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I belong to this message board below and this was just posted. I don't know if any of ya'll use this site..it's a wealth of information.

http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum10/12153.htm

Gosh, I'm glad my Internet Service Provider doesn't have this reputation. Why would anyone who has a great broadband/dsl/cable service opt to use AOL for free along with their own service?

The posters bring up good points below in regards to advertsing, affiliate links and such. But still...gotta wonder why. On the children's computer, they downloaded AIM messenger. It took me forever to get all the excessive crappola off that came with the dang thing. Then had to download an anti-advertising hack to go with the thing for the kids.

My Best, Donna
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America Online is paying the price for falling behind in the Internet revolution. According to this morning's Wall Street Journal, AOL is considering forgoing billions in subscription revenue by allowing households with their own broadband connections to access the service for free.

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerartic...=20060706&ID=5847892

America Online is paying the price for falling behind in the Internet revolution. According to this morning's Wall Street Journal, AOL is considering forgoing billions in subscription revenue by allowing households with their own broadband connections to access the service for free.

AOL Wants to Be Free
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Senior Member

joined:Feb 21, 2003
posts:2033
msg#:363108 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

Still overpriced Wink

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Senior Member

joined:Jan 25, 2005
posts:3514
msg#:363109 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

Not a bad strategy as they can theoretically make up the loss in basic access charges to those people that already have a connection via advertising, value add services, and people don't mind paying to filter access for the kids.

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Junior Member

joined:Mar 23, 2005
posts:153
msg#:363110 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

They'll make up the loss by firing thousands of people from marketing, administration, and IT. Combine that with some aggressive cost-cutting in other areas, and it'll work out in their favor.

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Junior Member

joined:May 18, 2006
posts:84
msg#:363111 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)
It's so sad, their own fault for falling behind with the times.


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Moderator Forum 17

joined:Sept 20, 2000
posts:3459
msg#:363112 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

They are about 3 years behind. Traffic from AOL is not even a small fraction of what it used to be.

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Preferred Member

joined:May 21, 2002
posts:541
msg#:363113 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

As Gordon Gecko once said... "it's a dog with fleas".

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Junior Member

joined:May 18, 2006
posts:84
msg#:363114 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

In all honesty, previous to this post, I hadn't been to aol(dot)com for years. Eek...I hadn't even thought about them.

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Senior Member

joinedBig Grinec 9, 2003
posts:1577
msg#:363115 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

AOL: todays ISP, tomorrows Myspace competitor?

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Senior Member

joined:Nov 28, 2004
posts:958
msg#:363116 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

Not to derail the topic, but I wonder just how many AOL subscribers still refer to AOL as "American Online?"

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Senior Member

joined:July 23, 2005
posts:126
msg#:363118 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

other terms of hoq people refer to AOL
-America Off line
-AOLame

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Moderator Forum 23

joined:Sept 1, 2001
posts:4098
msg#:363119 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

I used to call it America on Hold. along with the World Wide Wait.
Never really used it much, don't see the point.

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Preferred Member

joined:Aug 2, 2004
posts:443
msg#:363120 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

It was so much better than CompuServe. Then I went to college with a T1 line into my dorm room and realized what I was missing by having the Web spoon fed to me.

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Senior Member

joined:Oct 27, 2001
posts:6803
msg#:363121 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)


Yeah, those of us on CompuServe used to look down our noses at the 16-year-olds on AOL. :-)

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Junior Member

joinedBig Grinec 9, 2005
posts:50
msg#:363122 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

No way that could ever happen. AOL is clueless with what kids are doing on the net these days. Aside from that there is all the negative publicity of late including that news snippet of a subscriber who spent 20 minutes trying to cancel his account only to be given the run around.

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Full Member

joined:Jan 25, 2005
posts:3514
msg#:363124 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

We call it A-O-HELL

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joined:Nov 8, 2005
posts:204
msg#:363126 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

AOL has always been on the verge of criminal activity in my book. They fall in line right behind adware and viruses.
When they first started out, they were busted for having too many hidden charges. Their shadey behavior never stopped, as they continued to ship out millions of unwanted CD junkmailers for "Free Internet Access" and them made it impossible to cancel your account.

AOL is the short yellow bus of the internet, and they are finding out that there just aren't as many idiots as there once was.
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Preferred Member

joined:Aug 19, 2003
posts:371
msg#:363130 12:00 am on Jan 1, 1970 (utc 0)

AOL is finally paying for years of poor customer service, overbilling, etc.
I convert one of their customers to another ISP everytime I help someone with a computer problem, etc. - my little way of getting even.

I personally smile everytime I see a negative headline.
eCommerce Sellers Motivators "We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? But actually, who are you NOT to be?" Marianne Williamson
Original Post

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Hi Dahlin Suthrnjewl,

AOL is to me what made the web. Can you believe I've been a member since it first started in like 1987. I was a member of the infamous TAROT CHAT room in the early 90's. My name was WINDCOUGAR in thoose days, the name is a little different today. I remember when I was a feature of "Love@Aol" I tell you for thoose few days I had 500+ emails and my gosh the offers from both women & men.....LMAO.

You know back then I paid $9.95 a month, Plus 1.95 hour, but back then I chatted in the rooms and IM'D with 10+ people at a time. Some months were $400+. Yeah I had it bad huh? I used and still to this day, use Powertools for AOL. Great software for email, chat and IM's.

Today, AOL has been free for me for about 2 years now. It opened my eyes to the world of internet.

