Pelican Parts Forums

Pelican Parts Forums (http://forums.pelicanparts.com/)
-   Off Topic Discussions (http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/)
-   -   Why do some people still use AOL? (http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/566198-why-do-some-people-still-use-aol.html)

KevinP73 09-24-2010 10:48 AM

Why do some people still use AOL?
 
I gave up on AOL years ago as they didn't have anything to offer that I couldn't get for free somewhere else. Even their e-mail got to be a pain in the arse.
Anybody here still use AOL?

Brando 09-24-2010 10:53 AM

That's like asking why people have palsy. Same answer, too.

krystar 09-24-2010 11:04 AM

yea but i got 1000 free minutes!

GH85Carrera 09-24-2010 11:04 AM

I know a few people that keep using it because their email address has been the same for so long. I remember the days of the AOL floppies they gave out constantly. I used to format and use those floppies all the time.

UconnTim97 09-24-2010 11:05 AM

My mother in law does *shrug*

We used to use their CDs as disposable coasters.

azasadny 09-24-2010 11:26 AM

Years ago, I had a policy that I would not work on someone's PC if they had AOL on it. Invariably, I would rebuild the thing, spend innumerable hours getting everything perfect and they would call me and say "my AOL isn't working right". It was a joke!

BGCarrera32 09-24-2010 11:30 AM

I think its because they started out with a free trial and believe that you need AOL to access the World Wide Web, or that AOL is the World Wide Web, and they don't understand the basic principles of how ISP's and browsers work.

scottmandue 09-24-2010 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera (Post 5579377)
I know a few people that keep using it because their email address has been the same for so long.

My dad is in his 80's and uses it for that reason... he is on DSL and I told him many times he doesn't need it... matter of fact my old AOL addy is still alive because he won't give it up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BGCarrera32 (Post 5579432)
I think its because they started out with a free trial and believe that you need AOL to access the World Wide Web, or that AOL is the World Wide Web, and they don't understand the basic principles of how ISP's and browsers work.

and that

stevepaa 09-24-2010 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BGCarrera32 (Post 5579432)
I think its because they started out with a free trial and believe that you need AOL to access the World Wide Web, or that AOL is the World Wide Web, and they don't understand the basic principles of how ISP's and browsers work.

bingo.


and for me it was just convenient not to change. I only use it fo rmy email on the iphone.

Rufblackbird 09-24-2010 11:40 AM

because they have lower standards :p:p

Crank Yankers - Special Ed (I got mail)

Rick Lee 09-24-2010 11:54 AM

Seems changing their name might get more folks in other countries to sign up.

stomachmonkey 09-24-2010 12:27 PM

Those free CD's became such a joke.

I used to get them all the time and the "Free" hours per month gradually increased as the years went by.

I recall one of the last ones that I got was good for something like 1200 hours for the month.

Do the math.

Talewinds 09-24-2010 12:39 PM

I recall at about the height of dialup, maybe '98 or '99?, there were lots of access numbers but only one of them wasn't considered a "local long distance" AOL dialup number, I still remember it 346-7181. That number served about 60,000 population total. If you weren't already online by 6pm you could forget it for the evening. You'd have no hope of getting on until after 11pm. It would just dial and dial, hour after hour.
What a joke. I couldn't run from AOL fast enough.

Noah930 09-24-2010 03:27 PM

Quote:

Why do some people still use AOL?
Can't cancel it?

Someone at work once tried to cancel the AOL account in the resident's library. She got run through the script from "Bob" from New Delhi. I went to lunch and came back 45 minutes later. From the hallway through the closed door could still hear her screaming at the guy. Funny stuff.

tcar 09-24-2010 03:37 PM

My computer guy says that AOL behaves just like a virus. PITA.

VINMAN 09-24-2010 03:59 PM

My mother still insists on using AOL. Refuses to give it up.

TCar, your guys right. The newer versions of AOL with all the "security features" are a nightmare. They really screw up your comp.

Eric Coffey 09-24-2010 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Lee (Post 5579474)
Seems changing their name might get more folks in other countries to sign up.

Yeah, I think they officially changed it from America Online to "AOL" some years back. If you are going to "officially" change the name, why keep it as an acronym for the old name? They'd have been better off renaming it Time-Warner Online (or TW.com, etc.). Seeing as AOL decimated Mr. Turner's empire since the merger, I'd want to pull any "AOL" verbiage from the company name anyhow.

Currently, AOL is to ISP's as Blockbuster is to movie rentals: outdated, behind the times, and irrelevant.

legion 09-24-2010 04:23 PM

I used AOL for free for a few months back in 2004 before I got broadband (when I still had a land line). Cancellation was easy. I just replied to every question with: "No thank you, please cancel my account." It only took a 5-10 times of saying it to get it canceled.

