That’s the sentence the sentence that follows, “if you build it, they will come” that no one ever says.

It seems T-Mobile is once again raising their SMS/MMS rates; from $.15 to $.20. I remember, not too long ago when the cost of a SMS message was $.05 (that makes me feel like an old man). DSL Reports seems to think it is a ploy to get customers over to the bulk rate SMS/MMS plans, but I am not so sure about that.

I think this is simply a case of “if you use it, they will charge you more.” Thanks carriers for turning all of us into SMS/MMS feigns…and for raising rates now that we are addicted. Not that I wouldn’t do the same thing.

Interesting news broke today about a new open source router from Netgear.

The Netgear WGR614L wireless router is a Linux based device touted as “open source” by many in the media.

I think Netgear and the media has missed the point.

Besides being based on Linux and having a community website built for it, what is really open about this router? From the looks of the product and the community, this thing is about as open as the post office on Christmas. One only has to take a look at the product spec’s to know that Netgear is faking it…”works with Vista certified” please. I am not even a purist when it comes to open source and I sort of want to snarl. The point of open source is to be completely “open” and this router is not.

The problem with open source and the large company that wants to invade enter the space is that they don’t go far enough to the edge. The bulk of the open source purveyors are enthusiasts and hobbyists who want full control over everything. Large companies and full user control over everything go together like oil and milk. They have to “play it safe” and produce products and service for the middle, but in doing so it becomes watered down and Netgear’s WGR614L is another watered down attempt from a large company to leverage the buzz of open source (you can’t even easily load Asterisk onto this router because it doesn’t have a USB port).

The folks who really make open source project successful; the enthusiasts, hobbyist and purist, will avoid this because it doesn’t allow full control and there is no modularity to the router, severely limiting it’s true potential. If you looking for true open source networking, try out Vyatta.

The epic fail that has been municipal WiFi is no big secret.

Every week you can read about a project’s trials and tribulations (and them going into the toilet). Take a look at the recent shut-down of Wireless Oakland due to a lack of funds. Obviously, if they ran out of money, there wasn’t enough coming in the door, due to a lack of consumer interest necessary to make it a self-sustaining offering.

What interesting, is no one, not those trying to provide the service to those writing about the promise it holds has said the real reason why Muni-WiFi will never work:

“The Public Isn’t Interested in Muni-WiFi”

I hate to say it, but 90 - 95% of the population are not like people like me (and you). They aren’t always on. They aren’t internet feins. They don’t Facebook, Tweet or check email every thirty seconds. They want to check their personal email, browse porn, pay some bills or browse something.

They prefer “disconnected”. They want to get away from work. They think the computer is still something for geeks.

Muni-WiFi is by geeks, for geeks.

The problem is, there just aren’t enough of us out there.

I feel like doing a little hating today.

So, I have had enough. Really, I can’t take it anymore.

Why are most PR, communications and news distribution service personnel so clueless?

This stuff really is not that hard.

Why are these people spamming me?

Quite being so lazy and get to know who I am, what I do and what I will write about. Really, it might take you an extra five minutes to fake that you actually give two shits.

Why would you sign me up for a service I never said I wanted?

If I didn’t say that I wanted it, do you think that you are doing your clients a favor my sending me news I don’t want. Honestly, it makes you and your client look bad. Really bad.

Do not spam corporate blogs. Do you think a corporation wants to get press releases from other companies so they can write about them?

Simple answer? No.

Look, I am not a journalist. This is not my full time job. I do this because I have an opinion, I have thoughts and ideas that I want to have heard. I want to create and engage in conversations with a group of like-minded peers…I am not here to crank out story after story about your new <insert widget here>.

If you want me (or anyone else that I manage or consult on blogging) please send me an email, introduce yourself, the company you work for (and your client), wait for me to respond, then sell me on why I should spend my free time (remember this is not my day job) writing about you.

This post was inspired by this comment. Thanks webitpr for getting my blood boiling this morning.

It isn’t too often that I disagree with pal Cory Andrews (or guys like Doug Mohoney or Daniel Beringer); in fact much of my “view” of the telephony world is shaped through Cory and I’s daily ramblings about it. However, after reading his post today, “Heralding the Death of the PSTN“, I don’t believe that the PSTN will be dead within the next 1, 5, 10 or 25 years. Heck, I bet it will still be a live and kicking in 50 years, long after many of us are gone and I certainly do think it will be because of VoIP (if I was going to place a bet it would be on cellular being the PSTN killer).

