 N3OGHYo Soy Col. "Bat" GuanoPremium
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs
kudos:1 | Comcast is such BS.... OK, so it's obvious that Comcast monitors, and keeps a database of how much downloading people are doing.
So, it's really simple. Advise people of how much they are allowed to download, and make it easy for them to know how much they've downloaded so far. A link someplace after you log into Comcast.net would be easy enough.
This way people could keep track of how much they download, and stay within limits.
Or instead, you could advertise your service as "unlimited" and when someone busts your invisible cap, send them a nastygram, and then cancel their service.
In other words, be a dick.....
Like I said before, it's like a cop writing you a speeding ticket where no speed limit is posted. How the hell do you know what the limit is if they don't post it?
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Petty people are disproportionably corrupted by petty power… |
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 major marcoRes Firma Mitescere NescitPremium
join:2003-02-13
Stepford, CA | said by N3OGH:OK, so it's obvious that Comcast monitors, and keeps a database of how much downloading people are doing. So, it's really simple. Advise people of how much they are allowed to download, and make it easy for them to know how much they've downloaded so far. A link someplace after you log into Comcast.net would be easy enough. This way people could keep track of how much they download, and stay within limits. Or instead, you could advertise your service as "unlimited" and when someone busts your invisible cap, send them a nastygram, and then cancel their service. I agree 100%, but we'll never see this coming from any ISP because it would destroy the current regulatory scheme that allows broadband access providers to justify the deregulated state of a competitive best efforts environment because they need to provide a public utility. Case in point: Comcast.
I think consumers can live with the "best efforts" networks, including the problem of congestion and latency. And they can either learn to live with it or keep paying extra for higher speed. And we can all live with broadband being regulated as a critical piece of infrastructure. But ISPs should not tell consumers that they are entitled to sweetheart regulatory deals and flexibility on the promise of "quality of service" and then act like they're a best efforts network.
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The Toll
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 koolman2Premium
join:2002-10-01
Anchorage, AK | reply to N3OGH
said by N3OGH:Like I said before, it's like a cop writing you a speeding ticket where no speed limit is posted. How the hell do you know what the limit is if they don't post it? I'm not condoning the invisible caps, but most places have de facto speed limits. For example, here, the limits are:
Business district: 20 MPH
Ally: 15 MPH
School Zone: 20 MPH
Residential District: 25 MPH
If caught going 35 in a residential zone and you claim that it's not posted, you still get stuck with the fine.
Source: Alaska DMV Driver's Manual, Rev. Dec 2006. pg. 24
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There's no place like ::1. |
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N3OGHYo Soy Col. "Bat" GuanoPremium
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs
kudos:1 | "If caught going 35 in a residential zone and you claim that it's not posted, you still get stuck with the fine."
Not disputing that in Ak, as I've never been there.
But, where speed limits are my business (Pennsylvania) if the speed limit is not posted as prescribed by the DOT, and the defendant brings that information to court, the citation will be dismissed.
In PA, a change in the speed limit (like from a 40 mph to a 35 mph) is not enforceable for the first 500 ft of the new speed zone by law.
Either way, the motorist in our little analogy is given written notice of the speed limit in these zones. It's clearly listed in the DMV manual, and they're letting you know, even if it isn't posted, you'll draw the fine.
Comcast says "unlimited" and gives you no notice whatsoever until you bust their limits..
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Petty people are disproportionably corrupted by petty power… |
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koolman2Premium
join:2002-10-01
Anchorage, AK | I love hearing about the different laws in different states. As far as I know, in Alaska, the speed limits are absolute and go into absolute effect the moment you pass the sign. I wish they would add some leniency, such as hills and whatnot.
Anyway, the analogy makes perfect sense assuming that a ticket cannot be legally given if a limit isn't posted. However, if you were given a ticket, it would probably be something along the lines of unreasonable speed, which is where Comcast would come in. I don't think that the ticket would be dismissed if you were going 50 MPH in an area that would most likely be posted at 25. Of course, it wouldn't be a speed limit infraction; rather, a too fast for conditions one.
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 AmnChodePremium
join:2001-03-27
San Antonio, TX | reply to koolman2
Your example is a very poor one for the argument, as you able to post a source. They may not be posted on the street itself, but they are posted in law/writing. The same can not be said for the invisible caps... |
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koolman2Premium
join:2002-10-01
Anchorage, AK
1 edit | I was replying out of context about the speed limit analogy.
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There's no place like ::1. |
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PittsPghPremium
join:2003-08-21
Pittsburgh, PA
kudos:1 | reply to N3OGH
In Pa.
Unposted roads are 55MPH
Unposted Bridges and Tunnels are 35MPH
Never heard anything ever about unposted local streets. But they change with every little boro and twp. They are posted usually anyhow.
Paul |
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said by N3OGH:Comcast says "unlimited" and gives you no notice whatsoever until you bust their limits.. Could you please cite your source? I am aware at one time this was done, but that was years ago....they are really using that term in their advertising?
