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payday loans, rent a center, aaron's, child tax credit, thrift stores, prepaid services, check cashing services, prepaid cards, and so on and so forth
all while being ripped off up front for the promise of not touching their credit
you even have prepaid mobile internet these days. one can also illegally turn their device into a hotspot; this is built into android and windows devices, so that the whole family can get online. not sure about apple products.
How can you "illegally" do this when it's built into the smartphone to do this? These phones are miniature computers with phone capabilities. Just like I use my computer for free internet wifi, I can use the phone.
How can you "illegally" do this when it's built into the smartphone to do this? These phones are miniature computers with phone capabilities. Just like I use my computer for free internet wifi, I can use the phone.
What's "illegal" about it?
Sharing your Internet connection goes against the terms of the contract, or terms of service (for those with prepaid). Just because there is software that allows you to do it, doesn't mean that you are not in violation of your service agreement if you do it. Operators want to charge for Internet access to each and every single device, meter that connection, and make money based upon how much data you are using. This isn't a problem with wired connections that use a router, because there is no metering to begin with, but it has always been a source of contention for 3g and 4g cellular providers because those are extra devices that aren't being paid for upfront. At the end of the day you end up paying anyway, because the more devices you share the connection with, the more data you are paying, but the initial fee upfront is being avoided. Back in the early days one person sharing a single connection to several devices would slow down the network for everyone.
Another issue is that people would simply pay for an unlimited data plan and share that connection with laptops and netbooks. This is before smartphones were popular. One could argue that one of the major reasons that smartphones are so popular today is because they discourage the sharing of a mobile connection with a regular PC as these devices can do everything a regular PC does. Arguably, regular PCs, with their larger operating systems and the need to run antivirus, download more software updates, and larger software updates, than a smartphone or tablet ever would. This will change with Windows 8 devices of course, but even a PC running Linux or Mac OS X is running a larger software with more code than say, an Android or iOS powered device.
There are plenty of services made available by software companies that are illegal. RealPlayer is one good example. They have made it possible for you to download videos off of YouTube before anyone else ever thought of it, but it isn't legal to do so, not even for your own personal use. RealPlayer was also a major software company that wanted to make it easier for people to rip DVDs. If I am correct, that functionality is still available in the paid version of their software.
What is your point? If you really believe that making 14,500 a year is better than making 60,000 than there is no reason for you not to go live that better life.
Try it and tell me how much better it is.
The poster might be making the point that the programs and benefits available are enough to give a reason to pause and think...
If I make 60k a year... why isn't my financial life 4 times better than a person making 15k a year?
Last edited by Ultrarunner; 11-29-2012 at 11:35 AM..
Sharing your Internet connection goes against the terms of the contract, or terms of service (for those with prepaid). Just because there is software that allows you to do it, doesn't mean that you are not in violation of your service agreement if you do it. Operators want to charge for Internet access to each and every single device, meter that connection, and make money based upon how much data you are using. This isn't a problem with wired connections that use a router, because there is no metering to begin with, but it has always been a source of contention for 3g and 4g cellular providers because those are extra devices that aren't being paid for upfront. At the end of the day you end up paying anyway, because the more devices you share the connection with, the more data you are paying, but the initial fee upfront is being avoided. Back in the early days one person sharing a single connection to several devices would slow down the network for everyone.
Another issue is that people would simply pay for an unlimited data plan and share that connection with laptops and netbooks. This is before smartphones were popular. One could argue that one of the major reasons that smartphones are so popular today is because they discourage the sharing of a mobile connection with a regular PC as these devices can do everything a regular PC does. Arguably, regular PCs, with their larger operating systems and the need to run antivirus, download more software updates, and larger software updates, than a smartphone or tablet ever would. This will change with Windows 8 devices of course, but even a PC running Linux or Mac OS X is running a larger software with more code than say, an Android or iOS powered device.
There are plenty of services made available by software companies that are illegal. RealPlayer is one good example. They have made it possible for you to download videos off of YouTube before anyone else ever thought of it, but it isn't legal to do so, not even for your own personal use. RealPlayer was also a major software company that wanted to make it easier for people to rip DVDs. If I am correct, that functionality is still available in the paid version of their software.
Thanks. It doesn't matter whether it violates the contract or not, because people do it. If you're sitting in starbucks or mcdonalds and want to surf the web or use an app such as "talkatone" to call or text people, there really is nothing the companies can do about it.
I'm thinking about going to prepaid right now. My contract with AT&T has been over and I'm doing month to month now. I may do AT&T's prepaid or I may get Proclaim from Walmart. I haven't decided yet.
Thanks. It doesn't matter whether it violates the contract or not, because people do it. If you're sitting in starbucks or mcdonalds and want to surf the web or use an app such as "talkatone" to call or text people, there really is nothing the companies can do about it.
I'm thinking about going to prepaid right now. My contract with AT&T has been over and I'm doing month to month now. I may do AT&T's prepaid or I may get Proclaim from Walmart. I haven't decided yet.
