However, Telco Exchange is unable to provide pricing for every carrier out there. While it would be great to have one source with a complete database of all carrier PoPs, let's not hold our breath. It will never happen because of the sheer amounts of data involved and the time needed to collect it all. On AOL, if you want to talk to someone on a different chat program, you can simply download that program because you have a choice. Unfortunately, with the Bell system, you do not have a choice.
People are happier when they have the freedom and flexibility they desire.
And as far as the AOL standards thing is concerned, let's just say I prefer to remain silent. I am one of those individuals who have been disgusted by Microsoft's behavior for quite a long time now. I absolutely agree that Microsoft has gone well beyond being reasonable, and I no longer care what happens in its future battles with the government. What if Bob Knight had told his coaches to go recruiting, and they all decided not to hire anyone over 6 feet 5 inches because, after all, Bob couldn't intimidate someone taller than that. If you've got an M.S. or a Ph.D., you can pretty much forget about getting a hot job in the high-tech industry right now.