2. Your partially correct there. The small packets sms uses are pretty light compared to voice or data usage. However, these "sms packets" are actually using the dead space in control packets. These packets, if sent to often, can negatively impact base station switch performance. This is why your texts will go through when you can't make a data or voice connection as well. If the tower gets overloaded with sms, it can crash.

So, the charges are to keep people (and software, which has crashed towers) from over-using it. Once the carriers move to LTE much of this problem will be mitigated, as LTE can control priorities of sms, data, voice, etc much better than GSM/CDMA. But it will be awhile before LTE replaces (if ever) 3g completely...HSPA+ will keep the US on 3g for a few more years at least.

I can't say who I work for...but it's as a CSR for a major carrier. With us, you can get a "data opt-out" feature added for free on your phone unless it's a smartphone. You can also block texts. However, if you block data then you can't receive MMS information because the actual pic/vid is sent via our internet gateway.

Our policy is to remove data charges if you call and complain, especially if it's a small amount (usually under $50). Since we charge $2 per "use", if you used the net 25 times in a month then it's probably not accidental, or there is something wrong with your phone.

This isn't even the big problem, all of this could be dealt with using the right scripting in conjunction with the billing system. The real problem is the billing agreements that we have with hundreds, if not thousands, of these "3rd party content providers" that can get on to your bill via various means...random texts you might reply to, a website where you enter your phone number...the funniest thing is that this functionality was mandated by the government after the Ma Bell break-up to provide infrastructure access for everyone.

Be carefull putting your mobile number in Facebook. I currently work for one of the worlds largest mobile telecoms as a CSR, and we just had a bit of training where we learned that your cell phone bill can be charged by a 3rd party game if you click and play the wrong one. Every day I remove "mobile download" 3-rd party charges because there is little obvious warning about playing some game will add a 9.99 monthly subscription because they where able to retrieve your cell phone via FB.

It's just getting worse, I wish there was a better way to educate people. Not because I care about people, but because I'm tired of having to remove the subscriptions ten times a day every day lol.

nice one

I used to work at Worldcom before Bernie got arrested...many cubes had little signs that said something like:

"How do you know you work in telecom? Same desk, same office, five different companies in three years"

It's totally obvious. It's Texas, from where the GOP will launch their army of clones from. They already have insurgents working in Oklahoma...I've met them in battle.

Hopefully we still have at least 10-15 years at the current level the Texas Legislature is funding the project on. My insiders tell me Haliburton is using off-shore stem cell research facilities to close the time gap, however.

well, it's as I've always said "big girls like to eat!"

Is to make your perm employees contractors, strip them of benefits, then lay them off. IBM has a rule about "supplemental employees" (ie contractors) that they can only work 18 months in the same business unit, then they have to wait six months before working again in the same unit. If your a contractor on a visa working at IBM, you should probably rent your place as you will most likely be sent back in 18 months. It works great for them, no raises, no benefits, no pensions, and you might work 80 hours a week while your here too.

Sweet! Thanks, I'll look at those over the weekend. I've gotten many of my friends to loving Drupal because of it's vast amount of plugins. I have yet to dip into doing any of my own, because this was really the only thing I couldn't find that already existed. I knew their had to be something out there, I just couldn't really find it. Now if I can just fix the access problems I'm having with it and cron.org to update my feeds lol

I've looked over the moduals at drupal.org, but haven't found anything useful. Does anyone know of a decent project management modual? I've used PHPProject in the past, it doesn't need to be as complex as that. I really just need to be able to assign tasks to users, define projects, and maybe allocate resources to tasks and projects. Gnatt, time estimates, milestones and such would be a positive bonus, but not a requirement. And no, I don't really have the time to make one myself...