March 20, 2002

7:49 PM

StarTrek.netis offering internet access (care of EarthLink), your own StarTrek.net email address with anti-spam service, and exclusive Star Trek content, as well as a few other "goodies", all for 21.95 USD a month. Destined to be huge, or will this fizzle and eventually disappear?
posted by mikhail (15 comments total)

Now I like Star Trek as much as the next guy (or gal), but would I sign up for this? Probably not... It's sure to get singups, but I doubt that it will be huge.
posted by crankydoodle at 7:58 PM on March 20, 2002

The cool part is this probably costs almost nothing to run. Just a good way to promote Earthlink and Star Trek.
posted by madmanz123 at 8:19 PM on March 20, 2002

This is just yet another novelty isp. Annnnnnnnnnnnother.


Yes, I was just testing the key repeat rate.
posted by Settle at 8:30 PM on March 20, 2002

Remember the Simpsons Free ISP? Me neither.

Are novelty ISPs really bad ideas? A little while ago I was doing the math on how much money and how much effort would go into a small (1,000 modem bank) dial-up ISP and what the profits would look like. Its not bad, if you can get customers and are prepared to scale up, but what is going to drive people off of AOL and MSN other than being a couple dollars cheaper? Novelty. Like say an ISP that contributes a few hundred a month to some charity or organization. Everyone can vote once a month and pick who they want the money going to. Or perhaps the novelty of having a cool sounding email address.

I really don't think this is good marketing. In the end, I think most people are a lot more comfortable with a big nationwide ISP than dealing with the local guy with a gimmick, unless the local guy can do something truly magical like provide decent access for under $10 a month and still stay in business.

Startrek.net has earthlink to keep it afloat and even I have a novelty email address I sure many would kill for (no I wont say what it is) even though I'm not a fanboy of any sort. I think this thing might actually do well, as long as people know Earthlink is behind it all.
posted by skallas at 9:02 PM on March 20, 2002

Also, startrek.net is the same price as Earthlink service. Still a pricey $21.95 per month, but having no premium over standard service is going to attract a lot of hesitant Earthlink trekkies.
posted by skallas at 9:07 PM on March 20, 2002

spam free email?

Any idea how it works?
posted by delmoi at 9:12 PM on March 20, 2002

star trek sucks.

(my only function here is to add pointless negative commentary, because hey, its good to hear all sides and opinions eh?)
posted by Satapher at 9:26 PM on March 20, 2002

As a current EarthLink customer, I can tell you that it's not "spam-free," but it is a major improvement and one reason I have stuck with them. The filtering service is provided by Brightmail.
posted by pmurray63 at 9:33 PM on March 20, 2002

Rest assured, Satapher, that your contributions are highly valued.
Even when they suck.
posted by rhizome23 at 9:34 PM on March 20, 2002

Hotmail has been offering spam-filters for quite a while now. It works pretty well (i'd say about 80% of spam goes in my junk mail folder while maybe 5% of the real e-mails i get wind up in there). And it's FREE. Anyone who would pay that much just for an e-mail address needs a serious lesson from Thorstein Veblen.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:02 PM on March 20, 2002

Okay, didn't read the post carefully. Sorry. Still, i refuse to pay that much for a dial-up ISP anyways. find a nice $12/month local server, and you're better off anyway.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:09 PM on March 20, 2002

cool link though, Ufez.
posted by rhizome23 at 10:26 PM on March 20, 2002

Who said I was paying $21.95 a month? Not me. I have a plan that EarthLink doesn't advertise: $9.95 for five hours. That way I get the mailbox with spam filtering and nationwide dial-up access for when I'm on the road.
posted by pmurray63 at 9:32 AM on March 21, 2002

My favorite commentary on the StarTrek ISP. (The strips following this day's cartoon are pretty good, too.)
posted by joaquim at 10:06 AM on March 21, 2002

skallas - "something truly magical like provide decent access for under $10 a month and still stay in business."

The local ISP I use costs $99 a year and provides better service than I used to get with MSN or Prodigy. Shop around, you might find something good.
posted by tdismukes at 10:39 AM on March 21, 2002