Are you a 'bandwidth hog'?

I don't usually buy a Sunday paper but this past weekend was an exception. An article happened to catch my eye in The Cincinnati Enquirer that was originally written in The New York Times about a topic that I don't think about on a regular basis. This question is whether or not people should have to pay for all of the time they spend online.
"Charging by the Byte to Curb Internet Traffic"

Think about this for a second. Have you thought about how much time you actually spend online? More importantly, do you think about how much bandwidth you are using when you download a TV show on your computer? What if you had to pay for the extra usage that you consume online?

The more I ponder the idea of paying more for bandwidth usage, the more I realize how this could be more money for internet providers and less opportunity for internet users. One of my co-workers who frequently writes on the WonderBlog, Spidey, asked this question," So are drivers going to have to shell out more money for driving more often than others?" It is kind of crazy to think of what could happen if this movement to pay for your "extra usage" really happens. Right now it is being tested in a town in Texas. I'm glad I don't live there. Here are some questions I have for everyone to think about.

• If users have to pay extra for bandwidth, how will this affect the way people use the internet?
• What will this mean for the future of interactive marketing?
• How can advertising agencies stay innovative when they have to put a limit on the types of information they can download or view like YouTube, for instance?

If you are one of those 'bandwidth hogs' you might be more than a little nervous, and I don't blame you. I personally don't want to worry about how I search the web. I don't even worry about my cell phone usage with all of the minutes I have, so I don't want to have to start worrying about what I do online. Maybe if internet providers want to lower there monthly rates, I might consider the idea of paying for usage. I take that back. I still think it will cause more harm than good.