43367241 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 23:48:39 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Verizon Issues Consumer Alert: Beware of Pop-Up Internet Ads Beware of Pop-Up Internet Ads and 'Modem Hijacking' Scheme - Aug 30, 2004 11:41 AM (PR Newswire) Consumers Who Click 'yes' to Pop-Up Ad Questions Without Reading The Fine Print Could Be Agreeing to Have Their Modems Programmed to Automatically Dial Expensive International Long-Distance Calls NEW YORK, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers should read the fine print before clicking "yes" or "I accept" to questions that appear on so-called pop-up ads while browsing the Web. They could be agreeing to install software on their computers that then dials international locations. The result could be significant, and perhaps unexpected, international long-distance charges for which the customer is responsible. This scam, known as "modem hijacking," occurs when a computer user sees certain ads pop up on the screen while visiting a Web site. If the user clicks on the pop-up, a series of questions appears asking the user to choose a "yes," "I agree," or a similarly phrased button to agree to the terms and conditions of the ad. A positive response to the question triggers a software download to the user's computer - which will then automatically dial the international phone numbers at random times without the customer knowing it. The Federal Trade Commission, in response to increasing incidents involving this scam, has posted a consumer alert on its website at: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alert/modmalrt.htm. - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=43373331 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 08:50:55 -0400 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Website Offers Caller I.D. Falsification Service By Kevin Poulsen ,SecurityFocus Aug 27 2004 2:37PM Overdue debtors beware: You may not be able to rely on Caller I.D. to screen out those annoying bill collectors much longer. A California entrepreneur has a plan to bring the hacker technique of Caller I.D. spoofing to the business world, beginning with collection agencies and private investigators. Slated for launch next week, Star38.com would offer subscribers a simple Web interface to a Caller I.D. spoofing system that lets them appear to be calling from any number they choose. "It creates an extra avenue for them to have someone pick up the phone," says founder Jason Jepson. Caller I.D. spoofing has for years been within the reach of businesses with certain types of digital connections to their local phone company, and more recently has become the plaything of hackers and pranksters exploiting permissive voice over IP systems. But Star38.com appears to be the first stab at turning Caller I.D. spoofing into a commercial venture. Jepson claims the service will charge a twenty-five cent connection fee for each call, and seven to fourteen cents per minute. http://securityfocus.com/news/9419 ------------------------------ Date: 31 Aug 2004 08:02:49 -0000 Subject: Caller ID Falsification Service (Sent by a Gnu) From: ytm4jpc02@sneakemail.com --------------- To reply by email, "Gnu" must be included in the subject line --------------- Pat, I came across this at Slashdot this morning -- I figured it might interest you. Cheers, Frank Pizer http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/08/30/1620237 "A US website will offer Caller ID falsification service ... slated for launch this week, Star38.com would offer subscribers a simple Web interface to a Caller ID spoofing system that lets them appear to be calling from any number they choose. [...] SecurityFocus took the site for a test drive, and found it worked as advertised. The user fills out a simple Web form with his phone number, the number he wants to call, and the number he wants to appear to be calling from. Within two seconds, the system rings back, and patches the user through to the destination. The recipient sees only the spoofed number displayed on Caller ID. Any number works, from nonsense phone numbers like "123 4567" to the number for the White House switchboard." [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, you know what is good for the goose is also good for the gander as they say. Debtors can also use that service to spoof the skip tracers and bill collectors. For example, a common technique used by skip tracers who cannot find your phone number anywhere is to send you a letter from some bogus company telling you that you have won a prize; to claim the prize all you have to do is call us on this (toll free) number and punch in the 'extension' number shown. The letter is vague enough that they do not have to award any prizes, but they do match up *your* phone number (which is what they really wanted; you cannot hide it when you call an 800 number) and the specifics of your alleged indebtedness (the 'extension' number you were asked to punch in when you called), and you can be sure you will get a callback rather soon from some no-nonsense person who would like to speak with you about your debt. They don't all bother with the ruse of telling you that you won a prize, some skip tracers employ young ladies to write cozy, friendly, occassionally lurid letters using pink felt tip markers to guys (males, it seems, make up the majority of skip-traceable [or hard-core] debtors) claiming to be a long-lost friend (of