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I suppose the person I blame most for the constant worry I have caused various dahlia enthusiasts, is Wayne Holland, why Wayne? Because when I saw his site I was knock sideways, the colours, the advice, the fantastic information was mind blowing, not just for me, but for every citizen on this planet. At the moment Wayne is busily preparing for his new absorbing hobby, growing grapes to produce probably the finest wine in Canada, I may be exaggerating a little, but you can be sure he will make a success of it, unfortunately the dahlias have had to play second fiddle for a while, but it will allow us, perhaps, to catch up, and maybe produce flowers as good as his extraordinary collection.

Okay Wayne was the man that gave me the enthusiasm to produce the site, he will vouch that I didn't email him once for advice to produce it, although at the start it did resemble his, with a dark green first page. How ever as soon as I showed Harry Lawson he thought a lighter colour would be more appropriated for the first page. He liked the yellow page that some of the articles had been written on, so I obliged.

The next dahlia enthusiast that I got involved was Jack Gott, the man that has produced two collections of single flowered dahlias in the last two years, one called `Pathfinder' and the other `Petite' The names speak for them selves, `Pathfinder' is just that, a break through in dark leaved dahlias, even out of flower, they are an asset to the gardener. The `Petite' series is similar, being single, and most are only fifteen inches tall, as yet there are no dark leaved varieties, but Jack is working on it. I can't remember how our friendship started, and I'm not worried, but I can tell you without Jack, and his knowledge of what you needed to build a site, mine would still be on the cutting room floor.

Now at this stage it gets a little tricky, Jack had a friend called Barry Kenyon, that's right, one of the Vagabond champions. Any way, Jack had gone to a meeting, I think it was a North West Dahlia Society meeting, and had mentioned to Barry that I was in trouble, the problem was I couldn't Upload my site to my servers free space, which was then Virgin, an excellent server but having just 10 MB of free space, (unknown to me this would have been enough to hold my site at that time) So at the same time Jack was telling Barry of my plight, I'd come in contact with our Encyclopaedia Man, Dave Bates, and he told me he would help me sort it out. So that night after hearing Dave's generous offer, I got an email from Jack, telling me that his man Barry Kenyon would correct my ailing site, and that he'd sent him a copy, of the copy I'd sent him. Believe me when I say the site worked perfectly alright on my computer, but Jack couldn't understand why everything was in duplicate in the first case, and why the site was so large 27 MB, I soon found out from Dave Bates.

As I'd built the site with Word, the files I made were full of un-necessary data, most of it spelt death to a well run site, when it's on the Internet. Almost every file had something in it's make up, that would not let the site run well on the World Wide Web. Take file names, some stared with capitals, others had spaces, even more were not even named, but had the original numbers, or letters on them when first introduced. Many more were not in the place they should have been, a folder called Images. Oh the site worked fine on my computer, I didn't understand what all the fuss was about, but gradually I took heed of my guru, and started to learn what made a site tick, and not sick.

Bearing in mind most of the site was finished eighteen months ago, and all the while there was some one there for me, either helping out, or passing on my tale of woe, I was a very lucky dahlia grower and trainee web master. Then the biggest day in the life of a web site came when Dave Bates, who had finished changing a round and correcting, and was about to load it on to my free space for the whole World to see, that's if they'd a mind to. I don't know who was more pleased, Jack Gott or me. He kept saying you wait, you'll soon get known, sure enough the man was right, and the emails came flooding in, the furthest came from South Africa, and the nearest was just round the corner from me, I was as happy as a pig with two tails.

Now you say, that is the end of my story, wrong. Dave Bates was due to go on coaching holiday around the beginning of April, the sight was running well, and off he went. During the week he was away I received a CD from Jack, with his new Pathfinder varieties on it, also various sports that over the years have mysteriously materialised on his patch. I started to work on his Gallery page, which was going to grace my `Made in Britain' page, by mid-week it was finished, apart from details about the sports, I told Jack I could add these after the piece was published. At the same time I'd corrected various items, minor ones like wrong frames to photo's, background colours to some pages and different size fonts in some headings. I explain most of this over the phone to Jack, we'd got used to ringing each other up, and although expensive we both enjoyed talking dahlia, that is until the bills come in.

