Make Your Own DSL

Posted on Slashdot by michael from the send-me-some-while-you're-at-it dept.
Logic Bomb writes: "Robert Cringley's latest is a striking set of instructions on how to create your own DSL service, or even your own "socialist Internet Service Provider". A cookie goes to whomever manages to implement this first! :-D" Cringley is on a roll.

Two nuggets from the thread relate to the use of an Alarm System's wiring for DSL service, and the comparison between the subscription cost of an Alarm System, and more expensive telco provided Data Services.

darkPHi3er says,

" Cringely got it right, in my last business, the area was out of dedicated "Data Lines", so Pacific Bell had to send out an install tech who really knew what he was doing, i was looking over his shoulder and noticed that he was using our alarm lines...the tech told me almost exactly the same story as Cringely, including that if you called PB and asked for a pair of "guard lines" you'd be told they didn't exist or that they were all assigned in your area. "

Caballero says,

"He's shown us how to get a circuit established cheaply. Actually doing it may be made difficult by your phone company, but it shows how they are trying to rape data services for so much more money than than things like security systems.

The real problem is that you want connectivity to the internet. Even if you find someone who's willing to piggy back you on their circuit, chances are they're violating their terms of service by doing it. That may get them cut off if they're caught. If they're doing NAT it would be hard for their ISP to find out."

PC charity reveals how to get MS OSes for free

Recently a charity here in Australia found itself foul of some draconian software licence policy. It was found that they were infringing their software licences because they were not buying new copies of Windows, but using the software that came with the Machines when they were donated. Over at the Register, Kieren McCarthy, argues that the company is,

" Perfectly entitled to the licence fee. PCs for Kids gets its computers from companies which have site licences. But by keeping the Windows OS on the machine and not paying an individual licence fee, it infringes Microsoft's copyright. "

I'm just shocked that Microsoft expects charities to purchase retail packages for what will essentially only help them more in the long run, because the people who gain from these electronic gifts, will inevitably end up purchasing product in the future.

Most machines that are donated are too old to run anyting newer than Windows95, which is now an unsupported product, thus leaving little choice but to purchase WindowsME, or other current generation OS. Imagine WindowsME running on a Pentium 166 with 16Mb Ram.

But all is not lost, because Michael Moore from the Alwful Truthis stepping in. Some other readers have also responded to the article   3:38:57 AM

Australian ISP Snoops on Downloads

From Slashdot: Your-data-is-not-safe dept.

Steve Nakhla writes: "According to this article, Excite @ Home has begun snooping users' downloads in order to find copyrighted or pirated material. Violators have their access cut off. As an Excite @ home user, this alarms me. What exactly is their definition of copyrighted? Doesn't the New York Times copyright their online articles? Can I not view them any more for fear of violating Excite's policies?"

HTH eloquently adds,

"This was an issue circa 1996 when ISPs were wrestling with weather or not they are responsible for the actions of their users ans as such should attempt to keep track of activities on their network. I though the general concensus was that ISPs were not liable for the infringing activities of their users, unless they state that they will attempt to prevent such activity in socuments such as 'Acceptable Use Policies'. It sounds like Excite @ Home screwed up their acceptable use policy and some content provider threatened to force them to make good on their statements that they would monitor the network for 'unacceptable uses'. Reharding the acceptable use policy, they say:

A spokesperson from Excite @ Home said, "we are not watching every bit and byte, but we would randomly check from time to time." The US AUP [home.com] for their service describes illegal acticity but doesn't seem to describe how it will be observed. I was unable to locate the Australian policy. Presumably is't different in this regard. Also this statement, supports my theiry that some content provider called them on a badly written AUP that they have to make good on:

"I wouldn't call it policing, we're just trying to comply with the law and by highlighting the issue to customers, its putting us in a better position as acting as a responsible Netizen on the Internet," the spokesperson said. I've written a couple AUPs in my day and one has to be vary careful about what one says will be done to keep track of user behavior, because any knowlege of illegal activity must be acted upon, whereas simply providing bandwidth does not usually create so many legal obsticles, no matter how many threatening letters you may get from the RIAA and other such organizations.

Read the Slashdot Post on this subject here.   1:22:49 AM