I heard a lot of negative comments about AOL

[TreyRandom]

Originally posted by: DurocShark
Awesome post!

Only thing you missed was AOL's failure to pay content providers per contract. Every couple years you hear about a provider bailing from AOL because the company would deny the content was viewed and used as much as it really was.

The biggest one was Motley Fool's investment service a few years ago.

And I used QLink too! Back in the C= days... I'd be up all night playing poker. LoL!

Thanks. I appreciate the compliment.

I was a chataholic back then - I was a teenager (just turned 35 this year). And I absolutely adored my Commodore 64 (and C128, when I "upgraded"... although in retrospect, I have no idea why - nothing much existed for the C128). Even had my own BBS for a few years!

Yeah, I slept through many a class after chatting/playing all night long... especially American History... zzzzzzzzzzzz....

After I got out of the Army, I did actually give AOL a try for a couple of months. It just wasn't the same. (However, the old QLink 10-character limitation to user names still remained on AOL for years - heh! For true dripping geekiness, check this out.)

That's why I eventually switched to TSN/INN... just to see it consumed (and subsequently digested and... well, you know what happens after that) by AOL several years later.

 

[Mik3y]

aol = $25 a month
extra phone line = $10
total = $35
conclusion: a lot of money for 1 computer and crappy features

cox cable internet = $40 (the one i have)
conclusion: good for 4mbit connection and for multiple comps.

summary = for $5 more, i can have internet that's a million times faster and i dont get the ad crap and broadband allows me to have a good network for multiple computers.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: Mik3y
aol = $25 a month
extra phone line = $10
total = $35
conclusion: a lot of money for 1 computer and crappy features

cox cable internet = $40 (the one i have)
conclusion: good for 4mbit connection and for multiple comps.

summary = for $5 more, i can have internet that's a million times faster and i dont get the ad crap and broadband allows me to have a good network for multiple computers.

Winner.

 

[BigFatCow]

Originally posted by: TreyRandom
AOL used to be a standalone system, like Compuserve and Prodigy (both of which were consumed by AOL).

Im pretty sure Prodigy was bought out by SBC and not AOL.

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: Jero
And curious to know....what did they do that made them so evil?

People will use anything, no matter how pointless and stupid, to establish status. Some people who are experienced with the internet look down on people who use AOL. A lot of people who use AOL are younger and relatively new to the internet.

 

[TreyRandom]

Originally posted by: BigFatCow

Originally posted by: TreyRandom
AOL used to be a standalone system, like Compuserve and Prodigy (both of which were consumed by AOL).

Im pretty sure Prodigy was bought out by SBC and not AOL.

I stand corrected. Thanks for the fix!

 

[hevnsnt]

Originally posted by: Siddhartha

Originally posted by: Jero
And curious to know....what did they do that made them so evil?

People will use anything, no matter how pointless and stupid, to establish status. Some people who are experienced with the internet look down on people who use AOL. A lot of people who use AOL are younger and relatively new to the internet.

Really? I would say older & don't know any better.

 

[TreyRandom]

Originally posted by: Siddhartha
People will use anything, no matter how pointless and stupid, to establish status. Some people who are experienced with the internet look down on people who use AOL. A lot of people who use AOL are younger and relatively new to the internet.

That's because they use Mommy's and Daddy's account, who don't know any better.

I'll have to agree with hevnsnt. My mother-in-law (in her 50s) uses AOL. My eye doctor (who is clueless about computers and calls me over every little thing) uses AOL. The executives (women, all in their 50s) at a company I used to work for in '99 ALL used AOL; one screamed bloody murder when I suggested we move the company to a Microsoft Exchange-based e-mail system with a real domain name.

 

[zCypher]

I used AOL when I was about 12 years old, cause my parents had got it and it was free for X period of time. All I did with AOL was fvck around and screw with peoples minds. There was nothing else to do cause it never worked well! It was SO goddamn slow even with a 33.6 modem! When I finally got them to switch providers the internet was at LEAST 2-3 times faster, at the "same" speeds.

The problem is, most AOL users simply don't know of any other/better providers and don't care to try and find out. To them, it's a huge complicated world and they don't want the hassle. They really don't realize that it's quite simple and EASIER to use a regular ISP.

Oh well, more bandwidth for me on my broadband connection.

 

[Fritzo]

They overcharge you, they feed you an onslaught of never ending advertisements, non standard email, limited compatibility with some web sites, their software is like a virus....I could go on and on..

 

[Wuffsunie]

Not to mention their customer support. I've delt with them in my own capacity as a tech. Once. Rude, ignorant, intentioanlly kept in the dark by AOL, and they pass the buck to other people at the slightest provocation.

