Stopping The 56K Hate

A just-barely-Anonymous Coward writes: "Every day, hundreds of people are discriminated against by their Internet connection, banned from video/audio downloads, video/audio streaming, gaming, webcasts, and many other everyday Internet activities. The damage starts small -- hurt feelings, a little anger -- but soon it all escalates into pure rage that often leads up into the cutting of the aggressors' broadband line. The broadband users of the internet are the ones that torment the little people. All too often they forget their true origins; where they came from back in the good old days before there were even 56k modems. This website is dedicated to stopping the hate of 56k modems. Show your support by joining the ranks." No accounting for taste, but I laughed from this end of a 53K connection to my ISP.

Lets fill our nice websites with ugly gifs

Wonderful, hard to read GIF banners added to thousands of sites around the world will surely help the needs of those of us who often surf through lynx to cut through most of the crap that people decide is 'better said' with an image.

It's an amusing idea...

But not nearly as amusing as watching their counter skyrocket :) They're up to 277 or so hits since this was posted.

hmm.. there IS an area where modems are preferred

and once again.. it's porn. Certain porn-sites use a 'plugin' that basically makes your modem call a commercial dialin point owned by the porn-server. This makes for easy billing.

//rdj

gif banners

Feel sorry for the modem user - put more images on your page.

I get the feeling that the targetted point has been missed by a wide margin.

I don't get it.

Theoretically part of "stopping the hate" of 56k modems would be to make websites cleaner with less "junk" graphics... yet they want people to add a banner to their site? Am I missing something?

Do something about it....

Everyone loves to complain about the lack of high speed access in their area, but most people don't actually do anything about it.

Sure, they put their phone number in the little box on the telco's DSL web page...It says "Not available" and then they leave it at that.

You've GOT to be persistant to get service going in your area. I called every few weeks to the phone company and cable company for a year. Have your friends call, use payphones, etc. These companies are in business just like any other. If there is no "demand" for the service they will put it somewhere that they THINK there is demand.

I know some people are hopelessly stuck with modems because they live way out there. I'm five miles outside of a small town. There's a dairy farm next door...It's pretty rural here, but I've been on a DSL connection now (the first person activated in my area, imagine that!) for a few months.

After ordering the service, the technician who came for the install told me that the local switch had been "DSL ready" for nine months but they never activated the equipment. I think calling often and having friends and neighbors doing the same got them to actually do something.

It's a shame that you have to chase after something you want to BUY so badly, but it's amazing how clueless the companies are. I ordered my service, they did a line test, I received my modem...Then they told me my line didn't qualify because I was too far away (I can SEE the local switch out my window). Turns out the guy on the phone was reading the wrong screen...

Be persistant and don't believe anything they tell you, hehe...
Case
1ee7 LPB

Re:Do something about it....

This is an actual conversation that took place between my father-in-law and the telco.

FIL: I'd like to order DSL
TEL: Ok, what's your ZIP code?
FIL: xxxxx
TEL: Sorry, DSL isn't available in your area yet.
FIL: Yes it is.
TEL: No, I'm sorry. The way DSL works is we have to install the equipment at your local telephone switch.
FIL: I know, and it's installed.
TEL: No it isn't. I think I'd know before you.
FIL: I'm the one who installed it 6 months ago.
TEL: Oh...... hang on while I get my manager.

Sure enough, it was available. The telco just hadn't updated their database.

Bandwidth Availability

One of the other posts so far in this topic has commented that bandwidth is a privilege, not a right.

That may be - but it is a privilege only available to a select few. In Ireland, where I live, broadband access is commercially available only in very small areas of Dublin - we're talking a few thousand people, tops.

Many people would be prepared to pay for bandwidth if they could get it - but the fact is, they can't. There is no alternative to modem (or ISDN) dialup for the majority of people here. Worse, local calls are not free - so an hour at 56K costs the equivalent of US $1.00. It adds up.

How much is Cable/DSL in the states? US $50/month? For that, your average Irish modem user may have been lucky enough to get about 300MB of traffic through.

Fortunately it looks like this may change soon - thank god - but for now, we're stuck with V.90.

Slashdot readership stats ... get 'em fresh!

Check these links!

OS being used [bravenet.com] and
Browser being used [bravenet.com]

and
9 poor saps are surfing at 640x480 [bravenet.com].

IE5 on Windows 2000 easily the most popular OS amongst current readership (probably UK readers in their offices).

It seems some people are using IE2.0 (don't believe it), and Konqueror is beating Opera.
I'm most impressed by the fact 2 people just read the page using Amigas .... go boys go!!