BetterMost, Wyoming & Brokeback Mountain Forum
Our BetterMost Community => Forum FAQs, Guidelines, and Updates => Topic started by: Phillip Dampier on February 11, 2011, 08:19:04 pm
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As the fifth anniversary of BetterMost has been reached, it also marks the date of my return. After more than 24 months of fighting Big Telecom companies who seek to overcharge Americans and Canadians for Internet access with so-called "usage-based billing" that would make accessing websites like BetterMost more expensive, and discourage people like me from even starting them, it has felt a lot like being called to active duty and shipped out to fight a war.
As many of our long time residents might remember, this battle began April 1, 2009 when our local ISP, Time Warner Cable, sought to limit our Internet usage to 40GB per month. If you wanted to avoid watching a usage meter, the monthly price for Internet access was going up -- way up, to $150 per month for a residential account.
That outrage allowed residents in Rochester, NY, North Carolina and Texas to join forces and beat back the cable company and leave our flat-rate Internet access alone. More recently, I've been devoting an enormous amount of time helping and advising Canadians in their fight against "usage-based billing," which is nothing less than a complete broadband ripoff. These fights continue, but I decided it was important (for me personally) to set a deadline of how much time I should be spending fighting that, while not being able to spend as much time here as I would have liked.
That deadline was reached today, and now I'm headed back.
Other than my presence here, the only things that are going to change are some long-needed upgrades. (Tired of that banner up there, yet?) All the people doing what they do here will still be doing it if I have anything to say about it. I'm eternally grateful to our admins and moderators for keeping the community going (in good hands) during my extended absence. Nobody should interpret my lack of activity here as disinterest or me having an issue with anyone or anything here. It was all about a greater battle which needed to be fought not just for me, but for every North American who values affordable Internet access (and we know it's just as bad in Australia and New Zealand.)
I'm thrilled to be back here and will be gradually working my way back into the conversations and threads, so many of which I have missed. I'll still be working on our broadband issues (which you can follow on http://stopthecap.com), but not to the detriment of BetterMost.
Thanks for everyone's understanding and for remaining a part of the BetterMost community!
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what wonderful news! WELCOME BACK! Phillip!!! I think i speak for all of us when I say we missed you truly, madly, deeply!
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Hi Phillip!! Welcome back! It sounds like a really interesing and worthwhile campaign you've been involved in. Great job Bud. :)
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Excellent timing! Welcome back.
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Yay C! It's so cool to see you back around these parts lately too! :-*
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Welcome back!
I had no idea what you've been doing. Wow! Good for you!
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Thanks for fighting the good fight, Phillip! Welcome back!
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Welcome back Phillip!
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Welcome back Friend!
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(((Phillip)))
It's great to see you, bud!
Without you and John, none of this would have been possible - a million thank you's.
And yes, the background could use a bit of an upgrade. ;)
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(((Phillip)))
It's great to see you, bud!
Without you and John, none of this would have been possible - a million thank you's.
And yes, the background could use a bit of an upgrade. ;)
:-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
yeah, isn't that - er, Fall?
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This is even better than Mubarak stepping down. Welcome back, Phillip! :-* :-* :-*
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Yo.
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Welcome home, Mr. Mayor. I hope you know what a superb job Chrissi and Clarissa have done in your absence.
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Welcome Back Phillip! We've missed you terribly around here!
Oreo is fine. (Phillip used to always ask how my cat is doing! lol )
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Welcome back. Will be good to have you on board again! :)
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We haven't met yet, since I joined after you left.
But I'm very happy and grateful you created this place, and I'm happy to be here.
Welcome back, and hope to see you soon.
Sonja
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Thank kew for your efforts in the good fight Phillip!
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Other than my presence here, the only things that are going to change are some long-needed upgrades. (Tired of that banner up there, yet?)
It could probably use a change but sounds like the work you've been doing in the past 24 months has been much more important! Welcome back.
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Lovely to see you here Phillip and, yes, great choice of timing!
xx
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Awwwwww - thanks. :-*
Yay C! It's so cool to see you back around these parts lately too! :-*
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Really glad you are back! :)
I am amazed at how many months have gone by since I first logged onto Bettermost.
Bill
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thanks for the kick in the behind and welcome back!
O0
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thanks for the kick in the behind and welcome back!
O0
Glad to see you back, Roux. Been tired o' missin' your dumb ass. ;)
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Just saw this thread now! Good to see you, Phillip (and Celeste, and Roux!). :D
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It is good actually to meet you. I am new to BetterMost, but have been listening to BBMRadio for almost a year. During all that time I thought Bettermost was a small town in WY, and that you were there in a small house not unlike Jack's family home in Lightening Flat, but with a large music collection. I worried about you, worried what Bettermost townsfolk would think if they ever found out what kind of a website you were running. Would you end up in a drainage ditch like the old cowboy and Jack? Then too, I couldn't find Bettermost on the map like I could Riverton or Chilldress. When I came to the BetterMost site the mystery was solved and I realized you were just across the lake from me (Toronto), and No, you were not going to end up in a drainage ditch. I had a good laugh.