So here’s the scoop: around November, I changed my unlimited mobile data plan to what I thought was an unlimited tethering plan, so that I could hook my Blackjack II smartphone up to my laptop and use it as my modem. Bear in mind the unlimited misunderstanding was not an oversight on my part, I was told that it was unlimited by an AT&T salesman.

Fast forward to Christmas time. I’m laughing it up with my family and having a good time. We’re listening to Pandora‘s holiday mixes (Having grown tired of my own), streaming  the newest Muppet holiday special on hulu (because I had yet to set up my cable since we moved in November), and generally taking advantage of my unlimited tethering from AT&T.

Little did I know that it was anything but unlimited. I started recieving texts that I was reaching my limit around Christmas time. I ignored the first couple, then curious, I called AT&T to see what this was all about. The person on the phone that day assured me that there was a ‘soft limit’ of 5GB, but that any overages I had would not be charged to me. My next bill was $1,600!!!

WHAT?!

So I called AT&T back. This person tells me absolutely, the limit wil result in fees and I will possibly lose service if I continue my hedonistic streaming of music and video. He said this limit is set by the FCC. I have done a few Google searches on this and have come up with zilch. If you happen to know any more about this limit, please comment below!

Anyway, so I look in to their plans, and yes, it does say there is a 5GB limit, but it still says unlimited for their regular data plan which is half as much. Hmmmm….

So I call again, trying to figure out what they’ll do about this $1,600 bill! The next rep I get ahold of goes through the notes and sees where I was told about the ‘soft limit’ and sends my account on to some other department for review. My bill goes back to the normal level. But, now I’ve lost data service four days after my billing cycle for exceeding my limit, the first internet exile of nearly a month.

The next month, $2,000 bill. I’ve stopped watching hulu, streaming XM and Pandora, and even YouTube. What the heck. I haven’t given AT&T another dime until this is resolved. They suspended my service, phone and all, last week. I got them to turn it on Monday, because I still have a dispute and it has yet to be resolved. They waived the $36 reactivation fee. Whop-dee-freaking-doo! I have a pregnant wife at home, and really don’t want to go without phone service again!

So, here I am, blogging on what feels like ‘borrowed time’. If my online persona once again goes silent, this will be the reason. I’m now two days past when the last person I talked to told me this should be resolved.

Cross your fingers for me, and please, when considering data plans through wireless carriers, read all you can about it first!

            Incidentally, Hulu is my current favorite site to stream television shows, though Joost has a lot of good stuff too.

            To get back to my story, AT&T sent me warning texts that I was ‘nearing my data limit.’ They then cut off the data on my phone and socked me with a phone bill of nearly $1,800! Fortunately, they found notes in my account that I was told that it was unlimited data, so my bill is back down to it’s normal, more reasonable $180. Unfortunately, they won’t turn the data back on until my next billing cycle, the 11^th of next month!

            So, since January 15^th, I’ve been in internet exile.

            I haven’t been completely silent, however. I did send an update through Twitter each day through text messages. If you didn’t know already, you do so by simply sending a message to 40404. This will send the update to Twitter just like you were sitting at your computer. I also had already set up Facebook to automatically update when I tweet, so I was able to essentially speak but not hear. What a very strange feeling!

            Now I’m back! I’m on vacation this week from my real job, so I’ll be using the library to blog until I get internet service set up at my apartment. I’m pretty excited about that, because I’ve never had a true DSL connection before. I’ve used my cell phone as my modem for years, with varying results.

            The good thing about not having internet attached to my hip at work or at home is that it gave me some time to reflect on the direction my blog is going. I try to include information that I think fellow bloggers/fanboys may enjoy, but I lacked any one clear direction.

            While in exile, I read John Chow’s eBook, ‘Make Money Online With John Chow’. I had downloaded it earlier, and never read it because I was always online! One of the things that John stresses is to build a brand. Now, I’m not expecting to make money just yet, but I do want to provide useful content for my readers, and I think that branding is important for that.

            So I spent the exile really thinking about what I want to do with this blog, and I thought really hard about what’s important to me. I thought about the blogs that I spend the most time reading. Lately, I have been reading the successful bloggers who are making money doing this, but since I’m not making money yet, I didn’t think that I would be very successful training others on making money online. I read a few news blogs, but I don’t exactly live in Washington. I’ve written a few movie reviews on my blog, but I don’t think anyone but a couple close friends really care what I think about movies. So I kept thinking about my passions, and all that other stuff faded, and one thing shone brighter than anything else: parenting.

            I love being a parent. I discovered that the blogs that I truly enjoy reading is Dad-O-Matic and Savvy Daddy. Not only do I learn from these blogs, but I’m entertained by them. I can relate to them. I would love to join their ranks.

            So, I am now announcing that howefitz.com/blog will become a ‘daddy blog’. Here, I will share what I learn in life and online, and tailor it to the technology savvy, online Dad. What resources are out there? Can you truly have a good, educational experience with your kids online? I’ll still share blogging tips that I learn and I’ll still share personal stories. I’ll even keep my tagline of ‘Family, Life and Technology and somehow making the pieces fit!’ Although, I expect as I get better at this, I’ll be able to drop the ‘somehow’! 

            And so, gentle readers, welcome to the frantic meanderings of a Digital Dad. I hope you enjoy it.