@aktear:  I actually won't make it to SXSW this year (I'll actually be on vacation this coming week :)).

But my colleague Marshall Kirkpatrick (the other lead writer at ReadWriteWeb) will be there from Sat-Tues covering it for us.  (He looks like this: http://marshallk.com/marshallthawk.jpg ).

If you see him around, say hi (or email him at marshall@readwriteweb.com if you have anything you think we'd be interested in and want to try setting up a more formal meeting -- I'm not sure what his schedule is like, though).

Both Marshall and I and the entire RWW team should be at the Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco in April. 

 

I think there's room for the YC model in any metro. The real benefit to startups participating in these programs, though, is not so much the money (though being able to pay for rent and food is nice -- I've heard that many teams in YC have stretched the money beyond 3 months by living frugally). The real benefit is in the culture -- working with other startups, getting mentoring from seasons entrepreneurs, listening to industry vets speak, getting access to future funders, etc.

That sort of thing would be great for RI.

I just blogged about Launchbox the other day, actually: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/launchbox_digital.php

I've had the FIOS 20/5 service since, I'm not sure, maybe the Spring... whenever it was first available in my area.  I've been very pleased with it.  It's far superior to the Cox 5/2 service I had before (and not just before being faster -- Cox was crapping out on me every couple of days at the end there).  I've had no trouble with it, it's very fast, and installation was pretty simple (took the tech about 2 hours + 1 hour to replace the modem since the first one he took off his truck wasn't working properly).

That said, I know Cox now also offers a 20mpbs down service, and for something like $99/month you can get digital cable and phone service to boot.  I think that on price, at least, that beats the trifecta package (phone, TV, Internet) from Verizon.  But no idea if Cox's service is any better than it was before.

@runawayjim: Nice to see a fellow Phish fan on the board. ;) 

I'm not a developer, but a web tech blogger. I write for Read/WriteWeb (top 30 blog). But speaking of Rails, I co-own Rails Forum (www.railsforum.com), which is large developer community for RoR programmers. :)