I'm not "interactive" in nature...?

I got an email from my ISP. Seems that they have been monitoring my (and probably others) useage. Here's some of the message I got:

Dear My ISP subscriber,

Your recent usage pattern over the past several days shows an indication of internet use that is not "interactive" in nature. Please note that "interactive use" is clearly defined in the "Online and Miscellaneous Policies" section of My ISP's "Access Services Agreement". This Agreement may be found on My ISP's home page. The specific URL is
<a href="http://www.My" target="_blank">http://www.My</a> ISP.com/access.html. Non-interactive use includes, but is not limited to: unattended downloads, unattended email clients, unattended "instant messenger" clients and the like.

Pursuant to paragraph I.2. of My ISP's Online and Miscellaneous Policies, should your usage continue to show the same pattern, My ISP will follow the procedure set forth therein and temporarily remove your account from the active authentication database for a period of time. For those customers who require or desire non-interactive internet use, My ISP offers a variety of services tailored to meet this and the many other different demands of our subscribers. Therefore if you need
access to the internet on a non-interactive basis, please contact My ISP sales at 555-555-5555 to inquire about these alternative services. Should your lifestyle be such that you are interactive for extended periods of time despite a pattern that indicates otherwise, you are requested to contact us via email at support@My ISP.com with the words "Interactive use" as the subject. In this email, you should present us with as much information as possible to substantiate that your use is in fact "interactive" despite a pattern to the contrary. Each email will be carefully review to determine whether or not there is compliance in accord with the My ISP's Access Services Agreement.

<img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" /> What happened to "ulimited access"? I have been known (as many others here probably) to leave a connection open while doing work or just to have my email open for messages coming in. Done this for years. Sure, maybe I'll get diconnected...no problem. I certainly don't like the fact that they monitor their users either.

It says in their Agreement that:

I. INTERACTIVE USE
1. Use of the on-line Services by non-dedicated access Customers must be
"interactive." For all purposes of these On-line Policies and the Services Agreement, the Customer agrees and understands that "interactive" means that, (1) the Customer must be physically present in front of the computer or terminal; and, (2) the Customer must, at least once every 20 minutes, enter a command by direct physical contact with the computer keyboard or mouse.

That sounds to me like monitoring my actions and maybe even where I am online. Paranoia? Whatever. Something tells me that if I wanted to keep doing what I have usually done ("interactive") I will of course have to pay for it. But this irks me... <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />

The ironic thing is that their service has gotten much better. I used to get disconnected a lot in the earlier years, (been with this ISP for over 6 years) especially on my first Mac.

Now I get faster connections and not as many disruptions as before.

Now this. I will probably do something. But not here. I'll let you all know the outcome if I pursue it. Right now I have to get a job first.

Keep the comments and suggestions coming though...has anyone gotten something like this from other ISPs?

The one description of non interactive use that irks me is the "unattended downloads"...Uh, what am i supposed to do when I'm downloading a 20 MB OS X update file...surf the web send and recieve emails and click on links? <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />

<a href="http://www.voicenet.com" target="_blank">http://www.voicenet.com</a>

I checked Earthlink's policy and they have something of the policy, though much more broader:

"n. Long Connections and Multiple Logins. Using a personal account for high volume or commercial use is prohibited. The Services are intended for periodic, active use of email, newsgroups, file transfers, Internet chat, games, and browsing the World Wide Web. Members may stay connected so long as they are actively using that connection for the above purposes. Members may not use the Services on a standby or inactive basis in order to maintain a connection. Pinging is expressly prohibited. Accordingly, EarthLink maintains the right to terminate any member's connection following any extended period of inactivity as determined by EarthLink."

But I will handle this myself. It's important for me right now to keep them until my life gets more stable. I will contact them this week by phone and get a clearer answer to all this.

Well, I have to take a shower...I got the neighbor's cat to click the mouse while I'm gone... <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />