pende_tim
Premium
join:2004-01-04
Andover, NJ | reply to Bobcat
Re: News: Verizon KILLING their News Server!!!
Thanks. Does the 90GB/$25 have any expiration time or does it last forever if not drawn down?
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The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits. |
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Bobcat
Premium
join:2001-02-04
Bedminster, NJ
 ·Verizon Online DSL
1 edit | said by pende_tim  :Thanks. Does the 90GB/$25 have any expiration time or does it last forever if not drawn down? The "Pay-by-Download" plan lasts forever. See »www.news.astraweb.com/downloadplans.html
With the current pricing, the "Pay-by-Download" plan is best if you download less than 46.8 GB per month. If you download more than that, the "Unlimited" plan is better.
P.S. I had noticed 2 months ago that my speed to outside newsservers via port 119 was being limited, so I switched to one of the alternate ports that are available. |
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starrin
join:2005-05-29
Virginia Beach, VA
| reply to niblifar
line running up the screen
IMHO Verizon is just looking for a way to dump usenet entirely as COMCAST is doing in response to the same NY action. Usenet customers have always been 2nd class citizens receiving 2nd class service. Their proprietary groups (0.verizon.xxx) are usually full of complaints as to the service. VZ seized upon a moral issue to make a financial decision. As soon as enough folks leave and/or they figure out a way to rewrite their TOS agreement, I expect they will dump it all.
OTOH, I understand that Verizon Business is permitting all newsgroups presently carried to remain, EXCEPT for binaries.
For me, their action is a deal breaker. I'm simply undecided as to whether to go with a separate newsgroup provider, or dump VZ entirely and go with COX, entirely. |
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Rattler
join:2001-04-13
Havertown, PA
·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to niblifar
Re: News: Verizon KILLING their News Server!!!
said by niblifar :Am I to believe that child porn and some ignorant, political schmuck are the reasons for dropping them? It's the "stated" reason. The probable underlying one is, "Hey! We can get out of supplying a good percentage of what's on usenet, at least volume-wise, and blame it on curbing child pornography and the NY State Attorney General's office!"
While the listed ISPs have, oh so reluctantly  , knuckled under I'm sure others will eventually follow suit. Switching to another ISP to spite V* or Comcrap or whoever, will generate but a short reprieve from free ISP based server cutbacks.
It's only a matter of time before Cuomo (and other interests) continue the campaign by pursuing the commercial, premium server market as well. It's probably inevitable. The RIAA has already gone after usenetserver.com for providing De Facto access to "pirated" music. I'm fairly sure that there is little public support for that attack but, do it in the name of curbing child pornography, killing "alt." access covers a crapload of other bases at the same time.
Don't get me wrong, child pornography is a disgusting enterprise and anything, within a reasonable solution (which killing all alt. access is NOT), should be done to curb it. But using a 16# maul to kill a cockroach is nuts, especially when the hammer head goes through the floor.
End of choir preaching.
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Never raise your hands to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected. -- Red Buttons |
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Bobcat
Premium
join:2001-02-04
Bedminster, NJ
·Verizon Online DSL
1 edit | reply to Bobcat
said by Bobcat :said by pende_tim :Thanks. Does the 90GB/$25 have any expiration time or does it last forever if not drawn down? The "Pay-by-Download" plan lasts forever. See » www.news.astraweb.com/downloadplans.htmlWith the current pricing, the "Pay-by-Download" plan is best if you download less than 46.8 GB per month. If you download more than that, the "Unlimited" plan is better. P.S. I had noticed 2 months ago that my speed to outside newsservers via port 119 was being limited, so I switched to one of the alternate ports that are available. Astraweb changed their pricing today. $25 gets you 110 GB now! That means it's a good choice if you download less than 57.2 GB per month. More than that, go with the unlimited plan.
And you can use SSL, too. |
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pende_tim
Premium
join:2004-01-04
Andover, NJ | Thanks! That is a good deal. |
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Carnivore
join:2003-01-06
| reply to niblifar
said by niblifar :Am I to believe that child porn and some ignorant, political schmuck are the reasons for dropping them? I knew this was a slippery slope when Verizon dumped a bunch of binary groups a few weeks back. Now they've dumped virtually everything and that slippery slope looks more ominous than ever.
What's next, blocking instant messaging programs and killing IRC? Wholesale blocking of websites and P2P because they *might* be used improperly? Where does it end?
Where's the outrage from Internet users? Left unchecked this can only get worse. |
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Ryno
The Wanderer
Premium
join:2001-04-07
Danielsville, PA
·Verizon Online DSL
 ·RCN CABLE
| said by Carnivore :I knew this was a slippery slope when Verizon dumped a bunch of binary groups a few weeks back. More like straight down a cliff than a slope.
