The Letterville BullBoard: Free DSL connection and DSL modem

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Posted by Mayo Pardo (Member # 138) on :

For those of you that don't know what DSL is, it stands for Digital Subscriber Line.
It's an internet connection which works on your existing phone line and allows you to talk on the phone and make regular telephone calls like usual, while still being connected online. The speed is about 50 times that of a 56K modem.
Did you hear me? I said FIFTY TIMES FASTER THAN A 56K MODEM! WOW!!!!!!

It's not free phone service (you'll still make a local call to get connected) but this particular offer IS for Free DSL internet connection service, with a chance to get a free DSL modem too.

At the moment it's only available in the USA.

Most DSL providers are charging about $49 to $99 per month for this kind of connection.
The reason this deal is free is because they want you to download and install their internet browser assistant, which displays advertising. The $$ they make selling advertising will more than cover the cost of giving everyone free access.

I have registered and installed their browser and it's very accomodating. In fact it's small. One half inch high. They have some horizontally scrolling text in their "ticker" box part of the browser but after a short time it was easy to ignore.

Here's the deal with the free DSL modem.
If I get 10 people to register and download their browser assistant, I get a free DSL modem.

After you register, if you get 10 people to register and download their browser assistant, YOU get a free DSL modem too.

Nobody makes any cash from this but we will get free DSL internet connection service regardless if you sign up anyone or not and that can save you whatever you're now paying your monthly ISP. (You do not have to sign up anyone to get the free DSL connection.) Those of us who get 10 people to register and download the browser assistant will get a free DSL modem.

This free modem deal is only happening until APRIL 30th and it's a first come - first served arrangement.

The free DSL internet service includes unlimited high-speed access and a free e-mail account. It will be starting in April 2000. I think it's very easy to put up with this small bit of advertising in exchange for HIGH SPEED internet access.

To get the Free DSL internet service here's the link:
http://i.winfire.com/s/isapiEng.dll/wf.exe?cmd=rl&452,120057109&wf.exe

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EmpY® is also known as...Mayo Pardo
Visit my 90 day Australian adventure at
http://www.difsupply.com/trippin.html
When I'm not in Australia, I'm at
14 N 041 Gunpowder Ln.
Elgin IL 60123
847 931-4171

Posted by David Fisher (Member # 107) on :

Let me know when they go offshore, then count me in.
David

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D.A. & P.M. Fisher Signwriting
Brisbane Australia
da_pmf@yahoo.com

Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :

Mayo,
I was talking yesterday with a friend that's signing a contract to sell a utility easement to run a fibre optics line along his railroad tracks bringinig that possibility to our community. It'll only take a year to get the line it though!

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The SignShop
Mendocino, California
"Where the Redwoods meet the Surf"

Posted by David Wright (Member # 111) on :

Free DSL also will slow down bandwith because
of the streaming ads you receive. Also I
would be concerned about privacy as they will
track your movement through the web.
DSL is not a dial-up but is always on.
Around here Ameritech is offering higher speed DSL for $39.95 month and free equipment. I would rather have that than the ponzi scheme the "free" providers offer.

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Wright Signs
Wyandotte, Michigan
Since 1978

Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :

I just wish I could get something faster than 56K. And, we just got that in town last year!

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:) Design is Everything! :)
Glenn Taylor
in beautiful North Carolina
http://members.tripod.com/taylor_graphics

walldog@bbnp.com

Posted by Mayo Pardo (Member # 138) on :

Do you really think Ameritech is NOT going to track your movements thru the web?

Do you really think Ameritech is not going to place advertisements on their service?

Most of the big web sites are already tracking people's movements on the web.
They know what web site you came from when you get to their site and they know what web site you go to when you leave their site.
They track various things when you are on their site as well, such as what pages you visit, how much time you spend on each page, what links or graphics you click on, etc.
Cookie files keep some of this info.

As far as the supposed "ponzi scheme" is concerned, it is not a requirement that you sign up others in order to obtain this free DSL service. If you wanted to try and get the free DSL modem, that's how you would do it. Sign up 10 other people. So where's the scheme if NOBODY PUTS OUT ANY MONEY for this??? I always thought a ponzi scheme required people to invest money. This is just their way of marketing their product with little cost and quickly.

DSL connects you to the internet through your existing copper phone lines. It accesses a higher bandwidth than telephones use and so it can be connected all the time regardless if you are using the phone or not. Since it is only you that's using the connection, you will not experience the slow down which cable modem subscribers will experience as more people connect at various times of the day. I don't believe a streaming ad being sent on a DSL line capable of high bandwidth will experience any appreciable slowdown. But hey, if it does, I'm not out any money anyway because I can cancel at any time. I have not agreed to any minimum monthly charges. I have not agreed to pay any taxes on my using their service. And I'm not going to be charged extra for using the service more than XX hours a month.

