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This message from the "TUCOWS" site may interest all you USA list members A while back there was a great scare on the Internet involving the FCC and a proposed "modem tax" that was eventually widely debunked. Well, it seems the modem-tax scare has been revised and updated for 1998. The new note making the rounds charges that "Your local telephone company has filed a proposal with the FCC to impose per minute charges for your Internet service. They contend that your usage has or will hinder the operation of the telephone network." The FCC's Web site is not the juiciest of reading, frankly, and unless you think like a lawyer or regulator, it's not terribly easy to navigate, but I did manage to trace down what the e-mail is referring to on a page with the obscure title: FCC Access Charge Reform Homepage (CC Docket Numbers 96-262, 94-1, 91-213, and 96-263) at <http://www.fcc.gov/isp.html>. Because they are written with the obfuscative language reserved to government bureaucrats and telecom regulators, understanding these documents is an exercise in abject frustration, however, there is a "plain language FAQ" located at <http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Factsheets/ispfact.html> and it indicates that there is little danger of the surcharges being levied. If you get a copy of this warning, refer the sender to the FCC's website <http://www.fcc.gov/>. This is not the only Internet scare that could be quickly stopped with a little more prudence on the part of Internet users. The Internet does bring more information to us faster, but it's not always screened for accuracy. What "looks like it could be true" is often a hoax or scam. It only takes a few minutes to double-check the facts. Contact your Internet provider if you can't corroborate the warning. You may be glad you took the extra time. Lionel Modra <[log in to unmask]>