Charging content providers less?

Bradley Dunn bradley at dunn.org
Sat Oct 26 02:48:39 UTC 1996


On Fri, 25 Oct 1996, Jim Dixon wrote:

> I am saying that 
> *	we (a backbone ISP) 
> *	charge customer ISPs whose primary business is dialup 
> 	*	(net consumers of benefit) 
> *	more than those whose business is selling Web space 
> 	or 
> 	who operate a Web server 
> 	*	(net producers of benefit)

That is an interesting justification for additional "reseller" charges. I
am not convinced it is valid, though. Most of the sites that provide half
way decent content these days either charge directly for it, or charge
indirectly by making you wade through advertisements. In this manner the
sites are being compensated in a much more efficient manner, determined by
the market.

Do you really think it is our job as network providers to decide who is
a net consumer and who is a net producer? I think not, I think it is our
job to deliver bits. Let the net consumers and the net producers
themselves negotiate the terms of their transaction.

Should a bookstore have to pay less in taxes because it provides a
service people want? No, the bookstore should incorporate the taxes into
its prices, just as a web site should incorporate the costs of
connectivity into its prices.

-BD






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