While people mentioned the phishing implications, the spamming importance of the.cn domain should not be overlooked either. I know I am not the only person who has seen a lot of spam on behalf of.cn domains, and I would say the WHOIS data is part of the reason why. For example, look at abcde.cn:
Now how on earth does one contact the owner - or more importantly - the registrar of this domain? Even if you can make sense of the unicode, that is no guarantee that you'll find someone to talk to about this domain.
Try a different whois service. A registrant certainly has the right to register.cn domain names and provide only Chinese characters, without having to convert to Latin characters (which they may not know). Try: http://whois.domaintools.com/abcde.cn
Forgive my ignorance, but is there such a thing as a Unicode TLD? Like instead of the Western characters "cn", is there something that's rendered in Chinese characters for a fully Chinese domain name?
Yes, one can register domains that are full Chinese equivalent, without any Latin characters. They work in China and outside of China, however Latin character.cn domain names are more widely used.
I am in-house counsel with a U.S. based company that has a large presence in China. We have a large number of domain names and trademarks in China (in English and in Chinese), and our brands are big on the Internet there. I review our domain name watch service reports, which monitors newly registered and renewed domain names worldwide- including.cn.
By far the largest amount of similar domain names I see in the report is.cn, and most of those are typosquatted domain names. If our trademark is WIDGET, then I see wodget.cn, widgit.cn, wiidget.cn, etc. A large number of the Internet users in China use pinyin (writing Chinese words with Latin characters) than Chinese character when online (e.g. writing "zhong guo" for China instead of the Chinese characters).
My hunch is that with so many people in China typing with letters which they may not be completely familiar (and where there may be different ways to transliterate from Chinese to pinyin), there is a large number of people who make mistakes when directly navigating to domain names. I do not see these typosquatted domains showing up in search engine results, but I do see a large number of them being renewed (and thus they are generating a large enough pay per click revenue to be reregistered.)
It gives me a lot more work to do to monitor these. We don't really file the.cn UDRP equivalent, because there are literally hundreds of these domain names out there. I thus suspect that the large number of.cn domain names are for typosquatted domains for known domains, and not for actual legitimate commercial/personal use.
In short, nothing whatsoever was actually LOST, I just had to do some digging.
I guess you never listened to Backspin (Old School Hip Hip) or Boombox (Break beats and Mashups). Both channels are now gone, and have not been replaced by anything similar. Backspin's replacement is a contemporary rap station with an old school show every now and then, and Boombox purportedly is replaced by an alternative rock station.
I do not consider either of these acceptable replacements, and I am particularly peeved about Backspin (which I listened to 2nd only to Howard).
Nice goin', Fox. You don't even know you're talking about.
Actually Fox does know what it's talking about. This isn't a trademark dispute (although "Watchmen" and "The Watchmen" are confusingly similar), it's a copyright dispute. Copyright covers expressions, and to the extend that the plot and characters of the movie are similar to the ones in the graphic novel, if Fox owns the rights to make movies of the novel, then WB is SOL.
I'm curious as to why WB's attorneys let this one get by them...
I had a virtual dedicated server. After troubleshooting a very specific error for Plesk component (not mission critical) on my own (and was not able to find a solution), I consulted with GoDaddy's tech support. One guy recommended a specific upgrade, which then broke several other functions (specifically webmail).
I had no shell access, and he "fixed" the problem for me. A year later I did some other updates (forgetting that one component could not be updated). When I contacted tech support, they told me there was no way to fix the machine, it was an impossible situation to be in (e.g. it was not possible to do my upgrade/install combo), and that I could only reprovision the server.
While I researched how to fix it on my own (I have another day job, so couldn't dedicate lots of time), I was contacted a few times by GoDaddy customer service a few times to see I was satisfied with GoDaddy. I twice explained the situation to the reps, who promised they would fix it, said they found a solution in the notes, but that I would have to reprovision. I told them I'd be willing to pay for the answer rather than reprovisioning, and I'd stay a GoDaddy customer. They did not, and I left. I had prepaid for my server, and didn't want to fight them over a refund.
It's been several months since I left, and just yesterday I got another call- after I have already asked them to never contact me again. What also irks me is that every call to GoDaddy includes several sales offers. Even simple tech support calls (reset password or locked account) would result in a number of sales pitches for items that were due 6 months down the road. They're driven to have you spend as much money as possible each time they contact you.
