Everton Teles Rodrigues

"Zumbi do mundo virtual"

2010-02-05T10:03:00.001-02:00

Important notice: Google Apps browser support

2010-02-02T09:51:00.001-02:00

From Google Apps team:

Dear Google Apps admin,

In order to continue to improve our products and deliver more sophisticated features and performance, we are harnessing some of the latest improvements in web browser technology. This includes faster JavaScript processing and new standards like HTML5. As a result, over the course of 2010, we will be phasing out support for Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 as well as other older browsers that are not supported by their own manufacturers.

We plan to begin phasing out support of these older browsers on the Google Docs suite and the Google Sites editor on March 1, 2010. After that point, certain functionality within these applications may have higher latency and may not work correctly in these older browsers. Later in 2010, we will start to phase out support for these browsers for Google Mail and Google Calendar.

Google Apps will continue to support Internet Explorer 7.0 and above, Firefox 3.0 and above, Google Chrome 4.0 and above, and Safari 3.0 and above.

Starting this week, users on these older browsers will see a message in Google Docs and the Google Sites editor explaining this change and asking them to upgrade their browser. We will also alert you again closer to March 1 to remind you of this change.

In 2009, the Google Apps team delivered more than 100 improvements to enhance your product experience. We are aiming to beat that in 2010 and continue to deliver the best and most innovative collaboration products for businesses.

Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,

The Google Apps team

Google Code Blog: A proposal to extend the DNS protocol

2010-01-28T10:17:00.001-02:00

Google Code Blog: A proposal to extend the DNS protocol

(...)
Our proposed DNS protocol extension lets recursive DNS resolvers include part of your IP address in the request sent to authoritative nameservers. Only the first three octets, or top 24 bits, are sent providing enough information to the authoritative nameserver to determine your network location, without affecting your privacy.

I'm not sure whether this would be a good idea, since the very core would be "polluted" with additional (and not that necessary) information. Imagine a 10-years-from-now, IPv6-powered, broadbanded Internet sending zillions of requests to the DNS. The economy of every single bit would count into this situation.

Let's say this IP-enabled DNS request would fasten the whole resolution in 2-3 ms. How faster would it become if this same location had an IXP and a root server mirror? Maybe Google could install a

I'm not an expert, barely some kind of journalism guy who likes to watch the others working with these things, so maybe I'm telling a lot of b***s**t.

Quando é que eu vou fazer gráficos legais assim?

2010-01-26T10:48:00.001-02:00

Eu recebo diariamente o boletim FlowingData, especializado em produção de gráficos insanamente legais.

Nos últimos dias recebi esses dois, absolutamente fantásticos:

Engineer’s Guide to Drinks | FlowingData

Por isso que eu prefiro beber cerveja: já vem pronta.

Data Underload #6 – Bed Head | FlowingData

E é por isso que eu uso cabelo curto.

DiploIG: A message to all members of Diplo Internet Governance Community

2010-01-19T12:34:00.001-02:00

From DiploIG mailing list:

2010 has started and we hope you are all engaged in great projects on Internet governance! At Diplo, we just opened our Call for Applications 2010.

If you would like to find some information on the DiploFoundation call for applications for two different Internet governance and ICT policy courses, check this post made by Ginger Paque: http://bit.ly/DiploIG2010

And here is a collective article where we are sharing our views on interesting highlights from 2009, Internet governance and the Diplo community:
http://bit.ly/IG09retro

If you know people who would benefit from these trainings, please forward this message - the deadline to send applications is 12 February 2010.

Best regards,
The Diplo IG Team

Official Google Blog: A new approach to China

2010-01-13T11:23:00.001-02:00

Some interesting excerpts from Google's statement on Chinese, let's say, market.

So, what's the least worse choice? To provide some information to some people and get all the bad reputation (as well as a storm of governmental 'do this, don't do that' coming to your very nose everyday) or to simply vanish?

Official Google Blog: A new approach to China

Like many other well-known organizations, we face cyber attacks of varying degrees on a regular basis. In mid-December, we detected a highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft of intellectual property from Google. However, it soon became clear that what at first appeared to be solely a security incident--albeit a significant one--was something quite different.

(...)

