"Unlimited", subject to "excessive use policy"

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

________________________________________
From: W.B. McNamara [whitney () absono us]
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 10:16 AM
To: David Farber
Subject: Re: [IP] "Unlimited", subject to "excessive use policy"

Unfortunately this could be filed under the heading "business as
usual."  Back in October of 2006 Verizon Wireless in the US got some
unwanted attention to their variation on this theme when a computer
consultant's "unlimited high-speed wireless internet access" was
terminated with the note that he had "abused and damaged" Verizon's
network by downloading more that 5GB per month:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thecheckout/2006/10/bandwidth_bandit.html

It turned out that the fine pint in the service agreement for Verizon's
"unlimited" wireless data service included the following caveat:  "/If
more than 5G/line/month, we [Verizon] presume use is for non-permitted
uses and will terminate service."

/I wrote a bit more about it at the time:
http://www.blackmailr.com/smr/2006/10/04/the-large-print-giveth-and-the-small-print-taketh-away/

- Whit

**
W.B. McNamara
whitney () absono us
646-NEptune7-7791
//


David Farber wrote:
> ________________________________________
> From: nelsberg () gmail com [nelsberg () gmail com] On Behalf Of Ted Nelson [tandm () xanadu net]
> Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2008 9:54 PM
> To: David Farber
> Cc: Ted Nelson
> Subject: "Unlimited", subject to "excessive use policy"
>
> Dave,
>
> I just looked at Iphone usage pricelists at the O2 site here in the UK.
>  Here's some nice Orwellian language for you.  I have inserted ellipses
>  (...) for emphasis and deleted a few things.
>
> ===
> Unlimited* Data (Email/Web) & Wi-Fi (O2 Hotspots) ...    Unlimited data and Wi-Fi available with this O2 tariff for 
> iPhone  ...   Unlimited data and Wi-Fi available with this O2 tariff for iPhone ...    Unlimited data and Wi-Fi 
> available with this O2 tariff for iPhone
>
> ... Get reduced roaming rates with this O2 tariff for iPhone   ...
>
> * Inclusive data and Wi-Fi applies to use in the UK only  ... subject to excessive use policy. Find out more
>
> ===
> So it's "all you can eat, except for too much."
>
> Best, Ted
>
>
>
> --
> - FIRST ROCK MUSICAL RECALLED-- See
> http://hyperland.com/A&E.AnnivBlurb-D10.txt
> - NEW XANADU SOFTWARE-- See xanarama.net<http://xanarama.net>
> - MY SPECIAL LECTURE on 14 non-computer topics--
> http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/podcasts/seminars.php
>
> Theodor Holm Nelson
>  Founder, Project Xanadu
>  Visiting Fellow, Oxford Internet Institute
>  Visiting Professor, University of Southampton
>
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