"After 15 years of utopian gibberish about the "internet as a platform" that (of course) "changes everything", the pigeons are finally flying home to roost. In 2008, IP networks look less like the future of media, and more like tarpits that promise to bankrupt anyone who tries to run one. Especially the middlemen - as the distributors look like going to the wall first."
It's a very interesting conundrum, put it into non-internet terms:
Someone gives everyone free paddling pools, some people just throw them away, a lot of people will try them once and then leave them in the garage, but a few people will use them many times a week. They're going to fill them up with water every time they use them, and with most houses being on unmetered water, someone's got to pay the bill.
Now should it be all users of water across the country, should it be enforced metering on every user of water, or should the company that gave away the paddling pools in the first place foot the bill?
Now it gets worse as the company who gave away the paddling pools are also offering free upgrades to a hot tub or a swimming pool.
Still have the same answer as before?
On the plus side, a lot of rubbish ISPs will dissapear quickly, let's hope AOL/Carphone Warehouse are first!
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