I only wish they weren't lying about and using the porn as the excuse. All that does is show that they think their customers are too stupid to know it's just about money. |
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Jodokast96
R.I.P Bassman442
Premium
join:2005-11-23
Erial, NJ
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to Carnivore
said by Carnivore :said by niblifar :Am I to believe that child porn and some ignorant, political schmuck are the reasons for dropping them? I knew this was a slippery slope when Verizon dumped a bunch of binary groups a few weeks back. Now they've dumped virtually everything and that slippery slope looks more ominous than ever. What's next, blocking instant messaging programs and killing IRC? Wholesale blocking of websites and P2P because they *might* be used improperly? Where does it end? Where's the outrage from Internet users? Left unchecked this can only get worse. Ok, I admit up front of my ignorance of the newsgroups. I've never used them, nor even showed an interest in them. That said, where is it said that Verizon is blocking you from accessing newsgropus altogether? Maybe I missed something along the way, but the only ones you won't be able to access are theirs, right? It's no different than any other paid serice shutting their doors. The only outrage should be because people have to spend extra to access newsgroups now. The rest is just alarmist. |
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royhandy
Panem et circenses
Premium
join:2000-05-23
Yesterday
clubs: 
| reply to Iceberg32
"In preparation for this change, you will need to modify your news client(s) and unsubscribe from all newsgroups other than the newsgroups listed above. Failure to do so may interfere with the functioning of the Verizon network or use of the network by other Verizon users which is a violation of our Acceptable Use Policy."
If I am trying to access a newsgroup that no longer exists on Verizon's servers how can I possibly interfere with the functioning of Verizon's network? Is there an NNTP bug that causes packet storms when an unavailable newsgroup is requested?
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money can't give what the truth takes away |
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Philly888
join:2008-06-19
Philadelphia, PA
| reply to Iceberg32
I signed on with Verizon because of the newsgroups. Their killing them, along with the terrible customer service (India) is reason enough for me to consider a switch. Are there any national ISPs or more specifically any Philadelphia area ISPs who offer anything like Verizon USED TO offer? Or is searching for such an ISP a lost cause? |
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moheganer2
@verizon.net |  reply to Iceberg32
child porn has nothing to do with it.they want their bandwidth back and they are a tool of the riaa.They could get rid of child porn by killing specific sites.They are taking away newsgroups from paying customers and lying about the reasons as well. |
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ajf3
join:2004-10-06
Finleyville, PA
| I think this is going to cost verizon a lot more than they think... they probably thought of it in terms of only a small % of their users even use usenet & if some % of them leave they're still making out due to the bandwidth saved.
However, I think the majority will stay & just buy external usenet access - I just did. I used to get 300 down from the verizon news servers... with my new one it's not as steady, but it fluctuates between 250 and 600 (which is a nice suprise). The majority of the bandwidth they were losing to usenet is still going to be lost, but it's going to be out of network bandwidth - which I believe is much more expensive for them. |
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Iceberg32
join:2008-05-17
Hobart, IN | reply to Iceberg32
Well, there we have it!
The verizon news server has basically had its balls cut off. The only reason to stay with the worst company ever created IMHO, Verizon, is now gone.
I can't wait to be free of this abomination to mankind. |
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Lysis
join:2005-03-30
Brooklyn, NY
| just checked road runner forum, same post, both companies taking away newsgroups. Also for the guy saying Verizon is the worst company ever created, people say the same things about the cable companies in their forums, just a bad broadband situation in the USA methinks. |
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asdfqwert
@verizon.net | reply to Iceberg32
I just called the Verizon Online number to complain. The guy I spoke with was also surprised that they dropped most Usenet groups, too. The Verizon Online number is 800 567 6789 |
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piggy2
@verizon.net
| reply to Iceberg32
This is got to be some kind of conspiracy. What does the problem of child pornography has to do with newsgroup!?!? Shouldn't they go after the people who post them at first place as the root cause of problem? What if someone working for RIAA was the one who posted them? Would these same people go around internet and stuff these garbage into other service and make the same claim that those service should be shut down as well? This is some serious flaw in logic and violation of rights. |
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Jodokast96
R.I.P Bassman442
Premium
join:2005-11-23
Erial, NJ
·Verizon Online DSL
| It seems that Verizon got smacked for not doing anything when law enforcement (though Verizon didn't know they were) informed them of instances of kiddie porn. So they promised the NY AG they would monitor things and deal with them in a better manner. Just getting rid of them makes it a whole lot easier to monitor now, doesn't it? Now it's someone elses problem. |
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baberg
@rockwellcollins.com
| reply to piggy2
This is only tangentially about child porn. What really happened was the AG in New York successfully argued that the ISPs have to censor the traffic coming in. Verizon (and everybody else) knew this was impossible since anybody can post anything in the alt.* groups regardless of the actual topic at hand. You could get an Xbox 360 game posted in alt.binaries.beastiality if you really wanted to.
So instead Verizon said "Hey, we can use this ruling as a cover to remove all the alt.* newsgroups because they're using up our bandwidth for (mostly) non-legit purposes."
It's not about Verizon covering their tails. This is about Verizon removing a service that they didn't like to provide in the first place. |
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piggy2
@verizon.net
| That's really bad. As an ISP, Verizon should at least know that they have the responsibility to set the record straight with AG of NY even if they has no more interest in providing newsgroup service. Without this understanding, the these AG might as well ask ISP to shut down email, IM or even the internet services itself since since the ISP would now know the exact content of any transmission.
Due to the lack of action by Verizon and these ISP, the front page news of arstechnica indicated that California Governor and AG has also send letter to ISP to block access to certain newsgroups. The ISP really need to get AG of each state understand what they are doing. |
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