Are we being ripped off by ISP's

When ISP's first started off, they advertised (and still do) they provided;

1. Connection to the web
2. Email
3. Usenet

Some ISP's now say they provide email/Usenet, but it's a unsupported
service?

Web storage provided by ISP's is often unreliable and leads many
customers (myself included) to go to 'reliable' web hosting, POP3 and
Usenet providers.

I have this nasty feeling that the ISP's probably own these companies in
one form or another, or have shares in them!

Clive

> When ISP's first started off, they advertised (and still do) they
> provided;
> 1. Connection to the web
> 2. Email
> 3. Usenet
>
> Some ISP's now say they provide email/Usenet, but it's a unsupported
> service?
>
> Web storage provided by ISP's is often unreliable and leads many
> customers (myself included) to go to 'reliable' web hosting, POP3 and
> Usenet providers.
>
> I have this nasty feeling that the ISP's probably own these companies
> in one form or another, or have shares in them!

You are paranoid!

Peter Crosland

Peter Crosland wrote:
>> When ISP's first started off, they advertised (and still do) they
>> provided;
>> 1. Connection to the web
>> 2. Email
>> 3. Usenet
>>
>> Some ISP's now say they provide email/Usenet, but it's a unsupported
>> service?
>>
>> Web storage provided by ISP's is often unreliable and leads many
>> customers (myself included) to go to 'reliable' web hosting, POP3 and
>> Usenet providers.
>>
>> I have this nasty feeling that the ISP's probably own these companies
>> in one form or another, or have shares in them!
>
> You are paranoid!
>
> Peter Crosland
>
>

That is a sure sign that you agree with me :-)

I'm afraid I don't share your belief that ISP's and other businesses are
there just to provide superb customer service, excellent product range
at competitive prices.

Everything in the news, media, we, etc, etc proves me correct.

Companies making billions of pounds profit, while either making people
redundant, or moving jobs abroad to save money.

Must be that everyone is paranoid!

Clive

"Clive" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:45cd9fa4$0$23995$(E-Mail Removed)...
> When ISP's first started off, they advertised (and still do) they
provided;
>
> 1. Connection to the web
> 2. Email
> 3. Usenet
>
> Some ISP's now say they provide email/Usenet, but it's a unsupported
> service?
>
> Web storage provided by ISP's is often unreliable and leads many
> customers (myself included) to go to 'reliable' web hosting, POP3 and
> Usenet providers.
>
> I have this nasty feeling that the ISP's probably own these companies in
> one form or another, or have shares in them!
>
> Clive

If we were being ripped I would have thought the ISPs would be posting
record profits. The only ISP I see who are posting record profits are Tesco
and Sky, neither of whom are currently making their money from being an ISP.
However at least they both have lots of dosh and are unlikely to kill each
other, so some competition might remain. I dread to think for how long
though as if they were all we were left with it would be a sad day indeed...

Dave

> Must be that everyone is paranoid!
>
> Clive

Don't see many other posts which agree with your original comments!

Dave

--
Foot Massage @ Home
Luxurious, indulgent massage in Worcestershire
http://footmass.mysite.orange.co.uk

"gort" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>> Must be that everyone is paranoid!
>>
>> Clive
>
> Don't see many other posts which agree with your original comments!
>
> Dave
>
> --
Maybe you need to use an ISP with a decent news server. I agree with him
completely. You know nothing about how businesses work or the tricks used
by ISPs to make a substantial profit. If you have the time and can afford
it, get the reports for various companies and you will notice one thing - a
lot of them have the same names as directors. Make a start with Companies
House and do your own research.
As for that know it all in the group posting under the name Crosland, best
to filter his posts out as he just sends replies to everything appearing to
be some expert. He probably just goes to Google, then cuts and pastes! It
happens in a lot of the groups. Always a post for every occasion, but no
real content or the ability to back up what is posted!