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Jay: What the @#$% is the internet??? |
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N3OGHYo Soy Col. "Bat" GuanoPremium
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs
kudos:1 | reply to PittsPgh
said by PittsPgh:In Pa. Unposted roads are 55MPH Unposted Bridges and Tunnels are 35MPH Never heard anything ever about unposted local streets. But they change with every little boro and twp. They are posted usually anyhow. Paul Ahh, see it's all about context.
Where I work, we have no unposted areas that would be considered 55 MPH zones (like divided highways)
All 2 of our bridges are nothing more than overpasses that are the posted 40 MPH.
We have no tunnels.
I was thinking more along the lines of a suburban area, with some state roads, and side roads.
Your point on the unposted roadways, tunnels, and bridges is correct.
I saw koolman2 was talking about the laws in different states. You might find this interesting.
In PA, the local police can not use radar to track speed. Only the State Police can. Local departments often rely on a stopwatch made by Robic. You program the distance of 2 items on the roadway into the stopwatch. You press the button when the "target" vehicle crosses the first object, and again the second, and the speed of the vehicle is displayed.
The stopwatch has to be certified at regular intervals, and the tape measure used to determine the distance has to be certified by the state before use.
Motorists have to be clocked at least 10 MPH over the speed limit before it's probable cause to initiate a stop.
This is all just grist for the ol' brain box. I'm not really big on traffic enforcement. I like the officer friendly stuff, and helping out people in broke down cars, stuff like that.
I rattle a lot of doors, too. Gotta make sure every thing's locked up!
Yep, I'm about a libertarian as a cop can get. I really do believe in leaving people alone if they aren't hurting anyone..
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fiberguyMy views are my own.Premium
join:2005-05-20
kudos:3 | reply to AmnChode
said by AmnChode:Your example is a very poor one for the argument, as you able to post a source. I love how people think, around here, that if the example doesn't fit 1000% to the argument, that it's invalid and dismissed.
The analogy was just fine and it fits the issue. What IS going on here is that people are looking for ANY reason to NOT accept the fact that there is in fact an established acceptable use. People are looking for the one shimmer of light that gives them ultimate authority to set their own rules and vision of the way things are - and yet they are always wrong.
Let me give an example that will work:
There isn't a SINGLE PERSON in these threads that should have ANY excuse or claim that they didn't know there is a cap and what it is. It's been discussed here by some of us over and over for years and yet people still fight in order to not get it.
First off, the AUP says that the service is for typical residential use and eve goes as far to say "no servers." Yet, there are people that still run servers, and for other reasons run up bandwidth and keep it going damn near 24/7. Anyone here should be aware that 24/7 is not "typical residential use".. the easy way to look at it is 'does the "average typical resident keep their service running 24/7? do they run open P2Ps?' I know the answer and so should everyone else IF they answer it HONESTLY.
Several of us have also have pointed out how Comcast determines too much. If the node a user is on is being dominated by one person and impacts the other people on the network, then they are in violation of the TOS/AUP. Yet, again, some people around these parts continue to ignore that as well and find every reason why they are right and the provider is wrong.
Could there be a posted limit? Sure.. do people really want them? I'll tell you now.. no. Want to be billed for an overage? If an ISP is going to be forced to set a limit on transfer, it's not going to be a lot. You better believe that they are going to be opportunistic and set a limit around 40 or 50gb a month and charge overage charges. The way the system works now is much better. Many people can and have reported transferring almost a terrabyte of data in a month and never get that letter while others transfer about 400gb and get them. It's based on the node and it's ability to handle it.
Because someone can get 1tb in month, does that set the standard for the rest? No. Someone around the 200gb to 400gb range is more in line in what the system should be able to handle per user. Some users just get lucky and happen to be in an area with low node saturation. My node, for example, only has 78 modems registered so there is a lot of room while some nodes have about 220 modems. In a node like that, 1 or 2 people running wide open pretty regular or serving a lot of P2P is going to get noticed especially when the BSAC starts to see congestion or when customers call in and complain that their speeds are way under advertised.
The bottom line is that people are going to see it the way THEY want to see it and will continue to work hard to ignore what they are told. Is Comcast telling people the cap? No.. because there IS NO SET CAP. That's the way I'd prefer to see it. I also am aware, unlike some people, that the internet is still in its infancy and has much more room to grow. In time, it will continue to advance at a pace that works for both the providers and the balance of the consumer. Very few people are really need far more than what the internet is capable of today. This group, by the way, are usually the ones that want 100/100 for $14.95 to which I laugh because that is TOTALLY unreasonable. This group also cites other countries regularly and too, they are wrong. Some of these countries started building their networks after we have and like any deployment, depending on where in the time-line of technology, its only natural that the newer networks are going to get better gear at the time of deploy.
This isn't your home lan or your office network. This is a terrestrial WAN and they are VERY expensive and time consuming to simply toss out and rebuild over night at a cost that the American consumer is not willing to pay. Do we want the newest and latest? Yes.. willing to pay? no. You get what you give...
just some facts that people love to over look.
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"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." |
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