Date: 18 Sep 2000 22:47:30 -0400 Message-ID: <20000919024730.24915.qmail@xuxa.iecc.com> From: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org (Telecom Digest) To: telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Subject: Telecom Digest V2000 #58 Reply-To: editor@telecom-digest.org Sender: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Errors-To: owner-telecom-digest@telecom-digest.org Precedence: bulk X-UIDL: 91867afb2d67828833fe0f2d4acb8cfc Status: RO X-Status: Telecom Digest Monday, September 18 2000 Volume 2000 : Number 058 In this issue: Re: CLEC Puts ISP Customers Out Of Business In Northern NJ Re: Landline to Wireless Number Portability HTML in email Re: Landline to Wireless Number Portability (article) Fwd: Important Message from Digital:Convergence Corporation Re: Message format (was: Radio Shack gives away barcode scanner...) Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? Re: iname.com: Front For Targeted Spam? Re: Sorry, but... Re: Message format MCI Problems Re: Message format Re: Landline to Wireless Number Portability Re: Sorry, but... Re: Message format (was: Radio Shack gives away barcode scanner...) Re: Message format (was: Radio Shack gives away barcode scanner...) Re: Landline to Wireless Number Portability 9/18/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 18 Sep 2000 07:53:19 -0400 From: Roy Smith Subject: Re: CLEC Puts ISP Customers Out Of Business In Northern NJ "Alan Boritz" wrote: > These particular exchanges go through Rochelle Park, where a flood took > out all interoffice trunking and 911 for several days. It's been almost 20 years since I lived in the area, but my recollection is that floods taking out Rochelle Park are a moderately frequent occurance, due to the fact that it's built in the flood plain. Definately NOT the site I would have picked for a major piece of infrastructure. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 08:39:34 -0400 From: "Joey Lindstrom" Subject: Re: Landline to Wireless Number Portability On 18 Sep 2000 06:15:12 -0400, Michael D. Sullivan wrote: >If the wireless companies don't see porting wireline numbers as a profitable >endeavor, they won't spend the money to do it. You can cancel your wired >line and go cellular right now; you just won't be able to keep your number. >There is no assurance that your cellular company will rush out and spend >billions of dollars in November of next year to be able to port every >wireline number in their service area just because they have to become >LNP-capable. Except that Clearnet in Canada is already rushing to do just that. Where one goes, the others will almost certainly follow. And in order to get this, they are GIVING UP the ability to lock their customers into their own long-distance rates - once they get wireless LNP up and running, the tradeoff is that customers can sign up with Sprint Canada, Telus, or whoever they like for long distance. Given that loss of revenue, Clearnet must have a whole boatload of faith that LNP will more than make up for that shortfall. / From the desk of Joey Lindstrom / / I was in the grocery store. I saw a sign that said "pet supplies". So / I did. Then I went outside and saw a sign that said "compact cars". / --Steven Wright - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 08:49:16 -0400 From: "Joey Lindstrom" Subject: HTML in email On 18 Sep 2000 06:15:12 -0400, Ed Ellers wrote: >Fred Goldstein wrote: > >"Second, this digest is an email digest gatewayed to Usenet, not a web site >Both email and Usenet are "plain text" media by specification. HTML is >abusive." > >Oh, not this old chestnut again. If, in fact, HTML is so inappropriate, why >do both Microsoft and Netscape include that option in their mail and news >programs? > >I fully agree that HTML *can* be abused (especially since many list servers >don't pass it properly), but I do not agree that it *is* abusive by >definition. Sure it is, because it is *NOT* a universally agreed-upon standard. If you send me HTML email, it looks like a dog's breakfast and is virtually unreadable. That, to my mind, is abusive - and frankly pretty f'ing stupid. If you *KNOW* the recipient (and in the case of a mailing list or newsgroup, that means *EVERYBODY* connected to it) supports HTML, then go nuts - use it. But if you don't know this for a fact, stick to the *STANDARDS* that everybody's agreed to. And that means ASCII text only. As for Microsoft... well, whenever I get any email that has a "winmail.dat" file attached to it, my client simply diverts it to /dev/null. My client can't read that crap so why should I bother? Put this all another way - if you start writing your posts here in Swedish, don't be surprised if the rest of us don't bother to cut-and-paste it into a language translator. We're going to just move on to the next message. If you persist in your Swedish posts, we're going to remind you that English is the "standard" language here and that your posts are becoming annoying. So why should HTML posting be considered any differently, if users of the "standard language", ie: ASCII text, can't understand it? / From the desk of Joey Lindstrom / / Last time I went skiing, I had to get up at 5:00 in the morning. I knew / I couldn't do that, so I slept with my skis on. My ride came at 5:30 in / the morning, couldn't