AOL 8.0 is HERE!!!!

[calmius]

Now if you subscribe to aol 8.0 you can be officially considered 8x more stupid than an average computer user!!!

[TwoRails]

LOL !!! I don't know how they've been in the business this long... The Very few people I've talked to that will admit to having AOL aways swear they'er in the process of trying to cancel. If nobody likes the *&&^^%, how do they stay around??

[doctorgonzo]

They continue to exist because there are millions of people who think that "the Internet" and "AOL" are synonyms.

[dldz]

Originally posted by TwoRails LOL !!! I don't know how they've been in the business this long... The Very few people I've talked to that will admit to having AOL aways swear they'er in the process of trying to cancel. If nobody likes the *&&^^%, how do they stay around??

LOL You know how it is you can never really unsubscribe

[lpc300]

I think that they continue to exist because many people think that using anything else is too complicated.

[TwoRails]

Ya, and I guess part of it is the over-saturation of their CDs. They're freakin' everywhere. Besides coming with your favorite magazine, I find them at McDonalds and the local hardware store. What's a burger joint doing giving away landfill material? What's next, they be in a box of Tricks? or found at the bottom of your coffee can??

edit: PS: And most people don't know that AOL's home page is just like any other and can be accessed without having AOL (at least most of it).

[Confused]

After all they are the largest ISP. Why? Effective advertising. You don't have to have the best product, or even a good product if you have a very good marketing department. Many of the new users that are, shall we say, advancing in age, think that the AOL keywords they advertise are the only way they can access sites such as WebMD, and the only way they can chat with their friends is with AIM.

Then again I have a computer savy friend who got nearly a years worth of access for free. Picked up one of their 1000 hours free CD's and they kept extending time every time he tried to cancel.
Chas

[SBanana]

I have AOL and the reason I keep it is because you can have an 16mb attachment to your mail. Makes good for downloading large files. And there are chat rooms on AOL that supply those large files.
I have not found anything to match that. Otherwise I guess any old ISP would do.

[Iman74]

The reason they are so popular is because of how they market. Tests show that people get influenced by what they see and hear. Hell I started my internet experience with AOL simply because it was the first thing near me. They are smart, they send their disks out (floppy or/& CD's) like it's going out of style: magazines, fast food joints, hardware stores, and even in your mail. They get it out and those not computer savy and don't like to research take it and use it because:
A. It's right there
B. It is quite simple to use and learn.

When I first got it I have to admit I wasn't too computer savy but after a short time I learned it and was in the rooms chatting away. Hell I have to thank AOL for some of the experiences I have encoutered in the past (not the kind of place for such details ) Anyway, you say they suck and in some ways I agree with you. But they are simply successful for all the reasons I have said. Hell, they would be a monopoly if they could get away with it.

The only thing I hate about them (and I don't use the word hate easily) is that their program takes over your PC. Sometimes it screws up the network settings in such a way it's just easier for me to re-ghost the machine. If they stopped doing that I wouldn't have any issues with them. But at the sametime things like that is why I have a job. Guess what I do for a living.

The one thing that they do offer and I think they quite mastered is the parental control. But now with their new versions that's useless. You can now use AOL as your internet connection, then minimize it, open IE and configure it to work off of AOL and that bypasses their parental control. Which proves what I have said time and time again; when it comes to computers, nothing is impossible.

[Doobie]

Originally posted by SBanana I have AOL and the reason I keep it is because you can have an 16mb attachment to your mail. Makes good for downloading large files. And there are chat rooms on AOL that supply those large files. I have not found anything to match that. Otherwise I guess any old ISP would do.

IRC has those rooms...

I remember my days of AOL... When I used to use it I never had any problems... The only reason that I don’t like AOL is because it is everywhere... It’s a plague. Install winamp, you get there icons. Netscape and you get the icons… And those freaking CDs… I don’t see how the company hasn’t gone broke making all those freaking CD’s.

