>At 07:15 AM 5/30/02, Tom Beck wrote: >><< Technically, it should be feasible. The paperwork to keep track of who >>owes how many minutes to whom would be humongous, though. >> >> >> >>But wouldn't it be possible with computers, wireless networks, and "smart >>cards" to do all that electronically? Granted, the programming to set up >>the >>system would be extensive - and the testing and debugging even more so - >>but >>it should be possible, in theory, to establish something that would seem >>transparent to users. Whether it would be economically viable to do so is >>another question. >> >>In the simplest iteration, you wouldn't owe minutes to any particular >>person. >>You'd contribute minutes to a big pot, in return for which you could >>withdraw >>minutes from the same pot. You would have to agree, though, that someone >>who >>put in minutes could call upon you for your minutes (subject to certain >>common-sense criteria; e.g., a person in Kuala Lumpur, no matter how many >>minutes he had contributed, could not demand equivalent minutes from >>someone >>in Rejkjavik). >> >>Although, if he did, that might make for the basis of an interesting >>science >>fiction short story... > Ronn wrote: >And when your account balance drops to zero minutes, you are immediately >euthanized . . .
This is starting to sound like a cross between _Logan's Run_ and _Repent, Harlequin, Said the Tick-Tock Man_. Reggie Bautista _________________________________________________________________ Join the world�s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com
