Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!uunet!sugar!taronga!peter From: peter@taronga.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk Subject: Re: Big Brother charging for modem use? Message-ID: Date: 20 Mar 91 01:53:23 GMT Article-I.D.: taronga.UUG2JOB References: <1991Mar19.060906.2102@anomaly.SBS.COM> Organization: A corner of our bedroom Lines: 24 mpd@anomaly.SBS.COM (Michael P. Deignan) writes: > peter@taronga.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) writes: > >The phone company is in charge of > >phone service. They care if a phone line is primarily used for business > >transactions. > Since my phone at home is primarily in existance so the operations staff > at work can reach me at home if there is a problem, according to this > logic I should be charged business rates. Is it really? You wouldn't have a phone if the company didn't need to call you? There is a certain amount of flexibility in the definition of "business transaction", and there is a certain amount of inertia on the part of the phone company. But I think between your phone, even granting your premise, and a BBS that requests monetary donations there is a fairly substantial gap. In the case of the BBS the phone line is the only channel for the service provided (you *do* do more than read news all day :->), and the only payments are for that service (voluntary or not). -- (peter@taronga.uucp.ferranti.com) `-_-' 'U`