Not Happy with your ISP? Google wants to help
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How often have you had issues with your ISP and they refuse to do something because there is no proof of what the problem was. Well, now Google is saying that they want to help. The popular search engine giant turned email giant turned soon to be ruler of the world wants to get involved in helping users let their ISPs know that they are not happy.
“We’re trying to develop tools, software tools…that allow people to detect what’s happening with their broadband connections, so they can let [ISPs] know that they’re not happy with what they’re getting — that they think certain services are being tampered with,” Google senior policy director Richard Whitt said this morning during a panel discussion at Santa Clara University, an hour south of San Francisco.
The concept is genius — but the main question is, will ISPs listen to Google’s tools? Most ISPs will only listen to their internal equipment and ignore issues raised by users without sufficient proof. Hopefully Google will count as sufficient proof.
I am interested in seeing how Google pulls this off. Do you think that Google will be able to develop and easy to use tool that ISPs will accept as accurate data?
Comments welcome,
Justin Capasso
2 Comments
leftystrat
June 14th, 2008
at 9:10pm
Another question might be “Do you think ISPs care?”
I can’t imagine mine giving a rip, regardless of the data I provide. Think of who you talk to when you call them for help. In my experience they’re always nice and almost always clueless. It’s always amusing when First Level Help tries to tell the customer (who might be an old network engineer) that `it can’t be done’.
You also mention easy to use. That could be a major stumbling point. I’m certain ISPs have to know the value of the bandwidthtest.com sites but I’m also certain that most computer users can’t handle those sites.
Lastly, follow the money. Why in the world would Google be THIS interested in this project? Could it be because they’re swallowing ISPs? Maybe developing referral deals with ISPs? Businesses aren’t that altruistic, as a rule.
It will be interesting to watch…. thanks for the news.
Mike
July 26th, 2008
at 11:26am
Wether the isp’s accept the tool has nothing whatsoever to do with how accurate it is. No isp gives a rat derrier about any customer(unless your filthy rich). They just dont as a rule give a rats heiny about us.