Byte by Bite

More DSL available, possibly for you

by Marv Dealy

Enter your phone number in the box provided and in a few seconds you’ll know the availability, for the most part. And the good news is that there is indeed more DSL trickling out. I haven’t gotten enough reports yet to know for sure exactly where, but I know that parts of Columbia that weren’t lit up now can be. I’ve also received email from several readers with news of more DSL availability in the area served by Frontier.

First from reader Jerry Jensen: “I was prominently mentioned in your column, Byte by Byte, in Friday’s newspaper (October 27). I would like to correct and update the record on DSL Internet service in the Tuolumne 928 area. We now have DSL provided by our telephone provider Frontier installed. The technicians and service support have been top notch since the installation.”

Thanks, Jerry—that’s excellent news and echoes what Matt Ashe had reported earlier. Frontier seems to be doing a good job of getting DSL installed for folks. If they are the company that provides your telephone service, definitely contact them about DSL if you haven’t already. You really have no reason not to switch to DSL if you can get it and even if you use the Internet even sporadically or infrequently.

You might also use your DSL connection to utilize a VoIP telephone, which allows you to use your Internet connection to make long distance calls free for one flat monthly charge.

The next happy camper emailing in with DSL is Ritchie Christianson of Columbia who writes “After reading Marv Dealy's tales of woe regarding getting DSL in rural areas, I just had to relate my experience. Because I live in a low density housing tract in Columbia my frequent calls to Ma Bell left me with the impression that my chance of getting DSL before the 2nd coming of Jesus was remote at best. What happened next was amazing. I talked to my friend Mark who lives on a dirt road outside Forest Hill and he said that their small independent phone company just put in DSL and he had it. When I started to cry, he said he would pray that God would give me DSL in Columbia. The very next day ( I kid you not), even though it was starting to rain a little, a man in a blue coat with an SBC emblem on it came to our door and asked us if we would be interested in DSL. Life has not been the same since. Miracles still do happen.”

“A quick question. I have a wireless router hooked to my Dell desktop. My IBM laptop works great with a WiFi card. Can a Mac work on the same wireless system as the PCs? Thanks for your input.”

“We love reading Byte by Bite every Friday.”

First, thanks for them pretty words, Ritchie.

Second, thanks for passing along your story of redemption through DSL and may I suggest taking a turn at adding your entry into the next Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest (www.bulwer-lytton.com). Just change the part where the DSL man shows up from hardly raining to a dark and stormy night and you’re there.

On the wireless router—we’ve helped more than one hook both a Mac and a Windows computer to wireless networks. You shouldn’t have any problem, but if you do let me know.

Finally, from Dan Buckman, who writes “I think you should talk about mail groups. Are there some specific to Tuolumne County? How do I find them?”

Good one, Dan. The mail groups Dan speaks of are folks with a common interest or complaint who gather together virtually to talk about their particular passion.

There are many places to find lists of groups, one place to start is Yahoo. Look on the left side of the home page in the list of links for groups, click on it, and enter the subject of interest in the window provided.

I searched for Tuolumne and found 27 mentions, one being Sonora Freecycle which turns out to be our Friday freebie—a group that has assembled under the category of recycling, talks English, was founded December 8, 2003 and serves the greater Sonora, Twain Harte, Groveland, Coulterville, Jamestown, Stent, and Moccasin areas according to their group’s “home page.”

Once you join the group—it’s moderated to keep out spammers—the group says its purpose is to provide “a place to list your free giveaway stuff and keep it out of the landfill.”

They won’t take items for sale, you have to offer something before you can ask for something, and some other rules apply. See them at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sonora_freecycle/

You can probably find a group that covers just about any topic you can imagine, and probably a few you can’t. Other places where you can find lists of groups is Google. Click on the “more” link and then select Groups. I searched for Tuolumne there and found a list of groups whose descriptions ranged from climbing techniques to talking about any boats with oars or paddles.

You can also start a group yourself. Google suggests that uses might be to communicate with family and I think good grief, one more place to check for messages. Google also suggests organizing a club or sending a newsletter as another use for your own group.

Others call their gatherings to discuss topics “forums,” for example at www.Cowboy.com or the teen forums at www.newzcrew.org, the forums “for topics around the distribution, Linux applications, installation, administration, portgage and FAQs” from the fun loving folks at Forums.Gentoo.org or the readers of the New York Times who cover topics such as who the next Oscar contender might be (www.nytimes.com/pages/readersopinions/index.html).