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Non-Tech : E.Schwab problems -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: scaram(o)uche who wrote (209)	9/16/1998 9:45:00 PM
From: margie	Respond to of 1401

<<<"SCHWAB IS WORKING TO IDENTIFY CUSTOMERS WHILE TRAFFIC IS COMING IN. THEN IT CAN MAKE SURE THE GOLD CUSTOMER GETS THROUGH and the silver and bronze ones are turned away. The latter will get the net equivalent of a busy signal -- an onscreen prompt saying the server is busy -- without knowing that others are getting through." From "Four Forces That Will Shape the Internet" Fortune Magazine, July 6th issue, p.96. or pathfinder.com (last paragraph in section titled "Walled Garden" It is so reassuring to know that Schwab is at least working to improve access for the big "Gold" accounts. "Despite these efforts, Websites will still be swamped from time to time by floods of traffic. But new software will allow the businesses that operate the sites to discriminate among classes of users, to create walled gardens of their own. Programs that link a firm's Website with its databases, for example, will use customer information to sort incoming traffic. When the stock market fell in October 1996, traffic was so heavy that Charles Schwab had to turn away 80% of the visitors to its Website--without knowing whom it was turning back, or whether they had $10,000 on account or $10 million. Charles Giancarlo, vice president of Cisco, says: "Schwab is working with its Internet provider to identify which customer is which while the traffic is coming in. Then it can make sure that the gold customer gets through and the silver and bronze ones are turned away." The latter will get the Net equivalent of a busy signal--an onscreen prompt saying the server is busy--without knowing that others are getting through." I suppose there is nothing illegal about giving preferential treatment to large accounts when this policy is stated clearly. But, if I am understanding this article correctly, Schwab is planning to deceive the small investor into thinking everyone is having problems, while the big accounts breeze through. Richard, doesn't this make you wonder if this system is working yet, and if the "Gold Accounts" were getting through while we were getting that familiar message on September 8, 1998: "Our Customer Center is temporarily unavailable. We regret any inconvenience. Please try again later, or take advantage of our Telebroker Service at 800-272-4922, or talk to a representative by calling 800-435-4000." We'll never know. <DOBBS: So, you haven't had any problems? <SCHWAB: No problems, knock on wood. <(LAUGHTER) Now you know why even the CNN staff laughed. From an interview of Charles Schwab by Lou Dobbs on CNN, Moneyline, Sept 2,1998