ouch... that hurts...

Not a good idea. As any good internet editor (and there are very few in this country. Less than a dozen, maybe even less than five) will tell you. The only way to make people consume more content is to showcase more content.

If you choose not to, then someone has misguided your thinking or you have taken an altogether different direction for your site.

Nobody for e.g. debates why NYT has too much content on it's homepage. Or WSJ or any other site of any import.

Rediff should have tried simple A/B testing for this page, to see offtake before making it live . Maybe they have tried it. Who knows. For us to sit and pontificate is rather pointless.

That is not what Sanjay is suggesting. Infact he is proposing the SIM as a replacement to a Smart Card.

Will the Telco be keeping your identity for free? Highly doubtful.

If not, then they will block all your paying relationships. Similar to what the banks do, when you miss a card payment by a day, they grab it from your bank account.

What are the legal guarantees that the Telco will be prosecuted for harassment for blockage of services. Lets say you were at an airport and the telco blocked the service. Who will you run to for resolution? No time to switch telcos is there?

There is an oligopoly in the Telecom industry today, which is going to strengthened because telcos are going to be permitted access to your financial profile. Not only access but also possibly powers to affect it.

Miss a phone payment. you become a defaulter, loose your id and also get denied a house loan. This is why subscribing to multiple-play from any operator is a bad idea (you dispute an overcharge on your landline and not pay. Telco blocks your TV, mobile phone and internet connection.)

Bad idea.

If anyone is keeping my id. Let it be the government. And that too a government department not a governemnt owned corporation.

No way is a mercenary private entity is going to have your well being in mind.

PS: If you think I am being alarmist. You bet I am.

And if you have a dispute with your telco. God help you. Because you will be stuck dealing with a customer care exec who has no powers to help you. Kind of like trying to get a loan reset with a private bank. You are forever on hold or the call keeps dropping.