Re: OT: Martin Krafft - mail bouncing
On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 14:19:42 -0500
John Hasler <john@dhh.gt.org> wrote:
> The latter. Having a monopoly is not illegal. Taking unfair advantage
> of it is.
It might not be illegal, but the method to reach/hold it might at
least be questionably for a normal citizen.
> I have only one provider accessible via a local phone number: he went
> into business first and no one has seen fit to go into competition with
> him in this rural area. You seem to feel that he should be punished for
> "having a monopoly". Why?
I didn't say he should be punished, but that he shouldn't have the
power to force me to pay for nothing (literally): I've got
connectivity and IP from a company called Telefônica. I'm forced to
subscribe the `services' of another company `Terra' which does nothing
constructive: They filter my traffic, they force me to type regularly
username and password. They do offer a few email accounts (which are
unreliable and sold to marketing companies) and a frequently failing
DNS service which I've replaced a long time ago with independent
servers. I do not use anything from them. Why then do I have to pay?
> Is there something preventing you from going into competition with him?
> If so _that_ is what you should be complaining about.
I can (try to) compete with someone doing something, but not for
taking money without anything in exchange. Thieves can do that.
> In some circumstances, yes. It depends on the details. If my provider
> was to decide to double his rates I would have no legal recourse (other
> than starting my own ISP, of course).
No motivating details. This company offered broadband connections
without restrictions for a certain amount of money. A few months
later, lots of restrictions where applied without asking any customer
(we found out by surprise), at the same time a `new product' was
presented having the same features as the original one, but with more
than the double price. In the meanwhile, this second product also has
restrictions, but price is going up continuously (in steps of two
digit percentages). No more details than this. If your only local
provider doubles price in a consumer product, what would happen in
your area? Would he get support of the local authorities?
--
Christoph Simon
ciccio@kiosknet.com.br
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