Further : In that time my limit has quadrupled, but the peak is now 3/4 of the day (I get 30peak 30 off). My plan shapes me to 64Kb once I exceed the caps. Perhaps an arrangement like that rather than the charge like a bastard approach may make it more palatable.
So people are signing up to metered plans, then complaining when they hit their limit .. or going "i wants teh internets" and then just accepting whatever's offered, right ?
Much as I agree with most things you post, Mike, this is a crock of proverbial. I live in a country (Australia) where one ISP (Telstra, our equivalent of the hicks in "Deliverance") calls shaped plans unlimited (I kid you not) and we don't actually have unlimited plans, so I really have no sympathy for the AT&T customers. Caps ranging from 20 to 150Gb ? You guys probably don't have peak/off peak either... and yet still complaining. For the record when I signed up with my ISP 18 months ago, I got a 15Gb cap - 5Gb between 6p and 6a, then 10 between 6a and 6p.
Based on the first paragraph of the second link in the story posted in the last day: (it even uses the word nightmare .. jeez)
"Last April Last April Time Warner Cable shelved.. AT&T quietly continued to experiment with metered billing"
"Last April" was just on 11 months ago now.
Sorry for being ranty but this is seriously a non-story except for those who want to download the internet .. If an average user can't cope with 20Gb, I don't feel at all sorry for them.
Anyone want to tell me the volume of data they took in last month just for a comparison ?
Myself in the last month have gone through 37Gb, of which just under 30 was (legit) digital downloads. I've done quite a bit of surfing.
My very simple views on ACTA are that it's going to be held as a prerequisite for any trade agreement with countries, in particular the US. So any country with an existing trade agreement likely considers their existing agreement potentially under threat if they don't sign.
I suspect it's mainly led by US entertainment companies and their lobbyists, or in more general terms, those already responsible for the RIAA and MPAA. Why would we be concerned about those organisations coercing our countries into accepting an agreement they likely don't want.
I dare say the laws in Australia on this are messy enough, this'll just make it tons worse.
All we need to do to avoid the problem is not consume any media which originated in the US between now and whenever it's ratified.. lol
No we bloody well can't make it Rant Friday. What the hell do you think this is ? Does it look ranty ? Is it a Friday ? Yes and Yes ? Well I never ! Maybe it is ranty Friday.
I have ME1 and quite enjoyed it, though to be honest the replayability factor was 1 playthrough, which I was peeved about. I've been looking forwards to ME2, but I won't buy it until I know for sure it's DRM free, or at least at a level which I am happy with (which is very light).
Pff.
Facebook is a social networking thingy and your friends are public. It will happily raid your GMail contacts for people to spam with farmville invites.
Twitter is a social networking thingy and your followers and people you follow are publicly available.
Buzz is a social networking thingy .. etc.
I'm sure every country has a politician that they'd much prefer they didn't. At least he's currently the worst we have to offer. To my understanding he's pretty safe in his seat, which is probably even more unfortunate.
Any twitter users, the candidates are on @Kat4Croydon and @Gamers4Croydon.
.. and yes I hold the man personally responsible that my 15 year old son can play Fallout3, Alien Vs Predator and GTA4.
Just last month iiNet halved the price on my VOIP, ($10 off) and then increased my 10(peak) and 15Gb(offpeak) limits to 30 and 30 (there's no such thing as "unlimited" internet in Australia, unless you're with Telstra - who shape their "unlimited" accounts). As an ISP, iiNet really do not need gimmicks, they stand pretty proudly on their service and customer focus.
It's pretty telling that the most positive thing about Exetel is that they've decided to follow the law (once the iiNet decision is made) rather than kicking users off based on allegations like they used to. Then they make it a PR exercise about how good they are !? err .. LOL.
I'm an iiNet subscriber, and have never been happier (regardless of the outcome in that case). In the 30+ calls I've needed to make to them in the 18 months I've been with them, one has taken more than 5 minutes and not been resolved first call (and that particular one was a Sunday night, with the Monday being a public holiday). Generally you get answered on the third ring, speak to a person who fixes it, and you hang up happy within 5 minutes. *THAT* Is why I'm with iiNet.
