Indeed the PSTN is far from ideal. As you say, the PSTN cannot be trusted and I refrain from discussing sensitive matters over it. We have tolerated it so far because there were not many attractive alternatives. But they are increasingly credible : IMS infrastructure is the carrier's current move into "everything over IP" - and consumers are moving in the same direction albeit in a more decentralized way whenever they can. The general public will soon understand (with help from eager service providers of course) that voice is just another service that runs on top of an Internet connection. And understanding is the first step toward freedom.

And I am not going to "sit down, shut up, and go away" : you may value freedom less than I do and you may hate my preach but that will not stop me from showing my friends the way, even if they only begin to understand how large the stakes are.

If you think I am paranoid, then think about the world of disconnected walled gardens that might well have been - the world of iMode, Minitel, AOL, interactive TV & co that the corporate world of the eighties was presenting as the future. In fact, if Internet pioneers had the same naive feelings as you, you would not even be able to comment on this article because it would not exist. Think about it.