|
Welcome, once again, to The Stargate Update. The goal of this newsletter is
to provide you with periodic information covering such things as system
upgrades, unique offerings, discounts for Stargate customers, helpful
hints to make your Internet experience more enjoyable, useful and fun web
sites, and any other information that we feel will help you maximize your
'Net' results. We're happy to take your comments and suggestions at
update@stargate.net and you may also opt out at anytime if you prefer not
to receive The Stargate Update from us (see bottom of email).
______________________________________________________
The Stargate Update
A "Periodic" Newsletter from Stargate
http://www.stargate.net
http://village.stargate.net
http://help.stargate.net
Issue Nine--Spring 2001
What's New At Stargate?
1. Stargate Goes National!
-your friends and family from California to Maine can now sign up with
Stargate
2. Stargate Launches Official Referral Program!
-earn free Internet access for referring new customers to Stargate
3. Thinking about upgrading to DSL?
-try Stargate's new DSL loop qualifier on our website
4. Stargate Village Gets Overhaul
-the web keeps getting harder to navigate and we keep making it easier
5. Great Savings for Stargate Customers with our Rewards Program
-enjoy discounted services just for being a Stargate customer
6. Partnership with Vector Security Helps Keep you Safe
-take Vector's home security test and see how safe you really are
7. Looking for Spring/Summer activities?
-United Way of Allegheny County launches helpful community site
8. New 878 Area Code To Be Rolled Out in Summer
-early heads-up about changes that have to be made by this Summer
9. Tech Tip
-virus alert...we can help you stay virus free!
10. STAR Sites
-some of the best sites on the web
****************************************
1. Stargate Goes National!
That's right... Stargate is excited to announce that we now provide
toll-free Internet access in over 1000 cities and towns throughout the 48
contiguous United States! Know someone in another state who could use
quality Internet service? Why keep it a secret? Let 'em know that
Stargate's now available in their town! To support our new nationwide
service, we recently expanded our POP search at
http://www.stargate.net/accessnumbers. You can now search by
city, state, and area code to see where Stargate is available in the 48
contiguous states....AND check below to see how you can earn free access by referring your friends.
****************************************
2. Stargate Launches Official Referral Program!
http://www.stargate.net/referralrandr
We've found that the number one reason why people choose Stargate is because another Stargate user who has had an enjoyable experience referred them. As a thanks, we're pleased to launch our Referral Program, where you can earn months of free Internet access just for doing what you have been doing all along- referring new customers to give Stargate a try! You can earn up to three months of free Internet access- one for each of the three people you refer! For more information about the program, including the official Rules and Regulations, visit http://www.stargate.net/referralrandr
****************************************
3. Try Stargate's New DSL Loop Qualifier on the Web
If you've been thinking about making the switch from dial-up to broadband,
check out our new DSL loop qualifier to see if you are able to get DSL. As
most of you know, currently you must be a certain distance from the
Telephone Company Central Office (CO) to qualify for DSL. Stargate has
built a search engine where you can see if you qualify for our high speed DSL. Just go to http://www.stargate.net/html/extreme_dsl.html and click on the "Need Speed?" link.
****************************************
4. Stargate Village Gets A Facelift
http://village.stargate.net
Many of you have noticed the revamped Stargate Village. For those of you
who haven't yet...you don't know what you're missing! Our goal is to
continually make improvements to make using the Internet and getting around the web easier for all of our customers. Some of the improvements you will notice are: 1) the addition of a Customer Rewards section
http://www.stargate.net/html/customer_rewards.html (where you can get great discounts on all kinds of stuff), 2) greater assortment of web categories to search, 3) the addition of a link to "your city" (this is Digital City's zip code search to give you the latest news and entertainment from Erie to Beckley, and Maine to New Mexico), 4) enhanced selection of search tools http://www.stargate.net/html/search1.html, 5) easier access to standard Stargate offerings such as webmail, weather listings, and stock searches, and 6) as a result of multiple customer requests, a listing of all back issues of the Stargate Update http://www.stargate.net/html/news.html. So go to the Stargate Village at http://village.stargate.net and set it as your
default browser so you can keep up with the improvements.
