m***@bt.com
2008-04-10 21:00:24 UTC
Anyone noticing any issues reaching sites through their "Internet
tubes"?It seems that a Chinese ping-pong ball factory recently started making
balls that are slightly larger than the standard size. As a result, ISPs
whose tubes are newer, are suffering from pneumatic congestion, kind of
like pneumonia if you know what I mean. This isn't affecting the larger
ISPs since their tubes are older, and have higher traffic levels. The
increased wear on these high-traffic tubes means that they are a
slightly larger diameter and the new balls fit through better. The FCC
recommends ISPs affected by the flood of these Chinese ping-pong balls
to increase air pressure on their tubes to compensate, or to block
Chinese traffic from entering their networks.
--Michael Dillon
P.S. with a nod to Senator Ted Stevens...