[ale] [rant] I dislike "we only supportwinblows/OS X"AT&T internet

Dan Lambert danlambert at bellsouth.net
Tue Mar 4 15:16:22 EST 2008


I was strangely silent because I had so much to do regarding my real job
that I simply deleted most of the posts for almost two weeks. I actually
didn't read most of that because I had more important things to do.

I would actually rather neither side of the political arena be injected.

Dan 

On Tue, 2008-03-04 at 11:48 -0500, Jeff Lightner wrote:
> Dan,
> 
> You were strangely silent in decrying "politics" when someone else
> injected Gun Control and "liberals" into a thread about MS a couple of
> weeks ago.
> 
> Personally I'd rather this list were mostly technical discussions.
> However, by and large, when I post technical questions (as I did last
> week) they get ignored.   
> 
> As to injecting the politics - what I wrote was about something I knew
> about which was the FCC stuff with ILECs and CLECs and non-enforcement
> by the FCC which was certainly germane to the discussion.  Perhaps I
> could have avoided the parting shot at Dubya but as noted above since it
> only seems to be an issue when it is a non-conservative injecting
> opinions I don't see a reason to avoid it especially because they were
> in fact his appointees.  I've seen people go on about fair tax, gun
> control and all sorts of hot button issues including the near riot when
> someone had the gall to suggest that the list be split into a technical
> and a discussion lists because many people don't like the "discussions".
> 
> The list is what it is and apparently is the way it is because people
> like it that way.   
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On Behalf Of Dan
> Lambert
> Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 4:31 PM
> To: ale at ale.org
> Subject: Re: [ale] [rant] I dislike "we only supportwinblows/OS X"AT&T
> internet
> 
> Sorry to have to say so, Jeff, but I am rather tired of you injecting
> politics into every discussion you can. It seems you never miss a chance
> to inject whatever negative you can about your chosen demon.
> 
> If I wanted to be a member of a political forum, I would have joined
> one.
> 
> I happen to have strong political opinions of my own, but I do
> everything I can to make my posts on this list about Linux and it's
> associated trials and tribulations.
> 
> If I wanted to, I could load this list with political diatribes about
> various and sundry politicos and their cronies. I don't. Please do
> likewise.
> 
> Dan
> 
> On Mon, 2008-03-03 at 15:07 -0500, Jeff Lightner wrote:
> > Well it was a specious argument anyway because it assumes that the
> phone
> > company plays nice the way it is supposed to by law.
> > 
> > By law the people that own the wire (ILEC = Incumbent Local Exchange
> > Carrier) were supposed to open it up to resellers (CLEC = Competitive
> > Local Exchange Carrier) in exchange for being allowed to sell long
> > distance.  What the ILECs did instead is pretend they were "open" but
> > then do everything they could to sabotage the CLECs (e.g. not doing
> the
> > central office connections in a timely fashion) so that CLECs couldn't
> > really make a go of anything other than business connections.
> > 
> > Unfortunately the FCC which was supposed to insure this didn't happen
> > got taken over by Dubya appointees and suddenly it didn't matter that
> > the ILECs weren't complying.
> > 
> > You're supposed to have a choice but you don't really for the most
> part.
> > Witness the poster who has DSL from AT&T but for some reason can't get
> > it from any of the resellers because of the way it is provisioned.
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On Behalf Of
> > Jeremy T. Bouse
> > Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 2:14 PM
> > To: ale at ale.org
> > Subject: Re: [ale] [rant] I dislike "we only support winblows/OS
> X"AT&T
> > internet
> > 
> > Actually have you checked out http://www.att.net/legal/tos cause those
> 
> > specs you mention are no where within it nor is the explicit mention
> of 
> > Windows or Mac. Closest I can find is section 3. Equipment & Software 
> > and all it really says is:
> > 
> >     Due to the infinite number of possible combinations of hardware
> and
> >     software, you are responsible for the compatibility of your system
> >     with the Service. Any equipment that was not provided to you by
> AT&T
> >     is not the responsibility of AT&T , and AT&T will not provide
> >     support and will not be responsible for ongoing maintenance or
> >     management of such equipment. Any AT&T-provided modem will be
> either
> >     a new or a fully inspected, tested, and warranted return or
> >     repackaged unit.
> > 
> > Which I can understand, I provide my own router/access point behind 
> > their DSL modem I'm not asking them to support that router but I am 
> > asking them to support their connectivity which they do provide and
> thus
> > 
> > should support. Yes I've had their modems fail, I've also replaced my 
> > separately purchased Sangoma S518 ADSL card with their provided 
> > Speedstream to prove a problem was not my modem but the line as the