I am so looking forwards to this game ..
But since I can't install Bioshock 1 any more, for the same sorts of reasons that appear in Bioshock 2, I therefore expect the same problem.
I'll wait 'til it's DRM free.
Agreed. I have suffered more pain from wasps and bees than the native fauna. I've been here 38 years, and in the wild, seen one funnel web (they're scarily aggro nutters), no snakes, no blue-ringed octopii and no box jellyfish or platypii. There's probably 20 redbacks within 10 feet of me (PC's in the garage) but once they make their web they don't really move, if they do they're not fast, and you can squash them really easily. I just remember to check my motorcycle boots and gloves before *every* use.
I'd be more worried if we had bears and wolves to be honest but then again familiarity makes them seem less dangerous I guess too.
As for the law this relates to, I heard about it yesterday on Twitter. I live in NSW (mid east coast) rather than SA (mid southern coast) though. Since we don't have free speech actually written down as a right anywhere (I think at most it's implied) - his comments about that particular paper were pretty inflammatory though. I think "den of identity theft" was one phrase (and adding addresses everywhere would only worsen that ..)
So far as the filter and related stupidity goes, that seems to be progressing "nicely" - however there's starting to be a bit of a backlash about it. Sadly much of the public as with any country don't understand the finer points of the issue or think it won't bother them. At election time the filter was to be opt in, so some may think it won't apply.
As comment 1 has said, Atkinson has stated he will repeal the law after the election, but as I commented earlier this implies he thinks he's guaranteed a seat. Due to political alignments, the confused old duffer's actually pretty safe which is a big worry.
To add to the points added by Cofiem, he is also the *sole* force behind us not having an R18 games rating. (To change the classification rules all attorney generals - 1 per state, ie 7 - have to agree unanimously).
I am not sure what rating Alien Vs Predator got in the US or other countries (I assume R or 18/21 age requirement), here the unmodified version will be available to 15 year olds. (The game was refused classification (banned), the developer refused to soften it, so they suddenly realised since it was scifi the violence wasn't a problem) That's a separate issue, but that's one platform people are campaigning against him on. The classification board can only rule within the guidelines they have, obviously.
Add the internet filter, and sadly the comparisons to Iran and China much as I find them distasteful, are a fair comparison. I think on the whole, their politicians seem to know more about the inter-webs than ours.
Further, torrents are often used to bring content into areas where it has not yet been shown. The UK, example, is about a full season behind on CSI, if I remember correctly. Australia is often out of sync because their seasons are reversed, etc.
Sorry in advance, I am going to trip someone's profanity meter. TAM as an Aussie that's the stupidest fucking thing (out of a veritable plethora of stupid things) you've said.
What, we can't watch Heroes in summer ? Do satellite signals reverse polarity depending on the season ? I think you'll find the main reason any one country is behind the US is simply :
a) They're generally made in the US.
b) They then release it to themselves first so they don't have to wait.
c) They apply some ridiculous geographic window to delay release overseas.
And just to refute the "behind US"
d) Most Aussies download Heroes the day after it's aired in the US (after being uploaded by US citizens most likely) and are no longer interested in it when it airs "properly" here. The station that shows it airs it at varying times during the day, and week. Neither the Aussie broadcaster, nor the creators are actually doing the best thing for their product.
is exactly the "artificial scarcity" system that Mike pushes so much. Hardcover books are the equal of the "pre-release box set" or the "autographed hoodie" or what have you, something that is rare by it's nature. If you want to be first to read a new book, you buy the hardcover.
Nice way to defeat your own logic in the middle sentence by adding the last one. Hardcovers are simply the company's way of providing an earlier version of a product at a higher price. There's no reason the first release method can't be paperback - or digital.
Imagine : The first eBook sold in serial form over a year by subscription then sold as e/iBook, then physical copies. I'd pay to be part of that .. but meh.
