Many RSS readers are intelligent enough to simply request the http header first. If the feed hasn't been updated since it was last retrieved, then they don't bother to retrieve it. So it's not as extreme as you make it sound. Also, if you compare the front page of slashdot to the RSS feed, the main page is currently 28572 bytes (including images) while the RSS feed is 2599 bytes. So I could download the RSS feed 11 times before I use as much bandwidth as you do by viewing the front page of slashdot. And I only use bandwidth if the page has been updated since last time I checked it, whereas you download the full page every time you check slashdot.
Powell's son, Michael, was the only commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission who advocated letting the AOL-Time Warner deal go through without scrutiny. President Bush recently named Michael Powell chairman of the FCC.
I'm not sure that those 400 are all fully behind this vote however. I'm under the impression that many republicans voted for it so that they would look good, but that they expected that it could be taken out in later conference committee.
So I'm not so sure it's as veto-proof as it looks
Slashdot Mirror
Many RSS readers are intelligent enough to simply request the http header first. If the feed hasn't been updated since it was last retrieved, then they don't bother to retrieve it. So it's not as extreme as you make it sound. Also, if you compare the front page of slashdot to the RSS feed, the main page is currently 28572 bytes (including images) while the RSS feed is 2599 bytes. So I could download the RSS feed 11 times before I use as much bandwidth as you do by viewing the front page of slashdot. And I only use bandwidth if the page has been updated since last time I checked it, whereas you download the full page every time you check slashdot.
I'm not sure that those 400 are all fully behind this vote however. I'm under the impression that many republicans voted for it so that they would look good, but that they expected that it could be taken out in later conference committee. So I'm not so sure it's as veto-proof as it looks