> same
> > 
> > problem was occuring. If your call to tech support is network 
> > connectivity reasons, which I know for me is the only time I do ever 
> > call, then nothing in their TOS (so far as I can see) says support can
> 
> > be withheld because of your operating system.
> > <http://www.att.net/legal/tos>
> > Ned Williams wrote:
> > > You miss my point.
> > >
> > > Regardless of what it takes to do a ping..you have their service you
> 
> > > agreed to their terms of service, that TOS states they only support 
> > > windows...that means you understood at the time of getting the
> service
> > 
> > > that calling in because your Linux connected machine has a problem
> is 
> > > a lost cause. The effect of the operating system is not what is  up 
> > > for debate, the effect of the contract the customer agrees too, is.
> Is
> > 
> > > it a wrongly minded contract sure if your a Linux person, but that
> is 
> > > not of any consequence to AT&T. .If you don't like, don't be their 
> > > customer. That is your greatest method to effect chance upon them.
> > >
> > >
> > > Ned
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 1:32 PM, Jeremy T. Bouse 
> > > <jeremy.bouse at undergrid.net <mailto:jeremy.bouse at undergrid.net>>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > >     But again these specs you quote also fall back to the issue of
> > what
> > >     affect the Operating System has on OS-independent network
> routing
> > >     issues. Those are really specs for software being installed not
> > >     what is
> > >     needed to provide a level of network service connectivity. If
> they
> > ask
> > >     you to do a ping does it really matter what OS you do it from?
> > >     Same for
> > >     traceroute, opening a web page, etc...
> > >
> > >     Ned Williams wrote:
> > >     > If you have 19 machines on a network, why don't you have a
> > >     switch and
> > >     > a router and not force a linux box to do the job of the
> > >     aforementioned
> > >     > 10 dollar router?
> > >     > Sorry I know there are people out there who insist on
> > demonstrating
> > >     > value in their stll creaking along  486/66 by making it their
> > dsl
> > >     > router/firewall...but I mean rather than get spitting mad on
> the
> > >     phone
> > >     > with techs who you KNOW are not going to know squat about
> linux
> > nor
> > >     > are they required too...(a google of "AT&T system
> requirements"
> > >     first
> > >     > hit spells out what they are required to support)
> > >     >
> > >     >     * Intel or equivalent Pentium Pro, II, III, or IV at
> 133MHz
> > >     or faster
> > >     >     * Windows 95/98/ME/XP or Windows NT 4.0/2000 (TCP/IP and
> > >     Ethernet
> > >     >       support must be enabled)
> > >     >     * RAM -
> > >     >           o Windows 95/98/XP - 32 MB
> > >     >           o Windows NT - 32 MB
> > >     >     * Hard drive with 100 megabytes available
> > >     >     * Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) or built-in
> Ethernet
> > >     port
> > >     >       supporting 10 Base-T
> > >     >     * CD ROM
> > >     >     * Microsoft^(r) TCP/IP stack
> > >     >
> > >     >
> > >     > This means when you, you're gf, your mom,dad uncle or whomever
> > has
> > >     > their service all agreed to these terms when you got the
> > service..
> > >     >
> > >     > don't agree fine, get speak easy, they support Linux and your
> > blood
> > >     > pressure will be lower...but don't expect the AT&T's  Chennai
> > >     support
> > >     > center to understand the eccentricities of the  latest Debian
> > >     release,
> > >     > when their product list is limited to windows only..
> > >     >
> > >     > and hey if it helps..they don't support Vista either
> > >     >
> > >     > Ned
> > >     >
> > >     >
> > >     >
> > >     >
> > >     >
> > >     >
> > >     >
> > >     > On Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 12:05 PM, Jeremy T. Bouse
> > >     > <jeremy.bouse at undergrid.net
> <mailto:jeremy.bouse at undergrid.net>
> > >     <mailto:jeremy.bouse at undergrid.net
> > >     <mailto:jeremy.bouse at undergrid.net>>> wrote:
> > >     >
> > >     >        The other problem with being able to go with any one
> > >     other than the
> > >     >     telco is if you're like me, stuck behind a remote DSLAM
> the
> > >     telco
> > >     >     won't
> > >     >     provide the resellers with the ability to service you.
> Every
> > DSL
> > >     >     provider claims they can't service my house but I have the
> > top
> > >     >     speed DSL
> > >     >     from AT&T. Luckily I don't have to call them for support
> too
> > >     often
> > >     >     considering I've got a very non-standard configuration in
> > the
> > >     >     house that
> > >     >     would drive their script-readers nuts, along with myself
> > >     trying to
> > >     >     explain it to them.
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> > >     <mailto:Ale at ale.org>>
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> > >     >
> > >     >
> > >     >
> > >
> >
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