If I tell you that Jack at the moment is on dial up with Freeola, and I am with the same server, but have Broadband, you will probably start to realise what's coming next. Enthusiasm is always stronger than common sense, so when I told Jack I'd load the your new Jack Gott's Gallery on to my site, I certainly wasn't thinking straight, especially when I tried to do it from FrontPage with Broadband. I spoke to Jack while the deed was being done, and everything seemed to go smoothly, I got a bit agitated when I was asked, `Do I want to delete various files' I knew I'd altered different parts of the site, coloured back grounds and picture frames. So I thought naturally these were those un-wanted files being deleted, I said yes. and carried on until the little box, where all the business was reported, told me my site had been published successfully, machines know nothing. Hurriedly I tapped in my site details, http://www.kesdahlias.co.uk then waited, until that flashing Freeola box come up telling me the owner of the site had not yet loaded the index page, or it had been loaded incorrectly, both Jack and I were devastated, I told Jack I'd try again, thinking I'd made some kind of error, and put the phone down. In all I tried three more times to publish my site, without success. What the hell was Dave going to say when he got back from his coaching holiday? I tried two or three times more during the week, and by Friday I was getting desperate, I know I thought, I'll ring Barry Kenyon, he spends his time, building web sites for others, running a successful world wide aquatic business, and growing a showing dahlias, and often winning Dahlia Championships. I'd already made his acquaintance, when Jack had told him about my site, and he had offered to help, I'd had to decline his offer, as Dave was already on the case. I'm sure Barry would help me, I rang and waited for what felt an age, then a voice said something about aquatics, and I knew I'd got the shop. I asked the man if I could speak to Barry. Wouldn't you know it, Barry and his wife were at a family gathering celebrating one or other of their parents anniversaries, and would not be back till later. I was gutted, felt a fool in the first place, not knowing that you can't use Broadband to do anything with your site, the only way is to use a dial up number. I searched my computer for that number, I used to have one, but it had some how been spirited away, all I could do was to await the wroth of my mentor. Saturday came, and just as quickly went. Sunday was a lovely day, I cut both lawns, went round the Wellington boot club, (Allotment Association) to get more compost. Still no email from Dave, I tried the site address again, somehow thinking Freeola might have magically re-introduce it, not a chance. I went to bed that night, once more with that lovely dam web site on my mind.

The next day and until Wednesday, I had a hall, landing, and staircase to decorate, it had been booked in since February, and this was the week to start the job, I do the odd job to bring a few bob in for the little extras in life, most of it go towards my hobby, but I treat the wife, as you do from time to time. Coming in on Monday evening after a heavy day stripping wall paper off the hall, stairs, and landing of a 1932 four bedroom house, wasn't my idea of fun, and being my mate Eddie has a heart condition, most of the heavy stuff is carried out by yours truly, so as I kissed the wife and hurried to the computer, my body was almost dead, but my brain was as lively as it had been the previous night. Sure enough there it was, Dave's email, it wasn't long, but to the point, as most well educated people's are, here are it's contents.

What's happened to the web site. There doesn't seem to be any pages or images left, the error message said incorrect or no index.htm. I loaded my version to see what was there, and there was nothing.

Regards Dave.

I wasn't sure what to do next, it was obvious I had to apologise, but what do you say to a man who has spent days creating a master piece from a shambles? Of course I apologised, explaining to the letter what I had done. This is the answer I got from the man who has created the most comprehensive dahlia encyclopaedia in the World

Have managed to get all the pages and the images reloaded (took most of the day). Looking at what you did, I can see one of the problems. Did you link up to Freeola as they tell you in their information?

You must also use their telephone number, not Broadband. When you have the web site from your machine in FrontPage, you need to connect up via this telephone number, and click on "remote site" which will ask for your password etc. DO NOT DO PUBLISH WEB. Any page you want to load to the website, you click on and drag it over the remote site, and it will be moved. If you want to move an image, double click the images folder on the local web site, and then double click the images folder on the remote web site. This will give you a list of all the images on the sites. (The remote images folder also contains a lot of rubbish from your original stuff with the wrong names and they can't be removed) Click on the one you want to load, and drag it over to the remote site images area, and it will be published. If you ever get a message asking if you want to delete any pages or images again, say no.

Dave.