We have already used information gained from this attack to make infrastructure and architectural improvements that enhance security for Google and for our users. In terms of individual users, we would advise people to deploy reputable anti-virus and anti-spyware programs on their computers, to install patches for their operating systems and to update their web browsers. Always be cautious when clicking on links appearing in instant messages and emails, or when asked to share personal information like passwords online. You can read more here about our cyber-security recommendations. People wanting to learn more about these kinds of attacks can read this U.S. government report (PDF), Nart Villeneuve's blog and this presentation on the GhostNet spying incident.

We have taken the unusual step of sharing information about these attacks with a broad audience not just because of the security and human rights implications of what we have unearthed, but also because this information goes to the heart of a much bigger global debate about freedom of speech. In the last two decades, China's economic reform programs and its citizens' entrepreneurial flair have lifted hundreds of millions of Chinese people out of poverty. Indeed, this great nation is at the heart of much economic progress and development in the world today.

We launched Google.cn in January 2006 in the belief that the benefits of increased access to information for people in China and a more open Internet outweighed our discomfort in agreeing to censor some results. At the time we made clear that "we will carefully monitor conditions in China, including new laws and other restrictions on our services. If we determine that we are unable to achieve the objectives outlined we will not hesitate to reconsider our approach to China."

(...)

The decision to review our business operations in China has been incredibly hard, and we know that it will have potentially far-reaching consequences. We want to make clear that this move was driven by our executives in the United States, without the knowledge or involvement of our employees in China who have worked incredibly hard to make Google.cn the success it is today. We are committed to working responsibly to resolve the very difficult issues raised.

Back to Internet discada days

2009-12-16T13:07:00.001-02:00

Internet discada já é passado para bastante gente. E os planos de internet com algumas horas de acesso também fazem parte do período paleolítico da rede no Brasil.

A tendência não só da Internet fixa, mas também da telefonia fixa e da telefonia móvel é o acesso ilimitado. Por impossível que seja, a tendência é essa. Quem oferecer esse serviço certamente terá vantagem no market share.

Não para a TIM:

TIM vai acabar com plano de tráfego ilimitado de dados

Meio feio esse lance de voltar atrás numa evolução, né? Agora isso vai ficar mais com cara de promoção do que de plano...

Tecnologia barata para aumentar o poder de fogo das operadoras móveis não falta. E barata é barata mesmo, tipo, 500 reais para uma área de uns bons quilômetros de raio. Na ponta do tráfego internacional, bem, as alianças estão aí para quem quiser. O pessoal do Satélite Geoestacionário Brasileiro deve estar doido de vontade de arrumar alguns parceiros desse porte em troca de ceder uma parte do equipamento para uso não-governamental, não?

ICANN Mexico

2009-03-05T15:37:00.001-03:00

Interesting speech from Victor Hansen at ICANN Mexico.

I strongly recommend to read the whole transcription, so nothing gets misunderstood.

Joint AC/SO

I'm Victor Hansen, Brazilian representative to the Governmental Advisory Committee.

(...)

>>VICTOR HANSEN: Thank you. I would like to come back to the distinction between gTLDs and ccTLDs.

I cannot agree with this idea that the frontier is blurred between both things, and I would like to present a very clear example.

80% of Brazilian registrants go dot BR. What does it mean? Well, it means that Brazilians are not only interested in low prices, are not interested only in best price for registrations, but they do want to show that they are Brazilian Internet. And since the Brazilian Internet steering committee does a good job in preserving the being faithful to the Brazilian culture values, and so in having a registration policy that meets the targets and expectations of our registrants, then people are faithful to this label, dot BR.

So I think choice has more -- is not only -- is not only linked to market value, linked not only to pricing but is linked also to the sort of image you want to get your domain name associated with.

So I would like to talk of how does this distinction between gTLDs and ccTLDs translate in the expansion of the root.

We are just talking about new gTLDs now, so as to understand of course we will have new IDN ccTLDs. But I would say that geographic TLDs, and now I move to the second point here in the list, shall have much more to do with ccTLDs in terms of the values that are embedded in their management than to gTLDs, generic names.

They are more linked to geographic values, country values or regional values than to market value. And I think in the PDP, this distinction should be reflected.

Thank you.

(...)

Just to answer the question on whether a city could like to become a gTLD instead of a ccTLD against the will of its government, now I think we are entering in a very dangerous terrain here, which is the issue of sovereignty and the issue of legitimacy of local governments.

