My COM 300 course experience

I checked out speakeasy.net because I know that it is a Seattle-based business.  If I’m wrong I hope someone corrects me.

Speakeasy’s Home VoIP and Broadband service would cost me $83.90/month, compared with VoIP & cable (no free international calls) for $85, and also compared with the phone company with DSL (no domestic long distance or International long distance free) for $107, depending on the service provider. 

I think the one of the few things that would have me sold on this package is the voice quality.  I’d love to have guaranteed crystal-clear voice quality and I’d definitely love to make international long distance calls.  Except I would have no reason to call any of those 22 countries covered under the free worldwide calling.  If it included the Philippines and Mexico I’d probably be more swayed.  The international phone calls do not include calls to mobile phones.  This, I think would be a drawback for folks that make calls into countries where the POTS technology is expensive and lacking whereas cell technology is more affordable, accessible, thus, way more cell phone users than landline users.  

I’m not even sure if these prices include the equipment; I couldn’t find a price list for equipment but I did see ads for rebates and discounts for equipment.  And then the more I navigated through the website and looked at varying prices the more confused I got, which compels me to back off.  I think that speaks to my reluctance to get rid of the services I already have the unfamiliarity of this technology.

The home/school digital divide article is a reminder that income and whatever other inequalities exist in our society today.  The disparity in the numbers among ethnic groups correlates with the disparities in income; the less you have, the less you are likely to have internet access.  This is a generalization that I believe is evident in the numbers.  I would be interested to see other surveys among the non-White groups and see a census on why they don’t have Internet, to be sure that people do want Internet and just can’t afford to subscribe in their homes.  Getting solid numbers is one of the keys in taking action. 

The other thought that comes to my mind is that kids that don’t have Internet at home have to stay extra hours at school trying to do the work that they need to do with Internet access, while other kids have gone home to hang out with their families and finish up at home.  There are many different scenarios as to the social repercussions of such circumstances, but I am hoping that as this article was written in 2006 and the numbers are dated 2003, Internet has become more accessible and more of these children now have computers at home, with Internet access.  I wonder what the feasibility is in Internet access becoming a regulated service like phone lines are.  If that happened then along would come assistance plans for families that would need the help to afford it.  Just a wishful thought. 

The FTC reading was very informative about the rights we have as consumers; I have taken this for granted ever since I was “told” that it is now safer to buy merchandise over the Internet.  I think that my main concerns were identity or credit card theft and fraud; I take for granted that privacy of my personal information should also be of concern.  So it is permissible to collect and share consumer information, and the practice of protecting personal information is voluntary; the FTC does not mandate that customer information not be shared. 

I have been asked on several sites, I now forget which, if I’d be willing to have my information shared with 3^rd parties, I always decline.   I wonder what kind of marketing and advertising tactics are now the trend as it is so easy to skip advertisements now, on TV and even online.  Pop-up blockers make it easier for those people like me who just hate pop-ups.  The FTC has rules about advertising claims needing to be substantiated and also that advertisements must not mislead customers; I’m guessing that the fine print disclaimers make it easy for ads to say “get your free I-Pod here” and other lines like that. 

This FTC webpage shows that we are relatively well protected from false advertising; but I guess advertising lines are still subject to interpretation by those who challenge.