🚀 go-pugleaf

Star Traveler <aldeberan@alt.net> wrote...
:
:Albert Yarusso wrote
:(in message <6mu61o$5ju$1@news.onramp.net>):
:: 
::I'm presently a Texas.Net customer and am paying $50/month for their 128K 
::ISDN Dialup service.  While I think Texas.Net runs a good show technically, 
::I'm disturbed by how closely the monitor accounts.  

  Yes--a privacy violation amoung other things.  I've added
alt.privacy to the Newsgroup: line.

::I received a warning this week that I'd exceeded ten hour 
::connections several times in the last few  weeks.  For the 
::most part this had to do with installing ICQ and not 
::manually disconnecting, since the 15 minute timeout used to 
::knock me off just fine.  I've since corrected this problem, but 
::there are times when I might be online for ten hours straight 

  That's true of many users--and since you've prepaid for an 
unlimited account it's certainly none of their business.  Texas.Net
is quite crooked--false advertising and all.  It's the primary
reason industry stooge Rosenthal is forging cancels on consumers
who bring such things up.

::and I don't want to have to worry about an ISP breathing down my 
::throat.  There will be many days where I'll use my account less 
::than an hour, and others where I might use it quite a 
::bit more.. 

  And when you've purchased an unlimited account none of that
is any of their business.  Texas.Net is run by crooks--pure
and simple.

:And here is the problem with the crooked and fraudulent practices 
:of Texas.Net. They continue to advertise as "unlimited" service and 
:they continually lie  about it. (See below about unlimited).
:
:It's crooked and it's scamming the public. They have "gotchas" built 
:in all over the place like "land-mines" -- 

  None of which are relevant.  If you answer an ad, pay your money
and get rolling you've purchased what they've advertised.  They
can add all the nonsense they like after the sale but that's just
crooked and not even worth a look.

:so that you have to have an attorney and a  consumer-advocate to just 
:navigate their service. You don't need an ISP like that.

  There are many that don't do that--amoung nationals Earthlink
and MSN are excellent in not bothering you--same is true with
AOL although they had to be sued by various states Attorney
Generals offices before they honored their unlimited sales.

::So I'm just curious if there are any other ISPs worth investigating 
::in the Austin area.  

  See above.  Earthlink also does not accept any cancels so you
won't be affected by Mr. Rosenthals attempts to censor those
concerned with exactly what you're discussing.

::I looked at Flash.Net's site and see that they offer 128K 
::Dial-up for $36/month with a $100 setup fee.  They also claim 
::that they do  *NOT* monitor connection time, although I find 
::this hard to believe.  At 

  Until quite recently flash.net was very dishonest but with
the departure of Mr. Bellomy they may have become decent--don't
know.  I'd still play it safe and stay away from them until
they choose to make their policies clear in this group and
issue an apology for the behaviors of their former VP Mr.
Bellomy.

::least they do not have a limit of 10 hours set in stone like Texas.Net.  
::(So much for Unlimited Use.  Now, I'm not saying I want to abuse my 
::connection, but c'mon, "Unlimited Use"?   They should link the phrase 
::"Unlimited Use" on their services page to the section in their Acceptable 
::Use Policy that states, "Several sessions of 10 hours or more in a single 
::month, particularly if very little data is being transferred, may be cause 
::for an account to be reviewed. Continued ongoing long sessions can result in 
::consideration for termination of service."

  As noted the management at Texas.Net are crooked.
 
:Yep, Texas.Net should "get with the program" or get rid of their 
:false advertising (and scamming the consumer, and scamming the 
:other ISPs,too) 

  Actually their upper level managment belongs in jail for fraud.
Unless they're fired I wouldn't accept any claim that they've
changed.

:and say they have a "limited hours" service -- because that is 
:exactly what it is.
:
:
::I'm also not crazy that they charge $50 for dual-channel 128K ISDN dialup 
::and only $20 for a 64K ISDN dialup.  I'd like to see the justification for 
::charging another $30 for the second channel instead of just $20 (looking at 
::Flash.Net's pricing structure shows that they only charge double for 128K 
::ISDN vs. 64K). 
:
:Yep, that's just another example of "fleecing the sheep" Texas.Net style. 
:It is built into their whole corporate structure from top to bottom. You 
:can't turn one way or another -- before you run into another "gotcha". 
:Consumers don't need to put up with that sort of thing. There are too many 
:other good ISPs around to do that.
:
:
::
::Thanks in advance for any feedback, 
:: 

  Please consider keeping austin.internet informed in regards
to what decision you make.

                  Steve
                  news.admin.censorship

:The Aldebaran Group, Ltd. will be monitoring this situation as 
:Texas.Net has been known to "expose" people's home phone numbers, 
:addresses and place of  employment (obviously for purposes of 
:intimidation). It's amazing that they've managed to stay in business 
:for so long. I would imagine it's with the help of  other 
:"industry-whores" (as has been the term used elsewhere) like -- 
:"Censor-All Rosenthal" -- who looks out for critical Texas.Net postings 
:and  cancels them (so the consumer won't be warned), along with 
:"quid pro quo" industry mouthpieces, who like to sing and dance praises 
:for Texas.Net. Watch out for all these scam artists.
:
:
::  ..Al Yarusso, ay@texas.net 
:: 
:
:Thanks Al -- for the "heads up".
:
:
:xxx                                                              xxx
:xxx                          A message                           xxx
:xxx                from the original, one & only                 xxx
:xxx                    --> Star Traveler <--                     xxx
:xxx                      aldeberan@alt.net                       xxx
:xxx             -->>> http://www.aldeberan.org <<<--             xxx
:xxx       UDP-ed for warning about a scam at Texas.Net ISP       xxx
:xxx          Protest FOR free speech at austin.internet          xxx
:xxx                                                              xxx
:
:Does your news server allow forged cancels? That promotes censorship
:on content. A UseNet Death Penalty was issued because of my warning
:about a crooked ISP -- ** Texas.Net ** -- cheating the customers.
:Complain in a post to austin.internet about the UDP and censorship!!