> ..."a little amazed that per-minute billing is still viable more than two decades later."

I'm not so amazed....the anser tends to be: because they can. That is, because they can charge someone, and those someones either don't know better and pay, or are not given a choice and must pay. I guess I could have just replied with something like: Because capitalism....but now i'm not sure which sounds worse/sadder for society. :-(