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To: Sleeper who wrote (13087)	7/29/1999 12:58:00 PM
From: red_dog	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29970

Isn't this a contradiction only if the facts don't matter! One may interpret facts in many ways, but the facts, once established, do not change. Who determines if the facts don't matter? Not THEY again I hope. Rg

To: Sleeper who wrote (13087)	7/29/1999 1:09:00 PM
From: ahhaha	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29970

This is proof that facts can be whatever you wish, because they depend upon the interpretation and context. biz.yahoo.com By Aaron Pressman WASHINGTON, July 29 (Reuters) - A leading supplier of Internet gear for the cable industry is touting products to allow cable companies to block or restrict consumers from reaching any Web site they choose, drawing sharp criticism from public advocacy groups. But according to marketing materials from Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:CSCO - news), the No. 1 maker of computer networking equipment, cable companies will be able to work behind the scenes with sophisticated software included in Cisco products to slow down and limit access to selected Web sites. Without fully cutting off access to unaffiliated sites, the technology allows a cable company to make such destinations appear much more slowly on customers' computers than preferred sites, Cisco claimed in brochures distributed at a recentappear much more slowly on customers' computers than preferred sites, Cisco claimed in brochures distributed at a recent cable convention in Chicago. ''This is the owner's manual that they're providing to the cable industry to monopolize the Internet,'' said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Media Education. The non-profit Washington group, along with Consumers Union, the Consumer Federation of America and the Media Access Project, sent a letter Thursday to the Federal Communications Commission calling for regulation of cable Internet services. AT&T Corp. (NYSE:T - news), whose ExciteAtHome Corp. (Nasdaq:ATHM - news) Internet provider has used some Cisco products, pledged not to use the features to discriminate against other Web sites. ''We are not in the content-management business; we're in the network management business,'' said spokesman Mark Siegel. Asked if AT&T would utilize the Cisco products to limit access to any Web sites, Siegel replied: ''No, we don't that.'' ''This is consistent with Cisco's open standards philosophy and commitment to competition in the marketplace,'' spokesman Tom Galvin said. ''This technology was designed with customers in mind who clearly want tools to protect against offensive content such as hate or obscene material.'' Cisco's marketing materials cited clearly commercial uses of the software, giving as an example a ''push'' Web site, which automatically downloads fresh news or other information to a customer's computer at set intervals. ''You could restrict the incoming push broadcasts as well as subscribers' outgoing access to the push information site to discourage its use,'' Cisco's brochure said. ''At the same time, you could promote and offer your own partner's services with full-speed features to encourage adoption of your services while increasing network efficiency.'' Can you see how something good can be shown in a bad light? It all depends upon how you need to bend reality in order to get food.