Never Use Cable ISP's Again

In the ongoing struggle between P2P file distribution services and cable companies acting as ISP's, specifically Vuze (which created and uses the Azureus bittorrent client) and Comcast, which has admitted to forcibly blocking uploaded packets (which slows down a bittorrent swarm, but does not actually block the content), George Ou from ZDNet shows why people should never use cable networks or WiFi broadband services if they plan on using bittorrent clients. DSL and Verizon FiOS networks are unaffected by the upload stream since their network architectures are different, but the issue of Net Neutrality comes up, since different ISP's, the cable guys, are effectively degrading service for certain kinds of software, which a subscriber can only get around by upgrading their cable service. This is exactly what the Net Neutrality types want to fight against: tiered services for certain kinds of content.

Now, the free market guy in me wants to let the businesses fight it out and run their networks how they want to. But the consumer has to have access to information and not get caught into a service that they end up not wanting. Broadband, right now, is a free market, since there are many choices and kinds of services a consumer can subsribe to. Not so much for the rural people, but they can choose digital satellite broadband if the DSL service is not available. However, full disclosure to customers comes first, instead of a buried "no server" clause in the terms of use. If more people find out about cable's network practices, especially their practice of hiring seat-holders to allow their employees to make a friendlier audience at a FCC hearing, then the consumers can gravitate toward companies that can handle their networks better, and the cable guys will have to spend the money to redesign their networks to keep customers and attract new ones.