Tech Support Pits:

From Marnie===
Dear Webby
Its time for me to graduate from AOL and get a decent ISP.
What is better, a big national ISP or a small local one?
Thanks
Marnie

Dear Marnie
Congratulations to graduating!
If you do a lot of traveling, then you need a big national
ISP like Earthlink. However, if you rarely travel with a
computer, then by all means go with a local ISP.

Local ISPs usually are a LOT more helpful and cooperative.
They know that if they behaved like AOL, you would come
visiting with your rolling pin. The whole atmosphere is 
totally different. They provide personal tech support, you
are not relying on AOL style far away tech support, who 
doesn't care or even read your support requests.

With small local ISP's one customer more or less can make
make the difference between paying the rent, or not. You
usually get on very friendly terms with them quickly and 
get service that the big ISPs can't match.

Rick, who was the manager and support tech and janitor 
at my first ISP in the Yukon a dozen years ago, is still a
good friend, even though I moved 3000 Miles five years 
ago and he no longer works at that ISP. 

Especially when you are fairly new, it makes a huge 
difference to have a local friend helping you, and is well
worth a few extra dollars a month.

Have FUN!
Dear Webby