Interesting News Article - RE: Internet Usage

[dentin]

Look at it this way.

ISP's start charging more for those who spend lots of time downloading porn, software, etc on the net.
This cuts down usage over all, allowing those who fly to have a better ping and more stable connection.

We know the net is seriously overloaded on several major backbones in prime time.
This is just one step of many possible to help fix that problem without having to spend billions upgrading backbones.

Seems like a decent idea to me if its used reasonably.

You'd still be able to fly, surf, download a program here & there.

But those who were constantly downloading would pay more.
Helping to curb that constant use and leaving more bandwidth for the rest.

Hate to "burst yer bubble", but rest assured it won't be "used reasonably". The method in question is simply an experimental plan to eliminate a major expenditure to improve the infrastructure of said ISP Provider...as you previously outlined above.

It will not stop OR slow down the 5% (subjective #) that supposedly eat the majority of bandwidth..the segment of power users certainly can afford the increase in charges.

I suspect that IF the plan is adopted by ANY major provider, there will be a mass exodus to DSL, ..I know I will certainly entertain the the idea of switching, just on principal.   

[dentin]

The fact of the matter is that the only problems with the internet are caused by the isp's themselves, they would rather soak up the profits they make rather then upgradeing their infrastructure, comcast is as guilty as sin when it comes to this.

The other thing is as the use's of the internet blend with other media, ie... television, telaphone and direct access to new video content, they see fantastic growth in their profits if they can find ways of increaseing their prices based on useage rather then a basic access charge to the internet.

They create the situation, cause the problem, then provide a solution with a much greater cost, then they cry fowl and complain that they are just poor victums and must do something to save themselves from those that abuse them.

These cable giants are some of the largest greediest companys on the planet. They would not be talking about this if they didn't see huge profits to be made off future technology.

Fear not, this will never fly, as greedy companys tend to fall by the way side as others use their greed to get a foot in the door, I give the examples of IBM, ATnT, AOL all of these companys at one time had the world by the jimmys. Now today you can see cracks forming in microsoft as mac and others take advantage of tacticle mistakes like "vista" which open the door for alternative thinking by other companys offering better choises to customers.

Basically as in all things, take care of your customers or someone else will.

Just my 9 cents as this was a long one.

Don

Yup, what he said ^   

[Castedo]

h

[Anaxogoras]

You should all trust Comcast, AT&T, and TimeWarner.  Really.

Haven't we all had employers who invest as little as possible in infrastructure, jack up prices on customers, and come up with every possible excuse to justify pocketing the money and leaving the big problems for the next guy?  I know I have.

[mtnman]

Just another interesting bit of info-

We had an article in our paper yesterday talking about people getting sued for posting pictures, news articles, product ratings, etc without permission.

According to that article, this posting of a news article could get the poster sued, unless he did it with permission.

Sounds like a growing trend, suing internet posters for copyright infringement on Forums, Blogs, Bulletin Boards, etc...

Another big one is apparantly suing for defamation due to posting reviews of products, etc...

The newspaper article actually mentioned a class being taken by bloggers and website administrators helping them to know the legal aspects of what the post.

MtnMan

[Hamltnblue]

Hope it doesn't happen because it's total BS.
When you think about it, over half if not more of the bandwidth used is because of the add on Ads that are attached to everything. Charge the add companies if anyone.  IF we had to pay for bandwidth we should be able to reduce it by shutting off the ads.  And what about spam?  Would we be able to mark e-mail as spam and get credit off of the bandwidth???
The internet and servers cost the same running at max capacity or low capacity.  There should be no difference in price.

[LYNX]

I use Virginmedia cable here in the UK.  They already do this to the 5% of hard core users.  Not noticed any difference in game except Sundays or when America plugs in around 11PM my time....the lags not that bad.  It the same as usual for me.

I can see their arguement BUT no company on this planet enhances the customer service for F*** all.  There's a plot to enhance profit in every customer percieved enhancement.  Being the skeptical old tosser that I am I would expect it to go like this.

Hey 5% hard core users we're slowing your connection down at "peak" times but if you upgrade to packing "xyz" for just another 10 quid a month...1Pence per hour so your service won't be degraded.

Hey you lucky 95% users there's no need to get feed up with slow speeds....why not upgrade to "xyz".

I use 20mb cable connection......Virginmedia announced not long ago that 50 will be available at the end of the year.......plots man...plots.

[stephen waldron]

   This is already happening.  My bill last month for the internet increased from a $34 dollar unlimited access flat fee, to a $40 dollar add on in "overage" charges for a total bill of $75 dollars.   Naturally I complained because I was never notified the $34 dollar flat fee no longer exists.  I opened my phone bill and "SURPRISE" !  The company billing assistance person (Someone with an Indian accent), agreed to wave the May overage charge, but said I should expect a similar bill in June if my internet use is not dramatically curtailed.
    This has changed the amount of time I spend playing AH.  I no longer participate in squadron ops three nights a week, and I no longer fly on Titanic Tuesdays.  I was also considering taking part in some "Special" event scenarios like the Guadal Canal campaign, but that idea has been scuttled as well.   
    I use AT&T as my internet provider.  With AT&T I get a whopping 100 mbps transfer rate.  Compared to the other internet providers in my area which only average 6 mbps or less.  My question is, Does the mbps transfer rate affect how Aces High performs ?  If I go with a lower transfer rate, will my plane start WARPING all over the sky ?  Seems like it would. 
    If this is the case, AT&T has a monopoly and they have me over a barrel.  Having heard about these "future" planned rate increases, I've now decided to allow my subscription to AH to expire as of July 15th.  The game fee of $15 dollars IS very reasonable for what you get..  but add $75 dollars + onto that and the expense very quickly becomes too much for online gaming.

[715]

$1 per gigabyte?  Wow.  That would mean that on top of whatever Netflix, or whomever, charges you to stream a movie via the internet, your ISP is going to charge you another $4-$5 as well?  That would make internet delivered movies prohibitively expensive forcing you to go to other sources, say, like, maybe the ISP/cable company's PPV perhaps?  Oh.  Now I understand.

[Rosscoe1]

That 5% of heavy users is also the group on the leading edge of the technology. Push them out, and future demand by the rest will be delayed, or shifted to other means of access.

Hes right... get rid of the people on the leading edge... we get less cool stuff in a longer ammount of time... im luckey to know one of the people in that 5% hes just like some crazy computer dictionary thing.

[ridley1]

I've often wondered about how much internet traffic is those bulk spam and fishing e-mails running around telling everyone about how their noodle can grow big...and how some poor widow 's deceased husband has 20 million in an account that requires you to get it out...and meds from canada, and knockoff rolex watches.
I get at least 300 garbage e-mails a day running through my system, how much bandwidth does that take up?

[toonces3]

Rather than post two pages of quotes, I'll just say:

"I agree with everything Yanksfan has posted in its entirety."

Great posts man!

[Fulmar]

I just may have to get a wi-fi amplifier and start borrowing internet from my neighbor's unsecured networks...

[Anodizer]

That 5% of heavy users is also the group on the leading edge of the technology. Push them out, and future demand by the rest will be delayed, or shifted to other means of access.

Here here!!!!
This is not like utility companies that have to provide more of whatever they are providing in order to meet demand from a supposedly finite source..
These corp. execs just want to line their pockets a little more is all..  There's more than enough bandwidth to go around..
Always has been..  What are they going to do to businesses and corporations that run T1,T2, or T3 lines?  These corporations
use 1000X the bandwidth that anyone at home viewing their favorite series online or gaming to the wee hours of the morning
or even downloading torrents will EVER use.  There was no mention of "upping" their rates, of course.. 
Just like the other guys said, big guys stickin' to the little guys.. 
And Fulmar, if I wasn't the ONLY PERSON on my block with an internet connection(frakkin' backward old hick town!! hate these idiots!), I'd consider what you said about leeching..  "My faverit thangs t'do is 4 wheelin', gettin' fat, screwin' m'sister, watchin' Iiice Road Truckers,
n' Innernettin"  God, I hate these people....

Anyway, yeah...  I say we just banned together, grab our paintball guns, complete over-run the larger media companies' corporate headquarters such as comcast, at+t and timewarner, and run it for ourselves..  I want some of that money!