wake me up so he carried me out of the house, put / my skis on the roof rack of the car, and drove to the mountain. / Seventeen miles later, I woke up out of this incredibly bizarre dream / that I was skydiving horizontally. I'm sure this has happened to you. / --Steven Wright - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 09:34:31 -0400 From: Subject: Re: Landline to Wireless Number Portability (article) Michael D. Sullivan wrote: > wrote in message >> The first 6 digits cuts the possibilities down to >> at most 7 carriers, so you can either just set up the clearing house >> database to hold the entire 10 digits, or blind query all 7 possible >> carriers and only one should answer. > Huh? The first 6 digits allows identification of up to one million > (10^6)destinations. All the carriers and switches in the NANP currently Yes, but if I recall correctly, there can only be 2 analog cell providers plus 5 digital cell providers in a given area. So NPA-NXX should resolve down to 7 or fewer possible carriers. If the central authority database just sends a query to all 7, then it should only get a response from the one who holds the service, and can store that info in its cache. > Given that the first six digits identifies one and only one carrier and > switch in the current system, why change this? LNP breaks the six-digit > identification when looking at phone numbers. That's why the wireless > carriers will use a separate MIN that won't necessarily represent the phone > number; it can hold a dummy number whose first six digits unambiguously > identify the actual home carrier and switch and whose last four digits > provide a mapping to the phone number or MDN. > I don't understand your question about blind querying the seven possible > carriers. Which seven carriers? There are hundreds of wireless carriers > and many thousands of wireless switches. See above. NPA-NXX should resolve down to very few carriers. It occurs to me that the separate MIN may have some other advantages though. It's what they are doing, so there is little point to second guessing them now. >> So maybe next year (Nov. 2001) I'll be able to cancel my wired line >> and go cellular. I look forward to it, because there is no other >> competition in my area. > Wireline LNP is in place now. That doesn't mean that there are companies in > place everywhere who can make a successful business of porting numbers. I'm > not surprised that CLECs haven't made it to Blacksburg, VA (home of Virginia > Tech) yet; they have to make a profitable business case. I'm not surprised either. We are really quite rural here, except for the university and immediate surroundings. Anyway, there are cellular carriers with local service and they are adding capacity. > If the wireless companies don't see porting wireline numbers as a profitable > endeavor, they won't spend the money to do it. You can cancel your wired > line and go cellular right now; you just won't be able to keep your number. > There is no assurance that your cellular company will rush out and spend > billions of dollars in November of next year to be able to port every > wireline number in their service area just because they have to become > LNP-capable. Huh? I thought they were going to be required to do it. Of course, that leads back to my original question. Will the FCC *really* require it? All we can do at this point is speculate. - -- ***************************************************************************** * Bill Ranck +1-540-231-3951 ranck@vt.edu * * Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Computing Center * ***************************************************************************** - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 09:57:21 -0400 From: Mike Pollock Subject: Fwd: Important Message from Digital:Convergence Corporation Whoops! - --- "Digital:Convergence Communications" wrote: > Subject: Important Message from Digital:Convergence > Corporation > Dear :CueCat member, > > We've been alerted to a security breach in our > system that may have > exposed certain members' names and email addresses. > As one of the > members who may be susceptible, we want to explain > to you how you may > be affected and what we are doing to rectify the > situation. > > Digital:Convergence has secured the site and is > conducting a thorough > security examination to ensure the safety of its > information. > > As a result of this breach, unauthorized third > parties may have been > able to gather your name and email address. You may > receive > unsolicited emails (a.k.a. spam) from unrecognized > sources. If you do > not recognize the source, please delete the email > immediately. You can > also go to www.cauce.org, which provides information > on spam and > spam-blocking software programs that will prevent > unwanted emails from > reaching your desktop. > > In light of these developments, we would like to > give you a $10 gift > certificate to RadioShack. If you are interested in > receiving this > certificate, please fill out a short form and > we will mail it to you. > > Digital:Convergence values our members and > reiterates our commitment > not to share your personal identifying information > with third > parties. We regret any inconvenience you may > experience. We have fixed > the problem