UK TimesOnline - Beware surfers: cyberspace is filling up
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Saw this article and have to wonder how much of it is actually based on facts, and how much is pure speculation. Any thoughts? Beware surfers: cyberspace is filling up (excerpt) Internet users face regular “brownouts” that will freeze their computers as capacity runs out in cyberspace, according to research to be published later this year. Experts predict that consumer demand, already growing at 60 per cent a year, will start to exceed supply from as early as next year because of more people working online and the soaring popularity of bandwidth-hungry websites such as YouTube and services such as the BBC’s iPlayer. It will initially lead to computers being disrupted and going offline for several minutes at a time. From 2012, however, PCs and laptops are likely to operate at a much reduced speed, rendering the internet an “unreliable toy”. Article: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6169488.ece
It says more about the UKs lousy broadband infrastructure than about the internet in general, IMO.
The Times wrote:
It will initially lead to computers being disrupted and going offline for several minutes at a time. From 2012, however, PCs and laptops are likely to operate at a much reduced speed, rendering the internet an “unreliable toy”.
Ummmm - yeah, that's not media bs at all.
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It says more about the UKs lousy broadband infrastructure than about the internet in general, IMO.
The Times wrote:
It will initially lead to computers being disrupted and going offline for several minutes at a time. From 2012, however, PCs and laptops are likely to operate at a much reduced speed, rendering the internet an “unreliable toy”.
Ummmm - yeah, that's not media bs at all.
Stuart Dootson wrote:
It says more about the UKs lousy broadband infrastructure than about the internet in general, IMO.
I'm thinking it'll be another ho-hum Y2K type thing. Supply will keep up with demand as long as there is money to be made. But just in case, I still have my Y2K emergency all-in-one flashlight/hammer/screwdriver/crystal radio/1st aid kit/.357 magnum in its handy belt holster. :cool:
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Saw this article and have to wonder how much of it is actually based on facts, and how much is pure speculation. Any thoughts? Beware surfers: cyberspace is filling up (excerpt) Internet users face regular “brownouts” that will freeze their computers as capacity runs out in cyberspace, according to research to be published later this year. Experts predict that consumer demand, already growing at 60 per cent a year, will start to exceed supply from as early as next year because of more people working online and the soaring popularity of bandwidth-hungry websites such as YouTube and services such as the BBC’s iPlayer. It will initially lead to computers being disrupted and going offline for several minutes at a time. From 2012, however, PCs and laptops are likely to operate at a much reduced speed, rendering the internet an “unreliable toy”. Article: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6169488.ece
Why would my computer freeze just because of bandwidth issues ?
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Why would my computer freeze just because of bandwidth issues ?
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Why would my computer freeze just because of bandwidth issues ?
Christian Graus wrote:
Why would my computer freeze just because of bandwidth issues ?
Maybe the author meant "browser" instead of "computer?" And how does a computer "jitter?" Still haven't figured that one out.
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Saw this article and have to wonder how much of it is actually based on facts, and how much is pure speculation. Any thoughts? Beware surfers: cyberspace is filling up (excerpt) Internet users face regular “brownouts” that will freeze their computers as capacity runs out in cyberspace, according to research to be published later this year. Experts predict that consumer demand, already growing at 60 per cent a year, will start to exceed supply from as early as next year because of more people working online and the soaring popularity of bandwidth-hungry websites such as YouTube and services such as the BBC’s iPlayer. It will initially lead to computers being disrupted and going offline for several minutes at a time. From 2012, however, PCs and laptops are likely to operate at a much reduced speed, rendering the internet an “unreliable toy”. Article: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6169488.ece
Alan Burkhart wrote:
Saw this article and have to wonder how much of it is actually based on facts, and how much is pure speculation.
I would wager the entire thing is built on a foundation of pure bullsh*t... ;) Brownouts? WTF is that even supposed to mean with regard to a network? Are voltage fluctuation going to destroy my modem?? :suss: [Edit: I couldn't find any references in the TimesOnline article, so i did a search for Nemertes (the think-tank referenced in that article), and came across this article: Exaflood still MIA according to latest Internet traffic data[^] ...which references a study by Nemertes (can't tell if it's the same one or not), and also links to Minnesota Internet Traffic Studies[^], the probable source of the "...recent study by the University of Minnesota..." mentioned in the Times article:
MINTS:
[...] So how can anyone make reasonable plans for the future? And in particular, how can we avoid on one hand a capacity crunch that strangles vital communications, and on the other hand another debacle like that of the turn of the century, when well over a hundred billion dollars was wasted in the United States alone building networks on the false assumption of "Internet traffic doubling every 100 days"? [...]
Links to many relevant studies on that page as well, if you're interested. ]
Last modified: 21mins after originally posted --
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Alan Burkhart wrote:
Saw this article and have to wonder how much of it is actually based on facts, and how much is pure speculation.
