As tsuwm quoted:
There is no need to raise funds especially for this purpose.

This comment leads me to continue my suspicions that since 9/11 (@ the time the slowdown began) a heck of a lot of internet traffic has been rerouted through nodes just outside of the NY area... possibly close to Ohio, maybe... and the amount of traffic alone, well, I'm sure someone with statistical *inclinations could *prove this point.

The wide fluctuations in access speeds go far to suggest that it has nothing to do with the wordsmith server. Hasn't anyone else noticed the overall slowdown of downloading that occurrs betweeen 3 and 5pm, the time that kids get home from school and the time that office workers get bored.