[FFML] Very bad news regarding my ISP

       Folks, I'm going to be out of touch for a
while. Perhaps indefinitely. My ISP is dropping ALL
of it's dial-up customers. I'm going to quote the
email they sent below, but the short version is that
they've decided there's more bucks in catering to the
communication needs of large businesses and corporations.

       All of the dial-up customers are _supposed_
to be moved over to Earthlink, seamlessly. I strongly
DOUBT this due to what happened when I called customer
support.

       I informed the person who answered that I
was one of the RURAL customers from the far eastern
plains of Colorado, and the guy actually responded
with "There's _people_ living out there?"

       There aren't any local dialup numbers for
Earthlink in this area, and telling him that got the
response that maybe I should "move OUT of Bum-fuck,
Nowhere's-ville and back to the REAL world."

       His _supervisor_ was a lot more polite, but
the best even he could do was to offer that they
(IC&C, formerly Rocky Mountain Internet) would
PROBABLY sell their rural dialup numbers to Earthlink,
but couldn't guarentee that the numbers would be under
Earthlink's control in time to ensure a smooth transfer
of the rural Colorado customers.

       Basically, and he tried to be polite as possible
about it, I was told that city customers came first,
and that rural people (like me) should be grateful that we
even have telephones.

       *sigh*

       So, by the 27th of this month, my account at
Henge.com will be closed. My web page will no longer
exist, and my email address of eabecerr@henge.com
won't work.

       I am TRYING desperately to connect to another
ISP, one with a local dial-up point before then, and if
I manage it, I'll update everyone with my new email
and web page addresses.

       If not.. well, I guess I'm screwed.

       I'll keep writing, and I'll try to stay in
contact with some of you all by phone, those who's
phone numbers I do have. I'll try to keep writing,
too.

       Thank you for your friendship and support,
and for being there.

       Sincerely, I remain your friend,

       Edward Becerra

       "Dreamers may die, but the Dream is eternal..."

       Quoted letter from IC&C:

Dear IC&C Customer,

Internet Commerce & Communications (IC&C) is comprised of
many companies including the one that provides your Internet
dial-up and E-mail services. IC&C's experience as a dial-up
Internet service provider has been exciting, thanks mainly
to the efforts of our customers in building an online
community. The Internet has experienced rapid growth during
that time and we have seen many changes in the Internet
business including the introduction of high-speed access. At
this time IC&C has decided to concentrate our resources on
further development of our business to business services
rather than dial-up Internet access. We will continue to
offer integrated communications solutions, web solutions,
networked solutions and dedicated access inclusive of DSL.

Because of our commitment to your complete satisfaction, we
have worked hard to ensure you will not experience any
difficulties because of this decision. We have negotiated a
special arrangement with EarthLink to transition your
service to their system with no downtime for your dial-up
or E-mail accounts.

Here are the reasons we have selected EarthLink as our
preferred partner on this transfer:

* EarthLink offers terrific services at competitive prices.
* You will be able to retain your current E-mail addresses
that are associated with your dial-up account.
* Customer support is provided 24/7 via a toll-free number.
* EarthLink is a national provider with over 7,500 local
access points (POPs) across the county. This will enable
customers to access their accounts as they travel across the
country.
* EarthLink will provide you with a full set-up kit,
including EarthLink's proprietary software and Internet
Explorer, at no cost to you.
* EarthLink's service wins the lion's share of industry
awards each year. Recently CNET, Inter@ctive Week, MacHome
Journal, Mobile Computing, PC World, and Smart Computing
have all rated EarthLink's services the best available.

Unless you notify us otherwise by July 27, 2001, EarthLink
will automatically set up an EarthLink account that most
closely resembles your current service, using your current
billing information. The transfer of your account will take
place shortly after the above date, and you will receive
EarthLink's award winning software and a welcome letter
(with your username and password if there is a change).
EarthLink and MindSpring have recently merged and you may
expect some of the materials to use the MindSpring name.

Any remaining funds for prepaid IC&C access will be refunded
to you within 30 days after the transfer is complete.

Important - Please do not contact EarthLink at this time, as
they will have no information about your personal account
until after August 15, 2001.

NOTE: In order to retain your current E-mail addresses, you
must transfer your service to EarthLink. IC&C will not be
able to service E-mail accounts associated with dial-up
accounts after August 15, 2001.

EarthLink Service Plans:

The Works - $26.95/mo, 5 mailboxes, Unlimited access, 10MB
personal web space, 450MB bandwidth, Extra Web Space
$4.95/per 5MB, Extra mailboxes $5.00/ea

Unlimited - $19.95/mo, 3 mailboxes, Unlimited access, 5MB
personal web space, 225MB bandwidth, Extra Web Space
$4.95/per 5MB, Extra mailboxes $5.00/ea

Standard - $14.95/mo, 1 mailbox, 20 hours/mo (extra hours
$1/hr), 5MB personal web space, 225MB bandwidth, Extra Web
Space $4.95/per 5MB, Extra Mailboxes $5.00/ea

Light - $6.95/mo, 1 mailbox, 5 hours/mo (extra hours $2/hr),
5MB personal web space, 225MB bandwidth, Extra Web Space
$4.95/per 5MB, Extra mailboxes $5.00/ea

All plans allow International Roaming Access at 10� per
minute.

We recommend you review our FAQs (frequently asked
questions) for more information regarding this transition.
Just check our homepage or go to:

http://www.iccx.net/support/faqs/earthlink/

If you have further questions, please email reply@iccx.net
or you may call 800-411-6066. Please understand that we may
be handling a high volume of inquiries and our response time
may be a bit slower than normal.

We will respond to all transition inquiries.

* For technical or other assistance after you receive your
account materials from EarthLink call 1-800-719-4660, 24
hours-a-day, seven days a week. Option 1 for Technical
Support, Option 2 for Customer Service. Please do not
access Option 3 for Sales as arrangements have been made to
set up your account.

* Complimentary accounts will need to select an EarthLink
monthly access plan. We will no longer be able to offer any
complimentary accounts.

* E-mail only accounts will be converted to the Earthlink
Light Service Plan yielding continuity of service and the
added benefit of occasional Internet access.

We think you deserve the best, and we appreciate your
support. We regret that we will no longer be able to
service your account, but are proud that we are able to
offer you an opportunity to work with the fine people at
EarthLink, who are committed to your complete satisfaction.

Best Regards,

IC&C Team