You know the one, the woman walks into the guy's office and says "there are some customers here who want to talk to you about improving the internet."  The guy says "which ones?" and the woman says "All of them"

Then the voiceover goes on to say that whenever an AOL customer has a suggestion for improving the internet, AOL listens.

WTF is this about?  Since when does AOL own the internet or have the right to improve it?  The internet has very little to do with AOL.  Cripes, AOL doesn't even use HTML in its software.  And AOL users access the internet through some bizzaro AOL designed interface.

Now I saw a second commercial where a woman with a baby interrupts a board meeting at AOL with another suggestion to improve the internet.

what a bunch of frockers.

 AOL was the last large stand alone BBS to even give their users net access.

When I had my own PC shop a few years ago I had a young couple come in to buy a new computer.

When I suggested the local ISP for Net access, I got a blank stare.

I expained how the ISP functioned to the get them on the Net and the husband says "But we have AOL, that's the Internet, isn't it?"  

After 5 minutes of explanation neither one of them could wrap their "minds" around the idea of accessing Net content without AOL.  I gave up.

Quoted: After 5 minutes of explanation neither one of them could wrap their "minds" around the idea of accessing Net content without AOL.  I gave up.

My mother is the same way.


I have people that call me with compyter problems.  The very first question I ask is:  "Are you using AOL?"

As far as the commercial goes, they are impling that a regular customer can talk to a live person at AOL for suggestions.

Yeah right...after pressing 1 for english

2 for Customer Service

1 for region...


then wait on hold for 45 minutes.


I hate auto=phones.


SGtar15

Quoted: "But we have AOL, that's the Internet, isn't it?"

[FredFlinstone]

Uhboy.......

[/FredFlintstone]

and the icing on the cake..

aol for broadband

so, you're smart and you got cable or dsl...
you can use the software already on your computer (or download it for FREE) and you've got access to the internet....

OR, you can pay aol to use your broadband connection.



aol doesnt listen.. they want to change everything so they have control.

Netscape was great until aol got it's dickbeaters on it, same with other facets of the internet... moviefone is another one, they changed all their trailer video's to some aol format so you have to download their player ....W THE F ?, over-

Customer service for AOL is difficult to access to say the very least.  It's nearly shameful that they would tout such a service.

Quoted: WTF is this about?  Since when does AOL own the internet or have the right to improve it?  The internet has very little to do with AOL.  Cripes, AOL doesn't even use HTML in its software.  And AOL users access the internet through some bizzaro AOL designed interface.

One word: Censorship.

AOL internet access = censored internet. The people are sheep.

Quoted: Quoted: WTF is this about?  Since when does AOL own the internet or have the right to improve it?  The internet has very little to do with AOL.  Cripes, AOL doesn't even use HTML in its software.  And AOL users access the internet through some bizzaro AOL designed interface. One word: Censorship. AOL internet access = censored internet. The people are sheep.

Truer than you think.

Many AOL users simply aren't willing or able to deal with the idea of a "open" Net.  The very idea of losing their pretty icons, "exclusive content" and "protection" makes them totally unwilling to dump it.  I've seen so many stories of people not wanting to give up their AOL e-mail addresses that it makes me sick.  I've seen BUSINESESS that didn't want to switch because of that.  I don't know about you but the LAST place I'd do business with is one that has @aol.com anywhere to be seen.

AOL = Training Wheels for the Internet

"Henry, you know, Billy says we should switch to cable internet and use Opera or Netscape, and get rid of AOL, because it's much faster, ya, and you know, he went to that college to learn about computers, don'tchaknow."

"Peggy, we aren't gonna do that. AOL said they'd improve our internets, ya? And we ain't using no damn operas on our computer. I hate operas. Can't understand a damn word. Now, get in the kitchen and make me a sammich, woman."

AOL is for noobs.

Quoted: AOL = Training Wheels for the Internet for people who don't have a fucking clue!

there, all better now  

Quoted: AOL is for noobs.

Let me make it so all the 11 year olds on aol can read it

40|_ |5 73|-| S|_|><0|2Z

Quoted: Quoted: AOL is for noobs. Let me make it so all the 11 year olds on aol can read it 40|_ |5 73|-| S|_|><0|2Z

d00d, uR 31337...

