[plug] ISPs that support Linux

[Harry McNally]

Folks

After talking about ISPs and their Linux awareness (or otherwise) last 
night, I've suggested to Mr Skribe :) that I start a regular survey. 
Internet.au magazine are apparently going to start listing ISPs again (they 
stopped for a bit) but my quest is to know that support requests will have 
better outcomes than:

Linux user:         "I believe your DNS may be down"
ISPScript1:         "Reboot and reload Windows usually fixes it."
ISPScript2:         "We don't offer support to non windows users <click>"
ISPConfused:      "What coloured box is that, do you know ?"
ISPOutToLunch:  "What's DNS ?"
(Thanks Leon)

So, to speed my list along, could I have peoples reply (off-list) about 
their ISP and some idea of their Linux awareness on a scale of sucks to 
outstanding ? Tell me _when_ your last interaction engendered this view 
since the staff turnover may have shifted them to unsucky or less than 
brilliant. Refreshing the data will mean work but I'll see if I can start 
it and keep up.

Tony B-T need not reply because I'm aware that Cantech support for Linux is 
extremely excellent (If This Was Spinal Tap would it be an 11 ?) ;)

My cunning plan is to request specific information about the ISP's 
suitability for Linux users and to maintain the information on the plug 
site. I may try for specific named support people and their office hours. 
You never know, we may engender a hero culture for support staff with real 
knowledge that has a positive outcome on their renumeration and thus will 
be a bad/good influence on others less skilled ... thinks .. especially if 
they receive a thank you email everytime they provide good Linux support.

If all this sounds a tad bolshy then I obvously haven't been blatant enough :)

This has been prompted by being told by my ISP that email was fine (several 
hours before it went completely off the air) and that my firewall and other 
non windows equipment I had installed meant they would not provide support. 
I won't tell you which colour their canine logo is because that would be 
giving the game away.

So if you don't mind .. a quick reply (off-list) with names of ISPs and 
support people and who are/are not on the clue train marked EXPRESS would 
get me started.

cu
Harry