I use Netscape and Hotmail acI use Netscape and Hotmail accounts for "unnecessary applications" such as online contests, software registrations, and so forth. That directs some of the spam away from my main accounts. However, I prefer not to use secondary IMAP accounts for primary email services such as business and personal contacts. Part of it is because I have never had good luck using web-based email and part of it is a refusal - perhaps in vain - to give in to the spammers (see this post from my blog - http://brikwall.blogspot.com/2005/01/damn-spam.html ).

I use an old (and free) version of MailWasher to filter my incoming mail. I still have to review the messages manually but at least it is done directly on the server. Spam doesn't make it onto my computer and into my inbox.

I agree with you about obtaining your own domain name. I wish that I could either afford it or at least justify the costs as a business expense. Even here, though, Aliant is not at the head of the pack. Their web-hosting packages come with free IMAP mail. POP3-based services are an added expense of about $3 per address per month. It is not a major expense but an additional cost nonetheless. I don't know how Rogers or other local providers fare in this department.

If I decided to switch ISP's I would have to do some research into cable and whether or not it still suffers from speed and bandwidth problems when under heavy local load. I understand some of the companies have attempted to reduce or eliminate these effects altogether. However, when I first switched to high-speed service 4.5 years ago, those issues were a major consideration. At the time, dedicated ADSL was the better overall option.

Of course, at the time, I was dealing with NB Tel and not Aliant. You'll be hard-pressed to convince me that the quality of service has increased since the merger.