and are taking extra precautionary steps > to ensure it > won't happen again. > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/ - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 10:02:05 -0400 From: Joel B Levin Subject: Re: Message format (was: Radio Shack gives away barcode scanner...) In <8q48eq$ep409$1@ID-39509.news.cis.dfn.de>, "Ed Ellers" wrote: }Joel B Levin wrote: } }"Ad hominem? Try again." } }You were saying that a whole class of Usenet posters is not worth reading, Try again. I find a whole "class" of Usenet postings, those encoded in a non-text language, is not worth the effort of reading, or in other words because such postings fail to conform to the standards of Usenet. This applies to postings from any ISP. You keep bringing up webtv and AOL. Maybe you should look up "ad hominem" again. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 10:59:21 -0400 From: tweek@fnord.io.com (Mike Maxfield) Subject: Re: Caller ID and answer supervision? >Rich Wales wrote: > >: Recently, she tried several times (without success) to reach a cousin >: in another state. Each time, the phone rang about six times, but no >: one answered. When her phone bill arrived, [SNIP!: Billed anyway] dold@rahul.net writes: > >Some switches have a programmed "assumed supervision". >The default on the Dex600 is 60 seconds, so if you listen to ringing, or a >busy signal, for more than 60 seconds, you will be billed for the call. Another possibility is an automatic FAX/Voice switch at the recipient's end. Listen closely to the call completion process from the moment you finish dialing the last digit. If you hear a first (or partial) ring of one cadence and perhaps a click and then a ring of a second cadence, it is possible that a FAX/VOICE switch at the recipient's house did indeed answer the call and while waiting to check the line for the telltail fax beep, is sending back a fake ringing signal. - -- tweek@io.com - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 12:02:56 -0400 From: Chris Wysocki Subject: Re: iname.com: Front For Targeted Spam? At 06:15 AM 9/18/00 -0400, "Alan Boritz" wrote: >I checked out iname.com's website, after being referred by a friend who >uses the service... >... When I checked further on their >sponsor, mail.com, I found that they pitch ISP's for their services to make >their email a revenue generator rather than a cost center. If doubleclick >is running most of their web site, it's fairly obvious where some of their >income is coming from. Are these slimeballs also harvesting email addresses >from people who send mail TO iname.com subscribers so they can abuse both >the receivers AND senders? It would appear that they are indeed harvesting e-mail addresses from senders to iname.com. I sent a message from my BellSouth IPS Pager to someone on iname.com and now my pager gets bombarded with spam from "england.com" - also hosted by mail.com. Fortunately most of the spam is over 2000 characters so my pager silently rejects it. But, whatever does get thru counts toward my monthly limit of 50K characters so I suspect that I'll be paying to receive spam. I've asked BellSouth to change my pager's e-mail address, which is a different kind of pain-in-the-butt. ...Chris Wysocki - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 13:13:20 -0400 From: wollman@lcs.mit.edu (Garrett Wollman) Subject: Re: Sorry, but... In article , Alan Boritz wrote: >>[I wrote:] >>It is not the business of a news client to wrap lines, or do anything >>else to damage the original article author's presentation. > >Sure it is. Newsreaders and email clients that can't wrap lines are brain dead. BZZZT! Wrong, but thanks for playing. The standard for Usenet articles, RFC 1036, says that Usenet articles consist of text. (And no, pointing out that it's a ten-year-old standard is utterly irrelevant -- the articles are transported using the twenty-year-old Internet Protocol and the ten-year-old (as modified by Van Jacobson) TCP.) If you don't want to format your articles correctly, don't expect other people to take the effort of reading them. (And for Mr. Black Hole: if you don't want to provide a valid reply address, then don't expect other people to take the effort of replying.) - -GAWollman (a/k/a usenet@lcs.mit.edu) - -- Garrett A. Wollman | O Siem / We are all family / O Siem / We're all the same wollman@lcs.mit.edu | O Siem / The fires of freedom Opinions not those of| Dance in the burning flame MIT, LCS, CRS, or NSA| - Susan Aglukark and Chad Irschick - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 13:50:45 -0400 From: Gary Novosielski Subject: Re: Message format At 17:13:29 -0400 9/17/00, "Ed Ellers" wrote: >More ad hominem attacks, hmmm? Refusing to use html is not an ad hominem [q.v.] attack. It's more of an ad protocolem attack. >Someone wrote: >"...and (2) because if I did have an html-aware newsreader they could easily >be a source of web bugs I don't want to enable." > >Why would they be any more so than Web sites themselves? Well, it's because when you web surf, you go to sites of your own choosing, which, if you are smart and not particularly driven to risky behavior, are not likely to contain malicious code or attempt do bad things to you. You cannot say the same for e-mail. You don't choose it, it is just sent to you. In fact, some documented e-mail exploits work specifically by sending you a link to a URL that you would never have visited on your own, in order to install viral code or run some process on your machine (depending on the particular vulnerability). That's much more dangerous than most normal surfing habits, where you will seldom if ever run across a malicious site run by the nastyfolk. