Domain: first-online.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to first-online.com.
Comments · 9
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Geographic monopoly?Find a service online that supports Firefox and give them your money instead of the other guy. Even when no "service online that supports Firefox" offers its goods and services in your geographic area? For several years, the web site of the only bank in Terre Haute, Indiana, was IE-only.
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Monopoly
you can avoid the other charge by the ATM operator by avoiding such ATMs.
Unless one bank operates all ATMs within 15 kilometers of where you are staying. I don't know if it is still the case in Terre Haute, Indiana, but when I went to school there, First Financial was pretty much the only bank in town. I learned to rely on Wal-Mart for withdrawals using my Visa check card.
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Switch to which bank?
you can always switch banks
For several years, the only bank with branches in Terre Haute, Indiana, was First Financial. And for several years, the bank's web site required IE for Windows (though this has since been fixed).
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Don't blame me; I voted for Badnarik
Surprisingly enough, yes it is your choice. You can vote.
Not if the measure granting a monopoly has bipartisan support. I voted straight Libertarian in the 2004 election, but zero of the Libertarian candidates for whom I voted got elected.
If you do not think that is enough - run for office
I'm not old enough to run for federal or state elected office.
lobby someone, picket.
In fact, I do plan to participate in many of the local Libertarian Party's events, but if it's not local government, how can the average citizen do that?
Luckily for most of us there is usually more then a choice of one bank.
Tell that to anybody who lived in Terre Haute, Indiana, for 1999-2003 while going to Indiana State University or Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. The only bank in town during those years was First Financial, and for much of that time, the bank's web site was IE-only. Would you choose a college based on what banks are nearby?
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How do you deposit a check?
They can send it to my bank account number
And if they know your bank's routing number (public information; just ask the bank) and your account number, not only can they direct deposit, but they can also take arbitrary money from your bank account using a fraudulent direct debit. I have had this happen to a family member twice; after the second incident, she canceled her checking account and got a new one with a different number.
give me a check, send me US Postal money orders
... or give me cashWhat happens when the only bank with branches in town isn't your bank? Then how do you deposit your cash, check, or money order in your bank account? For example, I lived in Terre Haute, Indiana, for four years when I was in college, and during those four years, First Financial Bank was the only bank in town. I didn't set up an account with First because their web site worked only with IE, while Bank One (the bank I had used back home) had no problem with Mozilla even pre-1.0. Besides, to send you a check, the sender still needs an address.
give me a credit card number (and appropriate data) that I may use
How much does a merchant account cost again? Are they even available to individuals?
The only account that I should ever need anyone to know to send me money is my PayPal account...
The PayPal public/private model is the model I was considering. Someone with your PayPal account name can only push money to a PayPal account; only someone with both name and password can pull it.
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Geographic monopoly
So, switch banks
What happens when all the ATMs in town are owned by one bank? For the four years when I lived in Terre Haute, First was the only bank in town, and for much of that time, its web site required IE.
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For a cookie, find another bank in Terre Haute
I was very surprised by your saying that Terre Haute had one.
A quick Google search doesn't turn up any other major banks in Terre Haute. If you find some real competition to Terre Haute First National Bank (which was until recently IE-only with the exception of Netscape 4.7x; see bugzilla.mozilla.org bug 187615), I'll give you a cookie.
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You can *pick* a bank? Not in Terre Haute, IN
Maybe you've just picked a backward bank.
In some towns such as Terre Haute, Indiana, "pick" and "bank" contradict one another because only one bank has branches and ATMs within reasonable driving distance. And it works with recent IE for Windows and with Netscape 4.7x and 4.8x, but not with any Gecko based browser . I have reported the issue to Mozilla Tech Evangelism.
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You can *pick* a bank? Not in Terre Haute, IN
Maybe you've just picked a backward bank.
In some towns such as Terre Haute, Indiana, "pick" and "bank" contradict one another because only one bank has branches and ATMs within reasonable driving distance. And it works with recent IE for Windows and with Netscape 4.7x and 4.8x, but not with any Gecko based browser . I have reported the issue to Mozilla Tech Evangelism.