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Old 12-07-2008, 05:11 PM posted to rec.gardens.orchids
[email protected] pakrat@usenet.pr.neotoma.org is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jun 2008
Posts: 164
Default Read this if you use your ISP for more than a connection.

If you actually use the USENET server associated with your ISP
*OR* the email associated with your ISP *OR* the web space associated
with your ISP, expect them to disappear in the next few years.

In the event that your ISP is owned by a media distribution company
(TWC and Comcast come to mind immediately), the corporate vision
is to turn the Internet into a passive consumption channel like TV
and movies. They do not want you to be creative or increase the
knowledge base of humanity. They want you to sit back, absorb what they
send you, and buy crap.
And with AT&T's rollout of uVerse and Verizon's FIOS rollout, they have
both firmly stuck their toes into the business of being media
distribution companies.

No matter who owns your ISP, services such as USENET, email, and web
content are used by a diminishing portion of the customer base but
still requires the same or increasing number of servers and employees to
maintain. Depending on your jurisdiction hosting these services creates
increased liability to provide manpower and CPU time to provide
information requested under civil and criminal supoenas. The behavior
that is responsible to the share holders is to drop such services.

The ISPs may claim this is in response to pressure for a noble cause
like ridding the net of kiddy pr0n, but it really boils down to their
corporate interests. Folks with power love firebrands like kiddy pr0n
because they can immediately label those they oppose as "perverts."

If you think such services should be part of your ISP bundle, you need
to seek out an ISP that advertises that users like you are its target market.
And then pick the ones that actually keep their customers informed.

If your ISP has started dropping these services on you, look at what
other ISPs are available. If you find a suitable alternative switch
to it. Inform the ISP. Inform customer service management and
executive management.

If your ISP has not started dropping these services on you, look at what
other ISPs are available. Inform the customer service management and
executive management that you will switch if they drop the services
you desire.

And for those of you that have moved to free replacement services,
do NOT bad mouth the service for what is usually a tragedy of the
commons situation. Feel free to blame yourself for not understanding
the limitations of the service. Feel free to blame yourself for not
understanding the resource limitations of someone running a free service
without advertising revenue. Feel free to blame yourself for not using
the appropriate support channels for the free service.

I've heard some of you complain of the drain from leading an orchid
society where the members only consume and do not contribute. Running
a free news service is the same way. I caught entirely too much crap
when I ran a USENET server for IBM in the 90s. A girl I dated caught
entirely too much crap when she was NNTP admin for a mom&pop ISP.

Oh, and if you're a disruptive soul that can give good sound bites...
Contact your local TV-News affilliate and explain to them how what
the ISPs are doing actually makes it harder to catch child
pornography distributors. It's actually true.

--
Chris Dukes
"Let all the babies be born. Then let us drown those we do not like."
-- G. K. Chesterton.