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 20:18:23 -0400 From: "Stephen K Taylor" Subject: MCI Problems This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C02194.AC537180 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_001_0007_01C02194.AC5B12A0" - ------=_NextPart_001_0007_01C02194.AC5B12A0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Mike, I read you e-mail published in the comp.dcom.telecom with interest.In my = profession, I've experienced allot of the symptoms that you described. In response to your question,yes I have had allot of experience with MCI = with the type of symptoms you outlined.Most of the problems MCI has = recently (in my opinion) are echoing,static.latency and dropped calls. = Frankly, most of MCI network quality issues are probably due to echo = cancelers and routing traffic over earlier Vo/IP switches (most likely = provided by a wholesale carrier). I know you didn't have time to go into great detail, but from the = information you provided I concluded that you may have separate causes = of the symptoms.The "dropped calls" symptom could be caused by the = following: *Excessive traffic loads on your PBX/ACD or ACD switch. -Drops could be caused by loads on CPU processing, = memory or inadequate time=20 slots ( depending on the type of switch your = customer has, such as Nortel), improper setting of master/slave clock synchronization between PBX, = CSU/DSU and MCI CO. switch, improper=20 setting of clock mode in any of the three = entities, D-channel assignment in the PBX, improper grounding of the PBX and/or CSU/DSU,inadequate number of = time slots available between network nodes in PBX, or similar equipment issues with the MCI CO switch = as with the PBX.Dropped calls caused by Vo/IP switches and/or echo cancelers are normally = limited to certain calling areas of the country or foreign calls. The inability of a call to go out at all is most often caused by issues = in the PBX.Excessive traffic loads for the PBX=20 components available, CPU processing limitations, memory limitations and = T-1 channel limitations are typical causes of failed outgoing call = attempts. >>From statements you made in your transmittal I suspect that you are a = vendor provided PBX technician and you probably know most or all of what = I have discussed. Sometimes we get to the point where we can't see the = forest for all of the trees in the way, so I thought I should cover all = the bases. MCI historically has some real problems with service when it comes to = network issues.It is very difficult to get them to be accountable for = any problem that could affect their credibility.I suspect that your = biggest challenge is getting a MCI tech onsite with the proper test = equipment( normally they should arrive with at least a T-Bird test unit) = in order to isolatethe equipment or area where the source(s) of the = symptoms exist. I hope the above has helped. If not please feel feel to contact me. Stephen K. Taylor=20 =20 =20 =20 - ------=_NextPart_001_0007_01C02194.AC5B12A0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Mike,
I read you e-mail published in the comp.dcom.telecom = with=20 interest.In my profession, I've experienced allot of the symptoms = that you=20 described.
In response to your question,yes I have had allot of = experience with MCI with the type of symptoms you outlined.Most of the = problems=20 MCI has recently (in my opinion) are echoing,static.latency and dropped = calls.=20 Frankly, most of MCI network quality issues are probably due to echo = cancelers=20 and routing traffic over earlier Vo/IP switches (most likely provided by = a=20 wholesale carrier).
I know you didn't have time to go into great detail, = but from=20 the information you provided I concluded that you may have separate = causes=20 of the symptoms.The "dropped calls" symptom could be caused by the=20 following:
 
          &nbs= p;     =20 *Excessive traffic loads on your PBX/ACD or ACD switch.
          &nbs= p;         =20 - -Drops could be caused by  loads on CPU processing, memory or = inadequate=20 time
          &nbs= p;          =20 slots ( depending on the type of switch your customer has, such as = Nortel),=20 improper setting of
          &nbs= p;          =20 master/slave clock synchronization between PBX, CSU/DSU and MCI CO. = switch,=20 improper
          &nbs= p;          =20 setting of clock mode in any of the three entities, D-channel assignment = in the=20 PBX, improper grounding
          &nbs= p;          =20 of the PBX and/or CSU/DSU,inadequate number of time slots available = between=20 network nodes in PBX,
          &nbs= p;          =20 or similar equipment issues with the MCI CO switch as with the = PBX.Dropped calls=20 caused by Vo/IP
          &nbs= p;          =20 switches and/or echo cancelers are normally limited to certain calling = areas of=20 the country or foreign
          &nbs= p;          =20 calls.