The good and the bad on the WWW, but Aol was good to me and now with my adpoted children, it provides them with safety features and security for internet (via aol internet and PTWatch protection software) that I can control the content they see. If I become concerned about an email or or IM for them, I have solutions.

Donna, you always have the bestest (lol) subjects. Southern Living is going well, thanks for keeping us in your thoughts.
quote:
AOL: todays ISP, tomorrows Myspace competitor?


This is a funny comment to me because that's really exactly what AOL was when it first started. Same with Compuserve.

Thank goodness for the availability of independent, non-network browsers...

My memory of early AOL (and my impression since) is that they wanted to BE the Internet rather than a conduit. It gave off a creepy sort of "join ussss" vibe.
I started with AOL as well when I first became a internet user. I think it was like 14.95 a month or something and 12.95 a month if you signed up and prepaid for a year. I met my better half im with right now in the aol chatrooms. I quit using aol in 2001. But I never had a problem with it and the tools that an aol disc contains are fantastic...even if you dont use aol you can still get the excellent stuff thats on an aol disc just by exploring it. Aol has always been over priced but once upon a time it seemed to be it was absolutely the best internet experience there was.."You've Got Mail!" god I used to love that..lol Man I was a serious nerd...lolol.

I might still be one and dont know it..haha
quote:
Why would anyone who has a great broadband/dsl/cable service opt to use AOL for free along with their own service?


Well, my brother uses a different internet service and ALSO pays to be on AOL. Why? Because he loves the groups / forums is has been apart of forever. They all met once a year for a weekend picnic. They often call each other on the phone. It's just like a family for them. Most of them really know each other. He just won't give that up, so he pays for AOL too.
quote:
Originally posted by Rick Bradford:
quote:
AOL: todays ISP, tomorrows Myspace competitor?


This is a funny comment to me because that's really exactly what AOL was when it first started. Same with Compuserve.

Thank goodness for the availability of independent, non-network browsers...

My memory of early AOL (and my impression since) is that they wanted to BE the Internet rather than a conduit. It gave off a creepy sort of "join ussss" vibe.

CULT?
<smile>
Donna
I don't understand this need to belong to a paid service to find a place to be together as the same group as before. <shrug>

I'll state honestly that I just don't understand the above reasoning and the forums/groups/message boards I belong to are all outside of a paid service. I don't have Instant Messengers for myself as I wanna work unfettered of outside interferences.

I've been on the internet since 91. Black background and white text, no pics with a 2400 baud modem.

It's very different now...The WWW is so big and has so much to offer.

Gosh someone could open their own message boards, groups, chat rooms outside of a paid for service that it doesn't make sense to me. A person can open their own forum and send out invites. It's done.

As I said, I don't understand nor comprehend that reasoning that a person HAS to belong to one service to stay in touch with persons they care about.

I digress.

If the new free AOL mail system is able to get my customers their emails without an Act of Congress then more power to 'em.

Then make sure you give the service to everyone free so I don't have to deal with angry customers!

Below find where Steve and I voice our frustrations on getting our AOL customers emails. Or just gosh, do an internet search on email problems and AOL.

https://community.auctiva.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4556093...231006471#2231006471

I don't gripe about email systems of comcast, verizon, peoplepc, copper.net, earthlink (cept that grrr confirmation message I have to accept sometime) road runner, juno or any other ISP..the ONLY one that I have problems with is AOL and have had problems with for the last 7 plus years. I have four eBay IDs..and one of them deals with emailed items...so when I can't get a customer an emailed item due to their ISP email controls..it tends to tick me off. It's just as bad under my other three IDs.

Later ya'll, Have a great day!
Donna
quote:
As I said, I don't understand nor comprehend that reasoning that a person HAS to belong to one service to stay in touch with persons they care about.


Well, I think a certain percentage of Internet users aren't that savvy and they dislike change and figuring out new sites, etc. And that's a group that AOL marketed to for years with the idea that they make everything easy and safe..
Agreed Rick.

I still think that when an ISP is all inclusive (use our browser, etc etc) it keeps the person from learning the true depth of functionality of their computer and the internet.

I don't know anyone in my real day to day life that uses AOL any longer. And I know ALOT of people. <smile>

About three years ago I heard my children cutting up. My two sons were talking about when their friends would be swapping out emails, phone numbers and such ..nobody will admit to having AOL because the joke is..Oh so you have Internet Lite. Their friends that had AOL merely signed up for free email accounts with hotmail or yahoo.

My Best,
Donna
Howdy Rick,

I think aol has its audience... like my kids. The controlled age groupings, like the "KAOL - Kids Aol", "11 - 12 Group" or "teen (13-16) groups". It helps control content and the internet browser though aol. I disabled IE on the user account on their computer.

Later on when they grow up some, I will introduce more options. Even though they know everything already, it that age!!! LOL

Thanks for letting me share on this here complicated internet.. errr huh... Wink
quote:
Originally posted by eWonders:
with my adpoted children,

Donna, you always have the bestest (lol) subjects. Southern Living is going well, thanks for keeping us in your thoughts.

I have two beautiful nieces adopted from China. They are such darlings and I love them dearly!

Southern Living as I've told you is one of my favorite mags and everytime I see one around the house (there's one just bout in every room, plus the cookbooks) I wonder what part you're taking in the production.

Yes, I do have to agree..my subjects are THE best! To quote an old friend of mine..Nyuck Nyuck! <smile>

Take care, Donna

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