Level 3 Communications Issues Statement Concerning Comcast'sActions

Tue Nov 30 03:25:37 UTC 2010

On Mon, Nov 29, 2010 at 9:29 PM, Ben Butler <ben.butler at c2internet.net> wrote:
>  It is not double billing, it is shared billing.

Hi Ben,

Nice try, but no.

There are a couple forms of shared billing. The one you're probably
talking about is The Dance. Everybody pays to get in to the dance. The
organizer provides a ballroom and a DJ. And then you dance with
whoever else pays.

One key criteria for The Dance is that all participants are on an
equal footing. If the DJ never gets around to playing my song because
someone else gave him a list and a fifty then I've been ripped off.

Netflix and John Residential Doe are not on equal footing. Netflix
will always be the controlling voice in that partnership. Hence
Dance-style shared billing is inappropriate -- from John's perspective
he should have to pay Netflix or you but not both.

Another form of shared billing is when two parties pool resources to
deal with a third. For example, you and your insurance company at the
pharmacy. Or my neighbor and I buying a jointly-owned snow-blower. I
don't think that's the kind of shared billing you meant.

Roommates appears to be shared billing but it isn't. In one version, a
particular roommate is responsible for the entire rent whether the
others cough up their share or not. That's called "subletting." In
another, all roommates are responsible for the entire rent regardless
of whether the others do what they're supposed to. Never sign the
latter rent contract. Just don't. When it goes bad you get royally
screwed.

Regards,
Bill Herrin

-- 
William D. Herrin ................ herrin at dirtside.com  bill at herrin.us
3005 Crane Dr. ...................... Web: <http://bill.herrin.us/>
Falls Church, VA 22042-3004