Cruzio/The Internet Store Newsletter - Number 33, May 1, 2000
1) DSL $200 rebate offer ends this Thursday, May 4
2) Lunchtime event on E-commerce May 18th
3) DSL fiber switchover completed
4) DSL sign-up to install time now several weeks
5) Get ready for Christmas. Yes, Christmas.
6) Upcoming classes for May/June start this week
7) Now hiring at Cruzio
8) Classes in mathematics and humanities at The Invisible College
9) About This Newsletter
10) How to Reach Cruzio (dial-in or tech support)
1) DSL $200 rebate offer ends this Thursday, May 4
This Thursday, May 4, Cruzio's rebate offer turns into a pumpkin:
Pacific Bell is no longer making it possible for us to offer
rebates after that date. So act now to save $200 on your DSL
connection. Details:
Right now, if you sign up for DSL (an ultra-fast, always-on Internet
connection), you can qualify for a $200.00 cash rebate from Cruzio.
There are a few more conditions, notably: you must pay by automatic
credit card debit, and you must sign up for a year term. The exact
terms and conditions can be found at:
http://www.cruzio.com/support/dslspecial.html
This is a great deal for everyone. It means you can use Cruzio's
excellent e-mail, Web, and Internet Office services while enjoying
a satisfyingly speedy connection.
If you have a group of computers you wish to connect to the Internet
via DSL, the $200 deal is especially sweet -- it's the best deal for
a router connection we can find.
2) Lunchtime event on E-commerce May 18th
"E-commerce: Building a Successful Internet Presence on the Internet"
Thursday, May 18th, 2000 12:30-2PM at Cruzio
Join Cruzio Senior Staff at this popular workshop to learn how to create a
successful Internet presence for your business: getting a web page,
registering a domain name, using Cruzio's E-commerce solution, ShopSite and
generating visitors to your web site. All Brown Bags are $5 to attend,
lunch is an extra $6.
To register, visit http://www.cruzio.com/support/business/brownbags.html.
3) DSL fiber switchover completed
All DSL customers have now been upgraded to fiber connections for an
even better quality of service. This newsletter is being typed in from
the fiber connection and the improvements are noticeable. Many thanks
to our engineering staff who made the switch smooth and simple, with
particular thanks to Julianne for her tireless work in this regard.
4) DSL sign-up to install time now several weeks
When Cruzio started selling DSL accounts, it generally took a week or
two to get a Pacific Bell technician out to customer sites.
Now Pacific Bell has overcommitted, apparently focusing more on taking
in orders than on completing them. Install times are now more like
4 to 6 weeks from signup, sometimes longer. We're sorry for the delay;
if it were under our control, we'd handle it differently.
It's still a great time to sign up, which is why we're discussing DSL
so much in this newsletter. The rebate makes the price very attractive,
and the rebate only requires installation within 6 months of signup.
In other words, if you sign up for Cruzio DSL now, you'll be eligible
for the rebate, even if you don't get a working installation for
several weeks (or more).
Also note that the recent Pacific Bell Internet e-mail outages,
frequently mentioned in the newspapers, have NOT affected Cruzio
customers and never will. Cruzio provides our customers with separate,
high quality ISP services. We partner with Pacific Bell only to provision
digital lines to your site.
We are working with Pacific Bell on some new procedures that will lower
the delays, and have assurances the current situation won't last much
longer.
5) Get ready for Christmas. Yes, Christmas.
Say you want a Web store up in time for Christmas. At Cruzio, you can
set up such a store easily and affordably, and it's probably time to
start thinking about it now if you want the store to be really top-notch
by December.
Cruzio's advice: first take the E-commerce class series offered in June
(see listing below). The series takes just four Thursday evenings and
it's packed with information: how to design a store, how to market on the
Web, exactly how to set it up (every student sets up a sample store before
the class ends).
While taking the class, set up a real store. Test what works, what doesn't.
Tweak it with features that make it easy for you, well before your busy
season. Then at Christmas it's ready to go full blast.
Because ShopSite is easy to use, even procrastinators will be able to
get a decent store up and running at the last minute. But for a really
fine store, we advise you to start early. (And obviously, if you're a
Web consultant, learning ShopSite now will lead to business in the fall
and winter.)