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: AOL is for noobs. Let me make it so all the 11 year olds on aol can read it 40|_ |5 73|-| S|_|><0|2Z d00d, uR 31337...

HAHA

These are the same idiots who think to navigate the internet you have to type the name in the search bar and choose it from the results.

The first 3 months my website was up AOL had not picked it on thier search engine. Well I kept getting calls form people saying my website was not working. When I finally figured it out they were all doing just that, and 90% of em were using AOL.

Did Al Gore sell the patent rights to the internet to AOL, or did the patent simply expire or something?

Unfortunately I use AOL and doubly unfortunate that I only can get dial up but if any one has a suggestion on what other dial up service to use then I'm listening

Quoted: Unfortunately I use AOL and doubly unfortunate that I only can get dial up but if any one has a suggestion on what other dial up service to use then I'm listening

I have been quite happy with AT&T and earthlink when I used dial up, I still keep a minimum AT&T account for use on the road.

Quoted: Unfortunately I use AOL and doubly unfortunate that I only can get dial up but if any one has a suggestion on what other dial up service to use then I'm listening

Look in your local phone book for ISP.  Before cable was an option here,  I used a small, local ISP with good results.  Always someone to answer the phone too.

Add one more to the list.

When I was working tech support I'd often have to direct people to specific URL's.

"Ok, I'll need you to go to a Web address for me."

"Ok."

"Please go to the web address 'something.something.com'".

Silence.

"Did you get to the page?"

"No it says it's not there."

<Airwolf checks to see if link is valid.  It is.>

<Airwolf repeats address to no avail>

"What is the specific error message you are getting?"

"It says it's invalid" (or something similarly vague).

"What browser are you using?"

"Browser?"

"Yes, what Internet Browser are using?"

<silence>

"How do you connect to the Net?"

"Net?  I have AOL."

(they are using keyword search, not entering a URL in a browser)

<Airwolf puts headset on mute and proceedes to bang head into desk>

Hey, I don't mind AOL at all. If you don't use it, it doesn't bother you. And they are spending a LOT of effort to clean up spam and malware, which is good for ALL internet users. A successful spam-proof email system can ONLY happen if the major players like AOL and Microsoft get together and make it happen - that definitely counts as "improving the internet."

Will220 - most areas have at least one small mom-and-pop ISP, plus the national ones like Earthlink may have an access number in your local area.

On one other thing - I WAS horrified to discover that AOL has some kind of proxy system that intercepts and re-encodes JPEG images in web pages at a lower quality in order to save bandwidth... At least that's what seemed to be happening when I looked at certain sites on my relative's AOL dial-up account.

Quoted: Quoted: AOL = Training Wheels for the Internet for people who don't have a fucking clue! there, all better now

AOL is not internet! - it does have a www portal thru which you can access much of the http/ftp sites.

Quoted: Hey, I don't mind AOL at all. If you don't use it, it doesn't bother you.

Oh, but it does. Since it has so many users, they can almost dictate standards. Want to guess how many years it's been since most AOL users didn't send HTML email?

Quoted: And they are spending a LOT of effort to clean up spam and malware, which is good for ALL internet users. A successful spam-proof email system can ONLY happen if the major players like AOL and Microsoft get together and make it happen - that definitely counts as "improving the internet."

AOL and Microsoft joining forces to develop an e-mail system isn't something I'm grateful of. Hell, either one developing an e-mail system isn't. Mostly because whatever method they'd come up with would most likely not be recognized by mail clients not AOL or Outlook, or at the least be inconvienent and time consuming to those clients. So, people who are not very technically inclined who have been convinced to use sane clients will lose any motiviation to do so.

"So what, you can just not use it.". But I won't be able to email anyone using it, since the spammers won't use it, and therefor it won't accept email from people who don't use it. And as for email viruses, blame the users. Even in a system that would be theoretically spam proof, email viruses would work, because they're sent from a reasonable user's account.

Quoted: On one other thing - I WAS horrified to discover that AOL has some kind of proxy system that intercepts and re-encodes JPEG images in web pages at a lower quality in order to save bandwidth... At least that's what seemed to be happening when I looked at certain sites on my relative's AOL dial-up account.

