indiboi.com

Don’t you just love it how some people think they’re completely above the policies, rules, and laws that actually do apply to everyone? The people that think it’s okay to drive 90MPH in the 55 zone, the people that don’t think they actually need to pay for services that are provided to them, and of course the people that think it’s perfectly acceptable to threaten violence; they’re special.

If something is important to you, do you take steps to protect it? I do. The MySQL file that contains all of the information on this site is downloaded from the server every single day. The data is important, so I keep a daily backup.

If there is a service you depend on, do you make sure that the bill is paid? I do. What do you think would happen if I ignored an emails from the data center about my credit card not working? They’d shut me down, goodbye server. That service is important, so I make sure the bill is paid and that there are no billing related problems.

So why is it that so many people seem to think they don’t have to pay for hosting? Why is it they seem to think that they’ll still be provided service when they’re already behind on the payment? It’s beyond me, I don’t expect any company I deal with to keep providing service when I’m not paying them, seems reasonable doesn’t it? It’s also beyond me how there can be an email that says service will be suspended if payment isn’t made, and the recipient is flabbergasted when the service is actually suspended because they’ve not made payment.

It would be wonderful to pick up something at a store, say to the cashier “I’ll pay you tomorrow,” and just walk on out of that store. That’s, of course, theft, but it’s the same thing as providing service without payment. It’s touching how someone can claim theft of their data, when they had every moment up until the suspension to make sure they had a backup of their own; they don’t seem to realize they’re attempting theft of service. Service includes every bit on the hard drive used to store the data, every bit transmitted over the network connection, every bit of memory used, and every millisecond of processor power.

If you stopped paying for a storage locker, would the manager of the storage company keep your crap in the locker for you anyway? No, it’d be thrown out onto the sidewalk. Since website data is already out on the sidewalk, well… hmm.

So, alright, just say that you’ve made a mistake, you owe some company for a service that they’ve turned off on you. Do you get nasty with them, threaten them, and still not pay the bill? It seems to me, that if I actually want something from someone it’d be in my very best interests to be polite and civil, don’t you agree?

I know if someone, just as an example, wanted to borrow some tool of mine, you can be damned sure the answer will be no if they approach me with a foul and demanding attitude. Conversely, if someone is actually polite and respectful, asks for something reasonable, then I’ll pretty much do whatever I can for them. It’s stunning what a little bit of “please” and “thank you” will do to advocate for your position.

I continue to not fully understand the depth of irrationality some people seem to be capable of. It’s that, along with this notion so many seem to have of their superiority, in regards to how limitations don’t apply to them and they ought to be able to do whatever they want without consequences, that drives me to loathe humanity. I’m far from perfect, but overall I am a pretty generous and nice guy. I know the speed limit sign on the interstate applies to me, I know the due date on any bill I receive also applies to me, and I know that if someone has something I need or want, I better treat them with respect. Ultimately I’ll just let these sorts of people “win,” it’s simply too tiring to see how pathetic their behavior will become.

I’ve certainly learned a lesson over the past day, if I get a foul whiff off of someone, it’s in my best interest to hand them their bags and tell them to get lost right at the beginning. There’s no point in me attempting to be anything that resembles helpful.