This guy's a Saint, he's just been on holiday, and spends the next day sorting out my sight, I emailed him and thanked him for the trouble I've caused, but it isn't good enough. I'm almost scared to touch anything to do with my site now, I know this will change as I forget past experiences, and go in to auto again. The trouble is I need to do alterations, updates, and site business for myself, and not keep contacting Dave with my troubles. Talk about a twit, the writing bits okay, even if it's amateurish, but this computering is about the hardest thing I have ever had to sort out, and at this time of year, with cuttings to pot up, ground to prepare, and all the countless jobs a dahlia buff has to do, it's just about got me beat. I must keep focused, and try and be as calm and connected as Dave, that's a laugh, I'm as calm as a Bull in a Cow Shop, as my eldest daughter once said when she was little. First of all I have to get a dial up number, and find what Dave calls the `remote site' the people to call are Freeola, but I could wait days, here goes.

Tuesday night: Tried again his time three quarters of an hour, still no joy, put the phone down, the background music was sending me nuts..

Sunday Morning: I continued to phone Freeola every night, I don't know if it's me, but I couldn't get anyone to pick up the phone, perhaps I'm unlucky, God knows what Dave thinks, must email him to tell him of my none progress.

You must think I'm the most incompetent person you have every come to know, believe me Dave I'm still trying to get someone at Freeola to pick up the phone, I made two dial up connections on my computer, both have errors and don't work, I could do the easy thing and send you the web site with it's additions and corrections, that's easy, CD in the CD writer and Bingo, I wouldn't send it by email, that also takes out stuff from the web site, something to do with the security on my computer I think, I need lessons on basic computering. Please Dave bare with me.

How are the dahlia seedlings? Any up yet I hope so. (I'd sent him a some seed from some of last years crosses in appreciation of all the worked he'd helped me with) I had to let you know where we were, regards the site, I won't touch a thing, until I get instructions from you, and that can't be until I have a dial up connection I think? This week I bought the Garden News, it was the wrong week, your bi-weekly slot wasn't in it, I'll buy it again next week. In the process of writing an article about the life of a web site. You come out on top, and I turn out to be a complete idiot.

That's done, feel better now, think I'll shut down, and try again next week, anyone want a headache?

Monday night: 18th April 2005. Tried again for twenty minutes, then my dinner was ready, will try after my meal. Meal washed up, half hour later no joy.

Tuesday night: 19th April 2005 No luck last night, perhaps tonight is the night. Dialled up and waited until I was cut off. I shall not try again tonight. Besides `Hustle' comes on the telly at nine, good programme, and there's not many, I wonder if any of the cast could get through? They're used to sorting out problems.

Wednesday night: Needn't have bother watching even that wasn't up to the same standard as usual. Tried again, Freeola have changed the number, it's to confuse the elderly you know. Waited three quarters of an hour cut off.

Thursday and Friday: I had better things to do. Saturday I emailed Dave and asked for his phone number. I have to end this stale mate or I'll go nuts. Dave's emailed back, telling me to ring him on Sunday after seven o'clock in the evening. thank God for that he might begin to make me see some sense now.

I've just got off the phone to Dave, and I'm really disappointed, seems our trouble is nothing to do with my incompetence, although it doesn't help, it all stems from Dave using a newer version of FrontPage, Jack's and mine are compatible but the one Dave's using is different or so he says, so looks like I've got to look for a more up to date version, unless anyone can come up with a solution, Dave told me he bought his on EBay for sixty quid, this computering is all pay out, why they make versions that aren't compatible beats me, oh well back to the drawing board. I'll have to send Jack a copy of his Photo Gallery on CD.

On the strength of all this, and wanting to get this business of managing my site sorted, I scanned the Internet for information, and found a fella called Thomas Brunt from Romulus 2. Here is the email I sent him and the reply.

Hi Mr Brunt,

Could you tell me if it is possible to correct and alter a web site that has been Uploaded using FrontPage 2003, with the one I have, which is an earlier version? I was unable to Upload my site, so it was done with the help of an email friend. Now I have to continually send him up dates which he adds to my site, not very convenient as you can imagine. Especially as some of it is not as I'd imagined in the first place regards text, picture frames, and background colours. I was so grateful for the gentleman's help, but haven't the heart to complain, or give him continual work doing up dates, although he's willing to do them.

Grateful if you can help me, or at least tell me what the options are.

Ken Stock Bournemouth.

Hi Ken,

Please direct future questions of this nature to the Out Front Forums.

FP 98, 2000, 02, and 03 are all totally compatible. FP 97 has some issues with themes, however.

Tom

It always amazes me how clinical these chaps are, when they write an email. It is to the point, but all you ever get is the bones. It's so casual that you feel the whole thing was to much trouble, which sort of makes you feel inferior, or at least below them before you start.

