Tom Regan
www.nowyoucanhaveareallylongURL.com
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While larger Net name registrars, like Network Solutions (NSI) and NameSecure, are still in the process of preparing to accept the longer urls, some smaller registrars have been quick to act, and have been registering new names at a furious pace for the last three weeks. But there still may be some kinks to work out.
For instance, Register.com has said it won't accept the longer urls because Netscape's browser can't accomodate all those extra characters. And since about 50 percent of those who surf the Web use a Netscape browser, longer urls will be basically useless 50 percent of time.(Tom Note: Gasp! Could this be another plot by a certain Seattle-based company to take over the browser market again? ... just kidding.)
No doubt these glitches will be worked out in short order -- after all thar's gold in them thar' urls.
Juno will offer free service
The movement towards free Internet service in the US picked up steam on Monday when Juno Online Services said it would offer ad-supported, free-Internet access.
Juno, which has around 400,000 subscribers to its ISP (Internet Service Provider) package, will offer free access to users who will accept adds, and lower its regular $19.95 a month fee to $9.95 for those who don't want ads. Juno also said it will offer a new high-speed service, Juno 2000, in the first-quarter next year.
When you select the free Juno Internet access - which is accessible nationwide -- you also get the 'Juno Guide,' which is basically a window that floats over your browser in order to show you 'special offers' -- better know as ads.
What's interesting about this model is that the one of the basic features that Juno advertises in its $9.95 monthly service is that "You'll get fewer ads." While it's encouraging that Internet companies are realizing that people will pay not to see ads, the key word to me in the Juno offer is '"fewer." It's reminds me of the early promises of cable-TV, which, for a fee, was supposed to offer you ad-free channels. That lasted about as long as a trailer park in Tornado Alley. We'll just have to see how long it will last online.
Juno started as one of the first free e-mail services, and if it can duplicate its success as an e-mail provider (about 2.5 million people use the Juno e-mail service) with its ISP service, it could become a very profitable venture. Another thing this does is put pressure on the world's largest ISP, America Online (AOL), to lower its prices.
AOL's service is free in England, but AOL was forced to provide its services for free in England after all of the company's competitors offered free Internet access. Right now, the US 'free-access' movement is in its early stages (two other free-access providers are WorldSpy and NetZero) but if it continues to grow, that $21.95 monthly fee that AOL charges folks for unlimited access could begin to look very expensive.
AOL still playing hard ball with IM
AOL still doesn't want to let anyone into its Instant Messenger neighborhood. About two weeks ago ATT tried to link its user base to the enormous AOL IM service, but AOL acted immediately and blocked all access attempts by users of ATT 'IM Here.' AOL, of course, had forced Microsoft to back off just a few weeks earlier.
It's an interesting, and potentially dangerous, move by AOL. After all, AOL has been one of the loudest and most demanding voices calling for complete access to cable networks so that it can build a high-speed network to match its dial-up one. Perhaps AOL executives have been spending too much time in front of computer screens reading financial reports, and they have missed the hypocricy of their position on the IM issue.
Then again, if IM becomes as big as people predict, and the Justice Department is looking for a new monopoly target once it brings Microsoft to its knees, it can give all those AOL executives a call. Or ask to have a look at their e-mail.
Freedom.Net
I promised an interview with Freedom.net founder Austin Hill and it is coming. Friday we'll have a longer look at privacy issues on the Internet and the Web, including comments from Hill and Internet privacy consultant Richard Smith of Massachusetts.