Although one message costs two or three cents, they are major source of income for providers

I'm not surprised they are a major source of income. In the UK they typically cost 10 pence each, which is about 15 US cents. They must cost well under a cent for the network to send, so they are a total rip off.

...that doesn't stop me sending dozens of them a month though...

So, is the consensus that CDMA is better than TDMA, but GSM specifies more than just the air interface, and as a package is probably superior to 2G CDMA based implementations?

Of course, the Europeans will be adopting WCDMA for their air interface, in whatever they call the 3G version of GSM.

Richard.

yes Paul, we're all greedy american pigs, trying to exploit the rest of the world... Someday we'll have totall world supremacy and will enslave everyone else... All us americans over here feel that everyone else is inferior and our soul purpose on the planet is to make everyone elses life hard. As an American we're taught every other country is ours to exploit and unless your american... well your just not worth the flesh you reside in...

Dude... give the frickin anti US sentiments and conspiracy theoreys a rest...

A large proportion of the world would fail to see any irony in those sentiments. Maybe you guys have a PR problem.

Rob

I don't have a problem with those sentiments, exactly, as long as one is able to separate Americans from America. I somehow don't get the impression that Paul does, but I could be reading into it unfairly.

I guess... sorry to snap like that, it just gets old.... This is probably one of my favorite places on the web. Recently I haven't been able to check the boards without someone flaming the US... Sorry guys it's a great place compared to most other places. I visited Ireland recently, I loved it... everywhere I went I saw posters for guiness beer, most of the bars I went to, the servers would say "Have ya tried the guiness?" yes, and it's great. You don't see me getting pissed when I find guiness in every liquor store or bar I go to? I fail to see eye to eye on most of the anti US arguments, the arguments most people have are about our corporations?? So because our businesses are more global we're a bunch of jerks? Last time I checked corporations were supposed to be successful? I'm sure if your country's businesses succeeded in expanding accross the globe you wouldn't have a problem with it, you might even be proud. Or maybe we suck because our tourists are rude? Last time I checked most tourists from EVERY place in the world are annoying.... Then it comes to foreign policy, yeah, we push ours on others... sometimes I wish we didn't and then I think... if not us who? certainly not the French... I mean jesus, Hussein is over there gassing his own, torturing and in general being the worlds equivalent of a 2 year old on a rampage, but the US is terrible for doing something about it... Then we're jerks because we want to make some of the money back we've lost over stepping up and doing something about the problem (instead of sitting on our butts doing nothing like the rest of the world.. excluding our allies) by trying to rebuild Iraq with american resources. Sorry.... don't see that argument either.

I realize the US is hated by the rest of the world, I think the reasons for this are frickin childish but theres nothing I can personally do about it.

A lot of us on the board are decent people that live in the US. And some of us get pissed after repeated jabs about our country. I'm not even that patriotic and it's getting on my nerves, it become common place to slam the US.

Let me ask you this, if I walked into your home looked at your surroundings and said "wow your house sucks"... would you be offended?

if I walked into your home looked at your surroundings and said "wow your house sucks"... would you be offended?

In response to:

Then it comes to foreign policy, yeah, we push ours on others... sometimes I wish we didn't and then I think... if not us who?

What if I walked into your house and said ``I don't think that you should own this house'', proceeded to beat you up, trashing the house in the process, and then charged you and/or your children for tidying it up?

Otherwise, I mostly agree with what you said.

Good point

In theory, the next generation of GSM will use CDMA, but it won't be compatible with what we call "CDMA" stateside, which is the Verizon network.

My semi-vague memory is that this is so North America wouldn't come into the new standard with a large deployed base, that we'd be screwed like everyone else. (e.g. no technical reasons for it)

I like to pretend I live in a technocracy, and so I ridicule and berate those people.

But then, my friends would say, "He's like that to everyone".

P.S. This is actually being written in Netscape on a Sun Solaris workstation. But you get the point...

The dirty truth comes out.

I hope it's Netscape 6. If it was 4, it not doubt crashed right after you hit "continue".

As an American we're taught every other country is ours to exploit and unless your american... well your just not worth the flesh you reside in...

While my own education about other countries was fairly broad, many people I know tell me where they went to school, they didn't really learn a lot about things beyond the borders of this country.

I don't know how widespread this problem is, but if it is, I shudder to think where foreign policy is going to go in the next generation, given where it is now.

Netscape on a Sun Solaris workstation

The dirty truth comes out.

I hope it's Netscape 6.

I'm using Netscape 7, as supplied by Sun. It still has a few bugs (some quite annoying), and it's hard to get various XPI-type plugins to play nicely, but otherwise works very well. I've yet to have it crash on me except for a few times with Flash or something (I never got to see what it was), and I usually leave it running 24/7.

