A few days ago, I fell and broke my wrist in several places. Today, I
was released from the hospital after a five-day stay and major surgery.

The road ahead, I am told, will include about four months of mending,
physical therapy, and learning how to use a text-to-speech converter for writing on my computer. I might have to take another driver's exam to demonstrate proficiency at driving one-handed.

Men plan, and God laughs: I was on track to make 2021 the first year
during which I published an issue of the digest every day. I wanted to
have a banner year to look back on as I approach my 70th birthday next February, when I was planning on taking a slower pace with both my other activities and the Digest. That change must happen now.

It's probably for the best: as cellular technology and the Internet have
become commodified, there's been a lot less interest in the nuts & bolts
of the telephone network, and even less in its history. I think most
telephone users have come to regard their phones as, at best, a business communications tool, an, at worst, as an electronic leash tying them to
their employer 24/7/365.

So it goes, and has gone before: the horseless carriage brought
pollution and a transportation monoculture that has saddled our
exurban workers with no other practical transportation choices, a
cadre of parts-swappers whose only real expertise is in gouging their
customers at every turn, and confiscatory taxation. The
telecommunications industry, like the auto industry, will have to
evolve into something better if it is to survive, but I can't keep
chronicling an industry that no longer serves the public.

Suffice to say, I won't be the one-man-band creating almost all the
content in the Telecom Digest going forward. I'll remain as the
Moderator for now, but the content must, and should, come from the
readers.

--
Bill Horne

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Hello Bill,

This is for you and only needs to be for the group if you want it there.

You have done a wonderful job as moderator and content creator. The daily submisions are great, but we most want you to mend and recover as best you
can. I can always count on the content here being terrific and worth
reading.

I too slowed down recently and have had to adjust. Years ago my wife
turned to voice-to-text to help her. It takes a bit to get used to and sometimes makes mistakes, but it can help over the long run.

I hope that everyone helps provide content that reads your calls for help.
This last year you have been so fast that I hear about things here just as
fast as in other places. I rarely find new content worthy of submitting
here.

As for my area, the 3G phase out is barely working at home and will soon
force a phone upgrade just to have a phone at home.

I hope you mend well and adjust as time goes on.

Thank you for your continued years of service,

David

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