--On Saturday, June 12, 2004 1:17 PM -0500 Adi Linden <adil@adis.on.ca> wrote:
That's like saying provide safe electricity. If someone has a toaster where the wire cracks and they electrocute themselves, or a hair dryer that isn't safe in the bathtub, do you complain that the electric company should provide safe electricity?
The problem with all the comparisions is what you are comparing. Your utility has an obligation to provide safe electricity. If your holding your hair dryer while the utility company sends you 25,000 Volts instead of 120 Volts you should complain.
Right... And if my ISP started sending me IPX or VINES, I would complain. However, as long as what they are delivering is properly formed IP packets with destination addresses within my address ranges, then I have no complaint. They are delivering what I expect them to deliver.
How is bandwidth any different?
It is not any different.
So, we agree... As long as my ISP delivers IP, life is good. If they deliver IPX, I should complain.
There is no "safe bandwidth". No matter how you look at it it's a two way communications and it's never going to be "safe" as far as the bandwidth goes, just like electricity is power and it's never going to be safe. It's the devices you plug in that need to be made safe.
Computers are devices that are supposed to magically do anything. If I purchase a computer to browse the web and send email I should be able to obtain "safe bandwidth" that provides web access and email.
Put down the crack pipe before someone gets hurt. Computers are devices that are tools, just like hammers, power drills, telephones, chain saws, and weed whackers. If you want a computer that is safe to browse the web and receive mail, you should buy a computer with an appropriate configuration to support that. Expecting your ISP to change the internet to suit your desires is like expecting the power company to provide you with 50 cycle power because you happened to buy an electric drill that came from Europe instead of one which was designed for the US electrical system. (US power is 60 cycles, Europe is 50). If you use tools, you can get hurt if you don't take appropriate safety precautions. You don't expect the hardware store to make it impossible for you to hit your thumb with the hammer. You don't expect the power company to make it impossible for you to drill a hole in your foot with your electric drill. You don't expect the phone company to make it impossible for you to make a crank call, and, you don't expect the hardware store to make it impossible for you to saw off your leg with the chain saw. Why do you expect your ISP to make it impossible for your improper use of an incorrectly configured computer to get hacked, misuesed, etc.?
To compare this with the electricity company, the average home with a 200A service is equivalent to NATed and firewalled internet bandwidth. As your electricity demands grow (for whatever reason) the electricity company upgrades your service, to 3 phase, 600V, whatever. Same with internet bandwidth, get a public ip, get a static ip, get ports opened, run servers. Just as the upgraded electricity service requires more knowledge and equipment so does the upgraded internet bandwidth.
Sorry... I don't agree. The average home with a 200A service is perfectly capable of using that electricity to power any electrical device they wish up to that load. 200A service is equivalent to DSL, but, nothing in that 200A service prevents me from running a toaster, microwave, or refrigerator. Noting in that 200A service limits me to a television and a clock-radio. NATed Firewalled internet service would be equivalent to electrical service that would only work with televisions and clock-radios, but, would disable any attempt to run a microwave, refirgerator, toaster, or night-light. I certainly don't want that from my electric company, and, I don't want my internet screwed up that way either. 600A three phase is about bigger bandwidth, not different services. True, there are devices that require three phase power, but, if they don't require more power than is available in a 200A 220V services, guess what, they can be run off of household service by using a transformer to convert the household service to 3phase and handle the voltage conversion as well. A transformer is a simple, and, generally inexpensive device which the user could even make themselves if they so desired (although I don't recommend this). To continue the analogy, 200A 220V household service is like DSL or Cable. 600A 208V three phase is like a T1. 2000A 7KV three phase is like a DS3. To the best of my knowledge, all of these services can be made to work with any electrical device that doesn't require more power (bandwidth) than the service can deliver. Owen -- If it wasn't crypto-signed, it probably didn't come from me.