When Flash crashes it, do you get a strange message on the terminal you ran it from?

if I walked into your home looked at your surroundings and said "wow your house sucks"... would you be offended?

Not really, it's a bit of a dump.

Seriously, I like the US. It's the only country I'd consider moving to (for a while). That's why I think you have a PR problem, not that it really matters as the US is sufficiently powerful to operate regardless of world opinion.

Rob

You pick the most sarcastic thing I said to comment on. When I grew up we had American History, that was it. Thats fine, it's where we live, we also had World Civ... in which we briefly skimmed over world history. I actually learned more about world history through the Art history classes I had in college.

But no, we didn't learn much about world history in general. Thats kind of not my point though, my point is I am a decent person as most americans here... I enjoy where I live, and feel lucky to be here. I'm just sick of having my home bashed for its politics... politics that I'm sorry aren't even that bad compared to some other coutries around the world.

Not really, it's a bit of a dump.

Mine too, I think if it gets any worse I might have to move

That's why I think you have a PR problem

I think Lopan (as did I) misinterpreted that comment as being critical of the US in general instead of the image. One question though, if the US has a such PR problem, why is it that there are so many people trying to get in?

Lopan, it seems to me the most vitriolic attacks of the US on this board are from US citizens.

One question though, if the US has a such PR problem, why is it that there are so many people trying to get in?

Low taxes

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2916133.stm

You know, that particular link is such a poor example.

Despite all the NHS bashing that goes on over there, I prefer it to the system over here. Paying 3.5-9% (salary dependant) only when you are working beats paying significantly more than that when you aren't, in my book anyway. It really sucks when you get laid off to suddenly discover that along with the sudden loss of income, an additional $700 a month expense crops up.
And the crap that you have to deal with every time you change jobs is a pain. New job->New Insurers->Different coverage. Sometimes you have to change doctors, sometimes you have to change pharmacies. What a PITA. And ditto for dentristry. And then add in the fact that the insurers *never* seem to get the coverage dates correct during the transition, you end up having to check that they're not overcharging you, and also make sure that they *do* pay the $300 dentist bill that they should have.

Way too much hassle.

Lopan, it seems to me the most vitriolic attacks of the US on this board are from US citizens.

You made me run for my dictionary:

Vitriol n. ... 2. Bitterly abusive feeling or expression.

I have a hard time thinking of examples that satisfy the definition of "vitriolic" from anyone on the BBS, regardless of nationality.

Example?

Vitriol

Admittedly too strong a word (although not intentionally). I did not look it up before I wrote it. I tend to use it more as strident or vociferous (don't look those up becasue they're not any better). My point was it seems the harshest criticism of the US's policy on this board is from US citizens. Lopan's complaint was directed at nonUS people on the board and to be fair, a fair amount of it is from US citizens.

Apology accepted?

I suppose all of this might have something to do with the claim of "land of the free" (and numerous variants like "Freedom"), when in real life the government freely does stuff like this:

Wired Story

I'm just sick of having my home bashed for its politics... politics that I'm sorry aren't even that bad compared to some other coutries around the world.

So am I. But I'm not going to pick on the people who are right, I'm going to do what I can to change the problem. Pointing at the other people doesn't help vote the people who are screwing up out of office, or get people there who might not piss off so much of the rest of the world.

Well, once nobody called them on civil seizure, they figured they could try the same thing on people instead of property.

My point was it seems the harshest criticism of the US's policy on this board is from US citizens. Lopan's complaint was directed at nonUS people on the board and to be fair, a fair amount of it is from US citizens.

I guess that perhaps the fact that the harshest criticism comes from US citizens is maybe something we should feel good about, yes? Otherwise we'd be griping about how all the criticism comes from those bloody people in (FILL IN SOME OTHER COUNTRY) . I appreciate that your post says "criticism of US policy" as I like to think that we can maintain a distinction between criticism of the country and many swell people as opposed to criticism of (some of) our policies.

Actually, I am personally satisfied if more of the criticism is internal -- would rather feel that we are thrashing our problems out "in the family", so to speak....but it doesn't always work out so neatly.

I really appreciate the diverse, sometime contrary opinions on this BBS. Funny, though, if you took a big map of the world and started to stick pins in it (particularly on a prorated-per-post basis) the pin pattern on the map might start to look like the legacy of the British Empire. U.S., U.K. Canada and "Commonwealth Nations" (Australia, New Zealand). Sure, there's more. The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, Sweden (and who am I forgetting???) in Europe and we have seen posts from Brazil, but Bonzi's dispatches from Croatia probably come the closest to someplace "on the edge" - a part of the world that has experienced serious strife.

