On Sat, Aug 14, 2004 at 01:58:26PM +0200, Koen Martens wrote:
So, you are using free Internet access for your company ? Or do you
pay $bigbucks for your "right" to be part of the Internet?
Do not forget that the "normal, trustworthy small companies" need to
"cough up the dough" once in every <foo> years whereas spammers will
have to pay every <bar> days.
I pay for my internet connection, yes. For that I get a team of good
technicians that maintain and buy the hardware i use to get internet
connectivity. What do I get if I pay to buy the right to send email?
Some anonymous John Doe will put a stamp on some form, 2 minutes work
and presto $300 earned. What's
next, are we going to put up a price to setting up a website, just so
that we know no fake websites will be set up?
You're missing my point. You think it is normal to pay for your connection
to the Internet. Some "anonymous John Doe" ties two wires together, presses
a button and presto, $bigbucks earned, each month.
What is the difference? You (your company) are paying for a service. There
is no difference. And yes, the service is a bit more than just tying two
wires together; you got it.
Buying rights is ridiculous, if you ask me. Call me old fashioned, but I
still believe in the internet as 'a free flow of information', not as an
extension of the corporate domain, where corporations set the rules and
everyone is to obey (=pay) or go away..
You are contradicting yourself, again. IMHO you are calling yourself
ridiculous.
Being part of it is something else than embracing it whole-heartedly. If
you knew my company, you wouldn't probably even made this comment. I'll
refrain from getting personal now, although i think this is a bit below
the belt.
I'm sorry if you feel that way. That is not my intention. I'm pointing
out that you are making a very strong point out of paying a relatively
small amount (when you're not a spammer) of money.
I am __NOT__ saying such a company has to control the Internet and I am
probably not going to use its service myself. There will be alternatives
that are free. That does not mean a payed service is a ridicilous idea.
Please, don't take my comments so personally.
Alex