2. We Need Local News
3. The Volcano Blew Out Tonga’s Internet
4. 2021: The Year in Review
5. That Email’s Not Really from Geek Squad
7. We’ll Wear Tutus on Tuesday 2/22/22
8. Internet for Farmworking Families in San Jerardo
9. Help Us Expand, Get Free Internet
10. Handy Cruzio Information
1. Big News! Cruzio and Coastside.net Merge
Santa Cruz and San Mateo have a lot in common. We’ve both got great lighthouses, for one
The very big news is that Cruzio has merged with our neighbor ISP just to the north — Coastside Net. Welcome Coastside subscribers! We know you’ll like working with our friendly staff, and we’re happy to have the chance to serve you.
We Both Started Early
Here’s a little history. Like Cruzio, Coastside started up in the early dot-com wildcat era when people wanted to get everything from library card catalogues to psychic readings onto the internet as fast as possible. Thousands of internet providers sprang up to fill the demand. Every hobbyist gave it a shot. Even David Bowie had his own ISP!
Not long after, in 1999-2000, the dot-com boom ended. The overinflated industry was brought down to earth. Although the need for the internet didn’t disappear — My Space and other social media was lurking on the horizon, after all — small ISPs were mostly muscled out by big corporations who’d suddenly taken an interest when it looked as though a profit could be made.
Coastside Net, like Cruzio, was one of the independents that survived — against odds — to maintain the early culture of the internet: creative, clever, Net Neutral, respectful of privacy. And we both ran our businesses in a friendly, human way.
2. We Need Local News
Because you’re never too old to start a new venture, Cruzio co-founder Chris Neklason started a newspaper called California Local. Well, not so much a newspaper as a new way of doing local community journalism on the Internet.
The California Local team of over a dozen people has been working for over a year and recently rolled out a web site at https://californialocal.com with coverage of an initial 7 counties in the Central Coast, Sacramento and Tahoe-Truckee regions.
Though still in “beta”, the site is a portal to the following resources:
News updates from local partner newsrooms including Santa Cruz Local, Good Times, The Pajaronian and San Lorenzo Valley Post
Hundreds of articles explaining how different facets of the community work
A database of thousands of local community groups, non-profits, government agencies, and elected and appointed bodies, and media outlets to make it easy to discover and connect with individuals and groups acting to make the community better.
A comprehensive calendar of local government meetings and events
…and of course, the best local traffic and weather
Check it out and bookmark it. As Chris says, “Come for the journalism, stay for the democracy!”
3. The Volcano Blew Out Tonga’s Internet
A single undersea cable, as slender as a garden hose, connected Tonga to the internet and now the connection is hard down — the cable was probably severed by the undersea volcano’s blast on January 15th.
That means as far as internet goes, Tonga is in the dark and likely will be for weeks. MIT Technology Review described the probable damage, and the devastating effects that isolation from the world can cause. When people are in need of aid, being cut off from global communications makes things much worse. We all saw the dramatic satellite photos, and we’re all holding our breath wondering how those island folks are doing. It’s difficult to find out.
There’s a digital divide on a global level, not just within any country or community. And events like this one remind us that it’s important to have backup routes for internet, and backups to the backups.
4. 2021: The Year in Review
Happy New Year from Cruzio! We’re so optimistic for this next year and have so much exciting news to share with you. But first, a recap of 2021:
2021 garners some mixed feelings. On the one hand, it was a huge improvement from the absolute panic that was 2020, but it was also a year-long period of limbo and uncertainty. This year, we’re still waiting to see how the latest variant plays out with some skeptical optimism for the worst to be over soon. While last year might not have brought the peace of mind we’d hoped for, it did bring unimaginable progress that will carry us through this year.
5. That Email’s Not Really from Geek Squad
Have you seen email like this in your inbox? It’s fake.
It’s the latest scam: sending out official-looking emails confirming deliveries or services that were never ordered. Last month Best Buy was the favorite fake but we’ve seen UPS, EBay, and Paypal. Email simply announces that your order is in progress and it induces a quick panic response — what order? Clicking on the link to correct the mistake is where the scammers catch you.
People all around the country are receiving these emails and unfortunately, since the presentation looks like a real invoice, many are falling for the scheme and sending money to the scammers, or at least providing personal information.
We’re also continuing to see fake emails pretending to be from Cruzio announcing that folks are over mail quotas or need to update their information. We get to these, along with other scams, quickly and we disarm them — but a few can slip through so watch out.
