Is AOL really that bad?

[aspen]

You don't want to be stereotyped by having it as your ISP. Its not professional looking on a business card

Any ISP looks unprofessional. It should be you@yourcompany.com

AOHELL, as I like to refer to it, is the worst company in the world. Ok, so calling support takes 30 minutes, have you ever tried to call the number to complain about fraudulent mail or other kinds of abuse??? HOURS, AT BEST.

Back when Microsoft offered free support I waited over 6 hours once, my plight was not uncommon. Microsoft no only offers free support. You get 0 support if you're an OEM user and something like 90 days if you're a retail user.

Seriously 30 minutes is good.

I don't use AOL's connections, so I can't comment on that, but otherwise I have no problems with the service.

[aspen]

Here's a post I made in a similar thread in Dec 2000:

I started off on prodigy paying about $8 an hour. Then when AOL offered flat rate Internet access, me, and millions more, switched. And thats why AOL is #1. They were the first. They started getting tons of subscribers. And before the other services could do the same AOL had already cornered the market. It was a very good business move.

AOL also now owns Compuserve, ICQ, and Netscape among other things. It markets Compuserve to business users and whatnot. It saved Netscape for backruptcy, then then formed a strategic relationship with SUN to basically combat Microsoft. And then of course they have ICQ. Personally ICQ is too cluttered for me, I prefer AIM.

So, I still use AOL, am I a newbie? I've been online longer than alot of you could ride a bike. I'm not trying to offend any of you but saying everyone who uses AOL is a newbie is just wrong.

And those commercial are right, AOL 6.0 is really nice.

I actually pay an extra $10 a month to use AOL. I don't use their dial-up lines unless I am out of town (yes, another benefit, if you're travelling you can have a local dial-up node anywhere) so my cost is only $10 a month. I have a cable modem. So sign on to AOL. Maybe an ad pops up, maybe not, but I don't really care its only 1. I click no thanks. A window pops up with channels, I close it, and then the main window pops up and the buddy window does. I can see who of my friends are online. I can see any breaking news stories, maybe there is a fun poll or survey I could take. I can go click on a button on my customized toolbar and see how my stocks are doing. Its all built in nicely.

I don't use AOLs browser (which is basically IE) to browse. I agree with you on that, it does suck. But you're wrong if you think AOL forces people to use it. Even if you're dialing up using their lines you can still open up your browser separate from AOL.

So, the alternative? First I gotta tell everyone my new email address. Then I need to use something like Outlook for my email, problem is Outlook is prone to viruses like melissa and the love bug. If I want to see news I can go to cnn.com, if I want to see my stocks... I don't know some stock site. If I want to see my buddies I need to load up AIM. I could do all that and more, or just load up AOL.

So, I like AOL better than the alternative. Its simply easier to use.

And it is very important to all of us. AOL is easy to use, so your grandma can go online, and that computer illiterate teacher you had in middle school can go online, and your crazy Aunt Sue can go online. And the more people who are online the more business is done online, and the more business is done online, the more businesses want websites built, and the more websites that need to be built the more money in our pockets.

So, don't make fun of AOL.

[Silverado4x4]

It all depends on what you like. If you like picking out your own sites to go to the second you connect, I'd suggest not using AOL. If you want them to suggest sites for you to go to, or if you'd rather close everything out, then pick out a site, then use AOL.

I personally don't like it. One of my friends used to use it, and when I got on at his house, it took me forever just to find the address bar. You'd have to go through a few channels to get to it. But, that was from a version quite a while ago. I'm not sure how it is now, since my friend moved on to CompuServe, I believe.

Generally speaking, AOL is for newbies. Many people go on to CompuServe after AOL, from what I've noticed. The reason I say they are newbies is because 90% of my unsubscribe requests come from them; they simply don't know how to unsubscribe correctly and to read the directions at the bottom. It's this way for most people I know. And also, most AOL'ers act like newbies when they send an e-mail.

But, besides that, use one of their free 600 hours discs, and see how you like it. I forget where I heard it at, but I heard that you don't need to give them your credit card information for the trial anymore.

[weirdbeardmt]

I have finally sold myself to the devil... I have signed up with AOL to see what it is like... if it doesn't cut me off... I'll be a very happy man!!

[Technosailor]

I picked my father-in-law up 25 AOL CD's in one of those "Take One" displays and gave them ot him for Christmas. Told him that was all he was getting an dproceeded to include one in everyone else's presents!

His response? Look honeY We have coasters!

Sketch

[Dan Morgan]

There is something satisfing in using an AOL CD, no scratch that, SPILLING COFFEE on an AOL CD 'coaster'!

Saying that I use them and have done for a while and have found them strangely reliable and connection dropping free for ages!

Waking up in the morning to find your AOL connection still alive and that 120 meg file you were downloading smiling sweetly at you from your desktop, is a good feeling! Counter Strike--- Here I come!