I agree. I think this is one of the reasons you see these sharing plans being promoted by the major players. Might as well make some extra money and make it easier for someone to turn their phone into a hotspot, tell them they can share data with 8 other people, etc. Or throw in a WiFi "router" for free.
Data is the last frontier. Where there is no money to be made on talk and text companies are trying to gleen the last few pennies they can from overcharging for data. Unlimited plans will return once companies are ready to fully invest into the upgrades we desperately need in America (upgrades that were performed well over a decade ago overseas). Instead of $50 for talk/talk unlimited, you'll see $50 for everything, and then $40, and then $30. Before you know it everyone can get all they can eat for $20, as it is currently with regular landline phone.
Now that prepaid is cheaper than postpaid, you'll start to see better equipment from the prepaid services. AT&T has a smartphone for $99. Virgin Mobile has one on "sale" for $19.99. Other players have $49 smartphones. I actually use AT&T GoPhone service. It isn't bad. I don't use them for data though, because the only true unlimited data they have is for "featurephones"; basically regular phones that run on Java that can do a few tricks like Google Maps or a web browser. I did find a version of Opera that runs on Java but it doesn't matter, its Java. But anyway, you can get unlimited data for $50 a month. If you have a smartphone, they'll give you 1 GB for $65 a month, and unlimited talk/text. Not sure what you can do with 1 GB beyond Google Maps, but it is better than nothing.
Virgin offers unlimited for $35 a month, but this means 3G up to a point, and then 256 KB a second from there. Virgin runs on top of Sprint. At the very least, you can get 2.5 GB before you are throtled down to 256 KB. It is a good option for those that don't care about talk, because you only get 300 minutes. An additional $10 a month, you get 1,200 minutes, and for $55 it is unlimited talk/text.
Data is a nice service to have. Once you start using data, you rarely go back. I also like smartphones because I don't like carrying around a tablet, and a netbook, and a phone, too much of a hassle.
The poster might be making the point that the programs and benefits available are enough to give a reason to pause and think...
If I make 60k a year... why isn't my financial life 4 times better than a person making 15k a year?
Bs, again anyone who believes a family whose household is 60,000 has an equivalent lifestyle to a mom with 2 children making 14,500 is a damn fool.
If someone really believes that then they should go live that life. Then comeback and tell us the equivalence of those two lifestyles.
Or better yet ask the single mom making 14,500 if she'd trade that for making 60,000. I know what the answer will be.
People are just attempting to demonize poor people who receive aid, number one while ignoring the aid that middle class and upper class and wealthy people get from our government. It is sick.
Bs, again anyone who believes a family whose household is 60,000 has an equivalent lifestyle to a mom with 2 children making 14,500 is a damn fool.
If someone really believes that then they should go live that life. Then comeback and tell us the equivalence of those two lifestyles.
Or better yet ask the single mom making 14,500 if she'd trade that for making 60,000. I know what the answer will be.
People are just attempting to demonize poor people who receive aid, number one while ignoring the aid that middle class and upper class and wealthy people get from our government. It is sick.
Amen. Middle class people acting like the poor are on the "come up" or something, when it is anything but. And it is always middle class people that voice their opinions the loudest on this issue, because they feel entitlted to a lifestyle they simply cannot afford. They want to live like the rich but have to rely on credit in order to give the appearance of being rich.
Amen. Middle class people acting like the poor are on the "come up" or something, when it is anything but. And it is always middle class people that voice their opinions the loudest on this issue, because they feel entitlted to a lifestyle they simply cannot afford. They want to live like the rich but have to rely on credit in order to give the appearance of being rich.
The blindness of so many Americans at how much government benefits they receive consistently amazes me. You have people whose home ownership is subsidized by the government, whose childcare expenses are subsidized by the government, whose college tuition costs are subsidized by the government, whose retirement is subsidized by the government, whose employer provided health insurance is subsidized by the government, etc and so and they whine and complain about the handouts that very very poor families receive.
The blindness of so many Americans at how much government benefits they receive consistently amazes me. You have people whose home ownership is subsidized by the government, whose childcare expenses are subsidized by the government, whose college tuition costs are subsidized by the government, whose retirement is subsidized by the government, whose employer provided health insurance is subsidized by the government, etc and so and they whine and complain about the handouts that very very poor families receive.
Absolutely. Life in America is about being on the dime. It is just doing so in way that gives you the appearance of having it all together that differentiates us from each other.
The blindness of so many Americans at how much government benefits they receive consistently amazes me. You have people whose home ownership is subsidized by the government, whose childcare expenses are subsidized by the government, whose college tuition costs are subsidized by the government, whose retirement is subsidized by the government, whose employer provided health insurance is subsidized by the government, etc and so and they whine and complain about the handouts that very very poor families receive.
Thank you. The hypocrisy amazes me.
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