This is really another front of the net neutrality battle

[misterikkit]

Time Warner was recently in the news for attempting to roll out a ridiculously expensive pricing scheme to some test areas. (The ars technica article shows that it is more than 15 times as expensive as any competition.) Fortunately, they backed down, but my friend Geoff pointed me to a page on Cox's website showing they have similar plans

Comments

[mmm_opensource]

While I agree that the approach being taken is wrong. This isn't a front for net neutrality. The pricing schemes effect any web connection/download that is done. Not just the entities that haven't payed. This is all a function of the isp being too cheap to allocate an appropriate amount of bandwidth to its users (You know the advertised amount when they actually want it).

In a sense you are taxed for every mile you drive (Oregon wants to make this more true link) whenever you buy gas that is taxed, this is a function of how many miles you drove.

In short I agree, for you and me an action like this from our ISP would discourage use to a point of usability. But it is also true what is said that most people at this time would not notice as they don't use the internet very much. Which isn't a good thing, as we move forward the average Internet usage will rise, but with so many people who couldn't imagine downloading 5GB in a month it is going to be harder to fight against these things in the moment. Do you have a proposal to get the masses in on this importance of these topics?

[misterikkit]

I don't know how I would make more people concerned about this, but I'm open to suggestions.

I guess I'm thankful to already have the ears of a handful of friends.