Coming and Going
The ISPs get you both ways; they remind me of the Mafia and protection rackets. First they sell ad space to the advertisers, saying, "We can deliver X thousands, nay, Y millions of pairs of eyes to see this wonderful ad." Then they come to us, the end-user of the internet. Their offer to us is the opposite; "You can have access to the web for a low price. You will see a ton of ads. They will be very annoying, we will make sure of that. If you don't want to see all this junk, you can pay us more and we will make them all go away. If you pay us even more, we will speed up the service."
Okay, what provoked this whine? I have Juno, or as Nathan refers to it, my pseudo internet 'service' provider. (He questions the Internet part and I question the Service part.) I had to cancel my credit card, so Juno felt stiffed when they didn't get their money. So, even though I could get into the Internet from my husband's account for free - with lots of ads and pop-ups, of course - I couldn't access the Internet through my own account, not even the free version with lots of pop-ups. Plus, they are going to bill me for the period of time when I didn't have access! So, why don't I just leave them? Because it is $14.95 per month. I loaded AOL, thinking that might be a better deal, but it's $23.95. And I have had experience with them in the past. They are devilishly difficult to resign from. And they have as many or more pop-ups as Juno.
Okay, I'll stop whining and say some good things about the technology. $14.95 is an upgrade (voluntary on my part) to a 'better, faster, fewer ads Juno'. I chose to do that myself. I could have kept on paying $9.95. And I love on-line banking. (It really is secure, right Nae?) The Internet really is quite amazing, when I think about life just 10 years ago.
Comments
Hey, Maman!
I spend a lot on Internet access, close to $200 a month. Why? Well, partially because my rent is low: I own my own place and split the rent with someone else, so I can spend the rest on Internet access. I also have broadband to two addresses, because I need it in the condo in D.C. and also in the flat in Edinburgh.
But it's also because fast Internet access, really fast, reliable, clean Internet access, is worth more to me each month than a place to live. It's true.
I run a web site, this one, though admittedly Rahmat is far more talented and effective than I am, and need the bandwidth to reach it.
I also work across the Internet - I send files, designs, Visio diagrams, OpenOffice documents, etc. I consume vast amounts of information each day, most of it from the Internet. The longer it takes to get to me, the less I can learn and the less I can help clients.
But mostly, my mental health depends on fast, reliable Internet access. Emails from my family and friends make me happy. I want them as soon as possible.
You can get DSL or cable modem for around $30/month. It's worth every penny.
-Nathan
Posted by: Nathan Dornbrook | February 11, 2004 5:50 PM
If I used the internet at home as much as I do here at work, or if I worked at home, I would agree with you. I am getting there, but I'm not there just yet. I am planning to spend some time blogging tonight, so look for some pictures. Mensch sent me some, though none where you can actually see him, and Candy and Dave gave me some from Grampa's 85th birthday party.
Posted by: Maman | February 12, 2004 2:05 PM
Another nice thing about having the internet through cable is that it won't tie up your phone line.
Posted by: Rachael | February 16, 2004 2:18 PM
Who cares? It's not as though there are a lot of people trying to call us. That sounds whiny -- like my children never call me, but that is not my intent. The truth is that we receive fairly few calls at home these days. I have removed call waiting because it just wasn't necessary. Same with that obnoxious little voice that would tell Gramma, "She can't answer the phone right now because she is on the internet." Little tattle-tail! And we don't spend that much time on the internet to block calls. I think. Have you guys had trouble reaching us because the phone was busy? I suppose I wouldn't know unless someone told me.
Posted by: Maman | March 12, 2004 5:09 PM
That is so untrue! almost every time I call your damn phone line is busy.
Posted by: Nathan Dornbrook | August 19, 2004 11:19 AM