Sorry for the OT, but if you think you've seen it all with the
cybersquatter.....

Ladies and germs, I give you the TELEPHONE squatter:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...4733 977&rd=1


Sorry, just couldn't resist...
rb

I guess I'm just plain unplugged, but I don't have the faintest idea
what a "vanity number" is, if that's what this guy is selling, or what
it has to do with hamming.

Avery W3AVE
Potomac, Md.

Well, in the most basic overview....

Simple, you set up a bunch of 800 numbers that spell out words on the phone
keypad.....

1-800-HAM-GEAR

1-800-HAM-SHOP

1-800-FIX-2WAY

.... and supposedly people who would have tried to get these numbers in the
first place will now have to "BUY" the number from
this dibwad that has registered it and is simply paying the monthly minimum
fee for having it. Normallly you would make up your
easy-to-remember number for your business or personal use, then call up and
get an 800 number set up all on your own. IF the number you
want is available. These goofs make the number unavailable by registering it
themselves, thus forcing you to 'buy' it from them if you want it bad
enough.
They sit on the numbers so you can't have them
without "buying" the guy out and getting it transferred to you.
Same as the cyber-squatters did
with domain names. It's pretty lame.
Oh, and it has zilch to do with hamming.
rb



"Avery W3AVE" wrote in message
ups.com...
I guess I'm just plain unplugged, but I don't have the faintest idea
what a "vanity number" is, if that's what this guy is selling, or what
it has to do with hamming.

Avery W3AVE
Potomac, Md.

Ah, got it.

The funny thing about these things is that they may be easy to
remember, but it takes me longer to punch in words than it does
numbers. I find it irritating, in fact, and whenever a business
displays both, I ignore the text version. If irritating is a common
reaction, then maybe businesses that use vanity numbers are losing
customers, net.

Thanks for the explanation.

Avery W3AVE