New Consumer Protection for Broadband Customers (FUNNY!)

[Renegade]

This is just hilarious... Consumer protection at its finest~!

http://www.bbc.co.uk.../technology-15742055

Critics say consumers are being misled by internet service providers who continue to advertise their maximum broadband speeds, even though many users do not get them.

New rules from the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) say that from April next year providers will no longer be able to advertise maximum speeds for net packages unless 10% of customers receive them.

Hahahahaha~!

That was a good laugh. For me at least.

Care to set the bar just a bit lower? That might be a bit difficult to achieve... Hahahahaha~!

[Stoic Joker]

While it's tempting to laugh, I can't help but wonder what they're raising said bar (to 10%) from. 1%? Less?

Why is it we constantly have to spend (waste) so much time trying to make sure we're not getting screwed?

[mouser]

The worst part is, you just know that the way they are going to choose which 10% get the advertised maximum speed is by determining which users never actually use their internet connection more than once a month...

[Renegade]

The worst part is, you just know that the way they are going to choose which 10% get the advertised maximum speed is by determining which users never actually use their internet connection more than once a month...

-mouser (November 16, 2011, 07:03 AM)

And I thought I was cynical~!

But you're probably right.

It would nice to see "expected speed with variance in standard deviations" advertised.

[Stoic Joker]

It would nice to see "expected speed with variance in standard deviations" advertised.

-Renegade (November 16, 2011, 07:14 AM)

Superficially a standard deviation would be nice (because sheeple can't grasp the whole traffic concept - even when they're stuck in it on the freeway...), but... (in reality) It would unfortunately only end up opening the door for Zero to be one of the standards it deviated to...More often than not.

 So when the "freeway" grinds to a screeching halt (Speed=0) it will be construable as an acceptable part of the (fine printed) "Norm"...Because it is within the "standard".

[Renegade]

It would nice to see "expected speed with variance in standard deviations" advertised.

-Renegade (November 16, 2011, 07:14 AM)

Superficially a standard deviation would be nice (because sheeple can't grasp the whole traffic concept - even when they're stuck in it on the freeway...), but... (in reality) It would unfortunately only end up opening the door for Zero to be one of the standards it deviated to...More often than not.

 So when the "freeway" grinds to a screeching halt (Speed=0) it will be construable as an acceptable part of the (fine printed) "Norm"...Because it is within the "standard".

-Stoic Joker (November 16, 2011, 11:34 AM)

I was thinking of speeds expressed something like this:

Expected Speed: 20 Mbps with a standard deviation of 2 Mbps

So, 50% would get speeds above 20, and 50% below.

You can't really game a system like that. If you start counting zeros, then you're widening the standard deviation, which is a bad thing. Ideally, consumer would ideally desire standard deviations that are very small. (The first "ideally" is to express that in an ideal world people understand basic concepts like this. )

So, if you have a 20 Mbps speed, with 20 Mbps standard deviation, you're highly likely to get zero speed. The left side of the graph will have an abrupt cut off, while the right side tapers and then has a small cut off.

As an example:

Provider A
100 Mbps with 50 Mbps SD

Provider B
80 Mbps with 15 Mbps SD

Provider B is a far better bet there.

[app103]

The worst part is, you just know that the way they are going to choose which 10% get the advertised maximum speed is by determining which users never actually use their internet connection more than once a month...

-mouser (November 16, 2011, 07:03 AM)

I actually get the advertised speed. I get every bit of the speed that I am paying for. Actually I get just slightly above that...

But anyone that has been in the DC IRC channel can tell you that I have one of the worst connections, ever, in the sense of stability. What good is speed if you can't stay connected long enough to use it? I might as well be back on dialup. All the time I waste reconnecting on DSL would even itself out with the waiting time to download files on dialup.

So that is who will get all the speed...the 10% of customers that have the most unstable connections.

Meaning, even when they don't screw you one way, they have others. That guy on their payroll whose job it is to stay awake every night and think up new ways to screw the customers (and their employees) earns every dollar he is paid.

[Renegade]

Meaning, even when they don't screw you one way, they have others. That guy on their payroll whose job it is to stay awake every night and think up new ways to screw the customers (and their employees) earns every dollar he is paid.

-app103 (November 17, 2011, 03:38 AM)

You remind me of a quote from the movie "Fallen":

http://www.imdb.com/...tle/tt0119099/quotes

NFSW

Azazel: [speaking to Hobbes in Syrian Aramaic] I can't get inside you by touch, but even when I can, when I'm spirit, I won't. No. Better I get you for real. I'll fuck you up, down, left, right, coming, going. I'll get so close to you, so close it breaks you. And if that doesn't work, I have other ways. I have so many, many ways.

[Stoic Joker]

I was thinking of speeds expressed something like this:

Expected Speed: 20 Mbps with a standard deviation of 2 Mbps

-Renegade (November 17, 2011, 12:50 AM)

I know... That's what should happen. But as App103 covered so nicely, I'm predicting what will happen. It's a numbers game, and the house always wins. Which is why CenturyLink is my former ISP...I just got tired of having to explain things to the mindless flowcharting drones.