the opposite sex of course; what guy would not fall for that one and eagerly return the call). "Call me on my office line at 800-xxx-xxxx and ask for extension xxxxx so we can renew our friendship." Men are always getting lured into that trap I am sorry to say. Now imagine for a minute if you *did* return those absolutely wicked, nosy, spying phone calls to (a) claim your 'prize' or (b) meet the person who had been 'flirting' with you but you returned the call via this new web site phalsification service and gave your caller ID blast as 202-456-1414 or whatever. But this new web site costs money for your phalse ID calls; why should you have to pay for the service when you could use your FWD/Pulver phone (which can call USA toll frees and gives an NYC 212 number for the caller-ID blast.) Wheeee! And a good time was had by all. PAT] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 09:40:45 GMT From: Brian Inglis Subject: Re: Forced Ads on Auto Response System Reply-To: Brian.Inglis@SystematicSW.ab.ca Organization: Systematic Software On 28 Aug 2004 19:36:57 -0700 in comp.dcom.telecom, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com (Jeff nor Lisa) wrote: > richgr@panix.com (Rich Greenberg) wrote: >> 1) When asked to key in your card number or whatever, just enter >> nothing. MOST systems will time out and give you a human, assuming >> rotary dial. A few tell you to call back from a TT phone and dump >> you. > Unfortunately, they've gotten wise to people doing nothing and demand > a number or cut you off. One company says to _speak_ your number and > responses. What happens if you use the switch hook to pulse dial a number? Thanks. Take care, Brian Inglis Calgary, Alberta, Canada Brian.Inglis@CSi.com (Brian[dot]Inglis{at}SystematicSW[dot]ab[dot]ca) fake address use address above to reply ------------------------------ From: John David Galt Subject: Re: Forced Ads on Auto Response System Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 19:46:42 -0700 Organization: Diogenes the Cynic Hot-Tubbing Society >> 1) When asked to key in your card number or whatever, just enter >> nothing. MOST systems will time out and give you a human, assuming >> rotary dial. A few tell you to call back from a TT phone and dump >> you. > Unfortunately, they've gotten wise to people doing nothing and demand > a number or cut you off. One company says to _speak_ your number and > responses. Then say something that isn't a number. Sometimes the system will pass what you've said on to a human, who can intervene. ------------------------------ From: pv+usenet@pobox.com (Paul Vader) Subject: Re: Microsoft Changed My Mind Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 15:23:26 -0000 Organization: Inline Software Creations Paul A Lee writes: > There was another Wences character on the Sullivan show that was just > an articulated puppet head in a box, as I vaguely recall it. Close the door. * * PV something like badgers--something like lizards--and something like corkscrews. ------------------------------ From: Isaiah Beard Subject: Re: Verizon Cable TV? Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 11:33:52 -0400 Lisa Hancock wrote in message news:telecom23.404.17@telecom-digest.org: > Given the price gouging, poor reliability, and community disrespect > by the cable company, I am looking forward to Verizon's service > offering. Funny that. Considering the poor reliability, price gouging and community disrepect earned by Verizon, I couldn't wait to get VoIP over a cable broadband connection and drop Verizon for good. :) I guess it depends on where you live. Cable and telephone have both been prevailing regulated monopolies for a long time, and depending on where you live, one or the other is the lesser of two evils that you must pick from. If only DBS didn't have such a horrible latency problem, we could all drop both services. ------------------------------ From: Chip G Subject: Re: Considering VoIP For Home? Think Twice About AT&T CallVantage Organization: Comcast Online Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 16:27:05 GMT charlie3 wrote in message news:telecom23.399.14@telecom-digest.org: > I'm having a good experience with Vonage. I've found customer support > to be available and competent. > Because of Vonage, every call I make is free. Because of Vonage > simultaneous ring people need only one number to find me. I move the > Vonage box to seasonal locations where I have broadband avialable. > I expected some glitches and planned accordingly, mostly by having a > cell phone for backup. (Vonage automatically rings my cell phone > during network outages or when the vonage box is in my luggage between > locations. If I don't pickup, Vonage records a voice message which is > available via the web, landline, cell phone or Vonage phone.) > We can argue that personal computers should not be adopted for record > keeping and communications because hard drives crash and data can be > lost. Paper and pencil are more reliable than computer disks. Paper > and pencil is a lot simpler and more people know how to use them. All > the above is true but that didn't stop the advance of computers. > (Today I do so little handwriting, my already bad style is getting > noticably worse.) > When enough people cancel POTS service, as I have, the traditional > phone companies fixed costs for POTS services will rise so close to > revenues they won't be able to sustain the service. VOIP users like > me