Effective September 1, 2008 Corvid Computing will succeed long-time volunteer Bruce Paige as administrator of city-owned Internet Service Provider Gustavus Community Network (GCN). GCN subscribers should now call 697-2810 for all their Internet access questions and problems if they cannot find the answer on the GCN Service page.

Corvid Computing will handle all customer service, billing, accounts receivable, and day-to-day operations for GCN but the community network remains dependent on volunteers for system administration and repairs when there are system failures.

Bruce Paige is retiring after over a decade of exemplary volunteer administration. The Gustavus city council followed the GCN committee's recommendation to hire Corvid Computing to take over his duties. GCN will be paid 9% of GCN sales (currently amounting to about $200 to $250/month) to take over the GCN Administrator duties Bruce was performing as outlined in city ordinance. GCN subscribers should now contact Corvid Computing instead of Bruce Paige with their community network questions. Corvid Computing will have instructions on its answering machine for getting help outside its limited office hours.

For now, at least, all other GCN functions are unchanged:

• Local system administration, troubleshooting, and repair of network failures are still on an all-volunteer "when and if I feel like it" basis. In the event of trouble Corvid Computing will coordinate the response and contact the appropriate parties but has no responsibility to actually fix the problem.
  
• Checks should still be mailed to PO Box 1 (online payments are strongly advised to assure immediate posting).
• GCN is still owned by the City of Gustavus. Corvid Computing reports to the mayor.
• The GCN committee continues to advise the mayor on community network matters. There are vacancies for community members who would like to have a say in the future direction of GCN.
• The network itself is unchanged by this action, though other improvements are in the works.