After reading Kentaro Yoshida’s article about the emerging technology of VoIP, one would feel inclined to rush out and get it because it’s a cheap alternative to traditional telephony. However, I would add a bit of warning. VoIP requires a computer and an internet connection. Neither technology is resilient enough to be reliable in a disaster situation. A computer can fail in a multitude of ways, and any one of those could render it useless, and then having VoIP would be pointless. In a blackout or a failure of the internet connection, for example, which are common events for a home user during a storm, one could not place calls. While a landline phone (one with a cord) draws its power directly from the phoneline and this system rarely fails. Landlines have been around for decades, and so they have developed a resitence to failure. Personal computers and VoIP are still developing technologies and far more prone to failure in unusual circumstances. While VoIP is a great invention, I would not abandon the old system all together.
James Kelley CAS ’09 jkelley2@bu.edu cell #: 425-736-5622 (I assume this will not be published) I’m not sure what is meant by “any way you may be affiliated with the subject of the letter,” so I will assume that the above information is sufficient. If not, contact me and I will fill in the blanks.
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