AOL is NOT an ISP.  It's a networked application that requires proprietary software to access their AOL application.  If you look at at the programs running in memory on an AOL PC you will see the various WAN adapters and other AOL crap using memory and stealing CPU cycles.

That is correct.  AOL caches the images on its servers and compresses them to reduce bandwidth.  When you access the website from within the AOL network the AOL cache downloads the compressed degraded images  to your PC.

AOL is full of shit trying to take the morale high ground.    AOL server rooms have an unlimited supply of filth, pirated software, music,& movies.    Not to mention the Army of AOL users on the never ending quest for young people to fuck.

Point being, the internet has a lot of filth to offer if you know where to look.    AOL is most likely gonna make paid sites unassessable upon request, but kids are smart and they're gonna find ways around that shit easily.    Or they're just gonna go to their friends house, or maybe they'll just go whack off with a porno mag....it's all the same outcome.    People were perverts long before the internet.

same applies to guns.....people were killing people long before guns and bombs

AOL is freaking out, you can get what they sell for less the ten bucks a month and they have to make up a reason to say with them.

Thanks for the headsup guys...AOLs days are numbered in my house

                   Diary of an AOL User.

July 18 - I just tried to connect to America Online. I've
heard it is the best online service I can get.  They even
included a free disk!  I'd better hold onto it in case they
don't ever send me anther one!  I can't connect. I don't
know what is wrong.

July 19 - Some guy at the tech support center says my computer
needs a modem.I don't see why. He's just trying to cheat me.
How dumb does he think I am?

July 22 - I bought the modem. I couldn't figure out where it
goes. It wouldn't fit in the monitor or the printer. I'm
confused.

July 23 - I finally got the modem in and hooked up. That nine
year old next door did it for me. But it still don't work. I
can't get online.

July 25 - That nine year old kid next door hooked me up to
America Online. He's so smart. I told the kid he was a prodigy.
But he says that's just another service. What a modest kid.
He's so smart and he does these services for people.  Anyway
he's smarter than the jerks who sold me the modem. They didn't
even tell me about communications software. Bet they didn't
know. And why do they put two telephone jack holes in the
back of a modem when you only need one?  And why do they have
one labeled phone when you are not supposed to hook it to the
phone jack on the wall?  I thought the dial tone sounded funny!
Boy, are modem makers dumb!  But the kid figured it out by the
sound.

July 26 - What's the internet?  I thought I was on America
Online. Not this internet thing. I'm confused.

July 27 - The nine year old kid next door showed me how to use
this America Online stuff. I told him he must be a genius. He
says that he is, compared to me.  Maybe he's not so modest after
all.

July 28 - I tried to use chat today.  I tried to talk into my
computer but nothing happened. Maybe I need to buy a microphone.

July 29 - I found this thing called usenet. I got out of it
because I'm connected to America Online not usenet.

July 30 - These people in this usenet thing keep using capital
letters. How do they do that? I never figured out how to type
capital letters.  Maybe they have a different type of keyboard.

JULY 31 -  I CALLED THE COMPUTER MAKER I BOUGHT IT FROM TO
COMPLAIN ABOUT NOT HAVING A CAPITAL LETTER KEY. THE TECH SUPPORT
GUY SAID IT WAS THIS CAPS LOCK KEY.  WHY DIDN'T THEY SPELL IT
OUT? I TOLD HIM I GOT A CHEAP KEYBOARD AND WANTED A BETTER ONE,
AND ONE OF MY SHIFT KEYS ISNT THE SAME SIZE AS THE OTHER. HE SAID
THAT'S A STANDARD. I TOLD HIM I DIDN'T WANT A STANDARD KEYBOARD
BUT ANOTHER BRAND. I MUST HAVE HAD AN IMPORTANT COMPLAINT BECAUSE
I HEARD HIM TELL THE OTHER SUPPORT GUYS TO LISTEN IN ON OUR
CONVERSATION.

AUGUST 1 - I FOUND THIS THING CALLED THE USENET ORACLE. IT SAYS
THAT IT CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS I ASK IT. I SENT IT 44 SEPARATE
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INTERNET. I HOPE IT RESPONDS SOON.

