OK, so what do we do to try to prevent the local phone companies from strangling the "hobby" BBS? Well, I'm not an expert about the FCC and phone company regulation, but I have an idea. If there is anyone out there that knows more about this kind of thing, then please jump in and help. Of if anyone has a better or alternative idea, let us know what it is. Are there any lawyers out there that know about FCC matters, please help if you can. Also, my local BBS does not carry a legal conference, so if any of you reading this message have access to an echoed legal conference, please pass these messages on and ask any legal minded people who want to help; to join us in the ILINK TELECOMM conference. Well, here's my idea. I think what we need to do is petition the FCC for a rule-making which would, in effect, bar local phone companies from arbitrarily reclassifying a residential phone line to a business phone line simply because it is attached to a computer running a BBS. We have to be reasonable about this, and remember that we are trying to save the BBS hobbyist, and not the BBS with 15-lines who charges a monthly or yearly subscription fee. What I am suggesting is that we petition the FCC to declare that a BBS with no more than TWO lines attached to modems, AND which charges not more than $5.00/month 1990 dollars, may not be involuntarily classified as a business user. What I am proposing is that, if this suggestion makes sense to you folks out there in BBS land, that we draft the guts of a letter to the FCC and get as many people as possible to to write the FCC asking for this rule. Are there any legal types out there that can help come up with a draft letter describing, in FCC legaleze, what we want to do. If so, please contact me via the ILINK TELECOMM conference, or via Airwaves BBs (205)757-1348, or via mail: Victor Dura, P.O. Box 509, Rogersville, AL 35652 We beat them once, and we can do it again if we stick together. Please help by staying tuned, and spreading these messages throughout BBS land. The text if these messages is contained in PCO-RIP.ZIP which may be downloaded from the following (feel free to add to this list) BBS: AirWaves (205)757-1348 ExecPC (414)789-4210 from Mahoney Collection