TELECOM Digest     Wed, 24 Jan 2007 01:20:00 EST    Volume 26 : Issue 24

Inside This Issue:                            Editor: Patrick A. Townson

    FCC Releases 'Call Home Act' Order (FCC News Release)
    Free PC to Phone Calls (paygodmode@gmail.com)
    One Last Try Re: +1611 Theory (Help!) (Person, Human)
    Report: Yahoo!, AOL Could Join Forces (USTelecom dailyLead)
    Re: My Space Sues Colorado Man for Spamming (hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com)
    Re: My Space Sues Colorado Man for Spamming (mc)
    Re: My Space Sues Colorado Man for Spamming (Steven J. Sobol)
    Re: Palm Treo 650 (Mr Joseph Singer)
    Re: Is Your Telephone AC Power Dependent? (Steven Lichter)
    Re: Interview With Prosecutor on the 'Child Porn' Case (ellis@no.spam)
    Re: Hell Continues to Freeze Over (Justa Lurker)

====== 25 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ======
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Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 21:27:35 -0600
From: FCC News Release <fcc@telecom-digest.org>
Subject: FCC Releases 'Call Home Act' Order


The Federal Communications Commission once again has acted to reduce
the costs for family calls made to military people deployed to the
Middle East and other postings.

In an order adopted Jan. 8 but not released until yesterday, the FCC
"exempted from Universal Service Fund (USF) and Telecommunications
Relay Services (TRS) fund contribution requirements revenue from calls
covered by section 2(a) of the Call Home Act, including, but not
limited to, calls made using prepaid calling cards and post-paid
calling cards, and collect calls made by Armed Forces personnel."

The commission also says it will a issue a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking "to propose and seek comment on additional steps the
commission might take to further implement the Call Home Act and thus
further reduce the cost to military personnel of calling home."
Comments from military families in particular are being solicited
regarding their experiences and "on the benefits and limitations of
the various services and the associated costs and fees."

In a joint statement, the five-member commission said, "This
forbearance action is intended to allow telecommunications providers
to offer immediate relief to our Armed Forces personnel stationed and
deployed abroad. However, the actions we take here are intended to be
interim in nature, and we recognize that the most effective and
appropriate relief may change, depending both on the commission's
resolution of other USF contribution issues in its 'Contribution
Methodology Proceeding' and on the record that is generated in
response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that we intend to
release shortly."

Responding immediately to the FCC's action, Sen. Ted Stevens
(R-Alaska) lauded the agency for acting quickly to begin implementing
the Call Home Act of 2006, which passed Congress late last year. That
bill was sponsored by Stevens and Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel
Inouye (D-Hawaii).

"As a former military pilot stationed overseas during World War II, I
know how much it means to be able to communicate with families and
loved ones at home," Stevens says. "American service members used to
rely on mail, but now our troops rely on the Internet and phone
calls. It can cost soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as much as
33 cents a minute to call their families in Alaska. [The] action by
the FCC will immediately provide our troops and their families with
access to more affordable communications services."  


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: This action should have the effect of
reducing the cost of these phone calls to about five or ten cents
each, assuming all carriers play by the rules.  PAT]

------------------------------

From: paygodmode@gmail.com
Subject: Free PC to Phone Calls
Date: 23 Jan 2007 01:13:23 -0800
Organization: http://groups.google.com


Hi All,

I stumbled across a blog some days ago. This blog covers almost all of
the FREE VOIP service providers for making PC to Phone calls. I know
there are many such blogs about free voip calling and stuff, however
this one is really cool because the author has reviewed almost every
single free VOIP provider.

He also posted some cool hacks for some of the services to work outside
of US and most importantly reviewed services for PC to Phone and not PC
to PC calling. 

Its a must read: http://voipguides.blogspot.com

------------------------------

From: Person, Human <humanperson@notchur.biz>
Subject: One Last Try Re: +1611 Theory (Help!)
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 08:53:10 -0800


Pat,

Hope the New Year has been good to you, so far -- and the manic Holidays
distant but not bitter in your memory ...!  I realize that the thread's
long lost (last entry was an update I posted), but you'll probably
remember something about your contributions to discussion; the rather
'dangling' attempt to discover the manner of mysterious operation
allowing free calls on T-Mobile's MVNO in Portland, Oregon -- for three
years, until recently.  I havent been able to redial enough times for
call completion since the Fall.  (Still same interrupt and
announcement, but timing is off.)  

