Why does Sprint "allow" limited laptop Vision access?

I'm wondering why Sprint "allows" people with unlimited Vision to access the
internet via a laptop and cable, even though it's forbidden under the TOS,
so long as you don't abuse this (which at present seems to be no more than
300-500MB/month).

Is it because:

1 - It's not worth their time and expense to go after people who don't abuse
this "policy".

2 - They don't want to risk losing non-abusing customers by going after
them.

3 - They believe that this "look the other way" policy actually attracts
customers, and gives them an incentive to sign up for unlimited Vision.

4 - They're tracking this usage in order to develop a profitable business
model for charging for such usage, which they'll eventually roll out.

5 - Some other reason?

Just curious.

--
Kovie
[email protected]zen

---

› See More: Why does Sprint "allow" limited laptop Vision access?

It's probably a combination of all four reasons you listed.

--
John Richards


"Kovie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:_DX8d.132422$wV.56964@attbi_s54...
> I'm wondering why Sprint "allows" people with unlimited Vision to access the
> internet via a laptop and cable, even though it's forbidden under the TOS,
> so long as you don't abuse this (which at present seems to be no more than
> 300-500MB/month).
>
> Is it because:
>
> 1 - It's not worth their time and expense to go after people who don't abuse
> this "policy".
>
> 2 - They don't want to risk losing non-abusing customers by going after
> them.
>
> 3 - They believe that this "look the other way" policy actually attracts
> customers, and gives them an incentive to sign up for unlimited Vision.
>
> 4 - They're tracking this usage in order to develop a profitable business
> model for charging for such usage, which they'll eventually roll out.
>
> 5 - Some other reason?
>
> Just curious.
>
> --
> Kovie
> [email protected]zen

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 19:24:42 +0000, Kovie wrote:

> I'm wondering why Sprint "allows" people with unlimited Vision to access the
> internet via a laptop and cable, even though it's forbidden under the TOS,
> so long as you don't abuse this (which at present seems to be no more than
> 300-500MB/month).
>

Um haven't we had this little talk already this week? Refer to:

"Does Sprint now alllow (and charge for) phone-laptop Vision use?"
First posted Fri, 01 Oct 2004 00:41:09 GMT

and

"connecting a laptop -- current advice?"
First posted Tue, 28 Sep 2004 14:56:47 GMT

which go into a bit of details of this question along with possible
reasons for sprintpcs to over look vision access.

"Central" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news[email protected]...
> On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 19:24:42 +0000, Kovie wrote:
>
>> I'm wondering why Sprint "allows" people with unlimited Vision to access
>> the
>> internet via a laptop and cable, even though it's forbidden under the
>> TOS,
>> so long as you don't abuse this (which at present seems to be no more
>> than
>> 300-500MB/month).
>>
>
> Um haven't we had this little talk already this week? Refer to:
>
> "Does Sprint now alllow (and charge for) phone-laptop Vision use?"
> First posted Fri, 01 Oct 2004 00:41:09 GMT
>
> and
>
> "connecting a laptop -- current advice?"
> First posted Tue, 28 Sep 2004 14:56:47 GMT
>
> which go into a bit of details of this question along with possible
> reasons for sprintpcs to over look vision access.

Well, yes and no. Yes, the topic of whether one COULD do this has been
covered extensively, in the threads you cited as well as many others. But
no, they didn't cover the question I posed of WHY Sprint continues to adopt
this "You can't do this but we won't stop you from doing it" policy. I
suppose that the question is mostly philosophical and has nothing to do with
what you can and can't do. But one still wonders why they have this policy.

I will admit to not having read every single posting in these and related
previous threads (one does develop a certain level of usenet fatigue after
the 30th posting), so perhaps the question I posed has been dealt with. If
so, my apologies.

--
Kovie
[email protected]zen

Including the 5th one? ;-)

--
Kovie
[email protected]zen


"John Richards" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news[email protected]...
> It's probably a combination of all four reasons you listed.
>
> --
> John Richards
>
>
> "Kovie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:_DX8d.132422$wV.56964@attbi_s54...
>> I'm wondering why Sprint "allows" people with unlimited Vision to access
>> the
>> internet via a laptop and cable, even though it's forbidden under the
>> TOS,
>> so long as you don't abuse this (which at present seems to be no more
>> than
>> 300-500MB/month).
>>
>> Is it because:
>>
>> 1 - It's not worth their time and expense to go after people who don't
>> abuse
>> this "policy".
>>
>> 2 - They don't want to risk losing non-abusing customers by going after
>> them.
>>
>> 3 - They believe that this "look the other way" policy actually attracts
>> customers, and gives them an incentive to sign up for unlimited Vision.
>>
>> 4 - They're tracking this usage in order to develop a profitable business
>> model for charging for such usage, which they'll eventually roll out.
>>
>> 5 - Some other reason?
>>
>> Just curious.
>>
>> --
>> Kovie
>> [email protected]zen

On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 04:31:43 +0000, Kovie wrote:
>
> Well, yes and no. Yes, the topic of whether one COULD do this has been
> covered extensively, in the threads you cited as well as many others. But
> no, they didn't cover the question I posed of WHY Sprint continues to adopt
> this "You can't do this but we won't stop you from doing it" policy. I
> suppose that the question is mostly philosophical and has nothing to do with
> what you can and can't do. But one still wonders why they have this policy.
>
> I will admit to not having read every single posting in these and related
> previous threads (one does develop a certain level of usenet fatigue after
> the 30th posting), so perhaps the question I posed has been dealt with. If
> so, my apologies.

I suggest you take the time. I know I posted some tidbits on my experience
with sprintpcs data services. Mostly of how it was then my experiences as
it changed and finally some of my thoughts of why they still allow it.
There are some more details from others who will probably not want to
repost and just pass by your thread.

"Kovie" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:_DX8d.132422$wV.56964@attbi_s54...
> I'm wondering why Sprint "allows" people with unlimited Vision to access
the
> internet via a laptop and cable, even though it's forbidden under the TOS,
> so long as you don't abuse this (which at present seems to be no more than
> 300-500MB/month).
>
> Is it because:
>
> 1 - It's not worth their time and expense to go after people who don't
abuse
> this "policy".
>
> 2 - They don't want to risk losing non-abusing customers by going after
> them.
>
> 3 - They believe that this "look the other way" policy actually attracts
> customers, and gives them an incentive to sign up for unlimited Vision.
>
> 4 - They're tracking this usage in order to develop a profitable business
> model for charging for such usage, which they'll eventually roll out.
>
> 5 - Some other reason?
>
> Just curious.
>
> --
> Kovie
> [email protected]zen


I talked to someone I know and he said what Sprint has started to do, is
send people nice letters asking them to quit using their phones for wireless
internet and if they continue, then they will charge them 1¢ per kb.

I had the guy look up my account and I had months with 50000kb - 60000kb
usage. If they send me a bill for what I used this month, it will be $515
just for my data usage. So I broke down and got one of those PCMCIA cards.
I have yet to install it, so I can not tell anybody how it compares to the
phone yet.