E-mail From VM

[Ignitionnet]

I am still trying to work out just what in the name of all that is holy the point of this email is, I have after some consideration decided that it's an e-peen waving exercise after earlier BT announcements.

From: Richard Branson

Wooo. Hi Sir Richard.

Dear xxxx,

It’s amazing to watch how the internet is changing our lives, isn’t it? Downloading music and movies, playing games online, sharing our lives through social networking we can do so much more than ever seemed possible not so long ago.

Indeed just don't download a good quality movie on anything apart from 50Mbit as you'll break the FUP. I can do nothing I couldn't a couple of years ago.

The world of fibre optic broadband is picking up the pace. Even the government has realised the power of superfast broadband, and are now telling us that the UK needs it!

Indeed we do, shame no-one really offers it. I am getting the idea of what's going on here now though. Put it away Virgin, put it away. I'm a customer I don't need this garbage thrown at me.

When we first launched, we were offering customers speeds of up to 10Mb. Now – thanks to the phenomenal power of fibre optic cable we’re offering you up to 50Mb. Virgin Media is still the only place to get fibre optic broadband where you live, and the good news is, you’ve got it!

I have to say it's very confusing looking fibre. Staring at the piece of metal I should be going blind from the light but I appear to be staring at coaxial cable.

Stop with the fibre optic nonsense. I regard broadband as being fibre optic when the glass is coming through my wall. I strongly suggest Virgin google hybrid fibre coaxial.

Every year we’ve upgraded our broadband speeds for free - in 2007 we upgraded our customers on 10Mb to up to 20Mb, last year we upgraded all our customers on 4Mb to up to 10Mb. With the launch of our 50Mb broadband this year, the possibilities are virtually limitless. Who knows what speeds we’ll be able to bring to you in the future. But rest assured since you’re on the fibre optic network, you’re on the right network.

I appear to be on an HFC network, and as the 20Mbit upgrade came with STM because the network couldn't support it on the old terms I won't cheer. Indeed who knows what speeds, probably 100 / 3 is next on the list.

With fibre optic technology the possibilities are virtually limitless.

Apart from the minor issues of sharing bandwidth and that the silicon in the modems permits only 4 downstream channels.

On top of almost infinite speeds, there’s the simply brilliant things that only fibre optic broadband brings. Right now, you’re already getting unlimited downloads and free internet security. But we’re about to bring you more.

*Snore* Subject to FUP and free Internet security subject to being a masochist as it sucks.

Some of our best ideas at Virgin come about because you tell us how to change things for the better. For instance, you told us that protecting your files was important to you and that’s just one of the things that our new, free, ‘My Stuff’ service lets you do. I’ll be writing to you soon to give you all the details, but for now, here’s a quick taster…

No one likes losing things so that’s why we’ve come up with a really easy, secure way to backup all your files, so you never lose photos or music files again.

Yeah right, nothing at all to do with BT advertising a similar service on TV. I'm sure people were clamouring for this. I'm looking forward to spending hours trying to upload stuff to said service and getting upstream STM'd.

Life’s all about sharing, too. So we wanted to make it easier to share the photos and video clips you want to with friends and family. Our new storage service will let you do just that.

A high quality photo is 3MB. I had a wedding album of 600MB along with a further 400MB of video - this took HOURS to upload to web space on 20Mbit. People on lower tiers will take even longer they'll get STM'd part way through.

All this is possible thanks to the power of fibre optic broadband. As well as being the fastest broadband in the UK, it’s also the only broadband technology with the capacity to keep challenging what’s possible and keep offering you more.

The ability to be able to share the photos, video clips, and to back up my files without needing to hog the bandwidth for hours on end and totally ruining the connection would be good. Some investment in upstream would be great it's a joke offering 1.75Mbit on the 'premium' product and 768k on 20Mbit while O2's standard speed is 1.3Mbit and they go up to 2.5.

We want to bring better broadband to all. So over the next few weeks, I’ll be leading the campaign. But as one of our most valued customers, I wanted to let you in on our plans first.

If I get skin cancer from all the sunshine blown up my backside I will sue!

Exciting times are ahead! I’m glad you’re part of it.

No they aren't, more of the same. When BT do something Virgin will copy, when it comes to speed Virgin will keep a bit ahead, meanwhile merrily advertising a throttled unlimited service.

[Turkey Machine]

I loved reading that, I take it you replied with the same responses then?

[BenMcr]

I'm just surprised that Virgin actually have a reasonably up to date e-mail contact list

If they had tried to send something like that when was ntl the servers probably would have crashed with amount of 'undeliverable' returns

[jls]

You mean Richard has sent it to other people and not just me?

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Turkey Machine

I loved reading that, I take it you replied with the same responses then?

Yes - response went to newsgroup virginmedia.feedback.

---------- Post added at 23:18 ---------- Previous post was at 23:17 ----------

Originally Posted by jls

You mean Richard has sent it to other people and not just me?

I'm afraid so.

[Peter_]

t is all about what is in this link below

http://www.virginmedia.com/broadbandextras/faq/

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Moldova

t is all about what is in this link below

http://www.virginmedia.com/broadbandextras/faq/

So why couldn't they just say that instead of waving the fibre optic wanger in front of me for several paragraphs?

The snidey comment about fibre optics and the government was entertaining too, not entirely accurate and totally pointless for advertising the new extras pack.

Then there's that the most asymmetrical ISP in the country is wittering on about uploading of content both for backup and sharing.

Kinda hard not to reply ironically.

[Turkey Machine]

I'd replace the G in "wanger" with something 4 letters further along the alphabet Broadbandings.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Turkey Machine

I'd replace the G in "wanger" with something 4 letters further along the alphabet Broadbandings.

You must have met the bloke who really wrote that email then.

[Turkey Machine]

Originally Posted by Broadbandings

You must have met the bloke who really wrote that email then.

PMSL! That's made my night that has. Cheers for the giggle! I nearly spat hot chocolate over my laptop!!!!!!

[v0id]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

I'm just surprised that Virgin actually have a reasonably up to date e-mail contact list

If they had tried to send something like that when was ntl the servers probably would have crashed with amount of 'undeliverable' returns

Don't they just send the newsletter to everyones default VM/NTLWORLD/BLUEYONDER address?

[Turkey Machine]

Nope, because I signed up with a Yahoo address. And nothing's dropped in there yet.

[BenMcr]

That's the problem though - I would say more people don't know/don't use the default e-mail than do.

Probably more on the ntl side though

[Welshchris]

I didnt get that, but i did get one claiming to be from Microsoft saying i won money in Microsofts Lottery lol

[graf_von_anonym]

Originally Posted by Broadbandings

I am still trying to work out just what in the name of all that is holy the point of this email is, I have after some consideration decided that it's an e-peen waving exercise after earlier BT announcements.

Meaningless announcements sometimes seem to be a core component of the Virgin brand. At least he didn't abseil off you into a waiting speedboat, eh?