Well Dave my friend, we are not getting very far, lets try a different tact, I remember seeing something on the Internet called Microsoft Partners, I wonder if I could get someone from there to help me. Okay Google, I'll try putting in just "Microsoft Partners" Would you believe it bingo, in six seconds flat they've found me the Microsoft Partners site, their search engine is faster than the Flying Scotsman. Oh I see, I have options, and various names, all with certain qualifications. I'll try Steve Saxton, sounds intelligent, I later found he come from Oxford, which is probably why he was intelligent, it's something to do with the air you know, especially when wind's travelling North, and over the University. I explained myself in one of my flowery emails, probably over the top, and full of unnecessary stuff, bit like my first attempt at building a web site with Word, but he got the point and agreed to help, poor soul he didn't know what he was getting involved with.

Now I think I should tell you I'm not going to parade those emails for the World to see, needless to say there were a few, alright if you must know there was a total of thirty seven, sixteen from him, twenty one from me. On the whole they were short, least mine were, his were quite technical, considering I know nothing about the working of the computer, my skills round a computer are about as good as my skills on the highroads of Britain, I'll get there, eventually, but don't expect me to take the same route back. The reason I mention all this is, not only was this chap a wizard, but he was a gentleman to boot. I promise you this will be the only email I will show you from a chap that happened to get involved with my hopeless knowledge of computers. This was after badgering him with five emails on the third day. It was sent on Thursday May 26th 2005 at 7: 00 PM.

Hi Steve,

You're going to kill me, I didn't put a new default page on my site before copying on to my computer, gonna have to do it again, how long are you there for God sake?

Ken.

You don't have to put one up - its only in case someone comes to the site, and catches you half way through an edit and wonders what is happening when the site changes as they are looking at it.

The default page just stops that from happening and stops them from being worried.

I was at work until 7:00PM and then drove from York to home in Oxfordshire.
(where I'm writing this e-mail)

Steve

I recon this guy has just won the "Man of the match Award" don't you, this computering can take it out of you, especially when your involved with someone like me. Unfortunately I thought I was going to be delayed with the May Bank Holiday week-end, but much to my surprise Steve continued to answer my emails all over the holiday up till Sunday. He told me to send my web site by email, with the aid of something called WinZip, he'd included the address where I could get a free down load, in his email , WinZip is a programme that reduces the size of the files so as you can send them via the telephone wires. I was a bit sceptical at first having never tackle anything so adventurous, I needn't have worried it all went like clock work, with his instructions of course. So much so, that when I again got ready to down load a programme called Cute ftp, which he said I needed to make altering and adding things to my site child's play, I was brimming with confidence. This also downloaded with out a hitch, and I spent about a half an hour making myself familiar with the various tricks it had up it's sleeve.

Now was the time to email Steve, and let him walk me through the one thing I have never been able to do, that's right, Upload my web site, I'm not sure if Upload is the correct term. Basically, (I vowed I'd never use that word, having heard it over used, on the television for years, but every one is allowed one "basically" per article.

What Steve had explained was: We copy the live web site on to a safe place on my computer, somewhere like My Documents would do, then we can delete it's contents on the live site, and copy the contents of the correct site, with all the up to date stuff in it, on to this empty site, pretty cool eh! I assume that Cute ftp comes in to play somewhere, but how I'm not sure. In the event of a mishap, I would still have the correct site my computer, and the live site. Sort of best of both Worlds, and when you're dealing with the www. it's better to have more than one web site up your sleeve, don't you think.

On the first day after the Bank Holiday I emailed Steve three times, so far I haven't had a reply, I'm hoping the fella's got a few extra days owing him, or maybe is on holiday. I'm sure he hasn't deserted me, all I can do is wait, and pray my Microsoft Partner will return.

Sunday June 5th 2005: Have emailed quite a few email friends in the last day or so and as yet had know reply, I've got a feeling there is something wrong with my email connections. It must have been when I sent the web site via email, I know I momentarily disabled the anti-virus protection, and this could have upset my email connections, I think.

Monday: 6th June 2005: Been thinking about this email problem all day while helping an elderly lady change the colour of her bedroom walls, eighty seven years old, and because her daughter in-law bought her a new duvet cover she wants them changed from soft pink to Orchid white. Must ring my server and try and get some answers when I get home. Lifted the phone as soon as I changed, Freeola auto answering service came in to play, loud and clear;

"Freeola is sorry to report a fault to all Own Domain names and email addresses, which is stopping them sending and receiving emails"

Couldn't you just kill `em? How the hell mankind got to the Moon beats me. All I can do now is wait, and hope that any tinkering I did to correct my email connections, was the correct procedure. What beat me was, all the time I was paying for Broadband, when all I wanted was to receive emails.

