Points on your Internet driver's license (was RE: Even you can be

Sat Jun 12 18:17:21 UTC 2004

> 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. 

> How is bandwidth any different?

It is not any different.

> 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.

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.

Adi