I like Moniker: no pressure. My server is now with Spry, again, no pressure or upsells (and tech support that fixes problems).
After a little bouncing around through bad registrars, I moved all of my domain names to Moniker. $11 per domain name, great customer service and tech support, and I'm not shafted left and right like I was with GoDaddy. Even though I have told GoDaddy repeatedly the issues they caused (tech support recommended an upgrade to Plesk that fubared by server and they refused to fix it), they have followed up about a dozen times checking to see if there's anything they can do to help my account (e.g. sell my more crummy service).
Go riddance.
I was ready to buy an iPhone with my holiday bonus until I actually tried one out. I'm 6'5" and have really large hands/fingers. It is impossible for me to type on the iPhone, I often could not even press the first correct letter with my fat fingers. I don't want to rely upon a spell checker learning from my errors, I like to spell words correctly myself. I could type well when I turned the iPhone on its side (the keyboard on the screen is bigger in that mode), but as near as I could tell that only happens while using Safari (e.g. the KB stays on the bottom, then right, when turned on its side in email/text mode).
I'll stick with my BlackBerry for now, at least I can feel keys under my fingers.
The same link you refer also states that the FTC will not drop registrations pending the decision whether to extend the 5 year limit. I cannot imagine the FTC extending 5 year deadlines if there is no intend to actually extend the list. Keep up the public pressure.
"...the Commission now commits that it will not drop any telephone numbers from the Registry based on the five-year expiration period pending final Congressional or agency action on whether to make registration permanent."
I have to agree with this one, it's likely that whatever they're doing may infringe someone else's patent. Then again, perhaps Vonage has learned its lesson and have properly licensed the new technology that is being implemented.
A final point, Vonage better beware of the doctrine of equivalents. The doctrine of equivalents holds a party liable for patent infringement even if the infringing device/process does not fall within the literal scope of the patent's claims, but accomplishes the equivalent to the claims. It holds that if the patent claims A, B, C and D to accomplish E, and your product does B, C, and F to accomplish E, then you're liable under the doctrine of equivalents.
Re:If you think that is evil
on
Google's Evil NDA
·
· Score: 5, Informative
California law regarding non-competes has certainly changed to protect the employee. Now any type of blanket non-compete is completely void in California. This includes agreements which do not specifically contain non-compete terms, but which accomplishes the same goal. One caveat is the law still provides for non-competition based upon trade secret or confidential information. Thus many confidentiality agreements signed in CA between employees and employers comprise some type of prohibition of using "trade secret" or "confidential" material in subsequent competition.
The big question is determining what exactly is trade secret or confidential information of the employer, and not general information related to that specific job or industry.
And yes, IAAL in CA deals with this type of law, usually ex employees who take customers lists or other secret info and start a competing business.
Arco gas stations (at least in California) do not accept credit cards. They have kiosks which allow you to pay by cash into a machine. You also have the option of paying by debit card, but they charge you a transaction fee and you are thus tracked. Assuming she covered up her license plate in some manner, wore some type of disguise, and stopped at gas stations with automatic readers for cash purchases, she could've made the trip with a relatively small trail.
That is certainly a valid point, but I also seem to recall that she had already soiled two diapers on her own during the trip. Which means she went twice, and somehow quickly changed her diaper. I'm still wondering how long the entire trip took her, especially since she was driving to compete with a plane making the same trip.
One question about this whole thing that has bothered me is that she wore diapers to obviate the need for bathroom breaks. She drove 900 miles really fast, which meant she also had to refuel. Assuming great mileage, a large fuel tank, and a speedy car, she had to stop at least twice to gas. I'm not sure how much time would've been saved by stopping off in the loo. I think it tends to show more of how batty she is- which is good for her defense. Has anyone seen how long the trip actually took for her to drive?
Hate to burst your bubble, but you cannot trademark an idea. Nothing will protect an idea, however a patent will protect an invention that implements an idea. The Wright Brothers got a patent for the airplane, and not for the concept of flying.
A little correction regarding "cyber-slapp." It's actually called anti-SLAPP, and is a fun little California law. How do I know about this? IAAL, and am defending a client who runs a website where "libel" was posted. We countered with an anti-SLAPP motion, to be heard in a few weeks.
