Klarinet Archive - Posting 000073.txt from 1998/02

From: Robin Fairbairns <Robin.Fairbairns@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: To All Concerned
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 1998 14:29:19 -0500

Edwin Lacy wrote:

> On Sat, 31 Jan 1998, someone wrote:
>
> > Dear Friends, this message was forwared to me by a friend of a friend,
> > who is very on top of these types of issues. I am writing you this to
> > inform you of a very important matter currently under review by the
> > FCC. Your local telephone company has filed a proposal with the FCC to
> > impose per minute charges for your internet service.
>
> This is another well-known computer hoax, similar to the "Nieman-Marcus
> cookie recipe," the "Good Times virus," and the little boy dying of
> cancer who supposedly wanted to set a record for the number of get-well
> cards received. Please ignore it.

the friend of a friend may be on top of the issues but he's repeating
something that's *very* old. it's known that usa/canadian telcos
aren't enchanted by `free' local calls, and that they did (at least 5
years ago?) start rumbling about imposing charges on internet
connection calls, but no-one has yet defined a mechanism whereby they
could charge for internet calls and not for voice or fax calls...

the `little boy dying of cancer' was for real (he lives over here).
except he got remission, and he and everyone else involved became
desperate to stop the cards coming (which they did well after he was
in an apparently unassailable position in the records, for all time).

robin