At the time I posted the question, I had reservations about revealing
the specific wireless network, despite repeated requests to identify
it.  I hadn't fears of alerting the Operations Center types and losing
my "free calling" plan -- I knew this wasn't a risk, as I had already
repeatedly made queries to T-Mobile's NOC, Executive Customer
Relations and Tech Support which blatantly informed them of their
losses; and never once sparked their interest or gleaned from the
process satisfactory explanation.  After finding no legal obstacle or
proprietary function to +1611, I even hatched some unsuccessful plans
to sell refurbished throwaway phones and $10 activated SIMs to
Mexicans (and others who'd benefit from the "unlimited outgoing
intenational" discount) at $100 a piece.  One way to figure the answer
to my now-obsession with the +1611 thing, thought I: get T-Mobile to
prosecute me for the innocent crime of selling four numbers (and the
plus symbol) ...

Yesterday, I came across a final theory; it seems to match the
characteristics of the call setup and offers a better explanation than
any in the past.  Look up the definition of "Retrial", in the context
of Traffic Engineering.  Let me hear what you think -- it's my last try.

It would do be good to know -- sleep better knowing that I wasnt
accidentally breaching Autovon security, or something.  (That seemed
to be another 'precedence' possibility ...)  Love your work across
the Net; always have and hope you never quit!  You're a real resource,
and thank you for that.

Respect,

Darl

ps. dont post my email online


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I did post it, but withheld your email
address. Essence of original message repeated below.  PAT]

> Subject: Re: Odd Dialing Code
> Date: 29 Jul 2006 01:11:11 -0700
> Organization: http://groups.google.com

Not sure; what I notice is with a prepaid airtime balance of less than
approx. $0.50; whereas, after sending the full (+1611-etc) string --
but before ring cycle is heard -- there is a prepended cellco
annoucement suggesting you add more airtime soon for continuous
service.  At this point, outside of Portland, no matter how many times
you redial, no calls will ever be completed using +1611NPANXXXXXXz .

 From my repeated attempts, I have come to the realization that the
ratio of successfully completed calls to vacant code annoucements
(dialed using +1611-) is proportional to network traffic; viz, during
peak hours of the day it takes significantly more attempts. On Friday
nights (6PM-4AM), like tonight in fact, it is virtually impossible to
complete a call this way. I haven't been able to yet (after 50-60
attempts -- and, yes, I *am* this bored as to continue to try ...)
Early Sunday or Monday morning (say, 4:30A), by contrast, it takes
only three or four attempts to get a call through.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 12:27:42 -0600 CST
From: USTelecom dailyLead <ustelecom@dailylead.com>
Subject: January 23, 2007 - Report: Yahoo!, AOL Could Join Forces


USTelecom dailyLead
January 23, 2007
http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/garMfDtusXkyxRCibuddjJjI

TODAY'S HEADLINES

NEWS OF THE DAY
* Report: Yahoo!, AOL could join forces
BUSINESS & INDUSTRY WATCH
* Apple pushes into competitive race for set-top boxes
* UBS estimates Verizon may add 1.1 million fiber subscription this year
* Testimony in Siemens case points to CFO
* China Mobile embarks on first overseas market foray
USTELECOM SPOTLIGHT
* Consolidating Interactive Voice & Video Services Thursday, Jan. 25, 1 pm ET)
TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
* Satellites power new ad category: "Astro-tising"
* The BlackBerry -- no longer just for businesspeople
REGULATORY & LEGISLATIVE
* L.A. taps Qwest for super high-speed Net link

Follow the link below to read quick summaries of these stories and others.
http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/garMfDtusXkyxRCibuddjJjI

------------------------------

From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
Subject: Re: My Space Sues Colorado Man for Spamming
Date: 23 Jan 2007 13:21:50 -0800
Organization: http://groups.google.com


Gary wrote:

> Spammers are able to send the fake messages by planting viruses that
> post spoof login pages, asking users to re-enter their username and
> password. The spam program then logs into the account and send the
> unwanted ad messages to a person's friend list, which in some cases
> can number in the tens of thousands.

This practice is clearly illegal under long existing fraud laws:

FRAUD: "The making of a false statement of a past or existing fact
with knowledge of its falsity or whith reckless indifference as to its
truth with the intent to cause another to rely thereon, and he does
rely thereon to his injury."  --law textbook.

The question then becomes are the people who create this false web
pages being prosecuted for doing so?  If not, why not?

> MySpace ... go after the worst offenders.

Why aren't they going after  _all_  the offenders?