In this regard, I must recall as all here that when ICANN had to decide which would be the countries, it considered it was not capable -- it was not competent to decide on that, then it relied on a table that was built by ISO.

And I think when it comes to cities and geographic areas, this questions become far more complicated.

I think it's beyond the scope of ICANN's competence to decide who is the legitimate authority to speak on behalf of a particular region, city or state.

So I think, as ICANN has searched for help of ISO for ccTLDs, as it has searched for help of WIPO when it comes to trademark clearances, and it should rely on a body which would be capable and competent to define who can -- who is the legitimate authority in a particular region.

Thank you.

(...)

To mention about this issue, I would like to make it clear about the need for geographic names was raised by the GAC for the first time in the São Paulo meeting in 2006. So this question is not new. And I think something that cannot be affirmed here is that the GAC is trying to on strategic anything. I think our position we've held in this regard is more or less the same as we held in São Paulo in 2006.

But, of course, the GAC is, as we know -- and whether we like it or not -- an advisory committee to the board. So we provide advice to the board. We do not participate in PDP. And we have Bertrand here who feels very strongly that GAC should be involved in PDP. And if we got GAC involved in these issues in an earlier, maybe it would be easier to address it.

Coming to this question, I think we had some good suggestions in a joint meeting the GAC had with the GNSO Council yesterday. I think what we could think about that is, instead of trying to -- because the current recommendation of the GAC with respect to geographic names is that there should be a list previously elaborated by the GAC that would represent geographic names that should be protected either in the first, in the second level. This is the recommendation, the present recommendation of the GAC.

But as there might be problems in implementing that, we could evaluate other solutions to this problem. One of them, I think, would be trying to have a working group, perhaps with people from the GAC and from GNSO, perhaps, which would define a set of criteria that would be considered reasonable for the blocking of particular TLDs. So this group would work on that. And then possible presentations of new gTLDs could be checked against these criterias.

Of course, then we should seek to define which four of these criteria would be set. And we -- and I recognize we do not have an equivalent to, say, WIPO, which would verify names.

But it does not make -- the fact that we do not have such an institution does not make this request less legitimate. Thank you.

IPv6 and world crisis jokes

2009-03-19T10:20:00.001-03:00

Google Public Policy Blog: Why the next generation Internet Protocol matters

[Comments:]

I get really sick of this RUBBISH about running out of ip's in two years. Stop the FUD.

You can't blindly assume that ip address usage will simply just go up and up and up on a predictable arc that ends in disaster. That is FALSE. What needs to happen is for people to question the reasons why, for example, MIT needs to own 16 *MILLION* public ip addresses.

Most corporations already utilize NAT and need almost no public IP address space at all. Many more *could* (and should) move to NAT, but simply refuse.

I have hardly tried to figure out the reason why some people are so reluctant to numbers on numbers: whether you like it or not, IPv4 is running out, period. NAT is a palliative, period. Is it that difficult to get this point?

The comment reminds me of this video:

So, whenever IPv4 comes out, people will begin to defenestrate.

Demi Getschko, Wikipedia, Everton and TV

2009-04-12T22:03:00.001-03:00

Out of the blue, I was asked to represent Brazilian Wikipedia users on an interview with Demi Getschko. It will take place tomorrow on a traditional TV program in Brazil, called Roda Viva (.

Someone entered his wikipedia article, saw my contributions and invited me to represent the whole community (?!).

So, if you have questions, comments or suggestions, feel free to send it via Twitter or e-mail).

Remember that Demi is also member of the ICANN board, ;).

"Let's tweet again"

2009-04-14T11:04:00.001-03:00

@TV Cultura, following an interview with Demi Getschko at Roda Viva.

On the top, from left:
Hernani Dimantas, from Escola do Futuro/USP;
Pollyana Ferrari, from PUC-SP;
Me, :D.

Middle line:
Heródoto Barbeiro, Roda Viva host;
Lia Rangel, reporter.

Bottom, but not least:
Demi

Yahoo!: Aviso final: O GeoCities será fechado

2009-10-01T16:43:00.001-03:00

Mais uma era será encerrada nesse turbilhão tão maravilhoso quanto confuso que é a Internet. Acabou o GeoCities, literalmente. Não é que não vai mais aceitar inscrições ou coisa do tipo, é que acabou mesmo.