Well I waited alright, could have waited till the cows come home, in all it was best part of four days until they fixed the fault, and although I could now send emails, I couldn't receive them. In desperation I email Jack, hoping he'd relay it to Steve Saxton via his email service, in case the email I'd sent hadn't reached him from my computer. In it I'd explained the difficult I was having, if all else failed he could relay instructions to Jack, and I could then phone to get the necessary gen. After a busy morning shifting about a three hundred an odd dahlias destined to make pot tubers, over the road to where I grow my seedlings. I washed and had lunch, and proceeded to put more money into my servers bank account, in all I dialled five times, not one call was answered by a human being, all I got was a recorded message, and crazy music created by morons, each call lasted about ten to fifteen minutes when I was cut off.

I just had to do something, I opened Tools in Outlook Express, then Accounts, this showed three email accounts, I'd learnt by now I had four, one that come with my Broadband connection, and three that I'd compiled myself using Freeola's free email service. You can have as many as one hundred, but who needs them, four is giving me enough trouble.

As soon as I opened `Properties' I realised the email addresses weren't assigned to the correct mail. freeola numbers, they were all over the place. Once I'd configured them out we were in business. I sent Steve an email, and just as soon got a reply, I told him I wouldn't do anything to arduous tonight, but would print his email, with all the technical instructions in, and scrutinise it so as to be on top of my game in the morning. I know I promised not to reveal any more of Steve's emails, but take a butchers at this, and you'll know what I'm up against, funny thing is, Steve sounds so confident that I'm going to get a result, I hope I do.

You where almost there when we left off.

Using FTP :

1) Copy all of your site to a safe folder on your PC - You may have done this already.
2) copy the "backin30minutes.htm" file to the site - you may have done this already.

3) Delete the index.htm file on the site (Don't worry as you have the backup)
4) Rename the backin30minutes,htm file as index.htm on your site.

5) Delete everything (except the index.htm) from your site. - yes I did say delete everything.
6) When complete copy your new site file to the internet.
7) Make sure that the new index.htm replaces the renamed file you did at step 4

7)You should be done and dusted.

Your Backup Plan - If at any point it all goes wrong.
Delete the whole internet site from the from the internet.
Copy the whole of the saved (old) version from your PC back to the internet as it was before.

Steve.

Thursday Morning June 16th 2005: Put my thinking cap on and thought to myself, in for a penny in for a pound. Now copy the live site to a folder on my computer using CuteFTP, seems to be working, he said it take about twenty minutes, think I'll make a cup of tea, just as soon as I'm sure everything is going according to plan, seems okay. Made the tea, still going okay, every time it put another file in the folder it flashes on in the CuteFTP page.

Sooner than I thought the deed was done, all I had to do now was to delete everything but the "backinthirtyminutes" file on my live site. I'm a bit apprehensive, but Steve recons you have to do one dangerous thing every day, and anyway as Steve says I've got a copy on my computer, so here goes. I zapped the site alright but it was the wrong site, I emailed Steve explaining, he recons I haven't found the correct site yet, as the thing is still showing on the internet, he's left me to find it by myself, says he can only help me to fish, but not do the actual fishing.

Seems like I'm on my own with this, I know the site is in here somewhere, but where? There is only one thing to do, and that's to look in some of these folders in the right hand screen on CuteFTP, there were fourteen in all, plus one called htdocs. The fourteen were all Upload on the 4th February 2005, and the funny thing is that was about the time I tried to Upload my site. I think I'll leave those alone, and open the one called htdocs.

Bingo found the missing site hiding in this folder, better email Steve to make sure.

Friday 17th June before shopping: Still haven't heard from Steve, maybe he's changed shift or something, I'll try again later. I tried continually and didn't get to understand what was happening until I rang Jack later that evening as I hadn't heard from him either for quite a time. It appears all the emails I had sent Jack he'd received, however none of his were getting through to me, I assumed this was the same with Steve. After letting Jack know all the news I hurriedly tried to sort out my email connections. After what seemed an age of endlessly phoning Freeola, I was about to give up when I heard that all Broadband customers may have trouble sending or receiving email messages, and that technicians were working on the problem, normal services would resume as quickly as possible.