For more information, and a feature list, please go to:
http://www.cruzio.com/support/shopsite/
or e-mail:
shopsite@cruzio.com
6) Upcoming classes for May/June start this week
May classes at Cruzio -- first class tomorrow!, still time to sign up:
Tuesdays, 6:30-9pm: "Using the Internet", packed with tips and
tricks for Internet usage. Taught by the effervescent
Kathy. Note: Kathy rarely teaches this class and she
is excellent. It's a great opportunity to get a lot of
hands-on experience with all kinds of Internet tools.
June classes at Cruzio:
Tuesdays, same as May.
Wednesdays, 6:30-9pm: "Publishing on the Internet I", Terrific
instructors John and Kathy guide students through
the process of creating Web sites for their family, hobbies
or businesses. Our most popular series.
Thursdays, 6:30-9pm: "E-commerce", Three of our top-rated instructors
explain how e-commerce works in a practical, real-world
way, followed by an in-depth look at ShopSite, Cruzio's
shopping cart solution, and plenty of hands-on practice.
Every student creates a working shopping cart before
the end of the series. Taught by Mark, Kathy, and John.
7) Now hiring at Cruzio
Cruzio is planning to expand its technical support hours. We need
to hire new entry-level staff for both for tech support and
customer service. If you are interested in making the Internet in
all its splendor available and understandable to everyone, please apply.
We require only that you be comfortable with computers, you don't
have to be an expert at first. We provide extensive training as well
as good benefits. Spanish-speaking applicants are especially encouraged.
We are accepting resumes by e-mail, fax, or you can drop them off at
the front counter (903 Pacific Ave, Suite 101). Please don't call
regarding the job; we will get back to you. Please send text-only
resumes to resume@cruzio.com or fax to 423-6042.
8) Classes in mathematics and humanities at The Invisible College
Did you know that you have an opportunity to study Chaos mathematics
with one of the founders of the discipline -- right here in downtown
Santa Cruz -- for only $50 for a 5-class series? Ralph Abraham is
a magnetic instructor. His classes at the Invisible College are
fascinating and down-to-earth. The classes explore the definitions,
history and even the purpose of various mathematic disciplines: math
and mysticism? math and divination? Most students in the series last
experienced math in high school. This is totally different. Another math
series will be starting up in June 12th, ending July 17th. Highly
recommended.
The Invisible College is an institution founded by local professors
in conjunction with Cruzio. They use our classroom and other services
for a small fee and we get to enjoy their classes. For more information,
see:
http://www.invisiblecollege.com/
9) About This Newsletter
Cruzio doesn't like to waste bandwidth with extra email, but we sometimes
have events and announcements that users need to know about. This seems
like the most efficient way to let people know what's happening. Hope
it's helpful. Please email support@cruzio.com with any comments or questions.
By the way, we would love to have a regular, predictable schedule
for this newsletter...but we simply do not send it unless there is real
news enclosed. Thus the haphazard datelines.
10) How to Reach Cruzio (dial-in or tech support)
To reach the Cruzio Information Center, for online technical and
sales information:
http://www.cruzio.com/support
To dial in to Cruzio, set your software to dial one of the numbers
below (note: we've expanded and joined modem pools, so you may be
using another number. If so, don't worry, it still works just fine).
56k: 459-9408
33.6 kbps and under: 459-6230
To call Cruzio:
459-6301............Use this number to check Cruzio's system status,
pay your Cruzio bill, find out more about our hours and location,
or to reach someone in customer service and technical support.
To send email to Cruzio, use one of these addresses:
support@cruzio.com.......for technical support
office@cruzio.com........for billing and ordering information
webmaster@cruzio.com.....for questions about Cruzio's World Wide
Web service
Thanks very much from Cruzio:
Chris, Peggy, John, Julianne, Patton, Kathy, Mark, Martin,
Georgette, Jay, Tapati, Hilary, Temoc, Brittany, Will,
Alec, Rachael, Barbara, Raelani, Priya, Stephen, Paul,
Tim, Gershom and Myesha (the grownups);
Jake, Annika, and Carly (the kids)
The first line of a story by Annika, age 5: "One sunny morning, a
little boy and a little girl took a walk down the road, trying to
avoid razor-sharp glass."
