The Rat turns tail from a tempting but busy busy busy pyramid plan

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By GCN

By GCN

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The Rat caught his annual case of the ComNet flu this year. It amazed him that anything, including flu germs, could survive in the dry environment of the recent communications trade show in Washington. The only thing that excited the Wired One was getting home to a bottle of decongestant. Back at the burrow, he emptied several tissue boxes while watching Steve Case present America Online infomercials. He dozed off and

The Rat caught his annual case of the ComNet flu this year. 

 It amazed him that anything, including flu germs, could survive in the dry
environment of the recent communications trade show in Washington. The only thing that
excited the Wired One was getting home to a bottle of decongestant. 

 Back at the burrow, he emptied several tissue boxes while watching Steve Case
present America Online infomercials. He dozed off and dreamed of a wonderful
get-rich-quick scheme: Start your own online service for no money down. 

 The Rat could see the flat-rate dollars rolling in before his watery eyes. After
all, it's a tried-and-true concept. Get subscribers who send in their money up front. Use
the money to start an online service. Until the servers are ready, leave the phone off the
hook. Subscribers will think the service has gotten popular fast. 

 "Easier money than selling Ada to the Defense Department," the Rat
chortled. 

 Hearing the busy signals from the ratlings' modem, he mused, where else but in
America could you charge a flat rate for busy signals? In fact, why set up a service at
all? Just build the busy signal right into the software.   


The Packet Rat once managed networks but now spends his time ferreting out bad
packets in cyberspace. E-mail him at rat@gcn.com. 


NEXT STORY: IRS equipment frees up hands

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