I think Griff has it right, and haiku has the end result. The companies can put any sort of value on it that they like. Individuals will be forced to pay .. or forced to wait and pay .. or not read it, or feel forced to copy it.
I think it will become a lot like music, with 2 opposing factions and all the rest of it, and sadly the content creators are the ones who'll lose out.
I think authors may need to find a way to CwF+RtB.
Disclaimer : Blog comments are 95%+ of my interwebs posting total. Definitely no book deals.
On the post: Bad Publicity, BBB Complaints Causing AT&T To Reconsider Metered Broadband?
On the post: Bad Publicity, BBB Complaints Causing AT&T To Reconsider Metered Broadband?
er..
Much as I agree with most things you post, Mike, this is a crock of proverbial. I live in a country (Australia) where one ISP (Telstra, our equivalent of the hicks in "Deliverance") calls shaped plans unlimited (I kid you not) and we don't actually have unlimited plans, so I really have no sympathy for the AT&T customers. Caps ranging from 20 to 150Gb ? You guys probably don't have peak/off peak either... and yet still complaining. For the record when I signed up with my ISP 18 months ago, I got a 15Gb cap - 5Gb between 6p and 6a, then 10 between 6a and 6p.
Based on the first paragraph of the second link in the story posted in the last day: (it even uses the word nightmare .. jeez)
"Last April Last April Time Warner Cable shelved.. AT&T quietly continued to experiment with metered billing"
"Last April" was just on 11 months ago now.
Sorry for being ranty but this is seriously a non-story except for those who want to download the internet .. If an average user can't cope with 20Gb, I don't feel at all sorry for them.
Anyone want to tell me the volume of data they took in last month just for a comparison ?
Myself in the last month have gone through 37Gb, of which just under 30 was (legit) digital downloads. I've done quite a bit of surfing.
On the post: Why Would Countries Leave ACTA Negotiations If Text Was Public?
I suspect it's mainly led by US entertainment companies and their lobbyists, or in more general terms, those already responsible for the RIAA and MPAA. Why would we be concerned about those organisations coercing our countries into accepting an agreement they likely don't want.
I dare say the laws in Australia on this are messy enough, this'll just make it tons worse.
All we need to do to avoid the problem is not consume any media which originated in the US between now and whenever it's ratified.. lol
Disclaimer : Some sarcasm, sure you can spot it.
On the post: Spamming Patent Tossed Out As Obvious
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Hey you, get off my lawn ! :)
On the post: Ubisoft DRM Gets Worse And Worse: Kicks You Out Of Game If You Have A Flakey WiFi Connection
This is why I won't buy ME2
On the post: NY Times Execs Think People Will Pay $20 To $30 Per Month For The iPad Edition Of The NY Times
On the post: And, Of Course, Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Google Over Buzz
Facebook is a social networking thingy and your friends are public. It will happily raid your GMail contacts for people to spam with farmville invites.
Twitter is a social networking thingy and your followers and people you follow are publicly available.
Buzz is a social networking thingy .. etc.
On the post: Australian Politician Claims Video Gamers Are A Bigger Risk To His Family Than Angry Biker Gangs
Any twitter users, the candidates are on @Kat4Croydon and @Gamers4Croydon.
.. and yes I hold the man personally responsible that my 15 year old son can play Fallout3, Alien Vs Predator and GTA4.
On the post: Australian ISP Stops Kicking People Off The Internet Following iiNet Ruling
Re:
On the post: Australian ISP Stops Kicking People Off The Internet Following iiNet Ruling
I'm an iiNet subscriber, and have never been happier (regardless of the outcome in that case). In the 30+ calls I've needed to make to them in the 18 months I've been with them, one has taken more than 5 minutes and not been resolved first call (and that particular one was a Sunday night, with the Monday being a public holiday). Generally you get answered on the third ring, speak to a person who fixes it, and you hang up happy within 5 minutes. *THAT* Is why I'm with iiNet.
