h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Telephony made the net available and so one can use it to get in touch with ppl all over the world much cheaper then using the ordinairy telephone conversations

It would be much cheaper if telephone calls were free, and it would be even cheaper if the telephone companies would pay you every time you make a call. In that case I would leave my telephone permanently off the hook and wait for the monthly cheque from the telephone comapany to arrive.