 
The inability of a call to go out at all is most = often caused=20 by issues in the PBX.Excessive traffic loads for the PBX
components available, CPU processing limitations, = memory=20 limitations and T-1 channel limitations are typical causes of failed = outgoing=20 call attempts.
From statements you made in your transmittal I = suspect that=20 you are a vendor provided PBX technician and you probably know most or = all of=20 what I have discussed. Sometimes we get to the point where we can't see = the=20 forest for all of the trees in the way, so I thought I should cover all = the=20 bases.
MCI historically has some real problems with service = when it=20 comes to network issues.It is very difficult to get them to be = accountable for=20 any problem that could affect their credibility.I suspect that your = biggest=20 challenge is getting a MCI tech onsite with the proper test equipment( = normally=20 they should arrive with at least a T-Bird test unit) in order to=20 isolatethe equipment or area where the source(s) = of the=20 symptoms exist.
I hope the above has helped. If not please feel feel = to=20 contact me.
 
Stephen K. Taylor 
 
          &nbs= p;          =20
 
          &nbs= p;          =20
          &nbs= p;          =20
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Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 20:43:26 -0400 From: "Ed Ellers" Subject: Re: Message format Gary Novosielski wrote: "Refusing to use html is not an ad hominem [q.v.] attack." But accusing those who do use HTML of having nothing worthwhile to say, based solely on that practice, is such an attack. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 20:47:52 -0400 From: "Ed Ellers" Subject: Re: Landline to Wireless Number Portability Joey Lindstrom wrote: "And in order to get this, they are GIVING UP the ability to lock their customers into their own long-distance rates - once they get wireless LNP up and running, the tradeoff is that customers can sign up with Sprint Canada, Telus, or whoever they like for long distance." Too bad U.S. wireless operators aren't required to provide equal access (aside from RBOC subsidiaries of course). Joey then quoted from Steven Wright: "I was in the grocery store. I saw a sign that said "pet supplies". So I did. Then I went outside and saw a sign that said "compact cars"." Sounds like the fellow from Eastern Europe who went to an American supermarket for the first time. He saw powdered milk, he saw instant coffee, he saw instant cocoa, and when he saw baby powder, he exclaimed, "What a country!" - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 20:56:38 -0400 From: "Ed Ellers" Subject: Re: Sorry, but... Steve Sobol wrote: "Posts from usenet ARE accepted..." Not if one's NNTP host is not properly configured to recognize moderated newsgroups as such. MSN used to have problems in that regard -- they didn't flag moderated newsgroups in that way, and when I tried to post from there to this group my messages never got to Pat for approval -- and I was also seeing spam and other junk in the newsgroup that I know darn well would not have gotten past Pat's wary eye. Apparently, MSN's server was just shooting the posts out as though the group was unmoderated, and such posts would only appear on similarly misconfigured servers. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 20:57:55 -0400 From: "Ed Ellers" Subject: Re: Message format (was: Radio Shack gives away barcode scanner...) Joel B Levin wrote: "This applies to postings from any ISP. You keep bringing up webtv and AOL." As examples of classes of Internet users who are widely viewed with scorn by those who consider themselves "true Netizens." - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 21:07:57 -0400 From: "Ed Ellers" Subject: Re: Message format (was: Radio Shack gives away barcode scanner...) John De Hoog wrote: "The standard is dated 1987. Time for an update?" I'd say so, especially since both that standard and the email standard on which it is based went through long before the Web (based on HTML) made its appearance. Seems to me that the standards could be rewritten to allow a *subset* of HTML to be used in messages while specifically disallowing those things that are most troublesome when abused (funny colors, too-small type, JavaScript, pictures, etc.), so that we could get beyond ASCII and into more readable text. "I'm always amused when certain Internet users want to stop the clock on progress at the point when *they* started using the Internet." Yep -- about as bad as certain amateur radio operators who are fighting to the death to keep the Morse Code test for the HF bands, simply because *they* had to pass that test to get their licenses. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Sep 2000 22:03:51 -0400 From: "Michael D. Sullivan" Subject: Re: Landline to Wireless Number Portability "Ed Ellers" wrote in message news:8q6d2j$ejnn1$1@ID-39509.news.cis.dfn.de... > Too bad U.S. wireless operators aren't required to provide equal access > (aside from RBOC subsidiaries of course). Since passage of the 1996 Telecom Act, all wireless operators, including RBOCs, have been exempted from any equal access obligation. - -- The Telecom Digest is currently robomoderated. Please mail messages to editor@telecom-digest.org. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2000 22:41:54 -0400 From: "Judith Oppenheimer" Subject: 9/18/00 ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* ICBTollFree.Com HEADS UP HEADLINES ************************************************************************* from ICB Toll Free News - Daily News and Intelligence covering the Political, Legal and Marketing Arenas of 800 and Dot Com. ************************************************************************* CONTENTS - - MANY DOT COMS ARE DROPPING THE 800 BALL - - INSTANT MESSAGING ISSUE THREATENS AOL/TIME WARNER MERGER - - THE PROMISE OF THE INTERNET - - PRIVATE DATA NETWORK OPERATORS: ITU ROA'S? - - EXECUTIVE CHANGES AT 1 800 FLOWERS - - THE VALUE OF THE BRAND - - EC: SHOULD IP TELEPHONY BE REGULATED? - - WHO NEEDS A DOMAIN REGISTRAR? GO TO THE USPTO. - - MELBOURNE IT AND NANPA'S NEUSTAR, BIDDING FOR DOMAIN REGISTRY - - REGISTRARS INVITED TO FORM TRADE ORGANIZATION - - I, CANDIDATE: AN INTERVIEW WITH LAWRENCE LESSIG ************************************************************************* !!! YOUR TEXT AD HERE !!! 18,000+ weekly readership, over 112,000 targeted impressions every month! Space is limited -- ORDER NOW! -- email editor@icbtollfree.com. ************************************************************************ CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTE: ICB is a popular research destination, with all content archived indefinitely. Find all ICB headlines, current and archived, at http://www.icbtollfree.com/icbheadlns.cfm. ************************************************************************ ARTICLE ACCESS CODE LEGEND ICB Toll Free News offers two valuable service options: F = Free - News and Features articles P = Premium - Unlimited Site Access including all Articles and Documents. ************************************************************************ >>From the Editor's Desk ... ICANN candidates are talking domain names in ICB's Domain Name Survey. A work in progress, survey responses are added in as they arrive. Most of them, anyway. For example, an ICANN Nominating Committee candidate for the North America region writes that he is an "outsider" with respect to the detailed history of domain name issues and ICANN, and therefore doesn't have long-established fixed positions on these issues. He adds, "my explorations of the situation via several Web sites have led me to the unsurprising conclusion that these issues do not really lend themselves to simple (or, perhaps, simplistic) positions expressible via multiple-choice questions. [The survey offers a no-space-limit option to answer each question in one's own words.] I have further concluded," he writes, "that whatever discussion of these issues I might contribute ought to be provided via the Web site provided to the candidates by ICANN." My sense is that an ICANN board candidate who limits his or her opinions and positions to the padded-cell safety of the ICANN compound, is likely to remain at minimum, opaque and silent as an ICANN board member, as well. Given the monstrous proportions of ICANN's failings at transparency, I'd suggest that a candidate's non-answer is an answer nonetheless, perhaps just to a different question. CLICK HERE FOR THE SURVEY: http://icbtollfree.com/icbsurveycandidates.html. ************************************************************************ HEADLINES for September 18, 2000 P - MANY DOT COMS ARE DROPPING THE 800 BALL Catalog companies such as Land's End now pose a substantial threat to online competitors due to their extensive experience with phone service. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4505 F - INSTANT MESSAGING ISSUE THREATENS AOL/TIME WARNER MERGER iCast and Tribal Voice, who began filing reports with the FCC in April, have not been deterred in their campaign to take their interests to the forefront of AOL's merger negotiations. The companies have formed a coalition called FreeIM to generate support among other companies involved in instant messaging. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4504 F - THE PROMISE OF THE INTERNET The difference between an "enlightened" and a "corrupted" upper class is often the degree of power they hold over their subjects, and the degree of control they hold over information. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4503 P - PRIVATE DATA NETWORK OPERATORS: ITU ROA'S? Recognized Operating Agencies (ROA) is the ITU term for public telecom providers under ITU jurisdiction. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4502 F - EXECUTIVE CHANGES AT 1 800 FLOWERS Promotions include naming of Chris McCann as President, Guy Minetti to the newly created position of Vice Chairman, and Bill Shea to Sr. Vice President and CFO. