Re: Frugal Ethics 101
i still say the movie analogy is invalid.
if i buy a movie ticket, it is for one seat for one person to view one movie. not two people, not two seats, not one person in one seat for two movies, or any other permutations.
when i buy internet service, it is for a cetain amount of average usage (call it a volume of service) up to and including a different volume of maximum allowable usage. i do not however pay for internet for only one computer. at home i have anywhere from 2-3 computers on my network (yes, they're all inside my house) at any given time. if my total usage on my designated IP exceeds my allotment, whether it's from one computer or 15 on my network, i fully expect the cable company to raise a fuss.
if, however, i am within the guidelines of my my contractual allotment, they have no legal right to tell me how many computers can by on my personal network or where they must be located.
how is having my desktop downloading software in my office while i am 20 feet away wirelessly checking my email on my laptop any different from my desktop downloading software in my office while my neighbor 20 feet away wirelessly checks his email on his laptop? the bandwidth has been paid for, regardless of who is using it.
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