[UFO Chicago] Recommendations Please: ISP with Shell Access

[Ian Bicking]

On Thu, 2002-08-15 at 00:24, Neil R. Ormos wrote:
> Ian Bicking wrote:
> > Neil R. Ormos wrote:
> 
> >> RCN/Enteract has announced the elimination of user
> >> access to its shell machines, so I'm looking for a new
> >> ISP.  Any recommendations?
> 
> > I always thought those sorts of services were a bit
> > superfluous to an ISP.  An ISP just connects you to the
> > internet... 
> 
> Oh?  That's a bit doctrinaire.  And factually incorrect.

Sorry.  An ISP *should* just connect you to the internet.

> > things like mail addresses, web space, and
> > shell accounts should be separate.  Since it's not the
> > primary focus of the ISP, they usually aren't terribly
> > good at providing these (except for mail -- but you just
> > get trapped by using the ISP address, so it's still no
> > good).
> 
> I don't see any particular user benefit that necessarily
> obtains by separating mail, web space, and shell accounts
> from the access interface and backbone interface functions
> of an ISP.  (Seems a lot like natural gas utility
> deregulation, where you buy the service of having the gas
> distributed from the incumbent distribution network
> operator, but you can buy the gas itself from any of several
> vendors.)  It's just more vendors to deal with and pay, and
> more hassle to select the vendor, but not necessarily any
> *better*.  It's also more expensive, because now you're
> paying for several administrative and billing organizations,
> etc.

If the ISP ditched all the other services, then it wouldn't have to be
more expensive.  And ISPs are usually very limited in a region, and this
is only getting worse.  Low competition means high prices and poor
service.  Plus jack of all trades and all that...

Once you are connected to the internet, there is no limitation to where
you can get your other services.  That's the beauty of the internet,
unlike the old-style providers like a BBS or AOL.  Everyone's a peer.

As a result, people can specialize in just the services you want (and
not the ones you don't).  If you want a little website, there's people
who do that.  And if you want a big one, again, people to do that.  But
most importantly, when you change your ISP you don't have to change your
email address, web address, etc.  And you can pick and choose about
services without changing your ISP (a painful proposition). 

That's why I think all this stuff about allowing competitors onto the
monopolistic networks (cable, in particular) isn't that important --
rather, the monopolistic provider shouldn't be allowed to package
anything, and the notion of an ISP should become more limited.  AOL in
particular should die, die die (along with all the AOL-wannabes)

  Ian