SLAPP = Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. Basically it is a motion that the defense can bring regarding a lawsuit that is intended to quiet legitimate free speech. All the defendant has to do is show (1) that the speech underlying the suit was protected, and then (2) the plaintiff has to show they'll win. Usually the defendant also shows (2) how the plaintiff will not win.
The intent of the anti-SLAPP law was to deter lawsuits such as the Juniper suit, and allow defendants a quick option to end the case early in the proceeding. It basically leads to a dismissal of the case against the defendant. The other neat aspect is that if a defendant wins an anti-SLAPP motion, the plaintiff must pay attorneys' fees. Most attorneys' fee awards are permissive, with an anti-SLAPP motion, it's a mandatory award.
The second article in as many months. I now know of a second target for big oil.
In all seriousness, I wish them success. It remains to be seen whether they can create an efficient system for collecting the corroded/expended metal. How often do you see puddles of leaked material under a car? No mention of how much "metal oxide" this venicle produces, but I cannot imagine it's something we want leaked onto the ground.
It's common for places to state "this call may be monitored for training and feedback," but I imagine most people (like myself) assume this means you're recorded only when talking to a live person.
Generally when I'm on hold, I'm either bitching about the f'ing annoying voicemail system that won't properly connect me, or about the idiot who has put me on hold for the fifth time while "helping" me. Great, I must have a lot of black marks on my "record" with Cingular, because I curse like a sailor when I'm on hold...
Isn't it slightly ironic a site, outlining the demise of a site to enable IP violations, is worried about someone stealing their IP?
No it's not. Getting the word out that the 'official' FAQ is located at one address, then it's made known that other versions located elsewhere could be modified, changed, etc. I imagine there's a lot of disinformation flying around about this topic right now, and they want to make sure everyone knows where the proper resource is located.
President Bush just signed the fiscal year 2005 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes large changes in the way fees are charged at the USPTO. Before yesterday, there were lump sum fees charged for patent applications, such as $395 for filing a basic utility patent application. Now it is is $150, but now you have to pay two new fees: $250 for a search fee, and $100 for an examination fee. It's now $500 for a basic utility patent application, for a small entity (sole inventor or less than 100 employees). Also, for each claim over 20, it's $25, up from something like $6 (I forget the amount). Extra claims over 20 are $50 for a large entity.
This basically means that it got a lot more expensive to file patents in the US. It's not uncommon for patent applications to have 100 or more claims. Filing fees are lower if you file electronically, but e-filing is a pain (it's not through standalone application, it's through a bloated Word macro that converts things to XML). The USPTO has long griped that it does not get to keep all of the money collected by fees, and methinks that this is another way to generate revenue by the government.
Nice for personal email, but...
What do I do for my business email addresses? I cannot afford to have my business email down for more than 24 hours. If my client at xyz.com domain sends me an email, and my email host is unreachable, the server will attempt periodically for 24 hours to resend the email. If it's not successful by that point, it notifies the person at xyz.com that the email is undeliverable, and will try again for another 24 to 48 hours (depends on server configuration). Let's just say that this is quite unprofessional, and will lead to suprised clients, loss of incoming leads, etc.
For now I'll stick to blocklists, tarpitting, and spam filters.
The helicopter was invented in 2002? How is this thing different than a dozen other flying machines with properllers? The patent is again too vague to differentiate from previous art.
No, it's actually called an orincopter. It is actually different than other helicopters, which require some sort of counterbalancing torque. Otherwise the helicopter just spins around out of control. Most helicopters have the sideways propeller in the rear (which consume 5-10% of total power per http://www.fmp.lr.tudelft.nl/showarticle.php?artic le=30), and others, like the Chinook, have two separated top blades that rotate in opposite directions.
This guy's "orincopter" invention is not too vague- it's just in patentese. I speak patentese (IAAL), and this was a horribly drafted patent. It utilizes terms that are not defined anywhere else (such as orincopter), and do not define them in the patent itself- poor patent drafting IMHO. You want all non-common terms defined within a patent itself. The patent, although confusing, does describe the invention.
That said, the orincopter stabilizes its flight by both spinning the propellers for lift, and also flapping the propellers for stabilization. It's kind of based upon how birds/dragonflies flap their wings. And before people start crying "you cannot patent natural things like gravity," this guy has a patent for a mechanical invention that performs this. That is something patentable.
Good idea, but many ISPs (Comcast) don't support routers.