Eu particularmente fico chateado. Pelo pioneirismo do GeoCities, que permitiu durante muito tempo (desde 95, uma eternidade quando falamos de computadores... lembra do Win95?) que o sujeito com um conhecimento pífio de HTML escrevesse meia dúzia de linhas e colocasse na web de graça. Hoje, o Google faz isso desproporcionalmente melhor, sem dúvidas, mas não sei bem se me conformo com essa justificativa. Quando alguém melhor que o Google aparecer, sumirão todos os milhares/milhões/zilhões de blogspots da vida?

"OK, você pode contratar nosso serviço pago", eles dizem. Que felicidade a minha ... ou que desespero o deles. Tudo bem que a Rede e sua fiel escudeira Web têm a liquidez em sua essência, e tudo bem que eu seja um entusiasta de ótimos serviços gratuitos bem prestados. Tudo bem que eu preciso me conformar que centenas de milhões de dólares devem voar pelos coolers dos servidores do Yahoo!, e que a continuidade desse processo depende somente e tão somente da boa vontade da companhia que o abriga. O Google tem no YouTube um exemplo semelhante (YouTube dá prejuízo de US$ 470 mi ao Google, Info Online), mas eu não imagino um mundo sem YouTube hoje ou amanhã. Se vier a existir, certamente será mais chato e enfadonho.

"Mas existem outros serviços semelhantes, você acabou de falar". Sim, eu sei. Mas quem é que esteve na ponta da lança primeiro? Quem rompeu primeiro a barreira do "ah, isso é impossível de acontecer"? Assim como hoje é "impossível" transmitir televisão ao vivo em full HD usando a banda larga nossa de cada dia, já foi impossível ter um blog, já foi impossível ter uma página pessoal, um domínio, uma rede local de computadores... uma rede de computadores. E não é porque algo "melhor" apareceu (Bluetooth é melhor que Wi-Fi? Os dois são melhores que o acesso discado? Pra quem e pra que?) que o antecessor deveria deixar de existir.

It's just a thought. Abaixo, o comunicado oficial:







		Caro Cliente Yahoo! GeoCities, Estamos escrevendo para comunicar que o Yahoo! GeoCities, nossa comunidade e serviços para construção de sites gratuitos, será fechado em 26 de outubro de 2009. Tivemos muito prazer em hospedar os sites criados pelos usuários do Yahoo! no mundo inteiro e ficamos orgulhosos com as comunidades criadas. Entretanto, decidimos nos concentrar em ajudar nossos clientes a explorar e construir relacionamentos online de outras maneiras. Em 26 de outubro de 2009, seu site do GeoCities não será mais exibido na web e não será mais possível acessar a conta ou os arquivos do GeoCities. O que você precisa fazer Se não estiver mais utilizando o site, não precisará fazer nada, mas se quiser mover o site ou salvar as imagens e outros arquivos publicados, será preciso agir agora, fazendo download dos arquivos para o seu próprio computador. Para fazer download rapidamente dos seus arquivos e imagens publicados, visite nosso site do GeoCities, clique com o botão direito do mouse em cada página e escolha Salvar página como... no menu que aparece. Escolha um local no computador para salvar os arquivos e clique em OK ou Salvar para salvar o HTML e imagens associadas à sua página. Saiba mais sobre como fazer download dos arquivos. Com suas páginas e imagens salvas offline, você pode recriar seu site com qualquer outro provedor hospedeiro que desejar. Fique atento porque, em 26 de outubro de 2009, seus arquivos do GeoCities serão excluídos de nossos servidores e não poderão mais ser recuperados. Se quiser salvar seus arquivos, você deve fazer download deles agora! Outra maneira de se conectar Como cliente Yahoo!, agora você pode usar seu perfil Yahoo! como ponto central para gerenciar sua identidade e interesses do Yahoo! e facilmente se conectar e compartilhar com as pessoas que realmente importam para você. Você pode começar a qualquer momento adicionando imagens e outros detalhes pessoais. Em seguida, convide amigos e parentes para serem conectados. Você poderá acompanhar atividades online de sua conexão do Yahoo!. Configurar seu perfil é fácil e gratuito! Visite seu perfil agora. Não espere Orientamos que salve seus arquivos agora. Se precisar de assistência, visite a central de ajuda. Agradecemos por ser um cliente GeoCities e esperamos que continue aproveitando nossos outros serviços Yahoo! Brasil. Atenciosamente, A equipe do Yahoo! GeoCities

Great article on Brazilian on Sci-Tech

2009-03-10T14:41:00.001-03:00

I am not really used to read articles on sciences' onthology anymore, but this one reminded me good old days. Though it discusses Sciences, Technology and Innovations' (CT&I) policies obstacles, somehow, I was pulled back a couple of years.