I would wager the entire thing is built on a foundation of pure bullsh*t... ;) Brownouts? WTF is that even supposed to mean with regard to a network? Are voltage fluctuation going to destroy my modem?? :suss: [Edit: I couldn't find any references in the TimesOnline article, so i did a search for Nemertes (the think-tank referenced in that article), and came across this article: Exaflood still MIA according to latest Internet traffic data[^] ...which references a study by Nemertes (can't tell if it's the same one or not), and also links to Minnesota Internet Traffic Studies[^], the probable source of the "...recent study by the University of Minnesota..." mentioned in the Times article:
MINTS:
[...] So how can anyone make reasonable plans for the future? And in particular, how can we avoid on one hand a capacity crunch that strangles vital communications, and on the other hand another debacle like that of the turn of the century, when well over a hundred billion dollars was wasted in the United States alone building networks on the false assumption of "Internet traffic doubling every 100 days"? [...]
Links to many relevant studies on that page as well, if you're interested. ]
Last modified: 21mins after originally posted --
Shog9 wrote:
Brownouts? WTF is that even supposed to mean with regard to a network? Are voltage fluctuation going to destroy my modem??
I'm thinking he meant by "brownouts" that access to the web might slow way down, but not stop altogether. Frankly, I think the guy knows as much about the web as I know about quantum physics. Trust me, that ain't much.
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Shog9 wrote:
Brownouts? WTF is that even supposed to mean with regard to a network? Are voltage fluctuation going to destroy my modem??
I'm thinking he meant by "brownouts" that access to the web might slow way down, but not stop altogether. Frankly, I think the guy knows as much about the web as I know about quantum physics. Trust me, that ain't much.
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Christian Graus wrote:
Why would my computer freeze just because of bandwidth issues ?
Maybe the author meant "browser" instead of "computer?" And how does a computer "jitter?" Still haven't figured that one out.
I'm sure he does mean that. It's just my first clue that he doesn't have one.
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Alan Burkhart wrote:
Frankly, I think the guy knows as much about the web as I know about quantum physics. Trust me, that ain't much.
:) I dug in a bit more and added some relevant links to my original reply.
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I'm sure he does mean that. It's just my first clue that he doesn't have one.
Christian Graus wrote:
I'm sure he does mean that. It's just my first clue that he doesn't have one.
I'd say you hit it dead center. Maybe he should go back to his old job selling classifieds.
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Shog9 wrote:
Brownouts? WTF is that even supposed to mean with regard to a network? Are voltage fluctuation going to destroy my modem??
I'm thinking he meant by "brownouts" that access to the web might slow way down, but not stop altogether. Frankly, I think the guy knows as much about the web as I know about quantum physics. Trust me, that ain't much.
Alan Burkhart wrote:
Trust me, that ain't much.
Yeah, but you know your limits and [I hope] wouldn't come up with some half-cocked up diddly do strewmamy horse poo poo to feed the poo poo gobblers that read that sort of stuff and start a "brownout" cult because they smoked the plastic casing on their cables.
If the post was helpful, please vote! Current activities: Book: Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov Project: Hospital Automation, final stage Learning: Image analysis, LINQ Now and forever, defiant to the end. What is Multiple Sclerosis[^]?
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It says more about the UKs lousy broadband infrastructure than about the internet in general, IMO.
The Times wrote:
It will initially lead to computers being disrupted and going offline for several minutes at a time. From 2012, however, PCs and laptops are likely to operate at a much reduced speed, rendering the internet an “unreliable toy”.
Ummmm - yeah, that's not media bs at all.
I only spent two months in London, but from what I've seen, compared to India, 1. bandwidth is more 2. bandwidth is cheaper, even in a straight GBP-INR conversion.
Cheers, Vikram.
Current activities: Films: Sense and Sensibility TV series: Friends, season 2 Books: Longitude, by Dava Sobel.
Carpe Diem.
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Saw this article and have to wonder how much of it is actually based on facts, and how much is pure speculation. Any thoughts? Beware surfers: cyberspace is filling up (excerpt) Internet users face regular “brownouts” that will freeze their computers as capacity runs out in cyberspace, according to research to be published later this year. Experts predict that consumer demand, already growing at 60 per cent a year, will start to exceed supply from as early as next year because of more people working online and the soaring popularity of bandwidth-hungry websites such as YouTube and services such as the BBC’s iPlayer. It will initially lead to computers being disrupted and going offline for several minutes at a time. From 2012, however, PCs and laptops are likely to operate at a much reduced speed, rendering the internet an “unreliable toy”. Article: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6169488.ece
While this article is surely not particularly well researched (I've only read the comments here, and not the original article), it is nieve to think that the capacity of the bandwidth is infinite, or will somehow expand to fulfil requirements in its present form. BBC iPlayer apparently utilised up to 30% of the UK bandwidth duriong the olympics - and that with only 300,000 users. Let's assume exageration and it was actually 10% of the bandwidth (cuz my maths is bad) then if 3 million british internet users streamed on iPlayer the entire bandwidth available otthe UK would be sed up. And 3 million isn't a lot if we move toward streaming in the mainstream.
