the USF is not just about telephone service according to http://www.fcc.gov/wcb/universal_service/
The goals of Universal Service, as mandated by the 1996 Act, are to promote the availability of quality services at just, reasonable, and affordable rates; increase access to advanced telecommunications services throughout the Nation; advance the availability of such services to all consumers, including those in low income, rural, insular, and high cost areas at rates that are reasonably comparable to those charged in urban areas....
i work for a small ISP that provides (among other things) dial-up and DSL service. we are in close contact with BellSouth. i have also known several people who have worked for BellSouth as contractors.
if anything, deregulation has made more visible the systemic incompetence of these quasi-sort-of-kinda of government entities. we have "customer service" problems all the time with BellSouth, especially concerning quality of phone lines and dial-up customers. we have a small but steady stream of people that switch from BellSouth's DSL to ours (even though it is more expensive) just so they can talk to a person in support that has a slight clue what ADSL is.
from my experience and reports from my friends, i would say that the customer service problems and infuriating behaviour experienced by many BellSouth customers is caused by sheer incompetence. i do not think that BellSouth is malicious (as in this story's example). they really have no cluse what they are doing. before deregulation this fact was more obscure (for a number of reasons like accessibilty and complexity of technology) and now it is plainly visible.
"For spam, yes up to 1 email would be sent per spam recieved. I think the internet can handle that."
the internet might NOT be able to handle that. (but i do think the challenge/response system has potential...)
from http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr030520.asp:
The basic facts are staggering. Internet service provider Earthlink estimates that 40% of the e-mail that comes through its system is spam. Brightmail, a spam prevention company, says that 45% of e-mail sent is spam. AOL claims that 70% to 80% of its incoming e-mail is spam. Jupiter Research reports that the average e-mail inbox gets 42 spam messages a day.
USA Today quotes an estimate that more than 2 trillion pieces of spam are expected to be sent over the Internet this year. That's trillion with a "t."
I wouldn't think it would deter downloaders as much as it would potential P2P software writers. Remember, these students wrote software that one reporter described as "mini-Napster."
remember the story about
"RIAA, MPAA Lose Suit Against Streamcast and Grokster"
in that instance they were blameless. seems like this ruling would not negate that judgement. but who knows what the courts will decide tomorrow!
Slashdot Mirror
The goals of Universal Service, as mandated by the 1996 Act, are to promote the availability of quality services at just, reasonable, and affordable rates; increase access to advanced telecommunications services throughout the Nation; advance the availability of such services to all consumers, including those in low income, rural, insular, and high cost areas at rates that are reasonably comparable to those charged in urban areas....
i work for a small ISP that provides (among other things) dial-up and DSL service. we are in close contact with BellSouth. i have also known several people who have worked for BellSouth as contractors.
if anything, deregulation has made more visible the systemic incompetence of these quasi-sort-of-kinda of government entities. we have "customer service" problems all the time with BellSouth, especially concerning quality of phone lines and dial-up customers. we have a small but steady stream of people that switch from BellSouth's DSL to ours (even though it is more expensive) just so they can talk to a person in support that has a slight clue what ADSL is.
from my experience and reports from my friends, i would say that the customer service problems and infuriating behaviour experienced by many BellSouth customers is caused by sheer incompetence. i do not think that BellSouth is malicious (as in this story's example). they really have no cluse what they are doing. before deregulation this fact was more obscure (for a number of reasons like accessibilty and complexity of technology) and now it is plainly visible.
the internet might NOT be able to handle that. (but i do think the challenge/response system has potential...)
from http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr030520.asp: The basic facts are staggering. Internet service provider Earthlink estimates that 40% of the e-mail that comes through its system is spam. Brightmail, a spam prevention company, says that 45% of e-mail sent is spam. AOL claims that 70% to 80% of its incoming e-mail is spam. Jupiter Research reports that the average e-mail inbox gets 42 spam messages a day. USA Today quotes an estimate that more than 2 trillion pieces of spam are expected to be sent over the Internet this year. That's trillion with a "t."
remember the story about "RIAA, MPAA Lose Suit Against Streamcast and Grokster" in that instance they were blameless. seems like this ruling would not negate that judgement. but who knows what the courts will decide tomorrow!