I think the debate over differential pricing to access websites can be understood by comparing it with this m_es_ge board.
Imagine a portal like this one, - except having a tie-up with ISPs for the mutual benefit of both parties. Imagine an open m____ge board similar to this one, except that moderators can contact the ISP to reimburse net charges for certain messages. That when I post a message AGREEING with the article, I get an SMS from Fairtel that my last 2 minutes of browsing have been free. Nobody should complain because no one is forcing me to sing the praises of columnists like Mr. Bisht, etc, etc.
Re: Again
by Phylum Chordata on Apr 19, 2015 05:50 PM
It is good for the website because its article has increased in value, as there will be a chorus of "neutral" observers supporting the wisdom of its writers. And the cost to the site will be negligible. But everyone who cares enough to understand will know how things worked here.
And even though I have lived when net access on dial-up was far more expensive than today, it is almost certain that my decisions will be still guided by my internet bill.
Coming back to how things are going today; when Alpha-Mart shopping site claims to be the most visited site in India, how much of its popularity is justified by its content, and how much by its business tie-ups ? It would be confusing to someone who wants to take part in its IPO, or even to some company deciding where to launch its new smartphone. There would be a hundred different answers to some very simple questions.
Re: Again
by Phylum Chordata on Apr 19, 2015 05:51 PM
It is good for this fictional site because its article has increased in value, as there will be a chorus of "neutral" observers supporting the wisdom of its writers. And the cost to the site will be negligible. But everyone who cares enough to understand will know how things worked here.
And even though I have lived when net access on dial-up was far more expensive than today, it is almost certain that my decisions will be still guided by my inter__net bill.
Re: Re: Again
by Phylum Chordata on Apr 19, 2015 05:54 PM
Coming back to how things are going today; when Alpha-Mart shopping site claims to be the most visited site in India, how much of its popularity is justified by its content, and how much by its business tie-ups ? It would be confusing to someone who wants to take part in its IPO, or even to some company deciding where to launch its new smartphone. There would be a hundred different answers to some very simple questions.
And this has happened in other media already. There have been some allegations in cable television about cable providers making money from both subscribers and from cable channels for carrying their channels without "technical problems". I have no way to know for certain if this is true, but I hope this never happens in the Indian inte__rnet. (This is only the free market working as it should, and the competition commission can't be everywhere)
Re: Re: Again
by Phylum Chordata on Apr 19, 2015 05:55 PM
There has never been a medium like the inter___net in human history. It promises freedom of information without being free-of-cost itself today. Maybe we could keep this issue simple and charge access for the "inter_ net" without bothering that there are different sites within it.