Another advantage I didn't mention...
You accumulate points while you are online. Every minute you are online, you get one point. You get additional points for using their browser to access places on the net. Not just places that are trying to sell you something - you get points for accessing all the usual places you go too as long as you get there through their browser. I registerd on the day I originally posted this message. As of right now I already have 2460 points. I can use these points to enter contests like the 6 days free at Club Med in Cancun, including airfare. How cool is that?
Each point equals one entry. I can decide to enter as many points as I want for that contest. There's other stuff you can do with these points too numerous to mention here.

The underlying point of it is, the tides are changing from having the consumers (users of the internet) pay for everything they do on the net, to an environment where marketers and companies are paying the consumers tab in hopes that they will patronize their advertisers or buy their products.

If I can get better service for free, by seeing an occasional ad, I'm willing to make that trade off. And the scrolling text I mentioned in my first message - it can be slowed down, speeded up, made to scroll right to left or left to right or it can be made to NOT scroll. So that's not even an issue for me any more.

Posted by David Wright (Member # 111) on :

Ameritech does not stream ads from their
service because you only buy the service not
any streaming ads. As for tracking your online movement, I doubt anything stops it
completely(cookies and all). But I went to the double click site and opted out on the
privacy area which I am told stops a lot.
As long as ads are part of your browser this
is not possible.
Believe me,"free" anything sounds nice and I
don't want to be a shill for Ameritech, but there always is a downside. I would be interested in the speed of your access, as I
don't totally discount any idea. I have a
cable modem, and you are right about the
disadvantages.

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Wright Signs
Wyandotte, Michigan
Since 1978

Posted by Benji Mcentire (Member # 1414) on :

DSL or ADSL Digital Subscriber Line,,
one note, ADSL users have to be within 4 miles of a switching relay station, they have to have the same DSL router/modem that the otherside uses, and its speeds are dependant to how many subscribers they have we have ADSL here and its SLOWER,,, Yes I said SLOWER than a 56k when SURFING, now if you download a file with a 56K modem you can get speeds of 4-7 kbps with ADSL(depending on the speed or Level you have) will be 20-25 Kbps the highest I seen in this area was 40 kbps.. lets see,, 50 times faster than a 56k 4-7 x 50 would be 200-350 Kbs thats Fast, but impossable with ADSL average DSL users from the web not FTP will get 20-60 kbps and surfing will slower cause of the way the router is set up.. beleive me I have 2 accounts one ADSL and a seperate dial-up with 56k another ISP better surfing with 56k downloading is better with ADSL. and the one best thing about ADSL is that you dont ever get disconected, you dont get a busy signal and you dont have to worry about missed phone calls you can call out while you are on the net,,, dont worry about logging on ,, your allways on-line..... DSL is great I love it, but I wish people wouldnt Exaderate its speed to sell some ADVERTISING displayer that only messes up your internet fun. in most cities with in 5 years will have either Cable, Wireless or ADSL... I am in a small rural town in Arkansas and we have it...

thanks

"Now off my soap box"

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Signs of America
www.signsofamerica.com
McEntire,Benji

Posted by Sarah Clark (Member # 413) on :

This place does say in the fine print that they track everywhere you go and give your address to other similar places. It wouldnt be a bad deal if you are able to get DSL and have an extra computer to use for surfing with it to places you dont care to have known about. I checked my ISP in town that advertises ADSL and yes its only within a close distance to the router. Like 26 miles away from me or I might have given it a try on my old computer. Emps right though, everywhere collects info about you. If you install a personal firewall program you will be amazed how many check your computer to see if you have a Trojan or back orifice program installed that will allow them to access your computer. They use programs called scanners and sniffers that go through thousands of IP addresses in very short time checking for something that will allow access. Different from websites keeping track of you thou but you sure arent anonymous on the web if anyone really wants to find you. I have some little freebie counters on some of my webpages that give an unbelievable amount of info about how the visitor found the page, their IP, what country they are in and so on.

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S. Clark
Clark Signs (retired)
Compton, Arkansas
sasc@alltel.net
http://members.xoom.com/sclark/

Posted by Mayo Pardo (Member # 138) on :

In their web info, they claim speeds of "up to" 8Mbps

I suppose that might be compared to claims of inkjet prints and edge prints lasting "up to" xx amount of years.

If all conditions are right, you may see the results they advertised.

If I find the speed less than what I was hoping for, I'll merely cancel the service.
My 56K modem regularly connects at 49,9 something and very frequently connects at 50,667.

About the collecting and giving of information about you to others... there are checkboxes to select when registering, which tells them you do or do not want them to do that.

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