22 Jan 09 Crafty Comcast?
What are they up to now?
Back in August, Comcast got their knuckles rapped by the FCC for throttling specific P2P programs.
Now the FCC is asking Comcast in a letter filed on January 18, to give “detailed justification” as to why the new network management system they put in place since last August appears to affect the quality of third party VOIP services such as, for example, Vonage; yet doesn’t seem to have any effect on Comcast’s own Digital Voice Service.
I used to have Vonage here myself, but switched away from it last year to considerably reduce costs, and switched to a combination of Skype and MyFax, and this saves over $500 a year.
I’ve not had any noticeable degradation of service myself, and the fax service is noticeably better. (There is a class action suit happening right now regarding Vonage’s Fax service, but that is for another article).
The bottom line regarding Comcast though is this:
If they’re using different technology to provide their Digital Voice Service, then it could become a telephony service and not simply VOIP, and could be taxed as such; if they’re not doing that; then they need to explain why their service is getting priority over other IP based services on their network, contrary to what they’ve told the FCC after last August.
FCC logoIn a letter filed January 18, the US agency asks Comcast to provide “detailed justification” on why its new network management practices affect the quality of competing VoIP services, but apparently doesn’t degrade Comcast’s own Digital Voice Service.
The ISP recently switched its traffic management plan in response to an August order from the Federal Communications Commission demanding Comcast stop throttling specific P2P programs like BitTorrent, eDonkey, and Gnuetella.
Tags: bottom line, class action suit, comcast, digital voice, edonkey, fax service, fcc, federal communications commission, gnuetella, justification, knuckles, management practices, myfax, network management system, p2p programs, skype, telephony service, traffic management plan, voice service, vonage
02 Sep 08 Chrome
First looks – it’s bare. That’s not a complaint though. I suspect I’m like many folks, and have numerous add-ins installed in FF3. I’ve also got a copy of Flock, which is great for some Social Media site integration, but even noisier visually.
This makes a refreshing change to have such a wide open empty screen, and is going to take a little gettting used to.
I do miss the cool looking Gmail Redesigned screen, and I really want my Remember the Milk integration back in my Gmail too, but hey, the bottom line is functionality, and speed.
Where’s the google search box? You don’t need one, you simply type into the main address one.
Drag a tab off the top, and you can open a new, separate window.
I’ve not set Chrome as my default browser yet, but I’m certainly going to stick with it at the moment, and give it a run for it’s money. Money? Oh that was metaphorically speaking, as it’s free of course!
Tags: bottom line, chrome, deafult, ff3, flock, functionality, gmail, google, google chrome, google gears, refreshing change
23 May 08 The Whole Business
It always makes me smile when some folks think that working for yourself must be so wonderful. To a large extent it is, but on the other side of the fence, you have, at least in a small business, the tasks of being the boss, with the responsibilities that it brings, and also the worker, at the same time. Well not at exactly the same time but well, I’m sure you get my drift.
It must be great not having a boss they say. Well yes in a way it is, but in another way, you have as many bosses as you have clients, and the art is letting them all think they are #1, which is, of course, not possible at all times, so you try to become adept at prioritization.
Do I have favorites? You bet I do! Some clients are great to work with, and some are the pits. Thing is, the ones that are the pits still write a check, so you have to tend to them too.Also you never know if your favorite clients will still be here to be clients at all, particularly in the present climate, so it often pays to hold onto some of those pain in the rear ones, that in a more buoyant economic climate you might let go.
Some are willing to pay more than others, and while there is a bottom line, I don’t believe in overcharging either, even if, in some cases you can get away with it. I like to think I’m ethical about my dealings, even if some of those I deal with are not.
Anyway, it’s 9am as I write, and it’s off to do some more of the daily wheeling and dealing out there!
Tags: boss, bottom line, drift, economic climate, extent, pits, side of the fence, small business, smile, some clients suck
