

The Power to Fight Eviction - bootload
http://blog.dataportability.org/index.php/2009/01/the-power-to-fight-eviction/

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azanar
I don't think that holding services legal liable for short-notice service
cancellations is the correct way to go, as annoying as the cancellation might
for the users involved.

It would become yet another diversion of time and money away from the goal of
improving and keeping the service running. It might be an absorbable cost for
a company as large as AOL, but it might be the difference between living and
dying for a small company just trying to get going. Even if they could survive
though, it doesn't mean they should be held liable. Forcing them to spend
money being graceful at shutting down one service might result in collateral
damage of other services to offset the cost.

It's ultimately a question between corporate and personal responsibility. In
the end, they are another data storage mechanism. And as with all means of
data storage, you need to keep backups somewhere else.

Metaphorically comparing this to tenant eviction just doesn't work. One's
livelihood is not threatened by losing some photos or blogposts, and the cost
of maintaining backups is insignificant compared to the cost of maintaining an
alternative place to live.

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gravitycop
_The power landlords have over tenants is overwhelming, unless restricted by
law._

Wouldn't competition - the invisible hand of the marketplace - _also_ restrict
abusable power? <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Invisible_Hand>

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bootload
_"... Wouldn't competition - the invisible hand of the marketplace - also
restrict abusable power? ..."_

How?

I didn't see this invisible behaviour ( _"an individual pursuing his own self-
interest tends to also promote the good of his community as a whole"_ ) when
stikkit, pownce shut down. They simply allowed you to download your data and
suggested alternative services. Downloading your data while better than
nothing, doesn't stop users loosing their subscriptions, disrupting their work
flow. By having some sort of agreed plan at commencement might allow a smooth
transition for users in the advent of closure or sale. The power unbalance is
where at any time you can be evicted at short notice.

