Rising oil prices are Bush's fault.

He hasn't invaded enough of the Middle East to secure a supply at our prices nor has he added enough greenhouse gases to avert the demand-producing winter in the northern hemisphere.

Ravenwood-Do you not have a local line or just not a local line from verizion?

The problem with "naked DSL" isn't a technical one, but a logistical one--it's awful hard to qualify a customer for service if the loop length isn't known (but not impossible).

I'd rather them (Baby Bells) offer a higher speed DSL style service that uses the baseband and offer some sort of VoIP service...I'm not using the phone that much at my house, but I do tend to move a few bits around.

Oh...while we're at it...let's get H.R. 5305 out of committee and passed.

Whether or not file "sharing" has helped most musicians in the end does not justify the theft in the first place.

Too many people's principles go straight out the window with regard to the file sharing when they consider no longer getting a bunch of free music.

The decision to give away a bunch of free merchandise cannot be made by the people who would otherwise have to fork over some money. It must be made by the people making and/or selling the goods. If the decision is made by a consumer without prior approval from the merchant, that consumer has engaged in theft, plain and simple.

In other words, if a consumer decides that he really wants something but isn't willing to pay such an outrageous price, and simply takes it, he has stolen.

I'm no fan of the RIAA, but this file "sharing" trend is complete bullshit. People are actually taking for free something that would ordinarily cost them real money, then justifying the action by pointing-out that many others are doing the same thing and CD prices are too high.

If you don't like the prices, stop buying the CDs. The price would eventually go down without resorting to widespread theft to do it.

Again, it matters not whether artists are doing better as a result of the digital theft. The end does not justify the means.

I don't have a telephone line at all, and rely solely on my cell phone. I had a line when they ran my DSL, but I cancelled it.

Since I have HDSL, I don't really need a phone line. I'm pretty sure they hardwared the DSL phone jack directly to the DSLAM because that is the only jack I am allowed to use.

Roger,

I never said file sharing was completely legal. But then I should be allowed to convert my music CDs to MP3 and play them on my MP3 player.

As for the RIAA, I might feel more pity for them if they hadn't been illegally colluding to keep CD prices inflated for the past 10 years.

Re HDSL---yeah, it's a leased line setup, so you've got two pairs hardwired into the DSLAM (unless it's really HDSL2). It occupies the voice band anyway, so you couldn't have a POTS line even if you wanted one (why would you?)

If Verizion and the others want to stick around, they're going to have to find ways of making money other than local telephone service...hell, just give my cell phone an IP address and be done with it--we'll kill POTS all together.

Voice is just data with strict latency requirements.

Sorry, I actually was posting without regard to your personal beliefs, of which I had no real idea.

As far as I know, it is legally considered fair use to rip CDs you own into MP3s. I personally have thousands of them. It becomes illegal when those MP3s are then distributed freely.

Frankly, I have no real sympathy for the RIAA either, especially considering their own illegal actions, however, it just burns me up to hear anybody use the RIAA's actions as their personal justification for stealing music. The old saying, "two wrongs don't make a right", comes to mind.

Although the RIAA was colluding to keep CD prices high, they never stole from anyone, since buying an overpriced CD is an implied agreement that the price is fair, whatever it may be. As far as I know, nobody's ever been forced to buy a CD, but somehow people have claimed a bizarre right to have whatever music they desire, and for free no less.

I've long contended that if a CD is priced too high, one should refuse to purchase it. Let the market determine the price and it will very quickly. Theft has always been sand in the gears of a free market, which is why I've always been very surprised that most Libertarians (not necessarily you) seem to be huge supporters of file "sharing".

You make a very good point. I'm not a huge supporter of file sharing, but I don't agree with the tactics the RIAA has taken, nor their assumption that all file sharing and MP3 technology is illicit.

What some ILECs are doing is converting their circuit based networks over to packet based infrastructure to cut down on their cost. Some CLECs entered the market with packet based technology but were never ever to get people to switch. One company even tried using ATM based point-to-multipoint microwave technology rather than rely on hardwired circuits. The idea was sound, but unfortunately the technology was not.

When it comes to local phone service I think it comes down to convincing people that they need that extra monthly payment. As mobile service continues to improve that argument is becoming harder to make. Especially with E-911 and other service enhancements they've made to wireless.