SBC/Yahoo Kool-Aid
Stephen R. Savitzky
use my pacbell.net email account) telling me how to "upgrade" my DSL
account to the new, improved, SBC/Yahoo. Fortunately, I didn't.
Somewhere along the way I took the time to compare the terms of
service. The Yahoo TOS ( http://sbc.yahoo.com/terms/ [section 13])
includes the following:
Non-Commercial Use. The Service is provided for your personal,
non-commercial use only [...] Unless your account was provisioned
with a single static IP address prior to May 1, 2001, you will not use
the Service to operate server programs, including, but not limited to
mail servers, IRC servers, FTP servers, or Web servers.
.. in fact, I have 5 static IP addresses, but I wouldn't count on this
not applying to me now or sometime in the future.
The old, PacBell TOS ( http://public.pacbell.net/dialup/dsl-tandc.html )
doesn't even mention servers, though it does have a (much shorter) "no
resale" clause. Their FAQ, however, includes the following q/a
( http://public.pacbell.net/faq/dsl_faq.html#fac13 ):
Can I run my own mail or web servers with Pacific Bell Internet
Services' DSL Internet product?
Yes, if you have Enhanced DSL Internet Access.
According to the (third) customer-service person I talked to, the old
terms apply as long as:
1. I don't drink the Yahoo kool-aid
2. I don't change *anything* about my account, including upgrading my
speed.
Of course, both the old terms and the new ones include a "subject to
change" clause. If that happens, or if I decide I need more speed, I
will of course be looking for another ISP.
By the way, if you want to call SBC about this, the only way to navigate
through their voice-mail menu to a person with half a clue is to pick 3,
"discuss your bill".
Also by the way, if you're stupid enough to download Yahoo's "custom
browser", it turns out (according to their documentation) to be a hacked
version of MSIE that starts up on the Yahoo "portal" and won't let you
change the startup page. Which is about what you'd expect.
--
/ Steve Savitzky \ rw-rw-rw- : the file permissions of the beast \
/ <st...@theStarport.org> http://theStarport.com/people/steve/ \
\ hacker/songwriter: http://theStarport.com/people/steve/Doc/Songs/
\_ Kids' page: http://Interesting.Places.to/Browse/forKids/ _/
dane
: I recently got a letter from SBC (I probably got email, too, but I don't
: use my pacbell.net email account) telling me how to "upgrade" my DSL
: account to the new, improved, SBC/Yahoo. Fortunately, I didn't.
Stephen, have you considered switching ISPs for your DSL service - keeping
the SBC-ASI ATM, but going with a partner ISP instead of
PacBell.net/SBC/Yahoo?
--
Dane Jasper Sonic.net, Inc.
(707)522-1000
mailto:da...@sonic.net http://www.sonic.net/
Key fingerprint = A5 D6 6E 16 D8 81 BA E9 CB BD A9 77 B3 AF 45 53
Stephen R. Savitzky
> Stephen R. Savitzky <st...@thestarport.org> wrote:
> : I recently got a letter from SBC (I probably got email, too, but I don't
> : use my pacbell.net email account) telling me how to "upgrade" my DSL
> : account to the new, improved, SBC/Yahoo. Fortunately, I didn't.
>
> Stephen, have you considered switching ISPs for your DSL service - keeping
> the SBC-ASI ATM, but going with a partner ISP instead of
> PacBell.net/SBC/Yahoo?
Sonic is on the top of my list for the time when I actually have to make
the switch. But right now the connection is working, I don't need more
bandwidth, I haven't drunk the "upgr-aid", and they haven't given me
notice about changing my TOS.
From your other posts, it looks as though it could take up to 2 weeks to
make the switch, and I *really* don't want to drop back to dialup for
that long unless either I really need to, or it looks to save me a
bundle.
dane
: the switch. But right now the connection is working, I don't need more
: bandwidth, I haven't drunk the "upgr-aid", and they haven't given me
: notice about changing my TOS.
: From your other posts, it looks as though it could take up to 2 weeks to
: make the switch, and I *really* don't want to drop back to dialup for
: that long unless either I really need to, or it looks to save me a
: bundle.
I can certainly understand the reluctance to spend any time on dialup. We
are scheduled to do more ISP change trails in the new year with SBC, so it
may be possible to switch one day, as it used to be prior to the creation of
SBC-ASI in February of 2001.
For others - if you've got a second phone line that you're keeping, you can
provision replacement DSL onto that circuit to make the switch seamless.