This isn't entirely operational in nature, but if true does somewhat have an impact on what we are operating. You can find the entire text at www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/15295.html but here are a few snippets to give you an idea of what it's about. "In October, Europe's governing body will commission a full report into the workings of Echelon, a global network of highly sensitive listening posts operated in part by America's most clandestine intelligence organization, the National Security Agency. " "Echelon is reportedly able to intercept, record, and translate any electronic communication -- telephone, data, cellular, fax, email, telex -- sent anywhere in the world. " "Echelon intercepts Internet traffic at the transport layer, such as the TCP/IP layer, so the system doesn't care too much what it is or where it came from," said Pike. "For analog traffic, such as telephone conversations, it uses automatic voice-recognition technology to scan the conversations." Seems far fetched (but not *that* far), but worth a read. Barry --- Barry L James \ \ I have known them all already, known them all. Mendicant \ \ I have known the mornings, evenings, afternoons. www.terraware.net \ \ I have measured my life with coffee spoons. blj@terraware.net ____/ \________________________ T.S. Eliot