Posted on 09/12/2004 6:12:31 AM PDT by OkieDokieSmokie
Simple: drop AOL. Parental control software is inexpensive, or even free. Go to tucows.com or a similar site and you'll probably find a bunch of free downloads.
Yes, call them up and cancel your membership.
Cancel AOL, it sucks on a bunch of levels.
Why anyone uses AOL in the first place is beyond me.
No. Even if you call and cancel it's likely they'll keep billing you for months and months and months.
Yeah, I agree it's time to trash AOL. I would really like them to know why as I go, though. I know if I call, I'm going to get some teenager who could care less why I'm cancelling and will simply snap her gum and answer "ah huh" until she offers me 90 free days. I guess I can't expect them to care, but I'm just SICK of their constant headlines on their news page blatantly supporting Kerry and trashing President Bush.
Good luck on that.
Once AOL has your credit card number, they continue to charge it no matter what.
Yes to all of the above.
If you are concerned about the switchover from AOL to an ISP find a friend that already has an ISP and have them help you.
AOL is the biggest waste. It is meant for people that are afraid of computers. They market it that way. Yet it is not any easier to use than an ISP and a good browser.
Cable internet or phone-line DSL is great, but if you'd
rather have dialup, there are alternatives, some of which are only $9.95/mo. or so. Peoplepc, NetZero, and Juno
come to mind. In the case of the latter 2, you can pay
$5 more a month and get faster downloads (at the expense
of picture quality--though you can click on the picture
and make it clearer). When I left AOL it was $23.90 a month.
Get rid of AOL, but tell them why.
You won't miss it, and you'll most likely save a little money too.
Good luck trying to connect with a human!
IMO, just go to the polls and vote for W, and take some friends to do the same...it's an election season, and you will see plenty more. I read yesterday, that sKerry and the Dims have taken in $100 million more than Pres. Bush and the GOP.
The Dims have the press on their side. We have the truth!
Disconnect AOL and get a cable or dsl connection.
Make a folder in your favorite places and tell son that only the site that are in the folder are ones that he can go to. The first time he goes to new site that he must call you to check it first and then can put it into his folder.
Check on the available parent control freeware/shareware out there also. I prefer to closely monitor my son's internet usage (he's 8) but yours may be older.
Good luck - I enjoy my internet much more since I have left AOL and went to cable.
Well, I have cable service and use Mozilla to surf, I just keep AOL for my son. We also use it so the kids can instant message their dad when he's TDY. It took me ten years to get him to understand how to do that! I guess we just got comfortable, but I agree...time to let them go. I guess I just sort of want to give 'em the finger on the way out..lol
I think posting this thread is a good start in your being effective.
Once you leave AOL you won't miss it. Dump it.
Shattered, I never thought about that. Mozilla has awesome built-in pop-up blocking so I don't really worry about him stumbling across inappropriate pop-ups. It's more about stumbling across an entire website that isn't child friendly. I'll try making a folder for him in Mozilla. I'll have to look into the other parental controls, too...because he can currently get filtered email and IMs from his grandparents, cousins, etc. I'll have to set that up for him somehow.
Dump AOL. Simple as that. Find a local "mom and pop" type ISP and give them your business. Just my opinion.
Find a new ans reliable ISP.
AOL was AOLTime Warner until the AOL was dropped from the company name in disgrace.
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