Tecnologia Social como Pluralismo Tecnológico [PDF]

Este artigo trata dos obstáculos às políticas de CT&I atenderem às demandas sociais.
Por demanda social entende-se o desenvolvimento científico e tecnológico para
desenvolvimento social que passou a integrar a pauta do Movimento pela Tecnologia Social– MTS. O componente 2 tem sido subordinado ao avanço quantitativo das patentes, o que não tratarei aqui senão indiretamente. A questão é outra: há realmente um componente 2 do PADCT vocacionado para a demanda social por C&T?

What "Web management" could be?

2009-02-27T11:41:00.001-03:00

So, what should we tell a company which sells thousands of 1 Gbps connections when a country has only something like... 20 Gbps connections to the whole world? Is this management correct?

U.S. Internet firms defend tighter Web management | Technology | Internet | Reuters

Internet service providers like AT&T Inc are making greater efforts to manage traffic on their networks as they seek ways to avoid congestion caused by bandwidth-hogging services like video, industry officials said on Thursday.

(...)

President Barack Obama strongly backed net neutrality during the campaign and as a senator. Observers are monitoring how he will change policy.

(...)

T-Mobile may use up to 10 gigabits a month, or possibly be downgraded to a speed that is roughly equivalent to the first generation of Apple Inc's iPhone.

To avoid crashing the network, "you have to have reasonable management," Sugrue said.

AP: Hearst hopes Web-only Seattle P-I will turn profit

2009-03-17T09:44:00.001-03:00

And that's a hard task.

Somehow, newspapers [all medias, actually] still haven't found a good balance between selling information and selling a product. This is the reason why one will find so many discount coupons, gifts, etc. in magazines and newspapers. This has nothing to do with IG, or maybe has.

People who lived inside the first web bubble are not likely to see another one. Meanwhile, people who are at web's outter borders are rushing to its center as if it would be their only salvation.

Some cases are particularly successful, I wish all were. But let us reflect a bit about the model as a whole.

News | TriCities

When the Seattle Post-Intelligencer transforms into an Internet-only operation Wednesday, it will try to do something it failed to accomplish for years as a traditional newspaper: make money.

Million dollar question... or answer

2009-03-16T16:26:00.001-03:00

< off-topic >

From Google LatLong:

A look back in time

Historical Imagery also lets you visualize, for yourself, important environmental trends such as the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest -- no need to try to decipher scientific studies; just look at the images.

Population growth and expansion into the forest in Rondônia, Brazil. Left image taken on June 19, 1975, right image take on September 19, 2001.

How can such thing happen? São Paulo is already the greatest environmental shame for us, we absolutely do not need a rival.

Hmmmm

2009-03-18T09:14:00.001-03:00

Sometimes, numbers are not numbers... only.

Michael Geist at CircleID:

WIPO's Misleading Release

The World Intellectual Property Organization put out a release yesterday trumpeting an eight percent increase in domain name disputes handled by WIPO. In 2008 there were 2329 complaints filed with WIPO, the most ever. WIPO uses the increase to raise questions about the possible increase in the number of available generic top-level domains.

While the media covered the story precisely as WIPO hoped (Reuters, Ars Technica), it is worth considering what WIPO did not say. First, WIPO is just one dispute resolution provider under the ICANN UDRP. The other large provider—the National Arbitration Forum—actually experienced a decline in disputes last year. Overall, the number of domain name disputes cases filed increased modestly last year, growing by just over three percent. Second, and more importantly, the growth of dot-com and dot-net domain name registrations grew far faster than the dispute resolution growth as according to Verisign [PDF], that domain name space grew by 12 percent in 2008.

Campaign?

2009-03-18T08:16:00.001-03:00

What about a "Save a bit" campaign?

