mystery of the missing megabytes

Twelve months ago, I was on a standard 2Gig-a-month download package from my ISP, and it was ample for my needs. I don't do online games; I don't download movies; I buy a few tracks from iTunes every month or so; I don't need much. Or at least, I didn't.

Around a year ago, I suddenly started to find myself struggling to keep within my download limit. For several months on end, I had to cut back online activities for the last few days of each month, to ensure I didn't blow it, and get dropped back to dialup speed. Then one month, I absent-mindedly and unusually bought an entire album from iTunes at once, and used up my monthly download allowance in less then 3 weeks!

Aghast at the thought of ten days on dialup, I contacted my ISP with a view to purchasing an extra 1Gb of download for the month. I also considered just upgrading to a 3Gb-a-month package; after all, I seemed to be using around 2.2Gb each month now (somehow).

Of course, I couldn't do that. They don't sell you downloads in quantities that you need; they make you buy more than you need, and then don't allow you to carry over the unused portion each month. That's fair (in fascist-world!)

So, cornered, I upgraded to a 5Gb-a-month package. It was double what I needed or would use, based on recent trends, but I had no option (aside from dialup speed. brrr!)

The upgrade didn't especially change my online habits. About the only thing I took up that would increase my usage was the wonderful Picasa; otherwise, it was business-as-usual. I struggled to use 3Gb for the first few months... and then, strangely, inexorably, my usage started to creep up again.

Month-by-month, I approached the 5Gb limit, unable to control my headlong dash back to dialup speed, and now, less than a year after upgrading, today, May 5, I will reach my monthly limit a full 28 hours before the month ends!

What the...? How is this happening? In the space of a year, I'm consuming 250% more bandwidth than I used to need. Where does it all go?

I have a theory or two... but I'll have to wait for another time, when I'm not sailing so close to my limit!