[CLUE-Talk] OpenSouce Friendly ISP [WAS Re: [CLUE-Tech] Easiest DHCP]

[Randy Arabie]

On Sun, 27 Jan 2002, Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier wrote:

> I saw a commercial the other day making fun of DSL companies by
> AT&T... I just thought that was some major chutzpah from a company
> that left their customers in a lurch because they were trying
> to play hardball with another company...

When I get my website up I'm gonna post a letter I wrote to AT&T 
explaining my resons for dropping their service.  I was happy with
them, and had no complaints about the service until the dissruption.

> I understand, it's damned if you do, damned if you don't. If you
> say "I use Linux" you've given them an excuse to refuse to support
> anything (according to them, anyway -- "My modem burst into flames!"
> "Sorry, sir, our records indicate you use Linux, which isn't supported.")
> but if people don't go on record as using Linux it will never become
> a supported option. Sigh.

This thread on CLUE almost mirrors a similar discussion on a NetBSD
list I subscribe to.  OpenSource OS users are "hiding" from their ISP,
hoping their activities don't get noticed.  They know the ISP doesn't 
want to hear "Linux, BSD, or Unix" if they call with a problem.  And, they 
know their LAN nat'ed behind an OpenBSD box violates the "acceptable use" 
policy, and they know for certain they will get dropped if the ISP finds 
out they are running "servers" on that LAN. 

It makes me wonder why there are no "OpenSource OS" friendly ISP's.  Locally, 
here in Denver, there are so many out-of-work tech and telecomm people, it 
seems that a few could get together and start one.

I suppose there are OpenSource OS agnostic ISP's...I *think* mine is, as 
I've seen several people on the list who use them and I think there is 
even an employee who subscribes to this list.  However, I've never seen an 
ISP cater to the OpenSource crowd.

Is it too much of a niche market?  I doubt you could raise capital to 
become a national contender.  But what about a small local ISP here in 
Denver?  I would consider switching to an ISP who marketed themselves 
as OpenSource friendly.

I think the big catch here would be Qwest who holds all the cards in the 
DSL market.  I know they are the ones who forbid "server services"  on
the DSL connection.  Likewise with cable.  So, the broadband, OpenSource
friendly ISP would be left with dial-up and wireless.  And, I know the 
guys at TechAngle do wireless ISP, and are Linux (OpenSource) friendly.

Wireless is hard to market on a widespread geographic area, even just 
within Denver Metro.  I talked to the guys at TechAngle when I was 
switching from AT&T Broadband.

I guess I've just shot down that business proposition :-(

Anybody with comments?

-- 

Cheers!

Randy

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Randy Arabie
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