Why CompuServe 7.0 sucks

When I hooked up my new computer, I was glad I'd saved the CD my ISP had sent me several months ago, when I'd had to reload it. It had been fouled up then, too, I forget the details. My old computer couldn't support the latest version, so I continued with Compuserve 4.0, which suited me anyway, as I was used to it.

Now here I was with Compuserve 7.0, and the problems started almost immediately. Suddenly, I couldn't log in to My Space. Every attempt took me back to the sign up page, and when I tried to sign up again I'd get an error message. I contacted My Space three times and received no reply. Guess you get what you pay for.

Then I noticed when I went to My Preferences and tried to change anything, CS would freeze, forcing me to log off. And my computer would freeze if I tried to log back on too soon.

Now to Blogger. My dashboard looked strange. I saw the problem: the blogger news that they post under the dashboard was now superimposed over my dashboard. And none of my dashboard controls would work. Wrote to Blogger. Three times. See the last sentence two paragraphs back.

By this time I was increasingly irritated and worried and decided to bring some of the problems to the attention of Compuserve. I wrote to them about My Space and Blogger (hadn't realized the "Preferences" problem yet) and received a disinterested reply that I should really get in touch with the web sites in question, as how could this be Compuserve's fault.

I had installed Firefox, on the recommendations of a few friends, when I set up the new computer. Jerry had sent me a DVD-rom with some of his favorite freeware programs he'd found over the years.

A few nights ago, at a loss for any solutions, I had activated Firefox. For the hell of it, I decided to try connecting to Blogger through it. Since you're reading this, you can guess the outcome. And My Space. Success there also. JKRowling.com, which I had just discovered I couldn't access, except through the text only version on good old CS? You probably can guess that too.

I'm only paying $14.95 a month for CS, though I'm thinking of adjusting my budget enough to spring for DSL. But we have Comcast cable at work, and it has it's down moments. I could add, once more, that you get what you pay for. But Firefox is free.