On Tue, 13 May 2008 02:00:24 +0000, Larry wrote:

> CellGuy <cellguy@seemessagebody.com> wrote in
> news:17cmnlmmahub8.1tb7ygjt7qjql.dlg@40tude.net:
>
>> I worked as an engineer with Bell Labs (the R&D arm of AT&T) right out
>> of college and can support this statement. All equiment we designed
>> and built was to meet an operating life of 20 years minimum. The
>> Bell telephones used at home and in phone booths also met this
>> standard. They were built like a brick. Service was great, and call
>> clarity was excellant.
>>
>> Then our government broke up AT&T, and the downhill slide began.
>> Cheap imported phones were allowed on your home lines, introducing
>> service quality degradation. Competition spurned cost cutting on
>> both the hardware and customer support side. We all know the state
>> of the landline telephone service today. No wonder most young people
>> don't even get a landline phone, what with the costs of owning one.
>> Nuiscence charges, stupid taxes, and charges for options like
>> voicemail that cellular carriers offer for free.
>>
>
> How'd you get an engineering degree without learning how to spell?
> What university was that, anyways?
>

"Equiment" was a typo and I have been known to misspell "excellent"
University of South Carolina? <G>.

> Didn't anyone at Bell Labs notice??

No, we were all too busy figuring out ways to screw our customers.