AUGUST 2 - I FOUND A GROUP CALLED REC.HUMOR. I DECIDED TO POST
THIS JOKE ABOUT THE CHICKEN THAT CROSSED THE ROAD. TO GET TO THE
OTHER SIDE!  HA!  HA! I WASN'T SURE I POSTED IT RIGHT SO I POSTED
IT 56 MORE TIMES.

AUGUST 3 - I KEEP HEARING ABOUT THE WORLD WIDE WEB. I DIDN'T KNOW
SPIDERS GREW THAT LARGE.

AUGUST 4 - THE ORACLE RESPONDED TO MY QUESTIONS TODAY. GEEZ IT
WAS RUDE.  I WAS SO ANGRY THAT I POSTED AN ANGRY MESSAGE ABOUT
IT TO REC.HUMOR.ORACLE. I WASNT SURE IF I POSTED RIGHT SO I
POSTED IT 22 MORE TIMES.

AUGUST 5 - SOMEONE TOLD ME TO READ THE FAQ. GEEZ THEY DIDN'T
HAVE TO USE PROFANITY.

AUGUST 6 - SOMEONE ELSE TOLD ME TO STOP SHOUTING IN ALL MY
MESSAGES. WHAT A STUPID JERK. I'M NOT SHOUTING! I'M NOT EVEN
TALKING! JUST TYPING!  HOW CAN THEY LET THESE RUDE JERKS GO ON
THE INTERNET?

August 7 - Why have a Caps Lock key if you're not suppose to use
it?  It's probably an extra feature that costs more money.

August 8 - I just read this post called make money fast. I'm so
exited.  I'm going to make lots of money. I followed his
instructions and posted it to every newsgroup I could find.

August 9 - I just made my signature file.  It's only 6 pages long.
I will have to work on it some more.

August 10 - I just looked at a group called alt.aol.sucks. I read
a few posts and I really believe that aol should be wiped off the
face of the earth. I wonder what an aol is.

August 11 - I was asking where to find some information about
something. Some guy told me to check out ftp.netcom.com. I've
looked and looked but I can't find that group.

August 12 - I sent a post to every usenet group on the Internet
asking where the ftp.netcom.com is. Hopefully someone will help.
I can't ask the kid next door. His parents said that when he
comes back from my house he's laughing so hard he can't eat or
sleep or do his homework. So they wont let him come over anymore.
I do have a great sense of humor. I don't know why the rec.humor
group didn't like my chicken joke. Maybe they only like dirty
stuff. Some people sent me posts about my 56 posts of the joke
and they used bad words.

August 13 - I sent another post to every usenet group on the
Internet asking where the ftp.netcom.com is. I had forgot
yesterday to include my new signature file which is only 8
pages long. I know everyone will want to read my favorite
poem so I included it. I'm also going to add that short story
I like.

August 14 - Some guy suspended my account because of what I was
doing. I told him I don't have an account at his bank. He's so
dumb.

I just love it when the woman comes on and talks about things she wants AOL to do, like monitor her kids, give a report of what her kids do online, prevent her kids from going to XYZ places on the internet..

Bitch, why don't you fucking watch over your own damned kids?

aol sucks ass.
when I worked at sony we took so many calls that should have been handled by aol but aol always passed the buck
they release beta versions and claim it's the new release version
having your users beta test is fine, if you tell them it's a beta
every time a .0 version came out our call volume spiked

Quoted: <snip> stupid customer story

+1 brother.


I had one lady call in one day; basically I was trying to do the same thing by having her type in a website address.

She wasn't typing it in the browser's address bar, she was typing it in the MSN search bar. Apparently when the software installed on her machine, it collapsed her IE tool bar and locked it so that you couldn't see the address bar.


Yes, my headset was definitely on mute while I was banging my head on the desk.





I also like it when people type an address into Internet Exploder, and then instead of just hitting ENTER, actually use the mouse to click the "Go" button.  

Do you really have nothing better to do than get "irked" by an AOL AD.

You know what?

Some people who use AOL can get to ARFCOM

I am 100% sure that if we nuked AOL from space... not only would the internet speed up... we could get rid of 30 million dumb internet users.

(note: not all AOL users are dumb, just a majority of them.)