A reminder that www.inetone.net and www.intrepid.net web sites will begin
pointing to the new Stargate Village (http://village.stargate.net) beginning
Monday, March 12th. Please bookmark any links of value currently found
within those sites for future use.
****************************************
5. Great Savings for Stargate customers with Stargate Rewards
http://www.stargate.net/html/customer_rewards.html
Stargate has begun a Customer Rewards section on our web site. You will
remember that several months ago we announced a partnership with Online
Choice, where you can save money on all kinds of things like gasoline,
wireless services, health insurance, long distance, etc. Well, since then,
we have begun compiling additional money-saving opportunities for you.
Although there are presently only a handful of offerings, you will find some
nice savings on home security, pottery/personalized wedding gifts,
Pittsburgh items, and more. Keep checking back 'cause we are going to
continue to add participants to this section.
If you have a business and would like to extend an offer exclusively to
Stargate customers, please send an email to rewards@stargate.net. We will
review your request and get back to you.
****************************************
6. Partnership With Vector Security Can Help Save You Money
Did you know that a burglary occurs in the United States every 12 seconds?
What if your home were to be targeted by a burglar tonight? Imaging the fear
of awaking to the sound of breaking glass and footsteps, or arriving home to
find an ugly scene. The fact is, right up until the time it occurs, no one
knows when they will become a crime victim.
But you can do something TODAY that will help protect the things you cherish for a LIFETIME.
Stargate customers can now receive an outstanding offer on a Vector Home
Security System valued at $995 for a one time connection charge of only $99 with a $29.95 per month system monitoring/lifetime warranty plan! Plus, you may qualify for a homeowner's insurance premium discount of up to 20%.
Like what you hear? Visit the Customer Rewards page
http://www.stargate.net/html/customer_rewards.html, and click on the Vector "Take The Test!" banner. It's a FREE vulnerability assessment test, and Vector will give you 3,000 FREE hours of central station monitoring, an
added $90 value.
Let Stargate and Vector help keep you safe!
****************************************
7. United Way Introduces Your Online Helping Hand
http://www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org
It's a whole new approach. Point your browser to find over 4000 programs and 2000 nonprofit agencies to help you solve everyday problems - big and small. You'll find helpful information on all sorts of topics, from Summer camps for your kids, to credit counseling, to finding a meals-on-wheels program for grandma. Help Connections is a quick reference directory detailing health and human services in Allegheny County. It's free and it's
confidential. Find volunteer opportunities for you and your family. Register
to customize your page with health information just for you - men's health,
women's health, parenting, senior care and child care are just some of the
topics you can choose from.
United Way Pittsburgh's site even has quick links to other useful sites from
around the web. Give it a try!
****************************************
8. Changes Are Necessary to Prepare For 878 Area Code Change
http://help.stargate.net/areacode
Beginning July 12, 2001, all calls placed within the 412 and 724 area codes
must be dialed using all ten digits of the telephone number. This change
results from the introduction of the new 878 overlay area code that will be
assigned to new telephone numbers beginning on this date. Callers will be
required to dial the area code for all local and toll calls regardless of
whether the number is in the 412, 724, or 878 area codes in order to
complete a call.
We suggest that you begin dialing the area codes now in order to become
accustomed to the new procedure. Your pre-verified Stargate local dial-up
number will still be a local call even though you are dialing the area code.
However, if you have not yet verified local calling, please contact your
telephone company to do so.
It is important to remember to reprogram automatic dialing equipment including computer modems, fax machines, alarm systems and any
pre-programmed numbers for telephones and cellular phones to include the
correct area code. It is also important to include the correct area code
when exchanging telephone numbers with others.
To continue using Stargate's dial-up services without interruption, you will
need to change your computer's dialing settings to include the area code.
For assistance in changing your settings, please visit
http://help.stargate.net/areacode or contact us at 1-877-570-STAR (7827).
For more information and to view a set of frequently asked questions about
the 878 area code overlay, please see
http://www.bell-atl.com/areacode/pages/wepa.htm.
