AOL's Woes
America on-line has had nothing but trouble since switching to a flat-rate plan for subscribers last year. It's been all over the news. Too many subscribers and not enough lines resulted in almost constant busy signals and very long delays to get connected. AOL is finally doing something about it (perhaps all the attorneys general helped them change their approach). As part of a "settlement," AOL is offering refunds to subscribers who had access problems in Dec. and Jan. They're using a tiered plan that offers the biggest refunds (up to $39.95/month) to those who used the service the least, on the basis that if you were on-line for only a little bit (under 2 hrs.), it was because you couldn't get on, but if you were on-line for more than 15 hours in a month, you must have had no trouble getting connected and thus don't deserve a refund (effectively ignoring those die-hards that spent MANY hours trying and retrying to get on-line and eventually did so). One more thing. The refund is not automatic, you have to request it...if you can get through.

Free Internet Access (For a Price)
We're just passing this along for your information. Smart World Communications offers free (no monthly access charges), unlimited access to the Internet in over 600 cities nationwide at speeds up to 128K (ISDN). It's an advertiser-supported system. The prices of admission are $69.95 for their required software (includes a licensed copy of Netscape Navigator); a $19.95 registration fee; sales tax (if applicable); and $7.50 shipping/handling. You can check out their "free" offer, and list of cities with local access numbers, at http://www.freeramp.com.

If All You Want is E-mail
Visit http://www.juno.com , where you can get a FREE Internet E-mail account (just E-mail, no WEB, FTP, ect.). It's all free--the software, one E-mail account, and no fees of any kind. The downside? Targeted advertising that appears on your screen with your E-mail messages.

Anti-SPAM Techniques
There's a Federal law against unsolicited FAX transmissions which may also apply to unsolicited E-mail. Replying to junk E-mail asking to be removed from their list, etc., may not generate the desired result (you've just confirmed that your E-mail address is active and that you read your mail). Here's something you may want to include in your reply: a quote from the FCC: "28. Decision. Section 227 (b)(1)(c) of the Communications Act prohibits the use of a telephone facsimile machine, computer or other electronic device to send unsolicited advertisements." (For the full text, check it out at http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/db950808/fcc95310.txt.)

Sites to Check Out
Guidestar's (http://www.guidestar.org) database of over 40,000 nonprofit groups can help you check up on your favorite charity. Access is free, but you have to fill out a registration form first. There's also http://www.nonprofits.org, which includes a "donor defense kit" advising how to deal with solicitations. Burpee (the seed folks) offers on-line ordering for selected products. It's not too early to think "SPRING!" Visit them at http://www.burpee.com . Can't figure out what to plant, or when? Visit Garden Escape at http://www.garden.com .

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