So Long

"So long, and thanks for all the fish."
                  -- the dolphins
                  in "The Hitchhiker's
                  Guide to the Galaxy"
                  by Douglas Adams

Today marks the end of my relationship with Earth(link), so the good-bye of the dolphins as they depart the Earth in Douglas Adams' semi-autobiographical novel, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, seems appropriate.

I think our parting is amicable. I know it is for my part. During our four years together I got nothing but excellent internet service from Earthlink. It was rock solid and consistently performed at the top of the marketed "up to" speeds.

My only complaint with Earthlink was that they never reduced the price of their service as other competitors lowered theirs. I guess they simply assumed that the cost of switching was more than most people could tolerate. I suppose they were right, to a point.

The point, for me, was the introduction by Verizon of a service called FiOS.

Aside #5/2Mbps:Does market research show that products with non-standard capitalization are perceived as more technically sophisticated?

FiOS gives me about 7 times faster internet access than Earthlink DSL, and does it for 20% less money. The money alone is compelling. And the increase in speed is appreciated at least once a month — on Patch Tuesday.

Maybe Earthlink will win me back one day, just as Arthur Dent found himself back on Earth. But until then, do I have to keep the fishbowl?