December 7, 2001
And I quote:
I'm mad as hell at losing my high-speed Internet access from AT&T Broadband, even if the disruption turns out to be temporary, and I say cable modem users should demand an immediate response from elected officials. This is a clear case of telecommunications deregulation run amok. A service as vital to our connected economy as Internet access should not be switched off overnight. [Sunday, December 2, 2001]
-- Mike Langberg, San Jose Mercury Times
Get a grip, dude.
I know, dialup sucks-- I was hit by this outage, too-- but Internet access is not a utility. Besides, having a connection doesn't guarantee anything. I refer you to my February 17, 2000, HotSheet for a reminder of just how easily a net connection can be taken down, and why our lives should not revolve around the Internet.
For the record:
"Bankruptcy typically causes much disruption," [Judge Thomas] Carlson said. "While the cessation of customers' Internet access is regrettable, it does not jeopardize public health or safety." [Friday, November 30, 2001]
My cable modem was spotty on Friday, dead over the weekend, and back on Tuesday. AT&T Broadband has promised to credit me two days for every day I was out of service. I think that's more than fair. Hey, it's a better deal than we'll ever get from PG&E.
ObDisclosure: I work for AT&T Labs.
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Let's all go slashdot KPMG!*
* No, not really.
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Today is the 60th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
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Finally, here's a lawyer joke I heard last night:
On their way to a justice of the peace to get married, a couple has a fatal car accident. They go to Heaven, and are sitting outside the pearly gates, waiting for St. Peter to process them. While waiting, they wonder if they could possibly get married in Heaven. St. Peter finally shows up and they ask him. St. Peter says, "I don't know, this is the first time anyone has ever asked. Let me go find out," and he leaves.
The couple sits back down, and waits for a couple of months. They begin to wonder if they really should get married in Heaven, what with the eternal aspect of it all. "What if it doesn't work out?" they wonder. "Are we stuck together forever?"
St. Peter returns after yet another month, looking somewhat bedraggled. "Yes," he informs the couple, "you can get married in Heaven."
"Great," says the couple, "but what if things don't work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?"
St. Peter, red-faced, slams his clipboard onto the ground.
"What's wrong?" ask the frightened couple.
St. Peter exclaims, "It took me three months to find a priest up here! Do you have any idea how long it's going to take for me to find a lawyer?"
Rimshot, curtain, etc.