will vigorously protest being taxed to subsidize a communications > dinasaur we've abandoned. Thank you for the comments Charlie. Could you expand a little on your comments about using your cell phone to answer calls dialed at your Vonage number? I like the notion ... it is one of the main reasons I tried AT&T CallVantage. With Vonage, if you are outside your cell coverage area or the cellular network does not cause your phone to ring but rather go straight to voicemail on the cell phone, is the Vonage service smart enough to cause the call to keep ringing on the other destinations or to go to the voicemail box associated with it as opposed to dropping the caller into the voicemail box affiliated with the cell phone? Thanks! Chip ------------------------------ From: John Bartley Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 09:40:23 -0800 Subject: Re: Looking For Receive-Only VoIP On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 20:52:27 GMT, Mark Atwood wrote: > I'm looking for a VoIP provider that can receive a call on a NANP > number, but cannot call out. Yeah. Me, too. Anybody know? John Bartley K7AAY No answers to this e-mail address, please: It's a spam trap. Instead, johnbartley[three][at]yahoo[dot]com - substitute for content within [brackets] for correct address. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 13:52:33 EDT From: John R. Covert Subject: Re: Looking For Receive-Only VoIP Yes, you can get that (in the USofA) completely free; they finance the operation on the penny or so a minute they get for the incoming call from the PSTN. One operation doing this is at http://www.ipkall.com. They'll give you a free number in an exchange south of Seattle. No choice of where they put you. You get a web interface which allows you to forward your number to any SIP proxy, such as Free World Dialup, or your own SIP server, as you find most useful. There is no outgoing at all. /john ------------------------------ From: Ned Protter Subject: Re: Obituary: Walter J. Zenner, 1904-2004 Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 01:42:03 -0400 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Wasn't an electronic item common in > radios and television sets specifically named after him which was > called the 'Zenner Diode'? In a brief summary, will someone tell us > what was the purpose of the 'Zenner Diode'? PAT] A zener diode usually serves as a voltage regulator. Most kinds of diodes are intended to conduct in one direction only. With enough reverse voltage, they will conduct the other way. This damages the diode. Clarence Melvin Zener was an American mathematician and theoretical physicist who figured out that it would be possible to manufacture a diode that would break down at a desired reverse voltage and not be damaged. Bell Labs found that he was right. If you manufacture a zener to break down at ten volts and feed it a small reverse current, ten volts will appear across the doide. If you need a higher current capacity for that ten-volt supply, you can use that zener as a reference for a power transistor. Zeners are commonly included within integrated circuits. Some radios and TVs had an item called the Zennith. IIRC, it was applied after the Quality was installed. ------------------------------ From: Klay Anderson Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 06:54:29 -0600 Organization: Klay Anderson Audio, Inc. Subject: Re: Obituary: Walter J. Zenner, 1904-2004 In article , TELECOM Digest Editor responded to the obituary notice haynes@alumni.uark.edu (Jim Haynes) wrote: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Wasn't an electronic item common in > radios and television sets specifically named after him which was > called the 'Zenner Diode'? In a brief summary, will someone tell us > what was the purpose of the 'Zenner Diode'? PAT] No, the correct term is zener diode (pronounced zee-nar). With a zener diode (as opposed to a conventional diode) as the reverse voltage is increased the leakage current remains essentially constant until the breakdown voltage is reached where the current increases dramatically. This breakdown voltage is the zener voltage for zener diodes. While for the conventional rectifier or diode it is imperative to operate below this voltage, the zener diode is intended to operate at that voltage, and so finds its greatest application as a voltage regulator. They are named for Dr. Clarence Melvin Zener of Southern Illinois University, inventor of the device. Regards, Klay Anderson http://www.klay.com 1-800-FOR-KLAY ------------------------------ From: a_user2000@yahoo.com (Justin Time) Subject: Re: Obituary: Walter J. Zenner, 1904-2004 Date: 31 Aug 2004 06:32:33 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com haynes@alumni.uark.edu (Jim Haynes) wrote in message news:: > See Who's Who in Engineering for 1940s-1950s > Chicago native Walt Zenner was a graduate of Armour Institute, now > Illinois Institute of Technology. He worked for Teletype Corp. from > 1925 until he retired in 1965, when he was V.P. of R&D. Then he > co-founded Extel. > This is an obituary from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for Walt > Zenner who passed away on August 27 at the age of 100. > Zenner, Walter J. > Publication Date: August 29, 2004 > Born in Chicago February 21, 1904, passed away august 27, 2004. > Survived by his wife, Lois A. (nee Martin) Zenner; sons, John "Jack" > (Diana) Zenner and Tom Zenner; daughters, Mary (Harold) Webster and > Chris (Larry) Litwin; 11 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. He > was preceded in death by his first wife, Mildred in 1975. Mr. Zenner > was an inventor of communication products covered by 115 US patents > and was vice president of research and development of Teletype Corp. > from 1928 to 1964. He was also co-founder and chairman of Extel Corp. > an early manufacturer of both dot matrix and ink jet printers of his > design. Friends may visit on Monday from 4 to 8PM at the Funeral Home > and on Tuesday from 1PM until time Funeral Servcie 2PM at First > Congregational Church in Mukwonago (231 Roberts Dr., Mukwonago). > Burial Wednesday 1PM at Mt. Emblem Cemetery, Elmhurst, IL. Memorials > to First Congregational Church of Mukwonago or Kiwanis Manor in East > Troy. > SCHMIDT & BARTELT > VAN VALIN > Funeral and Cremation Service > 315 Main St. (Hwy ES) Mukwonago > jhhaynes at earthlink dot net > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Wasn't an electronic item common in > radios and television sets specifically named after him which was > called the 'Zenner Diode'? In a brief summary, will someone tell us > what was the purpose of the 'Zenner Diode'? PAT] Pat, its ZENER - one N. zener (or Zener) (zeener) n.a semiconductor diode across which the reverse voltage remains almost constant over a wide range of currents, used esp. to regulate voltage. [1955-60; after U.S. physicist Clarence Melvin Zener (born 1905)] Rodgers Platt ------------------------------ From: Paul A Lee Subject: Re: Obituary: Walter J. Zenner, 1904-2004 Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 11:14:32 -0400 Organization: Rite Aid Corporation In TELECOM Digest V23 #405, our esteemed Editor wrote (in part): > Wasn't an electronic item common in radios and television sets > specifically named after [Walter J. Zenner] which was called > the 'Zenner Diode'? In a brief summary, will someone tell us > what was the purpose of the 'Zenner Diode'? Different guy. Clarence Zener was a physicist who conceived and described the semiconductor property that Bell Labs exploited to come up with the diode they named for him. Zener diodes maintain a constant voltage drop over a range of current when reverse-biased. That makes them good reference voltage sources for voltage regulators and other voltage control circuits. Paul A Lee Sr Telecom Engineer Rite Aid Corporation HL-IS-COM (Telecomm) V: +1 717 730-8355 30 Hunter Lane, Camp Hill, PA 17011-2410 F: +1 717 975-3789 P.O. Box 3165, Harrisburg, PA 17105-3165 W: +1 717 805-6208 ------------------------------ From: William Warren Subject: Re: Obituary: Walter J. Zenner, 1904-2004 Organization: Comcast Online Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 03:34:27 GMT > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Wasn't an electronic item common in > radios and television sets specifically named after him which was > called the 'Zenner Diode'? In a brief summary, will someone tell us > what was the purpose of the 'Zenner Diode'? PAT] See http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/zener%20diode "The effect was discovered by the American physicist Clarence Melvin Zener (December 1, 1905 - July 15, 1993). Zener was an American physicist who described the electrical property exploited by the Zener diode, which Bell Labs named after him. Zener was a theoretical physicist with a background in mathematics who also wrote on a range of subjects including superconductivity, metallurgy, and geometric programming. Zener was born in Indianapolis, IN. It is pronounced "ZEN-ur". " Zener diodes have a precisely designed "breakdown" voltage, at which point they conduct "backwards". They are used for voltage regulators in low voltage circuits, and require current limiting (usually a series resistor) to prevent damage from the reverse current flow. HTH. William (Filter noise from my address for direct replies.) ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Obituary: Walter J. Zenner, 1904-2004 Organization: Robert Bonomi Consulting From: bonomi@host122.r-bonomi.com (Robert Bonomi) Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 05:09:14 +0000 In article , TELECOM Digest Editor noted in response to the printed obituary: > [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Wasn't an electronic item common in > radios and television sets specifically named after him which was > called the 'Zenner Diode'? In a brief summary, will someone tell us > what was the purpose of the 'Zenner Diode'? PAT] A Zenner diode is most commonly used as a simple voltage regulator/stablizer. It conducts if the applied voltage is greater than whatever level it is built for, and doesn't conduct if the voltage is lower than that value. ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com (Lisa Hancock) Subject: Re: You Can Still Send a Western Union Mailgram Date: 31 Aug 2004 09:33:22 -0700 Organization: http://groups.google.com haynes@alumni.uark.edu (Jim Haynes) wrote > Because I just received one today. There's a toll-free number on > the back to reply by Mailgram - 800-325-6000 The Western Union website IIRC says Mailgrams are no longer provided. Could it be that the Mailgram is provided by a separate company? ------------------------------ 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, Yahoo Groups, 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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