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4500 P - THE VALUE OF THE BRAND The essence of a good domain name, or a good 800 number, is that it is a brand that you can interact with: access, acquire, repeat. What is the value of that brand? ICB looks at the 75 most value brands as compiled by Interbrand, and wonders at their value potential when interaction is incorporated. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4499 ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* >>>>>>>>>>>>> http://1800TheExpert.com <<<<<<<<<<<<< 800 & Domain Name Acquisition Management, Lost/Stolen 800 # Retrieval, Litigation Support, Regulatory Navigation, Correlating Domain Name & Trademark Matters. ************************************************************************* Are you a local or regional business that advertises in newspapers, direct mail, on radio or tv? 1 800 BRAND IT shared use marketing programs can help your sales skyrocket! http://www.1800BrandIt.com ************************************************************************* FT Telecom Conferences In its 20th year, this event will bring leading personalities in the telecomms industry to discuss opportunities and challenges which technological advancement, increased competition and restructuring will pose to the future of global telecommunications. Register online to receive your 10% discount. http://www.ftconferences.com/dynamic/conferences/ftwt00.htm?bn=icb ************************************************************************* EVERY 3.6 SECONDS SOMEONE DIES FROM HUNGER http://www.hungersite.com/ ************************************************************************* Visit Global Telecom Domains(SM), 'The Best Names in Telecom' www.GlobalTelecomDomains.com ************************************************************************* ************************************************************************* more HEADLINES for September 18, 2000 F - EC: SHOULD IP TELEPHONY BE REGULATED? The U.K.'s Oftel and Spain's Telefonica say if a service such as VoIP looked like traditional circuit-switched telephony to an end user, it should be regulated in a similar manner. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4509 F - WHO NEEDS A DOMAIN REGISTRAR? GO TO THE USPTO. Since a valid trademark registration can sometimes trump a domain-name registration in the courts, being the first in line at the trademark office can effectively win a trademark holder domain name rights -- even before a new TLD begins to accept registrations. USPTO: "We don't look at it as a domain name at all. We look at it to see if it's a trademark or a service mark. It doesn't matter to us that it's in a top-level domain that may or may not ever exist." CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4508 F - MELBOURNE IT AND NANPA'S NEUSTAR, BIDDING FOR DOMAIN REGISTRY Bids close on October 2 and the issue is expected to be settled by the end of the year. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4506 F - REGISTRARS INVITED TO FORM TRADE ORGANIZATION At the top of the complaint agenda is NSI, which Mann and others accuse of hoarding more than 1 million expired domain names. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4501 F - I, CANDIDATE: AN INTERVIEW WITH LAWRENCE LESSIG ICANN board candidate Lawrence Lessig is one of the world's most esteemed experts in intellectual property law and its application in cyberspace. Afternic.com's choice to represent North American Internet users as an at-large board member, Lessig is interviewed here by Afternic's Peter Gerard. CONTINUED HERE: http://www.icbtollfree.com/article.cfm?articleId=4507 Mr. Lessig also completed ICB's Domain Name Survey - read his response and others at http://icbtollfree.com/icbsurveycandidates.html. ************************************************************************* **************************************************advertisements********* TelecomCareers.net - Cutting Edge Telecom Careers, #1 Telecom Job Site! http://TelecomCareers.net ************************************************************************* P.A.T. - a real Live person inside your voice mail? Yes. P.A.T.LiVE, a division of ATG Technologies, Inc., rents live secretarial services through a toll free number. P.A.T. (Personal Assistance Team) can enhance your productivity and image with rates as low as 3 cents per minute. http://www.patlive.com or 800.775.7790 ************************************************************************* Free Timely Time Management Tips to increase your personal productivity and give you more time and balance for your personal life. Subscribe now at: http://www.topica.com/lists/timemanagement ************************************************************************* Read TOLLFREE-L online at http://www.egroups.com/group/tollfree-l/info.html ************************************************************************* ABOUT ICB ICB HeadsUp Headlines Daily Email is sent by request. Subscriptions are free to qualified applicants. Visit http://www.icbtollfree.com/reg.cfm?NextURL=Index.cfm to sign up. 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