Somehow, this seems like a good time to think about bargains. As an avowed and notorious cheapskate, I can attest that the internet is one of the best bargains going. Once you have an initial account, "virtually" everything else is free, and you actually save money on everything from phone bills to bank fees. However, while that "initial account" is relatively cheap (say about $150 per year) compared to your annual phone bill, it's still one more expense to fit into the budget.
Now, even the account can be had for free. For some time, companies have been offering free internet accounts in return for running an ad "window" on your desktop, but until recently, these were available only in urban areas: the account was free, but it was a long-distance call from here. Now, a free ISP (Internet Service Provider) called "FreeLane" has provided a Lindsay phone number.
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but this is a pretty cheap one. When you log in to your account, a small (about 1" x 4") window of advertisements appears on your screen, and stays "on top" of all applications while you are on line. In order to stay online, you are obliged to click on the window every now and then. If you haven't, a message pops up warning that you will be logged off in 20 seconds unless you click on the ad window. This is hardly onerous if all you want to do is surf the net or check your mail.
Of course, there are drawbacks. Having to regularly click on ads makes it difficult to download large files. When you do click on them, the ads take you to other pages on the 'net, generally an unwelcome interruption. And, of course, all the extra "ad" traffic means slower surfing. In fact, free ISPs are probably helping their commercial (paid) counterparts, introducing people to the internet, but with just enough inconvenience to make them consider buying a "real" account!
If you have a computer, but have been hesitant to purchase an internet account, here's a way to "try before you buy". For more information, come to the Kawartha Internet Users' Group meeting: 7:00 pm, Thursday September 14 at the Lions' Hall, Main St., Bobcaygeon.