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Too many users abused unlimited Dropbox plans, so they’re getting limits
(arstechnica.com)
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this post was submitted on 30 Aug 2023
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You can DDOS using an "unlimited" VPS, and DDOS the same provider. Is that abuse? Of course it is. You can't expect a for profit to allow people to upload petabytes of junk all at once.
It depends on the ToS. DDoSing might be considered unreasonable use.
But if you're using VPS to stream 4K content 24/7, that would be heavy and reasonable use.
Similarly, if I take the unlimited Dropbox plan and resell it, that's probably against the ToS.
If I'm uploading 50TB of blu ray rips for backups, that's... Heavy use but entirely acceptable based on what they're advertising.
For your last sentence, Dropbox can't tell whether those are legitimate backups that the DMCA gives you the right to, or rips from a piracy site. Uploading data that's all 1's is just dumb and is designed to "test" the server, in the same way a teenager might test their stepdad.
Just violating the TOS, which means you are using a service or product outside its intended usage.
Downloading from a plan that has no cap, even if you download a lot, is simply making use of the service for its intended purpose. (Which obviously isn’t to DDOS someone.)
Why you’re defending DB here, a faceless corporation, is probably a better point of discussion.
You shouldn't try to benchmark some random server by uploading and downloading files that consist of the bytes
FFrepeatedly. Store all the crap you want, just don't ruin it for others.