And Another Thing!

by Bendrr 3 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Bendrr

  While I'm in fighting mood over my computer being held hostage by Best Buy, I'm gonna attack service providers.
  AOL sucks! They had the gall last week to put a hold on my account. They claimed that it was used to send "spam", specifically an email with a commercial hyperlink. Another user reported it and BAM! I'm stuck on the phone for almost an hour. The customer-no-service rep said I probably had a Trojan Horse that stole my password. Ok, so spammers are now using virus attacks to steal passwords in order to send out their emailings.
  I pointed out that at least half of the spam I get has @aol.com for the sender, but got the telephone equivalent of a blank stare.
  What can you do?
  I signed up for Bellsouth's DSL service. My number "qualifies" so the ball is rolling. The sevice will be activated next week, and I will receive my "FastAccess Kit" (the dsl modem and software) somewhere around Dec. 3. I guess that's enough time to give BellSouth to come up with an excuse as to why I can't get DSL but still bill me $49.95/month for a couple of months.
  Bellsouth is very odd when it comes to internet access. They have a very good dial-up service. They ought to, since they are the phone company after all and can make sure they get all the best lines and the other providers get the tin cans and strings. They've just about shut down Earthlink in Macon that way. They're trying to run the Competitive Local Exchange Carriers out of town too. A CLEC is one of those "no ID, no credit check" phone providers you see advertise on TV for people who had their phone cut off by the main phone company. Bellsouth is pretty cutthroat with the clec's. So why am I going to give them my money?
  What can you do? Get cable modems from Cox Cable? They support SYNDEX, and besides the cable modem thing really sucks. Read up on it, the security is lousy and speed is subject to how many people in your area are online.
  When I finally buy a house next year and move out into the country, I'll be telling the phone and cable companies to go to hell. Cellular phone instead of a land line. Satellite TV instead of cable. And satellite internet, yes satellite internet, uploads and downloads from a dish with no tyrannical telco in between. Ok, to be honest, it will be a black market satellite tv deal, but really is there any other way?
  If they didn't want just anyone to get it they shouldn't put it out over the airwaves.
  mike.
• 

  Julie

  Hi Mike,

  Sounds like you have had some unpleasant experiences with those companies, I can relate. I have cable internet and no complaints. $30.00 and it runs lickety-split quick. Charter Communications is the company, not that I am found of giving my money to huge conglomerates.

  Anyway, you said:

  :Ok, to be honest, it will be a black market satellite tv deal, but really is there any other way?
  If they didn't want just anyone to get it they shouldn't put it out over the airwaves.

  Well you are entitled to your opinion of course but be careful. As far as I know what you say here wouldn't get you very far in court if you get caught. We'd hate to have to pass the hat to bail you out or anything.

  Regards,
  Julie
• 

  tdogg

  Really? Free DSS! Is there really such a thing out there? I shudder to think that folk could actually pirate satelite signals and get all of that TV for free! Heh heh heh heh....
• 

  Mindchild

  There is plenty of illegal satelite TV offerings open. In fact, having had Direct TV before, I was surprised at all the calls I got for people who answered my ad when I was moving and wanted to buy it. It turns out that the older versions of Direct TV are easy to modify so that they get free movies.

  As per getting free satelite Internet, that is a far more risky can of worms. Early this year, I was one of the users of the direct satelite internet service. If you are bitching about phone and cable service you are going to grow to hate the satelite services. Your ping time is incredibly long and some websites take forever to load, you can get fast speeds sometimes and at other times it just crawls. There are now several providers for direct satelite service but all of them leave a lot to be desired. That should change later next year though when a new low earth satelite system for high speed Internet comes online. Maybe then you might get some decent service.

  Skipper

  "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings." - William Shakespeare