[RightOnline]

Why anyone would use AOL these days is simply beyond me.

[DB]

I agree. $24 a month for slow dialup telephone service is nuts. Then add to that the huge amount of wasted bandwidth/time downloading the endless AOL ads...

[Cincinatus]

My 80-year old mother uses it -- she knows nothing about computers and doesn't really want to know more than necessary to read e-mail from her children and grandchildren.

AOL seems silly to experienced users, but there is still a market out there for an elementary, "user-friendly" internet operating shell.

[mombonn]

Why anyone would use AOL these days is simply beyond me.

I'm still on it at work - we are making a change very soon.

It can't happen soon enough!

[SixFive175]

I agree. However, I subscribe to AOL.

I have a cable modem, so I subscribe at the cheaper "bring your own provider" rate of $14.95/month. So AOL, to me, is like some paid web site. It's far more useful than any porno site, which also costs about that much.

I mainly use AOL for chat rooms (sometimes), and for things like recipes. I don't use AOL all that often, actually: but it's worth the $14.95/month just to have access.

I also subscribe to AccuWeater Pro, which is about $100/year. I'm a weather nut, though.

However, I have always felt sorry for those who have had AOL as their only provider. Having AOL and a 56K modem is like a Black & White portable TV; whereas I have a Plasma Screen by comparison (cable modem; Internet; new state-of-the-art computer; 21" screen; etc.).

In short: AOL, as a paid web site, isn't bad. But if it was all I had, I'd be better off just going to the public library.

[grumple]

Reasons I left AOL

Spam Mail
Advertising
Liberal News Slant
Memmory Hog
Spam Mail
Unsolicited Instant Messages
Took over my computer
Spam mail
Frequent computer lock ups, easily 70% of reasons for crashing
21.95 a month? Come on...
The gay looking interface...way too many pastels

AOL should have paid me 21.95 for the 15 minutes it took the frickin customer service lady to cancel my account which I eventually had to shout at her to do so after telling her to "cancel my account" about 8 times...she just would not listen...

oh...and did I mention spam mail?

[Publius6961]

Why anyone would use AOL these days is simply beyond me.

Still over 24 million, no?
And Bill Clinton was elected twice.

Some things are simply beyond comprehension.

[Fresh Wind]

Virtually every time I've had problems with email delivery, it has been to an AOL user.

If you spend any time on eBay, you will notice that almost every time you fail to see pictures (i.e. the dreaded "red X"), and check the URL, you will find the picture has been hosted on an AOL account.

Poor service and high prices. "Welcome! You've been screwed!"

[AunteBee]

I finally use AOL despite the fact that years ago I considered AOL users less than well mannered - hence the moniker used by millions ("assholes-on-line").

I don't receive unwanted e-mail or spam - never have.

I am not bothered by pop-ups, annoying IM's, etc.

I don't find my connection less than stable (I do use a cable modem to connect however).

I've never had a problem dropping or adding my account - customer service has been quite good actually. And I have dropped it over the years and re-activiated it for a variety of reasons.

Why don't these things happen to me? I bothered to set up my account via their preferences panel that shuts all that stuff down. I actually TOOK THE TIME to find out about HOW their software worked and applied that knowledge. Which took all of about 10 minutes. AOL's software is really designed for the user without a clue.

What AOL has done a good job of - despite themselves - is bring millions online and feeling comfortable about using the medium. Early on that was a horrible thing - particularly for those of us who were used to using email for civilized research related purposes (very tongue in cheek here folks). But through "virtual osmosis" now millions of completely non-technical, non-computer oriented people are using the medium.

To do things such as posting on FR, e-mailing their sons, daughters, neices, nephews, grandchildren and in some cases great-grandchildren.

Knocking AOL for the politics is like knocking ANY company for the politics its founders, senior management or employee corps keeps. It's just not correct, nor is it accurate - unless that "company" is a politically motivated organization by charter. (Responding to the thread here RightOnline, not your comments specifically.)

AOL is a "media" medium. Which means there will be an editorial spin to it - no matter what. So if you don't like it, change the channel - don't complain about the fact that the channel exists. Thanks to AOL and the idea of free market competition now there are MANY other service providers of AOL's ilk to choose from that may better suit your user & content preference desires.

AOL - it's another item on the menu - nothing more nothing less. If you don't like fish, order the beef.

[Velveeta]

We still use it for the "parental controls" that we can set up to try to keep the kids protected. If you know of any other program with parental controls, I'd love to know, cause I'd rather discontinue having to use AOL.