It Can Happen to You
Every day I read news stories and blog posts about fights over VoIP and plans to create intelligent networks that will trap and trace our every communication. Every day I write about how dreadful it would be if we couldn't use the open internet in the way we wanted to use it.
I need to confess that this set of issues has taken on new meaning for me: I can't use GoogleTalk at work, and every other email I send doesn't go through. Why, why?
I suspect the university just heard about VoIP and decided to block it as a Dangerous Thing. And I think that they've decided that anyone not authenticated to their mail server must be a Dangerous Spammer.
Sure, GoogleTalk doesn't have any features — yet. But it will someday, and I want to be there. I'm frustrated that I can't experiment with it and build bristling buddy lists. Sorry — “friends lists.” I'm also getting very tired of re-sending email messages, hoping to sneak through the walls.
Oh, and the university locked the door of the coffee-machine room today too.
Maybe I should stay home from now on. My place can't be described as palatial, but the wireless connection always works, I can send email messages all day long, and no one keeps me from using new applications. And I can drink coffee.