An ex-parte letter from Minority Media and Telecommunications Council expressing concerns not unlike we deaf/hoh have. 

Minority Ex Parte

Quotable quotes:

"The Commission should ensure that net neutrality rules are neither written nor applied in a manner that adversely affects the participation of minorities online and in society."

"Permanent digital second-class citizenship is unacceptable on every level. The Commission must avoid the enormous social and moral costs that would attend the creation of a permanent digital underclass and consider the impact of its race-neutral policies on minorities."

So we’re not alone, and we have to fight to get our inherent rights.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

PS: Full link:  http://www.wapt.com/news/21922547/detail.html

Below is an email from James Marsters’ daughter, Jean Marster. James Marster was one of the three deaf persons who helped push and paved the future for deaf/hoh by inventing TTY way back in 1964.

We all know how TTY revolutionized the world of deaf. Now the telephone access is not limited to hearing persons. We owe a great deal of debt to these three deaf men. Other two deaf men: Harry G. Lang and Robert H. Weitbrecht

Quote:

Dear Friends, With great sadness I write you that my father, James C. Marsters, passed away in he bed on Tuesday. He had not been ill for long, which is the way he would have wanted it.

The day before he died, he spent the afternoon and early evening with Jim Jr., with me and with his granddaughter, Anna. He was full of plans for restaurants he wanted to try, for the next monthly Deaf Lunch Bunch and of how much he’d enjoyed his most recent set of e-mails. He was in no discomfort. That time with him was a precious gift.

He was a wonderful man, and we loved him dearly.

We thank you for your friendship, your e-mails, your visits and your love which helped sustain him over the years.

Please feel free to share this e-mail with anyone who you think would want to know.

There will be a memorial service in Oakland the weekend of October 24-25th.

Yours,

Jean Marsters

Unquote

James C. Marsters, DDS — 4/5/24-7/28/09

Really, the ongoing pursuit for equality; that is, functional equivalence, is a life long battle and slow in getting what deaf/hoh deserves. Telephone access helped break through this seemingly insurmountable barrier. After TTY, relay service with TTY was soon created, and then VRS followed through. Even though I’m considered Father of VRS, I bow my heads to these guys. They made it technology possible. So let us all pause a moment and pay respects.

Folks, if you have stories to share about James Marsters, please feel free to comment. I know many of you elderly folks have had events with him.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

FCC is seeking to refresh the record on petition to mandate captioned telephone relay service. Below link is about that:

Refresh Mandate on CTS

Group of Organizaiton Petitioning

Above link is a petition by a group of national and state organizations that captioning telephone relay service should be required feature and that Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Relay Service should be approved. It is a well-thought out. FCC had problem with it in the past because of proprietary issue. This issue was addressed in the above link.

Supplement to Petition of CTS

Above link discusses the petition and whether CTS should be mandated or not.

Following companies commented.

Ultratec Comments

ATT Comments

Sprint Comments

Purple Comment

Calif PUC

In the past, as a state regulator I had concerns of proprietary issue. However, this CTS provides a service that is much needed in the public. I would encourage FCC to mandate the service with the understanding that quality of service be monitored very closely – not by state, but by federal. States would be stuck with a fixed price and would not be competitive, thus quality of service should be borne by federal.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

http://www.tsd.state.tx.us/outreach/edsalertlive (this one is website explaining Live Webcast and to click to a live webcast is inside the website)

On July 21, starting 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM, there will be a live webcast on Internet. The link to connect to a live webcast is inside the above link: where it says ustream.tv. Click on that at the appointed time, you will see Dr David Coco and myself discussing various topics regarding VRS.

This is a live broadcast which was intended for persons involved with education, however, it is a public so everyone can watch the live broadcast. David wanted to reach school people and explain issues with VRS and he thought that a live webcast would best reach them. Cool idea. Again, the discussion is open to everyone to watch.

Jot the time and date down.

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed B

FBI has issued affidavits showing support of search warrants, etc.  They are public information. 

ICSD

K Hawkins

Folks, it is very important to understand that although warrants have been issued, in the court of law, person/company/etc are presumed innocent until proved guilty from due process of courts. 

And the following link from one of Edsalert commentators on warning of IP Relay fraud. Thanks..

Warning from FBI on IP RElay

sorrowful eyes closed and thumbs horizional,

Ed

Folks..

As some of my close friends know, I have a lifetime dream to start a VRS business.  Over the years, I have had a few opportunites, but the timing was not right or the vibes did not vibrate.  

Until now, that is.   The vibes vibrated!  Out of respect for you great edsalert readers, I want to announce that three partners and I have teamed up and have formed a VRS provider; name of the company is Convo.  Who are the partners?  Wayne Betts, the famous movie maker; Chad Taylor, technical wizard, and Robin Horwitz, business savvy and go getter.  All of us are deaf. 

This is good news!  Basically Time Warner decided not to do Internet metering for those who download/use Internet alot.  VRS users may or may not be hit by this, but with that..we don’t have to worry about that. 

Internet Metering Shelved

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed

Having Internet connections while flying on a plane is way cool!    Makes me wonder if video chats would be possible?   Hope so, but this article did not say anything about video conference, though.  Talks about having access to Internet while flying. 

Article WIFI on Plane

Not free, though. 

eyes open & thumbs up,

Ed