Always be cautious! Unfortunately, it’s easy for people to send fake email. But if you read it through, and the details don’t look right — or if you have any doubts at all — don’t click!
6. When Klay Thompson Came to Town
Here at Cruzio Internet, we love the Golden State Warriors. Klay Thompson is a special favorite.
We didn’t get to see him when he was in Santa Cruz — he didn’t play in Santa Cruz Warrior G-League games, just worked out with the team — but he did get a photo in front of the Cruzio Internet logo on the scoreboard. Some other shots of Klay in Santa Cruz are on his Instagram.
Thompson did a lot of rehab in Santa Cruz — hard work. We hope the ocean air and, let’s face it, positive vibes that abound in our town helped him get better. And at least indirectly, by supporting the Sea-Dubs Cruzio kind of helped, didn’t we?
Good to have you back, Klay!
7. We’ll Wear Tutus on Tuesday 2/22/22
Many respectable people wear tutus these days.
February 22nd, 2022 — aka 2/22/22 — falls on a Tuesday.
That’s just too (too too) good to pass up. At Cruzio, we’re always on the lookout for interesting dates like this. We had some fun occasions at the end of 2021 when there were so many palindromic dates, like 12/22/21.
But this is whole new level. A smattering of people around the internet have noticed it, naming it “Twosday.” We’re on board. But they’re not going far enough.
For this once-in-a-lifetime occasion, a special outfit is appropriate. So some of us will be wearing tutus to work on TwoTwo Twosday.
There are no ballet dancers on the staff, but some — those with young kids — already have tutus around the house. The rest of us can get one at Goodwill, order online, or borrow from a well-provisioned friend. We might wear a “Frozen” tutu, or a “My Little Pony” version. There are Captain America tutus with red and white stripes and a big star. There are light-up tutus.
There won’t be this many twos again until February 22nd, 2122 — in a hundred years. And as our date-savvy coworking lead Alex discovered, that one doesn’t fall on a Tuesday (disappointingly, it will be a Sunday!). Looking back, 2/22/1922 was a Wednesday, and we don’t even have evidence that our great-grandparents took great notice anyway — they were likely busy doing the Charleston in a speakeasy. Some might suggest, we’ll enjoy 3/3/33 in 2033, just 11 years from now, but let’s be honest: there is no day of the week called Threesday. No, this is the big kahuna. Be sure to dress appropriately.
8. Internet for Farmworking Families in San Jerardo
Equal Access Santa Cruz is taking its model for closing the digital divide through community partnership and community engagement to new areas of need. Equal Access Monterey Bay is a new partnership between Cruzio Internet, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, and the Central Coast Broadband Consortium. Its first project is to bring reliable wireless internet to the San Jerardo housing cooperative located just outside of Salinas.
9. Help Us Expand, Get Free Internet
Want free Internet? Have a sweeping view?
Cruzio is always looking for well-situated buildings to join our broadband network. If we use your location we’ll give you free high-speed service.
We’ve had some great success lately, not only with taller buildings like offices and apartments, but with houses that just happen to see lots of other houses and buildings.
Not only will you save on great internet — you’ll also help other people in the community who need a better connection. If you wish your neighborhood had better internet, and your house doesn’t fit the “sweeping view” description, bug your neighbor up on the ridge!
Interested? Contact us.
10. Handy Cruzio Information
Moving
If you’re moving, Cruzio can save you from an interruption in Internet service and prevent costly fees. Call us at 459-6301 or contact us online (several weeks ahead, if possible!).
Get Cruzio Credit with Buddy Bucks
Recommend us! Each time a new customer gives us your email address, account number, or full name when they sign up you’ll get a $10 credit — or more — to your account.
Feed the Hungry
If you’re late on a payment to Cruzio, bring 3 cans of food into our office and we will waive late fees up to $5. Donations go to Second Harvest Food Bank.
Chris, Peggy, Mark, James, Frost, Sandi, Colin, Adia, Jesus, Alison, Justin, Andrew, David, Alex, Ani, Max, Iasha, Alana, Cameron, Jay, Jason, another David, Sonya, Tony, Luis, Carlos, Evan, Ean, Robert, Pily, Tyler, Noah, Adam, Alexander, Dizaree, Ben, Bishop, Bruce, Kian, Rob, and Steve;
Jake, Annika & Carly (the grown “kids”)
At age 7, Jake asked “You know when you are lying in bed, not quite asleep, and your eyes are closed but your mind is open?”
