Bigger faster more more more

I'm in the process of changing hosts and adsl provider. I'm sadly moving on from my colo box with friends at sundive networks to a VC II account with TextDrive, which at $399 forever is a bargain. TextDrive are a good host, I've been quietly using them for the talkeuro project, as they offer ticket based support etc. The development environment is supportive and the forums friendly. They are still offering the 400 dollar deal for life, so if 20G of bandwidth and 15 domain names is enough for you, then I'd highly recommend them. Their focus is on quality and on development, they host quite a few open source development projects, like TextPattern, PunBB and Wordpress. They are perfect for what I need now and I think into the future. Other people are cheaper (well on a monthly plan) and some offer more bandwidth, but the support is great with txd.

I've also gone for the 4Meg adsl deal with Bulldog, which will hopefully be a good experience, though some of the feedback on adslguide was not the best. I'm leaving Demon for the first time since I went online at home. I've been with them using the grrr moniker since 1997. Broadband has really encouraged my internet use at home, I was spoiled in 1990 at university with 100baseT ethernet and 155MB ATM networks, so dialup always seemed frustrating. I think that this was part of the reason that I had a web presence from 93-97 then a gap until 2000. I got adsl soon after, my not great visual design skills probably contirbuted too.

However, finally my home connection speed will rival my connection in work, I'll get most of a 4Meg line, rather than a share of the BBC New Media's pipe to the world. Home and work at the same speed and gprs if needsbe on the move or a wifi cafe account, it is possible to be virtually always onine now. Those who are, say 15 now have a different life, mobile connectedness is a real part of their teenage life.