Of course no ISP is going to support routers. They do not provide the router, so they have no control over the quality/setup/operability. I myself have not had any problems with several different routers and ISPs. If I have a connection problem, and cannot troubleshoot it myself, I always restart the router before calling. If that doesn't work, then I try a quick connection to the cable modem without the router. I've found that every time, the 'net connection does not work anyways. When I get the "we don't support routers" mantra, I tell them this.
I worked a few years in helpdesks before law school, and most people on these lines are lazy- they want you off the phone as quick as possible. If you hit a buzzword (router, Linux, wireless, local proxy server), most will end the call. If you can eliminate any potential error on your end, it logically has to be their end. You are their customer, and you should tell them it's on their end- and they need to fix it.
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While people mentioned the phishing implications, the spamming importance of the .cn domain should not be overlooked either. I know I am not the only person who has seen a lot of spam on behalf of .cn domains, and I would say the WHOIS data is part of the reason why. For example, look at abcde.cn:
> whois abcde.cn Domain Name: abcde.cn ROID: 20030311s10001s00024435-cn Domain Status: ok Registrant Organization: æ±åÂÃ¥ÂååÂææéåÂå Registrant Name: ÃÂæÂÂå¥ Administrative Email: domain@abcde.cn Sponsoring Registrar: Ã¥ÃÂÂæÂýÃÂÃÃÂææéåÂå Name Server:ns1.dns.com.cn Name Server:ns2.dns.com.cn Registration Date: 2003-03-17 12:20 Expiration Date: 2010-03-17 12:48
Now how on earth does one contact the owner - or more importantly - the registrar of this domain? Even if you can make sense of the unicode, that is no guarantee that you'll find someone to talk to about this domain.
Try a different whois service. A registrant certainly has the right to register .cn domain names and provide only Chinese characters, without having to convert to Latin characters (which they may not know). Try: http://whois.domaintools.com/abcde.cn
Forgive my ignorance, but is there such a thing as a Unicode TLD? Like instead of the Western characters "cn", is there something that's rendered in Chinese characters for a fully Chinese domain name?
Yes, one can register domains that are full Chinese equivalent, without any Latin characters. They work in China and outside of China, however Latin character .cn domain names are more widely used.
By far the largest amount of similar domain names I see in the report is .cn, and most of those are typosquatted domain names. If our trademark is WIDGET, then I see wodget.cn, widgit.cn, wiidget.cn, etc. A large number of the Internet users in China use pinyin (writing Chinese words with Latin characters) than Chinese character when online (e.g. writing "zhong guo" for China instead of the Chinese characters).
My hunch is that with so many people in China typing with letters which they may not be completely familiar (and where there may be different ways to transliterate from Chinese to pinyin), there is a large number of people who make mistakes when directly navigating to domain names. I do not see these typosquatted domains showing up in search engine results, but I do see a large number of them being renewed (and thus they are generating a large enough pay per click revenue to be reregistered.)
It gives me a lot more work to do to monitor these. We don't really file the .cn UDRP equivalent, because there are literally hundreds of these domain names out there. I thus suspect that the large number of .cn domain names are for typosquatted domains for known domains, and not for actual legitimate commercial/personal use.
In short, nothing whatsoever was actually LOST, I just had to do some digging.
I guess you never listened to Backspin (Old School Hip Hip) or Boombox (Break beats and Mashups). Both channels are now gone, and have not been replaced by anything similar. Backspin's replacement is a contemporary rap station with an old school show every now and then, and Boombox purportedly is replaced by an alternative rock station.
I do not consider either of these acceptable replacements, and I am particularly peeved about Backspin (which I listened to 2nd only to Howard).
Nice goin', Fox. You don't even know you're talking about.
Actually Fox does know what it's talking about. This isn't a trademark dispute (although "Watchmen" and "The Watchmen" are confusingly similar), it's a copyright dispute. Copyright covers expressions, and to the extend that the plot and characters of the movie are similar to the ones in the graphic novel, if Fox owns the rights to make movies of the novel, then WB is SOL.
I'm curious as to why WB's attorneys let this one get by them...
I had no shell access, and he "fixed" the problem for me. A year later I did some other updates (forgetting that one component could not be updated). When I contacted tech support, they told me there was no way to fix the machine, it was an impossible situation to be in (e.g. it was not possible to do my upgrade/install combo), and that I could only reprovision the server.
