Cable Forum - View Single Post - Britain's six largest ISPs and BPI join forces to attack illegal filesharing

ryuzaki · 25-07-2008, 18:22

[QUOTE=Kymmy;34608381It's like the speed limit on motorways, early on there wasn't one but because some idiots were doing rediculous speeds compared with the flow of traffic we all have to now plod along at 70...[/QUOTE]

At the risk of extending an analogy too far...

When motorways first appeared, the average family car had a top speed of 50mph and certainly could not sustain that for long. Later faster cars came along and average speeds rose a lot. The roads could not cope with people doing those speeds for a variety of reasons (unlike the German autobhans which were designed for it) so speed limits were introduced.

Similarly, the internet started out with dial-up and because it was 1p/min or more you kept your usage down. Later unlimited dial-up came along and a lot of ISPs were stuffed because they hadn't built their infrastructure to support it. In came the automatic disconnects and 2 hour limits etc. Then came broadband, again slow at first but eventually ramping up a bit. Once more the infrastructure creeks and the limits come in again.

Another interesting parallel is that something which was effectively legal is now attempting to be made a civil offence. Where once private copying was tolerated, now the BPI wants to threaten you for doing it, if not actually wanting to sue you.

25-07-2008, 18:22	#105
ryuzaki Permanently Banned Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 16	Re: Britain's six largest ISPs and BPI join forces to attack illegal filesharing [QUOTE=Kymmy;34608381It's like the speed limit on motorways, early on there wasn't one but because some idiots were doing rediculous speeds compared with the flow of traffic we all have to now plod along at 70...[/QUOTE] At the risk of extending an analogy too far... When motorways first appeared, the average family car had a top speed of 50mph and certainly could not sustain that for long. Later faster cars came along and average speeds rose a lot. The roads could not cope with people doing those speeds for a variety of reasons (unlike the German autobhans which were designed for it) so speed limits were introduced. Similarly, the internet started out with dial-up and because it was 1p/min or more you kept your usage down. Later unlimited dial-up came along and a lot of ISPs were stuffed because they hadn't built their infrastructure to support it. In came the automatic disconnects and 2 hour limits etc. Then came broadband, again slow at first but eventually ramping up a bit. Once more the infrastructure creeks and the limits come in again. Another interesting parallel is that something which was effectively legal is now attempting to be made a civil offence. Where once private copying was tolerated, now the BPI wants to threaten you for doing it, if not actually wanting to sue you.