Not exactly sure where I am going here except to suggest that if this BBS was somehow magically transformed to be truly representative of the diverse opinions of the world, I would bet that there would be a hell of a lot more people on the BBS, for better or worse, crying out about the evil deeds of the US. It would probably be a very difficult place for people from the US to hang out. Me included.

As it is, I can take some of the "anti" chiding and ribbing on the BBS in stride, knowing that most of the folks who throw those darts identify with the ideals that we espouse *in priciple*, have been here and enjoyed their time here, and are inclined to very friendly discourse with us.

I don't want to be too coy. When you say "harshest critics", I am guessing (and without any feeling of acrimony) that you *could* mean.....me!

For what it is worth, just a little confession (or confessions):

On the several occasions that I have seen "Saving Private Ryan", I get horribly choked up when the elder Ryan insists to Mrs. Ryan "Tell me I was good man." Spielberg hit his mark. When we walk down the street and see a frail, gray-haired man in his 80s, we should prepare some respect and consider what simple virtues that old "geezer" may have suffered to defend and what evils their brother may have died to defeat.

Likewise the paean of "Band of Brothers". The figure of citizen soldier Dick Winters (since returned to tending pastures in Pennsylvania) is one that I find simply awe-inspiring.

I guess my problem is that I am afraid that our country has become suffused with a certain (bring up John Williams soundtrack here) Band of Brothers imagery and self-righteousness....that whatever the 101st Airborne is engaged to do ....must be the right thing. Other history since the drop on Normandy (Vietnam, overthrow of Allende, other adventures) gets less press in the collective consciousness.

There's certainly more to it than that. There's no denying that I see fundamental disagreements with most members of our current administration. It is true, there's little that Bush and Company could do that I would not be likely to criticize...because I think I have a very different view of our proper course and because a lot of what they pursue I find to be downright scary. Sooooo, when they formulate a laundry list of rationales for war, I am skeptical.

Anyhow, I am positively *thrilled* that I live in a country where I can take issue with our "leaders" and not get stood up against the wall and shot. I would say that, whenever we get a little tired of people bitching about the US, about France, or about the UK, or about whatever, maybe we should just kick back a bit and think "Hey, isn't it great that that disagreeable SOB didn't get stood up against the wall and shot?"

legacy of the British Empire.

I recall India being among them, also.

but Bonzi's dispatches from Croatia probably come the closest to someplace "on the edge" - a part of the world that has experienced serious strife.

South Africa?

I recall India being among them, also.
.......
South Africa?

Yes, indeed. I was just laying down a mental map of where Empeg BBS posts come from. I didn't remember any Empegs in India, but you have got me wondering if therehave been posts from South Africa (I'm starting to think there have been...)

OK, I guess my broader point is that we don't see posts here from (correct me when I stray, please!) Iraq, Iran, Jordan,Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Uhzbekistan, Afghanistan, Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Indonesia, the Phillipines, Niger, and many other places. Now, in truth, some of those places like Kenya (and Yemen) are part of the legacy "Oompah" map, but that, I guess, was not the imperfect point I was aiming for.

Not exactly sure where I am going here except to suggest that if this BBS was somehow magically transformed to be truly representative of the diverse opinions of the world, I would bet that there would be a hell of a lot more people on the BBS, for better or worse, crying out about the evil deeds of the US.

We'd have to do a lot more localisation work, too.

Peter

You know, that particular link is such a poor example.
Despite all the NHS bashing that goes on over there, I prefer it to the system over here.

The point is that this is converting National Insurance into a stealth income tax, as it will be charged as an uncapped percentage of income (currently it is capped on the first £30K ish). I would be less aggrieved if I didn't have to buy almost ALL of the NI services privately because the state versions are hopeless.

Healthcare - I would use emergency room service, but have private cover for most in patient and out patient care. I spent several weeks in an NHS ward - NEVER again. Admittedly I've not had cause to use my private cover so far, but it looks OK in the brochure

Dental - It's almost impossible to find an NHS dentist, at least in Cambridge. Have to pay for private care.

Pension - The will be NO state pension to speak of when I retire - my NI contributions are paying for the current generation of retirees, and fact is people are living too long for the system. So, a private pension plan is essential.

Unemployment - Have private cover for forced unemployment i.e. critical illness, injury etc. Otherwise, I know from experience that the Government isn't going to pay out enough to live on for even a month while job searching - but luckily there's no real shortage of jobs here in the south east.

If I thought for a moment that increased NI charges would transform the NHS into a service I would want to use, then that would be fine. I agree that even in its current state the NHS is an outstanding service compared with the free healthcare facilities in many other countries. That's not necessarily saying much, though.

Rob

you have got me wondering if therehave been posts from South Africa

skibum. 101 so far.