A broader look could emphasize applications... why would one need to keep MSN, Skype, Google Talk, two different browsers running an endless Javascript?

Comunique-se. O portal da comunicação

Para quem achava que o mundo virtual seria a solução para tudo, não se engane. Transformar em bits o que era em papel, por exemplo, trazia a sensação de que o meio ambiente não seria mais afetado pelo vício predatório humano. A questão - e isso poucos ainda entendem - é que meio ambiente não é sinônimo de natureza. Em uma empresa, por exemplo, os computadores fazem parte do meio ambiente.

RFCs become 40

2009-04-07T14:51:00.001-03:00

From NYT, by Stephen Crocker:

Op-Ed Contributor - How the Internet Got Its Rules - NYTimes.com

TODAY is an important date in the history of the Internet: the 40th anniversary of what is known as the Request for Comments. Outside the technical community, not many people know about the R.F.C.’s, but these humble documents shape the Internet’s inner workings and have played a significant role in its success.

40? Well, it's something like two Evertons.

Hmmmm...

2009-05-15T11:06:00.001-03:00

What a coincidence...

Spain's Telefónica Boosts Profit - WSJ.com

Spain's Telefónica SA said Wednesday its first-quarter net profit rose 9.8%, as its unexpectedly buoyant businesses in Latin America helped offset falling revenue from recession-struck European markets.

If one is present in a dozen countries in LA and a couple in Europe, what would you expect?

My telephone bills could at least get just this little cheaper :)

Ian Brown: The Internet is as vital as water and gas

2009-06-16T10:28:00.001-03:00

Compare and contrast

ProTIC

2009-06-05T17:00:00.001-03:00

Interesting new Brazilian decree (Portuguese only):

Decree No. 6868 of 4.6.2009
Establishes the Program for Support of Research, Development and Innovation in Digital Information and Communication Technologies (ProTIC) and disposes the composition of its Management Committee.
http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_Ato2007-2010/2009/Decreto/D6868.htm

Meanwhile, in Kenya

2009-03-16T16:43:00.001-03:00

That's great:

allAfrica.com: Kenya: TEAMS Alarmed By Arrival of Seacom (Page 1 of 1)

With the arrival of a private undersea cable on the East African coast, the Kenyan government has moved to reassure stakeholders that The East Africa Marine Systems Cable (TEAMS) is still on course.

(...)

"We have capacity for up to 10 cables because our intention is to make this country a regional communication hub," he [Permanent Secretary Ministry of Information and Communications, Dr. Bitange Ndemo] said.

Enquanto isso, na Sala da Justiçammmm...

2009-06-25T10:27:00.001-03:00

Is Telefonica asking for more competition?

Gizmodo: Made in Brazil Telefônica promete investir R$750 mi no Speedy | Gizmodo Brasil

Enquanto isso, a Telefônica já pediu à Anatel para tirá-la do cantinho da disciplina: a empresa pediu recurso na agência reguladora, e o presidente, Antônio Carlos Valente, bateu um papo com o presidente da Anatel, Ronaldo Sardenberg, e com o ministro das Comunicações, Hélio Costa. Disse que as panes recentes no Speedy não têm nada a ver entre si e que o Speedy está lento por causa do aumento do tráfego de dados — não é culpa de novos clientes. E lembrou que, para muitas cidades de São Paulo, não há opção ao Speedy, então muita gente pode ficar sem banda larga.

Benton: Metered Bandwidth Pricing Is Coming

2009-04-29T10:13:00.001-03:00

Multichannel News via Benton

Metered Bandwidth Pricing Is Coming | Benton Foundation

METERED BANDWIDTH PRICING IS COMING

Metered bandwidth pricing for Internet service is coming, said cable executives gathered for the American Cable Association's annual summit. Such pricing will be a necessity going forward as cable operators become broadband companies rather than just television delivery companies and the demands for delivering high-bandwidth-consuming video and other services increases. ACA President Matt Polka said metered pricing is in the early stages of development, but that "the outcome is certain." He said there was no limit on the build-outs that his members have to do to meet customer demand, and with new services coming down the pike, his members won't be able to provide all that at $40 per month. He said he would like to pay the same price for heating bills all year round, but that he has to pay more in those Pittsburgh winters when he uses more.