[Ti] AOL only does HTML

[PaulaTx1 at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/9/2003 9:11:09 AM Eastern Daylight Time, wakinyan at fuse.net writes:

> 
> I don't see this thread as bashing, but rather legitimate issues with 
> proprietary software; you are obviously a long time, power user of 
> AOL (and you have a loyalty bias to AOL that has been expressed often 
> on this list). The main issue is that there is not a simple way for 
> average users to access the features you discuss, which can cause 
> frustration and certainly causes problems for web developers and ISPs.
> 
> This is not bashing; note the number of sites that have "AOL users 
> click here" buttons, as well as my previous post about mailing list 
> problems.  When a company, especially one the size of AOL, because of 
> their proprietary software, causes hundreds of thousands of gainfully 
> employed developers and ISPs extra time and frustration to do their 
> job, the will (deservedly) be disliked by those folks. When we say 
> AOL sucks, it is based on experience.  AOL's proprietary software was 
> necessary in their early days, but they have had 10 years to migrate 
> their app to "the rest of the world".  They have chosen not to; don't 
> expect us in the development world to respect that.
> 
> The users who have been contributing to this thread are definitely 
> not "newbies" and most could be considered "sophisticated 
> users".
   Is loyalty bias a sin? Explain how my loyalty to AOL is a sin  but my loyalty to Macinstosh is a virtue. I use AOL for the same reason I use Macs...I get the most computing power for my needs   for my time and money.  And, no, I do not "often" post to this list about AOL because it tends to generate lots of AOL bashing emails, often rude,  directly privately to my mail box that I really dont' care to read.  I generally only bother to post when misinformation is not corrected. 
    On point,  there IS "a simple way" to access the features I use.  It takes less than 10 seconds to hit the web based mail area.  Using the Keyword feature  or the Go To feature on AOL is not rocket science.    The people who don't realize the web base email feature exists  are not being helped if people on this list  just say   you can't do that on AOL.  You CAN do that on AOL.  You can save mail, you can read old mail, you can attach attachments.   
     Just like the user who couldn't figure out how to cancel AOL.  Could have been done in less than 72 hours if he had the information.  Apparently it didn't occur to him to ask for help.
      It isn't AOL's job to make website devolopers jobs easy.    As far as I'm concerned, it's AOL's job to make sure I can get online anywhere in the world, not be dropped, not be bumped offline, not hit a busy signal, not be barraged by spam, not have the mail server go down, not be hit with popup windows.  I need it to dependably send files without garbling them. As long as I have electricity (and there are times and places that I don't) AOL has been able to get me to the internet.  Since 1988, there were less than 36 hours that AOL was offline.  (Big icestorm took them out; they now have massive alternative power backups installed.)   AOL works for me.  Apple works for me.
   And I dont' think AOL' propietary software causes anymore problems for people  than Microsoft's MSN proprietary software causes. 
    I admire a company that's been around this long.  I also remember that   in the beginning   AOL  was Macinstosh based  before it was DOS based.  That company was founded on a good idea.  A lot like the Apple company. [It's just that their people weren't as colorful as Apple's.]  It is sort of like  "dance with the one that brought you to the dance".  I guess you could always trade in an old, dependable wife  for a cuter, younger model.   I'm staying with the companies that got me here  and continue to be the best for my needs.  I don't proselytize or try to convert people to AOL.  (I do for Apple though.)  
                      Paula Rutledge