AOL's Calling Card...
 

was left on a friend's computer yesterday.
She couldn't access her AOL email acct., called an AOL toll #, got the hard sell from some foreigner.
At first it was $199 to remove the bug...then after a 1/2 hr. it dropped to $99.
I showed up & called Data Dr.s & they told the story.
It seems that only a handful of guys are running AOL anymore & they're just collecting $$ from poor saps like my friend.
DDr. guy said that AOL intentionally compromises your acct. then wants $$ to "fix" it.
He says it's legal. Immoral, but legal.
He also told my friend that she has been paying AOL $15/mo. for 8 yrs. for nothing.
Some world, eh?

Wow, I didn't know AOL was around at all anymore.

I have a few customers that use an AOL.com address. I shake my head when I see that.

When I dumped AOL about 15 years ago, I found it incredibly hard to download and transfer my email addresses. Like they really didn't want to allow it.

This.

Many years ago, I had trouble trying to drop AOL, they just kept billing my credit card every month...

I finally called them and told them I was going to the war in the Gulf (total lie), wanted to cancel my account, would not pay their bills any longer, and they couldn't sue while I was on active duty in a war zone...........It worked, I never heard from them again.......

I tried AOL for a month back when I first came online.
Nice home page - beautiful colors, maroon, dark green, grey, etc.
One night I signed off/closed down but a box showed up saying they were downloading some important data. I tried to click off but no go...it took control of my computer.
.
Next day I quit the trial service.
For 3-4 yrs. I was cleaning their hidden crap out of my files/registry.

What do you guys recommend? I have my AOL account from or ever ago...haven't changed because I don't use it very much and a lot of my web based stuff (like Hertz, United, etc.) has that email.

I don't mind changing to something more secure.

Wow! that's a really good scam! - Like a dishonest mechanic who purposely creates a new problem so the customer will come back for more work..................

I have had AOL since it was new. It seems to work vey well and costs nothing. My anti-virus program seems to keep it virus free. Why would a person go to the trouble of changing?

One of my son's first jobs out of college was a contractor into Microsoft on their Windows 98 help desk. He told me that 9 out of 10 calls were fixing things AOL had broken.

They have a huge campus here in NoVa. Theres actually a Ferrari dealer right around the corner...I dont think its coincidence. I've heard similar, they are just a mere shell of their former self....trying to invent with on demand news. Whatever people are searching for, they start writing news articles. I'm not sure what goes on in the campus now or if they have subtenants, etc. Evrything changes I guess.

I had a Compuserve email account back in the early 1980s. I still have the 5.25 inch install disk. I think it was 1982. I actually bought a pair of jeans on line back then. I quickly dropped that when I got my first bill. At 300 baud everything is SLOW, and they charged by the minute. I tried AOL several times when the stupid free floppy and CD would show up. When I finally got on line with a unlimited 9600 baud modem I thought I had a fast connection. It was Flash.com that I used for years.

I miss dial-up like a toothache.

I really do not know why in this day and age that the average Joe would use a software based application just to access the 'ol interweb. There are so many good free browsers like Firefox.

The biggest advantage to using aol for me is that it is so portable. No matter what computer I use, my favorites and email is there. I move every couple of years and change cable/Internet access providers but my email address does not change and I do not miss any mail en route. I have had the same email address since the early 90's which has been very helpful.

You don't have to install their software unless you choose and can just log onto their site.

I've never had any problems with my aol account. I've got work emails that are not AOL that I keep separate from my personal and PCA stuff. What does Gmail and Yahoo do that would be considered an improvement over AOL? I already have a Gmail account, but don't see a difference.

oh, I should add, AOL doesn't bill me or have my credit card.

I remember most people used either AOL or netscape back in the dial up days. I understood it was hard to terminate your AOL service and alot of subscribers would have to scream over the phone "cancel my account" over and over. The only subscribers left are mainly older people who are not computer literate or live in the sticks and need dial up. I think they had or have an option when leaving of keeping your email account?

I still have several AOL accounts (7 I think). I seldom use them. AOL was great when they kept their message boards up, but after that, it was just email. I use Gmail now. It keeps my calenders synched to my phone, work computer, and iPad. I like that.

Gmail has integration- contact books you can download to your phone, etc. etc.

ALso, I'd put Google's life expectancy well above AOL.