The kind of people they attract are little better. The Walmart of the Internet analogy is quite accurate. They aim for the lowest common demoninator and then keep them there. I abhor dealing with users who cannot distinguish the internet from AOL, let alone AOL from the rest of Windows. ("What name do you log into windows XP as ma'am? No, not your 4 AOL screen names, the windows account. No...")

I'm endlessly thankful that the only company I've gone through for my internet was Compuserve back in the early 90s when there wasn't a lot else out there for me to choose from. I switched to a local ISP at the first chance, then an actual telco when I wanted DSL.

 

[neonerd]

http://www.aolpc.com

i am scarred for life :Q

 

[Zeeky Boogy Doog]

Originally posted by: Black88GTA

Originally posted by: Jero
And curious to know....what did they do that made them so evil?

Everything everyone else has said - not to mention the incessant, nonstop, crushing onslaught of unsolicited cd-roms in the mail, and the fact that you could get broadband for $10 more / month than you pay for AOL's sh!tty dialup. They prey on n00bs who don't know any better.

Pics of said onslaught, yes, i have an aol cd collection... i plan to do something cool with it some day, like the fish they made in that one comercial, or something, maybe i'll get a disco ball, and then put the cds all over my basement wall, that'd be really cool...

 

[DurocShark]

Originally posted by: TreyRandom

Originally posted by: DurocShark
Awesome post!

Only thing you missed was AOL's failure to pay content providers per contract. Every couple years you hear about a provider bailing from AOL because the company would deny the content was viewed and used as much as it really was.

The biggest one was Motley Fool's investment service a few years ago.

And I used QLink too! Back in the C= days... I'd be up all night playing poker. LoL!

Thanks. I appreciate the compliment.

I was a chataholic back then - I was a teenager (just turned 35 this year). And I absolutely adored my Commodore 64 (and C128, when I "upgraded"... although in retrospect, I have no idea why - nothing much existed for the C128). Even had my own BBS for a few years!

Yeah, I slept through many a class after chatting/playing all night long... especially American History... zzzzzzzzzzzz....

After I got out of the Army, I did actually give AOL a try for a couple of months. It just wasn't the same. (However, the old QLink 10-character limitation to user names still remained on AOL for years - heh! For true dripping geekiness, check this out.)

That's why I eventually switched to TSN/INN... just to see it consumed (and subsequently digested and... well, you know what happens after that) by AOL several years later.

heh. My QLink bills were paid by selling "Shareware Collections" of adult graphics and games. For the C=. :Q Amazes me that anyone wanted that crap. But whatever. I made $$ off it...

I knew the QLink back end was the seed for AOL, but didn't realize they STILL use some of that stuff. Wow. No wonder the client software is so bloated and such crap. Has to make up for the antique systems running AOL's backend.

 

[BurnItDwn]

some of this may be "old" information ...

no pop3 email

no nntp news

they require you to install special software to use their service

back in the 28.8K modem days .... pings with a REAL isp in Quake were around 200 to 300 usually, with AOL is was almost always 999 ... making all online FPS gaming totally unplayable

they are too dumbed down

overcharge for the low quality of service they provide

in the old days ... all the problems people had getting connected, back when they had the large customer base and NO infrostructure.

Their stupid dial up software wanted to disconnect you every 30 minutes unless you selelcted NO to a pop up box.

no shell accounts given to users (though nowadays MOST isp's don't give them out)

horrible uninstall process ... never seems to get rei of ALL aol entries from the registry, and clean up very good.

extremely bloated software

all the junk mail they send out.



then of course there is the user base as well, but we don't need to get into that.

 

[TreyRandom]

Originally posted by: DurocShark

heh. My QLink bills were paid by selling "Shareware Collections" of adult graphics and games. For the C=. :Q Amazes me that anyone wanted that crap. But whatever. I made $$ off it...

I knew the QLink back end was the seed for AOL, but didn't realize they STILL use some of that stuff. Wow. No wonder the client software is so bloated and such crap. Has to make up for the antique systems running AOL's backend.

Hey, the C= had some great graphics and sound for its time, didn't it?

My CompuServe bills were *horrid*. At $6/hr, I was hurting. It's difficult for a 12-year old to mow enough lawns to cover a $300 C$ bill (only happened once, I assure you ). Luckily for me, they started a chat plan - if I remember correctly, you got "unlimited" chat for $75 per month plus 30¢ per hour. It was a bargain, at the time!

When I was 17, my PlayNet bills were covered because I was a room host (my own - Dreamscape, same name as my BBS) for late nighters from at LEAST 2-3am every night.

When PlayNet folded, I went to QLink without the benefit of free service. Was never able to swing a new gig there.

Many many years later (mid 90s), I beta tested for TSN/INN to cover my service charges.