___________________________________________ .\\axxx (That's an 'M')
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I only spent two months in London, but from what I've seen, compared to India, 1. bandwidth is more 2. bandwidth is cheaper, even in a straight GBP-INR conversion.
Cheers, Vikram.
Current activities: Films: Sense and Sensibility TV series: Friends, season 2 Books: Longitude, by Dava Sobel.
Carpe Diem.
That wouldn't surprise me at all - I should have qualified my statement by saying it was n comparison with the rest of western Europe, the US, Korea and Japan. It's too easy to forget how well provided we actually are, but still - shouldn't do it.
Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p
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Saw this article and have to wonder how much of it is actually based on facts, and how much is pure speculation. Any thoughts? Beware surfers: cyberspace is filling up (excerpt) Internet users face regular “brownouts” that will freeze their computers as capacity runs out in cyberspace, according to research to be published later this year. Experts predict that consumer demand, already growing at 60 per cent a year, will start to exceed supply from as early as next year because of more people working online and the soaring popularity of bandwidth-hungry websites such as YouTube and services such as the BBC’s iPlayer. It will initially lead to computers being disrupted and going offline for several minutes at a time. From 2012, however, PCs and laptops are likely to operate at a much reduced speed, rendering the internet an “unreliable toy”. Article: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6169488.ece
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Christian Graus wrote:
Why would my computer freeze just because of bandwidth issues ?
Maybe the author meant "browser" instead of "computer?" And how does a computer "jitter?" Still haven't figured that one out.
Alan Burkhart wrote:
Maybe the author meant "browser" instead of "computer?"
I have a slow connection (128 kbps) and my browser doesn't freeze up when I visit, say, Youtube. I suspect the author is just throwing out big words that he doesn't understand but hopes will scare people.
Cheers, Vikram.
Current activities: Films: Sense and Sensibility TV series: Friends, season 2 Books: Longitude, by Dava Sobel.
Carpe Diem.
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Saw this article and have to wonder how much of it is actually based on facts, and how much is pure speculation. Any thoughts? Beware surfers: cyberspace is filling up (excerpt) Internet users face regular “brownouts” that will freeze their computers as capacity runs out in cyberspace, according to research to be published later this year. Experts predict that consumer demand, already growing at 60 per cent a year, will start to exceed supply from as early as next year because of more people working online and the soaring popularity of bandwidth-hungry websites such as YouTube and services such as the BBC’s iPlayer. It will initially lead to computers being disrupted and going offline for several minutes at a time. From 2012, however, PCs and laptops are likely to operate at a much reduced speed, rendering the internet an “unreliable toy”. Article: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6169488.ece
Alan Burkhart wrote:
Saw this article and have to wonder how much of it is actually based on facts, and how much is pure speculation. Any thoughts?
I had a brownout just moments ago. I wanted to attach a file in GMail, and Firefox hung up for about two minutes when I clicked the link.
You really gotta try harder to keep up with everyone that's not on the short bus with you. - John Simmons / outlaw programmer.
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Alan Burkhart wrote:
Saw this article and have to wonder how much of it is actually based on facts, and how much is pure speculation. Any thoughts?
I had a brownout just moments ago. I wanted to attach a file in GMail, and Firefox hung up for about two minutes when I clicked the link.
You really gotta try harder to keep up with everyone that's not on the short bus with you. - John Simmons / outlaw programmer.
Brady Kelly wrote:
Alan Burkhart wrote: Saw this article and have to wonder how much of it is actually based on facts, and how much is pure speculation. Any thoughts? I had a brownout just moments ago. I wanted to attach a file in GMail, and Firefox hung up for about two minutes when I clicked the link.
You forgot the :) "joke" icon
"Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes." - Edsger Dijkstra
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Saw this article and have to wonder how much of it is actually based on facts, and how much is pure speculation. Any thoughts? Beware surfers: cyberspace is filling up (excerpt) Internet users face regular “brownouts” that will freeze their computers as capacity runs out in cyberspace, according to research to be published later this year. Experts predict that consumer demand, already growing at 60 per cent a year, will start to exceed supply from as early as next year because of more people working online and the soaring popularity of bandwidth-hungry websites such as YouTube and services such as the BBC’s iPlayer. It will initially lead to computers being disrupted and going offline for several minutes at a time. From 2012, however, PCs and laptops are likely to operate at a much reduced speed, rendering the internet an “unreliable toy”. Article: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6169488.ece