I've noticed many of the local realtors in Bloomington-Normal still have AOL e-mail addresses. I think it's because they were early adopters and don't ever want to change their e-mail.

The free service I have my home e-mail through was bought by AOL a few years ago. I technically have an AOL e-mail account, though the domain is different.

Joeaksa 09-24-2010 06:03 PM

I run several bulletin boards for various things (antique airplanes and so on) and the only people we have problems with are AOHell members. No one else has issues but the AOL people are always having problems logging on, saving pages and so on.

Why in the world AOL is still around is beyond me. Its absolutely IMHO the worst ISP I know of.

Danny_Ocean 09-24-2010 09:27 PM

http://media-files.gather.com/images...96/f3/full.jpg

AOL keyboard:

http://www.googlyfoogly.com/images/aol_keyboard.jpg

http://eli.criffield.net/funny/iraq_aol.gif

http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures...ision-8864.jpg

rattlsnak 09-24-2010 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BGCarrera32 (Post 5579432)
I think its because they started out with a free trial and believe that you need AOL to access the World Wide Web, or that AOL is the World Wide Web, and they don't understand the basic principles of how ISP's and browsers work.

exactly. this is my parents.. when on the phone leading him to do something on the PC, i would say, open up IE, and i would always hear, 'Welcome', in the background. No dad, not AOL, IE. "Yes, but I have to get on the internet first."

That being said, i still use the email address, but havent been on the 'service' in years.

cgarr 09-27-2010 10:01 AM

AOL? is this something new? is it better than my CompuServe?

techweenie 09-27-2010 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgarr (Post 5583674)
AOL? is this something new? is it better than my CompuServe?

LOL

I think many people may be grateful for the lifetime supply of drink coasters AOL sent them in the 90s.

VINMAN 09-27-2010 11:09 AM

What was the other short lived internet service beside Compuserve? I cant remember the name.:confused:

MysticLlama 09-27-2010 11:28 AM

Prodigy.

I think it was around for a long time before AOL got big, but it was more of a super BBS + some Internet than real Internet access from what I recall.

KevinP73 09-27-2010 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VINMAN (Post 5583796)
What was the other short lived internet service beside Compuserve? I cant remember the name.:confused:

Prodigy


SBC released a re-written version of Prodigy complete with icons a few years back. I don't think that succeded either.

VINMAN 09-27-2010 11:42 AM

Yep that was it. Thanks

KevinP73 09-27-2010 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by techweenie (Post 5583731)
LOL

I think many people may be grateful for the lifetime supply of drink coasters AOL sent them in the 90s.

the 1.44 discs got annoying after a while. Once they went to cd's peoples creativity skyrocketed. Those shiney discs imbedded in macrome really got my attention !:eek:

osidak 09-27-2010 12:11 PM

You also had Delphi

Porsche-O-Phile 09-27-2010 12:25 PM

That was also back in the days when you could still buy and sell firearms and other gun-related stuff on FeeBay. Ahh, the good old days...

GH85Carrera 09-27-2010 12:49 PM

Yea, I bought a pair of jeans via Compuserve at 300 baud in 1983. It took a long time to do anything at 300 baud. They charged by the minute and everything was a text menu. No graphics at all. You could read as fast as it downloaded.

Eric Coffey 09-27-2010 05:52 PM

LOLZ. Everyone knows all the cool kids are on Mindspring & Earthlink now. :D

techweenie 09-27-2010 06:28 PM

Quote:

LOLZ. Everyone knows all the cool kids are on Mindspring &amp; Earthlink now. <img src="http://forums.pelicanparts.com/ultimate/biggrin.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Big Grin" class="inlineimg">
Remember in the early days of Earthlink when the company was fully staffed by Scientologists? Everything you told tech support turned out to be totally your fault. I never used 'em, but had friends who lost a ton of money trying to have Earthlink manage their company sites.

Aurel 09-27-2010 06:59 PM

My wifes does. She had AOL before we got married, and she stills wastes $30 of our money on that antiquated, stupid e-mail system every month. I told her many times that we can have up to 5 free email adresses with verizon, that $30/month is $360/yr that she could use towards buying an i-pad...no succes so far. The reason is, they make it difficult to cancel, difficult to transfer address books. The only way this is gonna happen is if I do it for her. We have been married 7 years, 7*360 = $2520 !!!!

KevinP73 10-01-2010 11:39 AM

Speaking of clever use of AOL discs.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1285961897.jpg

techweenie 10-01-2010 12:05 PM

Unsee! Unsee!

UconnTim97 10-01-2010 12:53 PM

Dammit, now I am going to have to find a rusty antique can opener to gouge my eyes out with. Thanks.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 06:59 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2025 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Pelican Parts Website


DTO Garage Plus vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.