Sunday 19th June: I'd sent Steve a few emails, and just as soon as Broadband customers got their email facilities back those emails reached him, he sent one back to me, this is all it said. "UPLOAD"

If it's good enough for you Steve Saxton it's good enough for me, first I must delete the site, all except the file named index.htm, (this was the "backinthirtyminutes" file remember?) That didn't hurt one bit, now copy the good looking site, (a phrase Steve coined) on to my servers space, from CuteFTP. Do you know it's only working, I can't believe it, good mind to email Jack, better not it might mess up the Upload. It wouldn't have of course but I was feeling so elated I didn't want to have any trouble.

Sunday 19th June very late: Well at last I have the web site that is in FrontPage on my live site, true there are quite a few photographs and background that need re-inserting, or sorting out, but that will be child's play compared to what I've been through, I think.

First email I received was from Jack Gott all it said was "CONGRATULATIONS" I felt like Cliff Richard winning the Eurovision Song Contest. I must thank Steve for all the patience, and knowledge he's sent my way, and although I promised not to print anymore emails these were the last few, because they are very enlightening to anyone who just don't get it, like me.

Steve,

I only bloody done it, well sort of, missing a few pictures, but it is the right site, I've an idea the photo files are out side the image folder. Would this stop them showing? Also looking at `The Dutch Touch' another page, article, there are a few photo files missing in there, I've corrected them but without success, could this be a similar thing?
By the way as I have had more than my share of your time within the company, I will not use your works email address, only this one, realised I must have become a bit of an embarrassment. There won't be constant emails, and what I said regards gardening, anything you won't to know that you don't already know, or any suggestions regards plans etc, I'm your man.

Best always Ken.

The pictures need to be in the "images" folder - it makes the site complete and easier to keep track of. Photo missing on: "Dahlia Culture" "flukes are for the bees" "assessing the crop" actually mostly the same file JOMANDA. Well done.

You've never been an embarrassment, I've been more concerned that I couldn't give the time and focus that you needed to get you on the right track because other things got in the way. I would often find I was in meetings for several hours when you needed an answer fairly quickly.

One last reminder: Learn to view mistakes as a blessing - for each one enriches your life. Each takes you one further step along a road to a better understanding, and many great and wondrous advances have come about because people made them.

I'm here if you need me.

I can't make it out, but the photo files that are missing in the two articles, `Flukes' and `Dahlia Culture' were corrected in FrontPage, and then Uploaded in Cute by clicking on them, and dragging over to the corresponding file on the live site. I am practically certain I inserted them from the image folder, but will check and re-do. The other article `Assessing the Crop' I haven't looked at yet, so until I make the adjustments in FrontPage, and then transfer it to the live site with Cute I can't comment. If you have any comments of why any of the photos are missing, if they were done in FrontPage, and inserted from my image folder it would save me bothering you with another email, thanks for saying `Well done' it's like receiving an award.

Ken.

FrontPage is more tolerant of mismatched names than the web site will be. So a name displayed or entered in FrontPage as "Images/jomanda.JPG" will not be found on the site if the folder is called "images" or the file is saved as "Jomanda.jpg" but in FrontPage it would be found. Check that the file names and the folder names match the entry that you have in FrontPage.

Steve

When you're talking to these guys, and they set you right, it's just like having your brains un-scrambled, but I think if Hitler hadn't interfered with my schooling I could have been a bit of a wiz, as long as I could stop getting so excited.

Keep using your computer, enjoy the Internet, and remember if things go wrong, why not ask a Microsoft Partner after all you're using their product, and it's all free, the one I used was http://www.ioko.com/

January 31st 2006: Changing to NTL after much debate, well the rest of the family are with them, and also my friend Harry Lawson, if it's good enough for Harry it's good enough for me, or so I thought. Trouble is they didn't tell me I would not able to register for seventy two hours, and like wise I can't get an email account set up until then also. Then they tell me via a phone call , my phone number will not be the same, unless I inform them to change it, and this can't be done for ten days. Why can't they add this to their advert, when they praise their system to the hilt? It's obvious it would make a differences to the number of new customers they catch, perhaps I should say capture. Apart from that it runs like clock work, in a flash you're up and at `em. All the staff I spoke to were very pleasant, although one or two of the Indian staff were not easy to understand. Put it this way, I could understand Jack Gott far better. So I'm in for an agonising wait now before I can give you all a new email address, and upload my web site. It's strange, but Freeola is still allowing mine to present it's colourful pages to the World, but I shouldn't think for much longer.