Comcast PWP is Dead, Long Live VinsWorld.com

With Comcast discontinuing the Personal Web Page (PWP) service as of this October, I needed an alternative to host VinsWorld.com.

From https://publish.comcast.net/splash/, which soon may no longer return a page or even resolve:

Please Note:

Effective October 8, 2015, the Personal Web Page service (feature of XFINITY Internet) will no longer be available. Please retrieve all content currently saved on your site before October 8, 2015 to avoid permanently losing your files and information.

Customers who have activated this feature, please check your email for a special offer.

What a Difference 2 Years Makes

Two years ago, I was using Talkatone to make calls with Google Voice on Wi-Fi while traveling abroad to avoid roaming fees with my cellular carrier.

One year ago, I was using Talkatone as a standalone service to make Wi-Fi calls while on vacation in the mountains - a veritable carrier dead zone - after Google pulled the plug on third-party apps using the Google Voice API.

Now, two years after the first go around, one year later in the same mountain getaway, I changed my "Forward Unreachable" setting to my Google Voice number and could receive calls from anyone on my carrier number via the Hangouts app - provided I was in the cabin where Wi-Fi was strong.

Two years is an eternity in tech and waiting for this Google Voice / Hangouts integration was frustratingly long; however, the pay off was worth it. Next stop, carrier Wi-Fi calling on AT&T ... any bets on how long that one will take?

The Adventures of Rich and Vince

Characters courtesy of SP Studio