**********************************************
9. Tech Tip...Computer Virus 101 (Not the cold or the flu!)
A computer virus is an executable code, which means it must be executed
before it can do anything. Many of the recent viruses are actually
combinations of executable code, script-like files and even the old DOS
Batch files.
The most common types of viruses are:
1) Viruses that use the executable code within existing programs such as
word processors or spreadsheet calculators to run attached macro commands from within files. These viruses can appear in emails or be transferred on disks. The first "Macro" viruses got their name from the commands used byMicrosoft® Word and travel only as a VB (Visual Basic) script within a .doc (document) or .xls (MS-Excel) file. Computer users should now realize that any program which runs or opens a file in which lethal commands could be stored will always be susceptible to this kind of attack.
2) Viruses that hook into email programs and send themselves to everyone in your address book. This type spreads at an alarming rate by infecting those people's computers when they execute the code attached to the email message. A good rule is to never open email attachments blindly, especially if you didn't specifically request the file or recognize the sender.
Tips to help protect yourself:
1. Do not open any files attached to an email from an unknown, suspicious
or untrustworthy source.
2. Do not open any files attached to an email unless you know what it is,
even if it appears to come from a dear friend or someone you know.
3. Do not open any files attached to an email if the subject line is
questionable or unexpected.
4. Delete chain emails and junk email and do not forward or reply to any of
them. These types of email are considered spam, which is unsolicited and
intrusive mail that clogs up a network.
5. Install an Anti-Virus program on your computer. Remember that a time
could come when your Anti-Virus program doesn't have the correct information to combat a particular strain of virus. Keeping your computer healthy also involves doing whatever you can to recognize the types of files and conditions that could be potentially harmful to the data on your computer.
**********************************************
10. STAR Sites
http://www.modelgolf.com/
The "perfect swing" really does exist! With Spring right around the corner,
now is the time to begin working on your golf swing. You can discover a
more powerful, consistent game by using ModelGolf's personalized, computer model of the perfect swing. NBC Sports is showing how the Tour Pros are using ModelGolf technology to win, and you can use the same technology to help you swing like a pro -- and drop strokes from your game. All you have to lose is your handicap. Visit http://www.modelgolf.com today!
http://www.garden.com
Got a flower bed or vegetable garden that needs shaping up for spring?
Visit this site for helpful information that will assist you in choosing which plants are best for all types of growing conditions... then, you can even purchase the plants right here! And if your thumb isn't even the slightest shade of green, take one of the online Garden classes (they're free!) at Burpee University.
http://www.job-interview.net
Whether you're about to graduate from college or are considering a career
change, a visit to http://www.job-interview.net can help you to prepare for
the interviews that you're about to be faced with. Get some quick experience with the types of questions that are likely to be asked by taking a mock interview based on your field. You'll also find a whole library of books
available on a wide range of topics to help you prepare and get that dream
job!
http://www.partypop.com
Need help planning a special occasion? This site has loads of helpful info
on how to plan all types of parties- dinner parties, bar mitzvahs, sweet
sixteen, anniversaries, weddings, you name it! Search for vendors in your
area, calculate the anticipated expenses with their budget planner, get some
great ideas for themes, it's all here!
http://www.flightarrivals.com
With all the recent flight cancellations due to bad weather, wouldn't it have been nice to have instant access to up-to-date flight arrival and departure information, including delays and schedule changes? It's all compiled in
one convenient location here.
**********************************************
We hope that you found this Stargate Update to be informative and useful. A
LOT has been going on here at Stargate and hopefully it is apparent to you,
and will become more apparent, all of the improvements that we are making
for you. As always, if you have any comments or suggestions, please email
us at update@stargate.net
To opt out of future mailings, please send an email to unsubscribe@stargate.net
As always, you can reach our Technical Support team at support@stargate.net
Thank you for your trust, your patronage, and for choosing Stargate for your
Internet service needs.
Most Sincerely,
Stargate
**********************************************
Click here to view prior issues of the Stargate Updates |
