Letter From Norm
Jan/Feb 2000
Dear Casual Cartographers:
I suspect that the merger
between AOL and Time/Warner will produce a monster of an ISP (Internet
Service Provider). AOL will, no
doubt, have preferred access to providing Internet access via the many cable
systems owned by Time/Warner. Thus,
they will be able to provide huge band width; perhaps sufficient to download
a movie or a complete musical CD over the Internet.
This will be great for some, but I have my reservations.
Over the last couple of
years, I personally, and Mentor Software, have used several ISP’s, ranging
from the biggies to our current provider, a small local company.
I have to say that dealing with the biggies is about as pleasant as
dealing with US Worst when there is a problem.
You are one of thousands, if not millions, and at $50 a month, your
problem(s) is not really worth dealing with.
Your access to tech support is through e-mail, and your response is
simply selected from a library of canned responses.
For example, I have used
AOL (their wonderful release 5) but it can’t handle a simple e-mail with a
mime attachment. It crashes
more frequently than Windows 98, and it can’t print a three page article
without causing the printer to go crazy.
For all of these wonderful benefits, I paid a 10% premium to the
going market price.
With our current provider,
Prolynx.com, we have had nothing but pleasant experiences.
Every time there is the slightest problem, the individuals at Prolynx
are always anxious to help resolve the issue immediately.
That’s right, we get to talk to a real, live, knowledgeable person.
If the front desk person can’t handle the issue, you even get to
talk to Ron, the “techie” in the back room.
If they can’t solve the problem immediately, they actually call
back.
Their service is reliable,
their rates are competitive, they offer high speed connections when US Worst
allows them to, and they offer most all of the latest Internet features such
as e-Commerce. I can’t
imagine ever switching to a different company.
So, with the big merger coming down the pike, many
are predicting the demise of the small local ISP such as Prolynx.
I certainly hope not.
May I suggest that you
consider using a locally owned ISP for your Internet access.
They might not be able to deliver a feature length movie, they may
not provide stock quotes, they may not have all the bells and whistles, and
they may cost a couple of extra bucks a month.
But being treated as a customer, rather than just one of a zillion
accounts, is well worth it. Perhaps
there’s a Prolynx in your area.
That’s one man’s
opinion.
Norm Olsen
norm@rockware.com
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