While I researched how to fix it on my own (I have another day job, so couldn't dedicate lots of time), I was contacted a few times by GoDaddy customer service a few times to see I was satisfied with GoDaddy. I twice explained the situation to the reps, who promised they would fix it, said they found a solution in the notes, but that I would have to reprovision. I told them I'd be willing to pay for the answer rather than reprovisioning, and I'd stay a GoDaddy customer. They did not, and I left. I had prepaid for my server, and didn't want to fight them over a refund.
It's been several months since I left, and just yesterday I got another call- after I have already asked them to never contact me again. What also irks me is that every call to GoDaddy includes several sales offers. Even simple tech support calls (reset password or locked account) would result in a number of sales pitches for items that were due 6 months down the road. They're driven to have you spend as much money as possible each time they contact you.
I like Moniker: no pressure. My server is now with Spry, again, no pressure or upsells (and tech support that fixes problems).
After a little bouncing around through bad registrars, I moved all of my domain names to Moniker. $11 per domain name, great customer service and tech support, and I'm not shafted left and right like I was with GoDaddy. Even though I have told GoDaddy repeatedly the issues they caused (tech support recommended an upgrade to Plesk that fubared by server and they refused to fix it), they have followed up about a dozen times checking to see if there's anything they can do to help my account (e.g. sell my more crummy service). Go riddance.
This is a load of bull. Someone I know queried this domain name yesterday:
networksolutionsmonitorswhoisqueriesandregistersdomains.com
And now, lo and behold, paid ads are appearing on the website.
I was ready to buy an iPhone with my holiday bonus until I actually tried one out. I'm 6'5" and have really large hands/fingers. It is impossible for me to type on the iPhone, I often could not even press the first correct letter with my fat fingers. I don't want to rely upon a spell checker learning from my errors, I like to spell words correctly myself. I could type well when I turned the iPhone on its side (the keyboard on the screen is bigger in that mode), but as near as I could tell that only happens while using Safari (e.g. the KB stays on the bottom, then right, when turned on its side in email/text mode).
I'll stick with my BlackBerry for now, at least I can feel keys under my fingers.
I have to agree with this one, it's likely that whatever they're doing may infringe someone else's patent. Then again, perhaps Vonage has learned its lesson and have properly licensed the new technology that is being implemented.
A final point, Vonage better beware of the doctrine of equivalents. The doctrine of equivalents holds a party liable for patent infringement even if the infringing device/process does not fall within the literal scope of the patent's claims, but accomplishes the equivalent to the claims. It holds that if the patent claims A, B, C and D to accomplish E, and your product does B, C, and F to accomplish E, then you're liable under the doctrine of equivalents.
California law regarding non-competes has certainly changed to protect the employee. Now any type of blanket non-compete is completely void in California. This includes agreements which do not specifically contain non-compete terms, but which accomplishes the same goal. One caveat is the law still provides for non-competition based upon trade secret or confidential information. Thus many confidentiality agreements signed in CA between employees and employers comprise some type of prohibition of using "trade secret" or "confidential" material in subsequent competition.
The big question is determining what exactly is trade secret or confidential information of the employer, and not general information related to that specific job or industry.
And yes, IAAL in CA deals with this type of law, usually ex employees who take customers lists or other secret info and start a competing business.
What do all o fthe [sic] following have in common:
New Hampshire
Arizona
France
Iowa
Iran
The all contain the letter "a" and are populated by weirdos?
Arco gas stations (at least in California) do not accept credit cards. They have kiosks which allow you to pay by cash into a machine. You also have the option of paying by debit card, but they charge you a transaction fee and you are thus tracked. Assuming she covered up her license plate in some manner, wore some type of disguise, and stopped at gas stations with automatic readers for cash purchases, she could've made the trip with a relatively small trail.
That is certainly a valid point, but I also seem to recall that she had already soiled two diapers on her own during the trip. Which means she went twice, and somehow quickly changed her diaper. I'm still wondering how long the entire trip took her, especially since she was driving to compete with a plane making the same trip.
One question about this whole thing that has bothered me is that she wore diapers to obviate the need for bathroom breaks. She drove 900 miles really fast, which meant she also had to refuel. Assuming great mileage, a large fuel tank, and a speedy car, she had to stop at least twice to gas. I'm not sure how much time would've been saved by stopping off in the loo. I think it tends to show more of how batty she is- which is good for her defense. Has anyone seen how long the trip actually took for her to drive?