[public replies, please]


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, Lisa, that would mean getting
the quasi-regulators like ICANN involved, and force them (ICANN or
their representative registrars) to investigate and clamp down on
the type of people/organizations they permit to have web sites (or
at least who those sites are permitted to talk to or exchange
traffic with. Sort of like the old Fido rule about being 'excessively
annoying' and getting yourself cut out of circulation, in other words,
being exciled or socially quarentined. 

And as any good, intelligent and liberal do-good Usenetter would
happily explain to you, (1) 'we cannot dictate to others what they are
permitted to do with their websites or computers', and (2)[the same
Usenetters speaking as they wring their hands] 'they might decide to
sue because the rest of us did not allow them to run amok with their
computers and web sites'. Only, the same Usenetters do not phrase it
quite like that; they prefer to couch it in terms of freedom of speech
and all that rot. It is quite amazing to me how '.edu' is relatively
clean -- because the registrar insists on it -- but '.com' and the
others are like the wild west because the registrars are either unable
or unwilling to make the same requirements. And they might decide to
sue us?  As the late Jack Benny used to say, 'really, Mary ...'  or as
Dan Florek on 'CSI Special Victims Unit' phrased it so eloquently on TV
tonight, "My Ass!"

Lisa, the first thing we need to do is uproot the ICANN gang; they are
as worthless as anyone can be. Then install new people in ICANN who
take a harsher attitude.  Do not expect anything until ICANN is
totally cleaned out. Esther Dyson and Vint Cerf are the worst. They
have to be the first to be gone.  Not a very good prospect, is it?
PAT] 

------------------------------

From: mc <look@www.ai.uga.edu.for.address>
Subject: Re: My Space Sues Colorado Man for Spamming
Organization: BellSouth Internet Group
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 17:17:38 -0500


If the allegations are true, this man deserves criminal prosecution, not 
just a lawsuit.

Using stolen passwords is serious.

[TEELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Now, now, you are not going to try and
tell the man how he can use his website and computer, are you?  PAT]

------------------------------

From: Steven J. Sobol <sjsobol@JustThe.net>
Subject: Re: My Space Sues Colorado Man for Spamming
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 03:00:01 UTC
Organization: Glorb Internet Services, http://www.glorb.com


In article <telecom26.23.2@telecom-digest.org>, Gary Gentile , AP
wrote:
 
> MySpace, which is owned by News Corp., claims Scott Richter and his
> various companies, including OptInRealBig.com and Mediabreakway.com,
> sent millions of junk messages to members using technology that made
> the messages appear to come from individual members' accounts.

Scotty's a known spammer.

In fact, I was one of nine regular posters to
news.admin.net-abuse.email that got hit with a SLAPP lawsuit field by
someone else, and he actually called me to disclaim any involvement in
the matter.

(Guilty conscience, Scott-o?)


Steve Sobol, Professional Geek ** Java/VB/VC/PHP/Perl ** Linux/*BSD/Windows
Victorville, California     PGP:0xE3AE35ED

It's all fun and games until someone starts a bonfire in the living room.


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I would have been proud to accept a
lawsuit from the man. Easy for me to say, I guess, being a judgment-
proof pauper and all that, but it would have been my privilege to rip
his ass off for him.   PAT]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 14:29:51 PST
From: Mr Joseph Singer <joeofseattle@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Palm Treo 650


Thank you.  I guess it has gotten to the point where sending to telecom
digest is a waste of time.  I am a faithful reader and *never* in the
instructions for submission have you ever said anything of the kind.

--- TELECOM Digest Editor <ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu> wrote:

> From: Mr Joseph Singer <joeofseattle@yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: Palm Treo 650

> --- TELECOM Digest Editor <ptownson@massis.lcs.mit.edu> wrote:

> Your recent submission to TELECOM Digest was rejected. If you feel it
> should be printed, please resubmit it with the Secret Word as part of
> the subject line. 
> Editor, TELECOM Digest

> What's this "secret word" business?  Since when is there a
> secret word to submit to Telecom Digest?

> When spam got to the point that about 95-98 percent of all incoming
> mail to telecom was spam, I changed from attempting to examine it and
> accept 2 or 3 percent while rejecting 95-98 percent of it and simply
> started rejecting all of it. Made it a lot easier for me. I of course
> still go through it now and pick out names I recognize (as I did with
> your name and subject) manually, but I do not read ANYTHING of it
> until I have first officially dumped all the spam (almost all of it).

> People who read the Digest on a regular basis know the secret word
> which is (secret word). If that word appears anywhere in the subject line
> then delivery of the message is sent a step further to a box of
> known writer/subscribers, etc. 
 
