From: mccoy@communities.com (Jim McCoy)
Date: Thu, 7 Mar 1996 10:12:06 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Jump Start ecash With IPhone
Message-ID: <v02140b00ad6326a515a9@[199.2.22.124]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


eggplant writes:
>How about...only paying for the initial investment of the phone program and
>hardware. No more costs to pay, get rid of long distance charges
>all-togther.

Two problems:

        1- Chaum did not have the clue to pick up on this when two
           cypherpunks (who shall remain nameless...) pitched this
           and several other ideas to involve ISPs in jump-starting
           ecash almost two years ago, so why would he figure it out
           now?

        2- The phone companies (actually ACTA, the telco lobby) petitioned
           the FCC on Monday to regulate the Internet phone software
           companies.

IP phone systems themselves may need to move underground just to
escape regulation.  OTOH, there is nothing to prevent people from
building their own systems once some free software is out there...

On another related note the IRS is not getting someone what concerned
about the opportunities the Internet offers people to avoid taxes
according to the Treasury department's international-tax counsel. The
government will "maintain toll booths on the information superhighway."
(WSJ, 3/6/96)

jim