[aspen]

One night me and some friends invented a fun CD game.

We just started goofing off, and much like Chandler and Joey on Friends (who invented FireBall) it turned into a game.

We had a life size standup of Shaq and I had about 20 or so frisbees (worthless cds). If you hit Shaq in the head you got 10 points, in the body you got 5 points, anywhere else 1 point, if you knocked him down you got 20 points.

CDs aren't that durable... many many broke or shatter, made some dents in the walls...and in Shaq. But it was a pretty decent game.

It takes some skill too, CDs can be hard to throw.

Something else that looks cool is to glue them shiny side up to your ceiling or the walls, if you've got a sunny room it is cool. You can also hang them from your ceiling.

[weirdbeardmt]

I actually managed to make some very usable speaker brackets out of a couple of old CDs.

Get two empty cd cases, cut the CD in half then put it in so as to make the CD case open at an angle, then place the CD on top of it.

Works pretty well!!

[Aes]

I haven't used AOL since they asked to transfer to a new Internet Service Provider; then I went with MSN; now I'm with Earthlink and I love it.

[Hierophant]

Originally posted by Silverado4x4
Generally speaking, AOL is for newbies. Many people go on to CompuServe after AOL, from what I've noticed. The reason I say they are newbies is because 90% of my unsubscribe requests come from them; they simply don't know how to unsubscribe correctly and to read the directions at the bottom. It's this way for most people I know. And also, most AOL'ers act like newbies when they send an e-mail.

I don't know about the email correlation. 90% of the people who unsubscribe from the Community Crier here, cannot follow the instructions listed at the bottom of the newsletter. It isn't that they are newbies, people simply don't take the time to follow directions. This is a human trait and something you will learn to have to deal with.

As for AOL, I personally don't use it. I don't like Steve Case and we had a falling out of ways a long long long time ago when AOL was a Macintosh only service and had about 150,000 subscribers, back when he actually answered his email, back before AOL was even connected to the Internet and Netscape 1.0 didn't exist.

Anyway, my parents use AOL. They have tried Prodigy, MSN, local ISP's and continually go back to AOL. They like it and it serves their needs. While they are Computer Gurus, they aren't newbies. They have been on the Internet for 5 years now and both use the computer daily in their law enforcement careers. They have used computer since the late 1980's as well. However they are your typical computer users. They don't write software and they don't create webpages. Nor do they have the desire to do so. However they do use the computer regularly.

Instead of saying that AOL is for "newbies" what you should really be saying is that you don't think AOL is suitable for Technical Computer Users. These are the "geeks" of the world and usually will use another route.

TO say that Compuserve is better for the more advanced person is also a farce. Compuserve 6.0 looks, acts, and operates just like AOL 6.0. They simply have different colors and Compuserves graphics are business oriented while AOL's are user oriented. Other than that they are the same. Heck in my area you call the same number for both services.

The point of the matter and the only thing anyone of us should worry about is to use what works for us. If you prefer AOL and its features then go for it. If you prefer the local ISP with no features but the freedom to pick and choose your applications then do it. Choice is the best thing that is around and we all will eventually choose what works for us. Personally, I have been seriously thinking about switching from my local ISP to MSN to make the Internet easier to use for my children.

[weirdbeardmt]

Originally posted by W. Luke
The point of the matter and the only thing anyone of us should worry about is to use what works for us.

And I agree with this... I have absolutely no intention of using the AOL features. All I want is a dialup. As far as I can tell I can get a near-permanent connection for the same price as BT Anytime, and still to continue to use the net in the way I am used to.

[Trillian]

I use AOL...or rather, I use Compuserve. Same difference. I did use the actual AOL for a short period of time this month. I had upgraded to Win2K and the Compuserve back-up I made to the D drive didn't work. So I put in the free trial disc, which I had literally been using as a coaster all this time They do require for you to have a credit card for the trial. Afterwards I called the 800 number to cancel the account. I was on hold for a while. Can't remember exactly, but I must've heard the commercial to "Upgrade to AOL Plus" (AOL DSL or Satellite service, brought to you by DirectPC!) fifteen times. The guy I talked to was pretty nice, and he didn't try very hard to convince me to stay.

"Dude, I installed AOL to download Compuserve and I don't see the point of having two ISPs."
"Are you sure? You still have until February 9th."
"Yes."
"Okay, ma'am, you will not be billed for next month but you can still access AOL until February 9th."

Overall, the short time I was with AOL, I haven't had any problems. It does the job.

[weirdbeardmt]

The only problem I have had so far was setting up an SMTP service. Apparently AOL don't allow use of their servers to non AOL accounts, and the connection does screwy things to accessing my other SMTP accounts. They offer eNetBot as a solution but this is rubbish.

Luckily I have access to a server which offers SMTP auth and allows me to relay mail through its servers from any account.