> PAT


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Although I _attempt_ to review all the
mounds of spam each day looking for any clues of a real person there,
you must admit 95-98 percent spam to real mail is a very high ratio. 
Consequently, some good mail gets missed, sorry.  But putting the
secret work in the subject line of each message absolutely assures
that your mail goes into a file for proper handling. PAT]

------------------------------

From: Steven Lichter <diespammers@ikillspammers.com>
Organization: I Kill Spammers, Inc.
Subject: Re: Is Your Telephone AC Power Dependent?
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:26:44 -0800


Steven Stone wrote:

> In article <telecom26.21.5@telecom-digest.org>, hornetd@mindspring.com 
> says:

>> Pat,

>> I don't mean to be insulting with this question so if it is
>> too obvious please forgive me.  Is at least one telephone line
>> into your home exchange powered copper twisted pair?  Do you

> Doesn't the cell tower connect to the rest of the world via copper or
> fiber feed ? How many of those towers have backup power ?  The
> majority of tower sites in my rural area have 4 hours of battery
> backup without an on site generator. After 4 hours you are SOL.

> That's why our local ham radio repeater is located at one of the few 
> cell tower sites with a standby generator. We also have 48 hours of 
> battery backup. 

> Steve
> N2UBP 

The cell sites I have worked on have battery backup for about 12
hours, plus a few have generators.  Verizon has portable generators
they can move in should power continue to be out, plus they have COW's
to put more service if needed.

The Only Good Spammer is a Dead one!! Have you hunted one down today? 
(c) 2007  I Kill Spammers, Inc. A Rot In Hell Co.

------------------------------

From: ellis@no.spam 
Subject: Re: Interview With Prosecutor on the 'Child Porn' Case
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 02:50:15 -0000
Organization: S.P.C.A.A.


In article <telecom26.16.8@telecom-digest.org>, Rick Merrill
<rick0.merrill@NOSPAM.gmail.com> wrote:

> Apparently Yahoo, the police, and the family had No Idea that
> other people could place 'stuff' on your home computer.

That's what's disturbed me about a lot cases I've read about. So many
machines are zombied these days it could be anybody running the
computer and using it to access whatever. I even remember a case of a
judge's computer having child porn on it and the cops found out from
some guy that'd hacked into it.


http://yosemitephotos.net/

------------------------------

From: Justa Lurker <JustaLurker@att.net>
Reply-To: JustaLurker@att.net
Subject: Re: Hell Continues to Freeze Over
Organization: AT&T Worldnet
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 19:10:31 GMT


>> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: There is a small convenience store five
>> blocks north of me on Main and Fourth Street. (A Dollar General
>> place). They sell animal food, soda pop, potato chips, etc and if my
>> motorized chair arrives sometime this week I will be able to get by
>> I am sure.

PAT, if you are able to get out, why not go to a regular grocery store
and get some healthier alternatives to junk food from the convenience
store?  It will be better for you, and less expensive in the long run
too.  Please take good care of yourself, especially during this nasty
weather outside!


[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Other than this past two weeks, where
none of the usual rules in my life apply, I do usually go over to
Marvins IGA store on Tenth Street and stock up on healthier food. Not
only that, but the prices are a lot cheaper also, with a bigger
variety of selections. In fact, two Fridays ago -- before the storm
started that same evening -- I was at Marvins and stocked up on
several items including lots of dog/cat food. Then on Saturday after-
noon (midway through the blast of ice/rain), Epiphany Episcopal Church
(local, here in Independence) showed up at the door with a two-week
supply of human food. I thought the snow storm last weekend was going
to further mess things up, but I was actually able to walk around
outside a little in it. It seems to have improved my traction
somewhat.  I also took to heart a message here in the Digest a few
days ago about 'tire chain' type things to wear on one's feet from the
company in Idaho (?) which makes them, and I put in an order on the
phone for a pair of those. I expect they will arrive in a couple
days. So that is why I still have a small stock of 'good, nutritious
food' to eat instead of potato chips and candy bars and soda pop from
the Dollar General convenience store. I've a feeling by this time next
week it will all be gone and we will be able to tell our grandchildren
about the vicious winter of '07. I am also thinking that I should
invest in one of those necklace pendants one can wear which summons
via phone any help needed. The last thing I want to have happen is to
one day die and not get discovered for a couple days until either
meals on wheels (the 'cook') shows up with food or the housekeeper
comes around and they find my bloated body laying somewhere with the
dog and cats staring hungrily at my body.  PAT]

------------------------------


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End of TELECOM Digest V26 #24
*****************************