On the post: BioShock 2, Loaded Up With Annoying DRM That Pisses Off Fans, Cracked Immediately Anyway
But since I can't install Bioshock 1 any more, for the same sorts of reasons that appear in Bioshock 2, I therefore expect the same problem.
I'll wait 'til it's DRM free.
On the post: BioShock 2, Loaded Up With Annoying DRM That Pisses Off Fans, Cracked Immediately Anyway
Re:
On the post: Murdoch's Daughter Recognizes That 'Piracy' Can Be Good
Re: Re: Re:
On the post: Mark Cuban Tells Newspapers To Pull Out Of Google... As He Invests In Competitors?
Re: Regular Reader
On the post: iiNet Wins! AFACT Has To Pay. Australian Court Says ISPs Not Responsible For Infringing Users
Re:
I'd be more worried if we had bears and wolves to be honest but then again familiarity makes them seem less dangerous I guess too.
On the post: New South Australian Law Forbids Anonymous Political Commentary During Election Season
So far as the filter and related stupidity goes, that seems to be progressing "nicely" - however there's starting to be a bit of a backlash about it. Sadly much of the public as with any country don't understand the finer points of the issue or think it won't bother them. At election time the filter was to be opt in, so some may think it won't apply.
As comment 1 has said, Atkinson has stated he will repeal the law after the election, but as I commented earlier this implies he thinks he's guaranteed a seat. Due to political alignments, the confused old duffer's actually pretty safe which is a big worry.
To add to the points added by Cofiem, he is also the *sole* force behind us not having an R18 games rating. (To change the classification rules all attorney generals - 1 per state, ie 7 - have to agree unanimously).
I am not sure what rating Alien Vs Predator got in the US or other countries (I assume R or 18/21 age requirement), here the unmodified version will be available to 15 year olds. (The game was refused classification (banned), the developer refused to soften it, so they suddenly realised since it was scifi the violence wasn't a problem) That's a separate issue, but that's one platform people are campaigning against him on. The classification board can only rule within the guidelines they have, obviously.
Add the internet filter, and sadly the comparisons to Iran and China much as I find them distasteful, are a fair comparison. I think on the whole, their politicians seem to know more about the inter-webs than ours.
On the post: New South Australian Law Forbids Anonymous Political Commentary During Election Season
Re: Vowed to Repeal the Terrible Law
On the post: Of Course Most Content Shared On BitTorrent Infringes; But That's Meaningless
Re: Re: Re:
Sorry in advance, I am going to trip someone's profanity meter. TAM as an Aussie that's the stupidest fucking thing (out of a veritable plethora of stupid things) you've said.
What, we can't watch Heroes in summer ? Do satellite signals reverse polarity depending on the season ? I think you'll find the main reason any one country is behind the US is simply :
a) They're generally made in the US.
b) They then release it to themselves first so they don't have to wait.
c) They apply some ridiculous geographic window to delay release overseas.
And just to refute the "behind US"
d) Most Aussies download Heroes the day after it's aired in the US (after being uploaded by US citizens most likely) and are no longer interested in it when it airs "properly" here. The station that shows it airs it at varying times during the day, and week. Neither the Aussie broadcaster, nor the creators are actually doing the best thing for their product.
On the post: Amazon, Macmillan Fight Over Ebook Prices; After Amazon Removes Macmillan Titles, It Caves To Higher Prices
More..
Nice way to defeat your own logic in the middle sentence by adding the last one. Hardcovers are simply the company's way of providing an earlier version of a product at a higher price. There's no reason the first release method can't be paperback - or digital. Imagine : The first eBook sold in serial form over a year by subscription then sold as e/iBook, then physical copies. I'd pay to be part of that .. but meh.
On the post: Amazon, Macmillan Fight Over Ebook Prices; After Amazon Removes Macmillan Titles, It Caves To Higher Prices
Sadly
I think it will become a lot like music, with 2 opposing factions and all the rest of it, and sadly the content creators are the ones who'll lose out.
I think authors may need to find a way to CwF+RtB.
Disclaimer : Blog comments are 95%+ of my interwebs posting total. Definitely no book deals.
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