JigglywareGelatin based computing
join:2006-01-09
Kenosha, WI | "No soup for you!" Comcast has a bandwidth problem, which they are trying to solve without cluing in anybody to exactly how bad a problem they have. Comcast's bandwidth distribution could be compared to a restaurant that sells soup. They offer "Big bowl of soup: $3.99!" and people come in and buy a bowl. Except most people don't eat the whole bowl. Well, the restaurant takes these leftovers and dumps them back into the big pot o' soup in the back, saving them from having to make more soup. Then some really hungry people happen along, and start eating their whole bowl, which leaves no leftovers. The restaurant starts running out of soup. "Oh no!", cries the manager, "We are out of soup! What shall we do to fix this?" "Aha! I have it! Instead of making more soup, which would cost us money, let's put holes in the spoons of the heavy eaters, therefore keeping them from eating the whole bowl we gave them." And so the restaurant put holes in the spoons of the heavy eaters, those who would dare to consume the whole bowl they were offered, thus saving them from having to make an extra batch of soup. So the restaurant saved money, and could still advertise "Whole bowl of soup: $3.99!", but they didn't actually have to make enough soup to fill everybody's bowls, just enough to cover what the picky eaters ate. And they told the heavy eaters, "If you actually wanted to eat the whole bowl of soup advertised, maybe you should go to another restaurant tubby." Instead of actually cutting portions, or making enough soup for the demand.
Close enough analogy? |