The reason is pretty simple: user habits.

The biggest hurdle any new technology that wishes to usurp an incumbent has to do with how long it takes to change user habits. Let’s face it, the PSTN telephone hanging on most walls in the US is about as American as apple pie. It has, for decades been a mainstay of the home. Yes, I agree that VoIP is making in-roads and that PSTN subscriber growth is slowing, but that has more to do with cellular, than VoIP (if you do not believe me, starting thinking about how many people’s “home” phone is their cellular phone).

The fact that I know people in my age bracket that have PSTN lines and a cellular phone, do not know what VoIP is and are perfectly happy over-paying for their current services, leads me to believe that it is not my generation that will kill the PSTN (on average we should be around for the next fifty years), but future generation which have grown-up in “PSTN-less” homes. Homes where all they know is cellular or VoIP.

Not enough proof?

Let’s just take a look at the Roger’s Bell below.

VoIP was invented circa 1995. It is now 2008 (13 years later) and I would say that we are at the very end of the early adopter phase or very beginning of the early majority stage. So in 13 years of the technology being alive, it has maybe penetrated 15% of the total market for the service…that’s a percent a year, which would peg the death of the PSTN around 2095. That just goes to show how long it takes to change user’s habits (and how hard it is).

Alright, maybe this is all a bit extremist. However, I hope you get my points. The PSTN won’t be dead anytime soon, VoIP is not the reason for the deterioration of the PSTN subscriber base, VoIP is a long ways away from being a defacto communications choice like the PSTN has been…and the way our world is going, the idea of a defacto communications choice is a failing idea.

Score one for the good guys.

Alec Saunders, CEO of iotum and the guy who helped me gain industry wide exposure, will be launching the much anticipated Calliflower conference calling service based on his wildly popular Free Conference Calls Facebook application on Wednesday.

The Calliflower conference call service is slick.

Featuring a well designed web interface that acts as an interactive dashboard that makes organizing and participating in multi-party calls simple and engaging, Calliflower  extends beyond traditional calling by providing unique, comprehensive and easy-to-use tools at no extra cost. Some of these tools include:

• Caller visualization: See names, pictures and caller status in real time as everyone joins, participates and leaves the call. Callers are identified as they join the call, with their names and (if desired) pictures. The status of their lines (mike open, closed, hand raised to ask a question) is also visible to everyone.
• Intuitive conference controls: Participants can access conference controls, the live wall and more from a simple Web interface.
• Interactive chat: Participants can engage in a group chat before, after and during the call to share information without interrupting the flow of conversation. From sharing a link or an image to asking a relevant question, the multiparty IM opens a second channel for participants to have richer and more engaging calls.
• Call archives: Handouts, agendas and links to files can remain accessible to the right people, long after the call is over.
• Invitations and reminders: Receive call invitations and reminders by e-mail or SMS with all the information moderators and participants need.
• Easy calendar integration: Manage call invitations, updates and RSVPs with an attached iCal that integrates with any major calendar solution.
• PINless connectivity: The participating caller’s phone number becomes the personal PIN, which seamlessly connects callers to every call from anywhere.
• MP3 recordings: Moderators can record any call from the Web interface or from the phone. Recordings are available to every participant as MP3 files seconds after the conference is over or the recording is stopped.

I have had the opportunity to use this system, via Facebook numerous times. There is not really anything like it on the market and it was the only Facebook application I proactively used.  As someone who is on conference calls all day long, this is certainly a service that would improve the overall productivity of these calls. The only thing that can make this better would be the ability to private label or co-brand for more extensive corporate use.

So, if you are looking for “conference calls 2.0″, take a look at Calliflower when it launches on Wednesday.

This is good news for the industry. According to Information Week, legislators passed the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act (H.R. 3403). The act states that 911 networks operators must give VoIP providers customers access to 911 services.

It is pretty hard to think that the traditional teleco’s were actually blocking access to these networks; ones designed to help those in need of assistance.

The New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act also has a plan for a national IP-enabled emergency network for citizen-activated emergencies. It is refreshing to the see the ultimate dinosaur, the federal government, getting involved to make sure other dinosaurs don’t go extinct, but evolve with the times.