"David Wade" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:M6GdnSYRVL-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Clive" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:45cd9fa4$0$23995$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> When ISP's first started off, they advertised (and still do) they
> provided;
>>
>> 1. Connection to the web
>> 2. Email
>> 3. Usenet
>>
>> Some ISP's now say they provide email/Usenet, but it's a unsupported
>> service?
>>
>> Web storage provided by ISP's is often unreliable and leads many
>> customers (myself included) to go to 'reliable' web hosting, POP3 and
>> Usenet providers.
>>
>> I have this nasty feeling that the ISP's probably own these companies in
>> one form or another, or have shares in them!
>>
>> Clive
>
> If we were being ripped I would have thought the ISPs would be posting
> record profits. The only ISP I see who are posting record profits are
> Tesco
> and Sky, neither of whom are currently making their money from being an
> ISP.
> However at least they both have lots of dosh and are unlikely to kill each
> other, so some competition might remain. I dread to think for how long
> though as if they were all we were left with it would be a sad day
> indeed...
>
> Dave
>
>
If you run a company you would know how to present accounts to give whatever
picture you like. Not by telling porkies, but by using financial terms the
public could easily misunderstand. Sky and Tesco probably present the
correct and true figures in a way people understand. You also have to look
at profit and also income for the year, profit is often quoted after loans
are paid and company directors take millions.
You would need to see all the company accounts presented the same way to
compare.

On Saturday, in article
<45cd9fa4$0$23995$(E-Mail Removed)> (E-Mail Removed)
"Clive" wrote:

> When ISP's first started off, they advertised (and still do) they provided;
>
> 1. Connection to the web
> 2. Email
> 3. Usenet
>
> Some ISP's now say they provide email/Usenet, but it's a unsupported
> service?
>
> Web storage provided by ISP's is often unreliable and leads many
> customers (myself included) to go to 'reliable' web hosting, POP3 and
> Usenet providers.
>
> I have this nasty feeling that the ISP's probably own these companies in
> one form or another, or have shares in them!

Pipex own 123-REG, don't they?

Usenet access is getting very bad at peak times: the packets don't get
anywhere.

The ISPs seem to be selling the idea of broadband content without any
assurance of sufficient capacity: try working out what a megabit per
second means at 50:1 contention. It's worse than dial-up.

And I paid a tenner a month for dial-up, plus a fee to BT to replace
time-based call charges, which added to to about the same per month as
what I'm now paying.

I think the halcyon days of cheap broadband are over, but I'm not sure
we're ever going to see the sort of technical competence and plain
speaking that made the reputation of Demon, and which arguably made the
current Internet Industry possible in the UK.

--
David G. Bell -- SF Fan, Filker, and Punslinger.

On the horizon, a carrier task force of the Salvation Navy was
turning into the wind, preparing to launch Zeppelins.

> Maybe you need to use an ISP with a decent news server.

Maybe you should look at the posting times. You don't know anything about my
knowledge of business so don't presume.

Dave

--
Foot Massage @ Home
Luxurious, foot massage in Worcestershire
http://footmass.mysite.orange.co.uk

>>> When ISP's first started off, they advertised (and still do) they
>>> provided;
>>> 1. Connection to the web
>>> 2. Email
>>> 3. Usenet
>>>
>>> Some ISP's now say they provide email/Usenet, but it's a unsupported
>>> service?
>>>
>>> Web storage provided by ISP's is often unreliable and leads many
>>> customers (myself included) to go to 'reliable' web hosting, POP3
>>> and Usenet providers.
>>>
>>> I have this nasty feeling that the ISP's probably own these
>>> companies in one form or another, or have shares in them!

You have a nasty feeling? Where is your evidence rather than your apparent
paranoia?


> I'm afraid I don't share your belief that ISP's and other businesses
> are there just to provide superb customer service, excellent product
> range at competitive prices.

I certainly don't believe that.

> Everything in the news, media, we, etc, etc proves me correct.

So you believe everything you read/hear/see in the media?

> Companies making billions of pounds profit, while either making people
> redundant, or moving jobs abroad to save money.

Exactly who are these ISP's making at least 2 billion pounds in profit etc?
Care to name them instead of making wild unsupported statements that you
cannot produce any evidence to support?

Peter Crosland