And the only reason its popular is because its easy… Say what you say about AOL, anyone can learn to use it… Grandma can use it…

[kittyfire]

I keep my aol address because I've had it for... 8 years now? Still have AOL 5.0 on one of my hard drives but I never run it and sure won't update to any of the new software. I spend enough time correcting what it does on everyone else's computers, don't wanna do it on mine. I use cable to connect and just pay the $14 or whatever it is to keep my AOL addy.

[DilLy]

Originally posted by dldz LOL You know how it is you can never really unsubscribe

Ain't that the truth.

[TwoRails]

Actually, I was lucky. After years of bashing AOL I actually tried it once. It was as bad as I've always said, but when it came time to stop, I have to admit it took only one call to cancel. Of course, their insistent calls, etc. afterwards was a more than a total annoyance!

at the same time, I've meet lots of folks that had just the opposite experience....

TwoRails

[SBanana]

Yup, IRC has those rooms, but anymore you need a high speed connection to get a large file. Most peeps there arn't going to wait 3 or more days while you get some file from them at 56k. I'm nowhere near a CO, so DSL is out, cable company here is not offering, satillight is possible here but too expensive not to mention they slow down your connection if you download alot.

[glc]

Last time I flew on American Airlines, I was served an AOL CD with my lunch. Last time I visited Six Flags, they gave me an AOL CD with my park map and parking receipt.

[DilLy]

http://www.nomoreaolcds.com

...for those who arent already involved

[TwoRails]

I just signed up, DilLy! I've tossed at least a 12 this year so far, though

[Doobie]

Originally posted by glc Last time I flew on American Airlines, I was served an AOL CD with my lunch. Last time I visited Six Flags, they gave me an AOL CD with my park map and parking receipt.

I hope your joking

[TwoRails]

Originally posted by glc Last time I flew on American Airlines, I was served an AOL CD with my lunch. Last time I visited Six Flags, they gave me an AOL CD with my park map and parking receipt.

Yes, indeed, I hope you kidding! If not, then they really have gone of the deep end....

[dldz]

I glue several together and use them for target's I want them to keep sending me the CD's

[glc]

I'm dead serious.

[Charger]

Tie them together on a mobile. They make great suncatchers

[ssahl]

Tried to uninstall aol from a computer I was working on one time and the damn thing wouldnt do it unless I let it connect online for some reason, and it stayed connected for a good 10-15 min. too.

[dldz]

Originally posted by ssahl Tried to uninstall aol from a computer I was working on one time and the damn thing wouldnt do it unless I let it connect online for some reason, and it stayed connected for a good 10-15 min. too.

LOL They probably had a few more ads to show you just to make sure youv'e seen them all

[TwoRails]

Seen the ads for MSN 8?? Looks like they want to be the next AOL with all the proprietary stuff, logons, and the like....

[villiageidiot]

Posted by TwoRails Ya, and I guess part of it is the over-saturation of their CDs. They're freakin' everywhere. Besides coming with your favorite magazine, I find them at McDonalds and the local hardware store.

Thanks to aol, I made myself a really cool wall of cd's in my basement behind my bar. I would grab a handfull every time I would see the little aol display. Turn the cd around with the shiny side out and glue it to the wall. I have lights all over by my bar and when the lights are on it looks awesome. Hey, THANKS AOL!

[TwoRails]

Now that, villiageidiot, is the best use for them I've seen!!

[J Phillies]

i have aol
i open it... connect... and minimize it... use internet explorer

i would rather not use aol... but the connection has been very reliable... esspecially compared to the other providers around here... blah .... 56k..

the only dsl provider that i can get here is bellsouth... they failed me a lot
i was going to get cable... but my house sits over a mile off of the road.. and the cable company will only run the first 200 feet of cable free... $1.50 per foot after that..

so im just basicly stuck for now.. lol

[Doobie]

Originally posted by villiageidiot Thanks to aol, I made myself a really cool wall of cd's in my basement behind my bar. I would grab a handfull every time I would see the little aol display. Turn the cd around with the shiny side out and glue it to the wall. I have lights all over by my bar and when the lights are on it looks awesome. Hey, THANKS AOL!

You should post a pic.

[villiageidiot]

Doobie said You should post a pic.

Hopefully Santa will give me a digital camera this Christmas, if he does, I will.