Hate to burst your bubble, but you cannot trademark an idea. Nothing will protect an idea, however a patent will protect an invention that implements an idea. The Wright Brothers got a patent for the airplane, and not for the concept of flying.
A little correction regarding "cyber-slapp." It's actually called anti-SLAPP, and is a fun little California law. How do I know about this? IAAL, and am defending a client who runs a website where "libel" was posted. We countered with an anti-SLAPP motion, to be heard in a few weeks.
SLAPP = Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. Basically it is a motion that the defense can bring regarding a lawsuit that is intended to quiet legitimate free speech. All the defendant has to do is show (1) that the speech underlying the suit was protected, and then (2) the plaintiff has to show they'll win. Usually the defendant also shows (2) how the plaintiff will not win.
The intent of the anti-SLAPP law was to deter lawsuits such as the Juniper suit, and allow defendants a quick option to end the case early in the proceeding. It basically leads to a dismissal of the case against the defendant. The other neat aspect is that if a defendant wins an anti-SLAPP motion, the plaintiff must pay attorneys' fees. Most attorneys' fee awards are permissive, with an anti-SLAPP motion, it's a mandatory award.
In all seriousness, I wish them success. It remains to be seen whether they can create an efficient system for collecting the corroded/expended metal. How often do you see puddles of leaked material under a car? No mention of how much "metal oxide" this venicle produces, but I cannot imagine it's something we want leaked onto the ground.
I'd put my money on the H2N-Gen, but then again that guy's being sued for patent infringment.
Generally when I'm on hold, I'm either bitching about the f'ing annoying voicemail system that won't properly connect me, or about the idiot who has put me on hold for the fifth time while "helping" me. Great, I must have a lot of black marks on my "record" with Cingular, because I curse like a sailor when I'm on hold...
No it's not. Getting the word out that the 'official' FAQ is located at one address, then it's made known that other versions located elsewhere could be modified, changed, etc. I imagine there's a lot of disinformation flying around about this topic right now, and they want to make sure everyone knows where the proper resource is located.
This basically means that it got a lot more expensive to file patents in the US. It's not uncommon for patent applications to have 100 or more claims. Filing fees are lower if you file electronically, but e-filing is a pain (it's not through standalone application, it's through a bloated Word macro that converts things to XML). The USPTO has long griped that it does not get to keep all of the money collected by fees, and methinks that this is another way to generate revenue by the government.
For now I'll stick to blocklists, tarpitting, and spam filters.
No, it's actually called an orincopter. It is actually different than other helicopters, which require some sort of counterbalancing torque. Otherwise the helicopter just spins around out of control. Most helicopters have the sideways propeller in the rear (which consume 5-10% of total power per http://www.fmp.lr.tudelft.nl/showarticle.php?artic le=30), and others, like the Chinook, have two separated top blades that rotate in opposite directions.
This guy's "orincopter" invention is not too vague- it's just in patentese. I speak patentese (IAAL), and this was a horribly drafted patent. It utilizes terms that are not defined anywhere else (such as orincopter), and do not define them in the patent itself- poor patent drafting IMHO. You want all non-common terms defined within a patent itself. The patent, although confusing, does describe the invention.
That said, the orincopter stabilizes its flight by both spinning the propellers for lift, and also flapping the propellers for stabilization. It's kind of based upon how birds/dragonflies flap their wings. And before people start crying "you cannot patent natural things like gravity," this guy has a patent for a mechanical invention that performs this. That is something patentable.
Of course no ISP is going to support routers. They do not provide the router, so they have no control over the quality/setup/operability. I myself have not had any problems with several different routers and ISPs. If I have a connection problem, and cannot troubleshoot it myself, I always restart the router before calling. If that doesn't work, then I try a quick connection to the cable modem without the router. I've found that every time, the 'net connection does not work anyways. When I get the "we don't support routers" mantra, I tell them this.
I worked a few years in helpdesks before law school, and most people on these lines are lazy- they want you off the phone as quick as possible. If you hit a buzzword (router, Linux, wireless, local proxy server), most will end the call. If you can eliminate any potential error on your end, it logically has to be their end. You are their customer, and you should tell them it's on their end- and they need to fix it.