[TheForge] Abana Tape rentals getting OT-ish

[Demon Buddha]

On Sat, 01 Nov 2003 11:37:07 -0600, <xlch58@swbell.net> wrote:

>
> The problem is that it takes a lot of bandwidth that can be more 
> profitably be used for something else.

	Well, nearly every home now has a broadband termination, so
	there is no problem there.  Everything inside of the edges
	shows a pretty substantial bandwidth surplus, that thanks
	to the company of which I was once Director of QA, Microcast,
	may they RIP.  They bought up 65% of the North American
	network in the late 90s.  When they went belly-up in 01,
	the internet grew by about 300%, literally overnight.  We
	spent the 90s greatly overbuilding in anticipation of a 	change that never 
came, and in fact the opposite occured which
	we call the bursting of the internet bubbble.  There is plenty
	of surplus bandwidth and even IP domains.  I have a friend with
	a class B IP.  Frou years ago it was IMPOSSIBLE to get a class
	B IP domain.  He could have sold his for several millions in
	a heartbeat.  Now he can't get $50K for it.

	The problem lies in the law.  Cable companies are still a
	protected monopoly and they will not let a company such as
	Blockbuster Video in on their scam.  Why should they?  Why
	would I let them in when I have a captive audience?  They
	pretty well know that this will almost certainly change one
	day, but for now they have sole access to the goose that lays
	the golden eggs and they aren't going to give anything away
	to anyone for any reason as long as they are able to.

> You are not going to find  video on demand serving up stuff  you can't 
> already find at your local video store given the current schemes.

	When the law changes, you will see niche players come in and then
	you will see a quantum change in the market.  Legislation is what
	is screwing the consumer, not the companies nor the technological
	infrastructure.

> Except of course for porn.  It is amazing how many markets/technologies  
> have been built on porn.

	Porn is the ONLY net-based business that actually makes money.
	Amazon reported profits, I believe for the first time ever, 	this past 
quarter.  A couple million dollars.  Big deal.  Net
	porn does many billions per quarter.  SeX sells.  Always has,
	always will.  Anyone want to open a whorehouse with me?  I'm
	dead serious.

> The VCR industry in its consumer infancy was a $1500-$3000 player, and 
> movies that had to be bought for $100-$200 or more, all to avoid a $5 
> movie ticket.  Porn was the variable in the equation that made it all 
> work til prices could drop.  This was played out in the cable industry as 
> well.   I used to kid with clients  early on in the internet boom that 
> 50% of the bandwidth was porn, 25% was AOLers asking where to find the 
> porn and the rest was real use.

	Today, nearly 50% of net traffic is devoted to UDP packets
	between GAMERS.  Ja, das ist korrekt.

	Most of the rest is porn, SPAM, and other useless bullshit.
	There is actually VERY little "serious" activity on the net,
	proportionally speaking.