Just Die AOL! F*CKING DIE!

[Deathscythealpha]

Oh i know it was only about 2 months ago that we had a rant about AOL (was it Ness who started it?) but my hatred for this evil ISP has been renewed in the last couple of weeks since i got home from Uni.

Why does this ISP always have trouble connecting? Why does it have to attempt to take over everything? Why does it always crash? Why has it decided to hate my MSN? Why the fuck does it hate my Internt Explorer?!

Since ive had the software installed on my new PC i have had five crashes while using. I hadnt had a single crash on this system while at University and didnt have the software installed.

My Dad and my Sister share these same problems on their PC's, and ive got friends who also share the joys of AOL (Kizaragu, im sorry for suggesting you get this ISP when you were looking for a cheap one the other year). I really wonder if AOL know about the reputation cause if they did it must be a big dent in the companies moral.

Ive heard that people in the US actually have a good time with the ISP, are they screwing somehting up when the bring the software to the UK?

Ergh, i give up. Im trying my hardest to get my Dad to drop AOL and get a new ISP (its working, he just needs one final push) and i should be done with it forever. Everyone feel free to say how much they hate this piece of software but no flame baiting or flaming users who may like it.

[Nai_Calus]

When we tried to switch ISPs from AOL to MSN, we couldn't get it to work. We took Calus into Best Buy, they looked at it, found that it was remnants of AOL from when we uninstalled it that were fucking things up, and decided that the fastest, easiest way to fix it was to simply reinstall everything from scratch. No more problems. >_>;

AOL sucks RAM like a whore, doesn't play nicely with ANYTHING(Except, oddly, BB, ask wazzy), crashes constantly, crawls horribly and DCs all the time.

MSN wasn't much better, granted, but at least you can get around it's software.

We have cable now. It's niiiice. >_>

[HUnewearl_Meira]

I think your biggest problem, DeathScythe, is that you're trying to use a Web Service as an Internet Service Provider. AOL merely gives you access to their internal network, and tosses access to the World Wide Web in as an added bonus. It's quite good for what it is, but you're using it with the purpose of an ISP, and that's a recipe for frustration. That's like buying paper towels when you need toilet paper. It might get the job done, but that's just not what it's intended for.

[Deathscythealpha]

Hmm, you might be right miera. I was always under the impression that AOL was an actual ISP. Learn somethign new each day.

Still going to drop the program though, to many bad memories.

[InfernoNR7]

I thought it was an ISP too.

Nonwithstanding, I have tried to use AOL at friend's houses, so I don't have much experiance with it. But from what I have used, I HATE, it functiones so horribly it ain't even funny. It's SO HARD to multitask, or to even just use the thing. Gah.

My favorite thing about AOL is the free frisbees it gives out.

*someone wispers from beside*

Oh, I just found out those are install discs, whoever knew?

[DruidMettool]

AOL still hasn't gone out of buisness yet? They charge over 30 bucks a month for Dial-Up... BAD Dial-Up... And anyone who thinks AOL is still worth using should be shot.

I've been collecting AOL discs that I get in the mail. I'm up to 16 or 17 now. A perfectly good waste of CDs...



Oh, I just found out those are install discs, whoever knew?


Still wrong. You forgot the MASSIVE amount of spyware that you get on the discs! But AOL just says that's a "benefit" http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_disapprove.gif

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: DruidMettool on 2004-07-08 18:32 ]</font>

[InfernoNR7]

On 2004-07-08 18:28, DruidMettool wrote:
AOL still hasn't gone out of buisness yet? They charge over 30 bucks a month for Dial-Up... BAD Dial-Up... And anyone who thinks AOL is still worth using should be shot.

I've been collecting AOL discs that I get in the mail. I'm up to 16 or 17 now. A perfectly good waste of CDs...



Oh, I just found out those are install discs, whoever knew?


Still wrong. You forgot the MASSIVE amount of spyware that you get on the discs! But AOL just says that's a "benefit" http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_disapprove.gif

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: DruidMettool on 2004-07-08 18:32 ]</font>

Oh, they have spyware too? Well that's the whole kit-and-kaboodle. You get everything for $30 bucks a month. Wow, I think I want this service. And have you heard about how easy it is to use? Oh wow! You can click a button to get three popups to a place with more buttons to click with more places to type, just so you can find the search engine! This is an awesome service.
I love frisbees (oops, discs), every time I'm in Blockbuster or Target, there's those free frisbees (crap, I did it again), and I always take one, or two.

[Aunt_Betty]

I get one in the mail and use it for outside. They shine.

[DruidMettool]

You wannak now what's hilarious? The zoo in my state has AOL discs hanging by strings as some sort of toy for the Bird exhibit

[InfernoNR7]

Heh, those crazy birdys.

They are good as decorative things, I should chop them up and make something cool and reflective from them.

[Firocket1690]

Let's see ...

on the 9.0 disc, aol gives: Winamp, ICQ, AIM, Gator(?), and Companion.

oh and as far as the frisbees go, I my door's a mirror. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[WraithVerge]

hey! Those free AOL disks are fackin awesome! I love those things. So many uses around the house (they do NOT touch my computer, however). They also make great clay pigeons. Shatter real good XD ...



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: WraithVerge on 2004-07-08 21:02 ]</font>

[InfernoNR7]

Ooo, that would be fun. Target practice. Shoot thru the hole from 100 ft. Or a 'pigeon, though they don't get too high.

[hucasts_rock]

Ugh, I know what you mean Deathscythe. I had AOL from version 3.0 to 9.0 OPTIMIZORED, then my dad got frustrated at AOL's low reliability, and now we have SBC Yahoo DSL, a MUCH better improvement, and it only costs about $28 a month.

There's something a LOT worse than AOL's connection speed: AOL's chat rooms...I recently downloaded a chat program that allows me to have my AOL buddy list back, because I have some PSO friends on AIM and wanted to chat with them once more. Well, just for kicks I go to the gaming chatroom and all I got to say is http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_disapprove.gif ...I haven't been in an AOL chat room in about a year before then and I was highly disappointed at the immaturity.

I went to more chat rooms about clean topics and I found the same horrible results...AOL is certainly a horrible ISP, connection-wise and chat-wise

[InfernoNR7]

I guess you're talking about all the cyber sex and child predators on there. It is sad.

[Kizaragu]

On 2004-07-08 15:44, Deathscythealpha wrote:
ive got friends who also share the joys of AOL (Kizaragu, im sorry for suggesting you get this ISP when you were looking for a cheap one the other year)

http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_lol.gif That's ok dude.
It wasn't my decision in the end anyway, my parents thought it was the best option. Oh how wrong they were...
When I eventually get my own PC, Aol is going nowhere near it. (>.<)

[The_Pea_Guy]

If you are still looking for a good ISP that is UK based you could try and subscribe with blueyonder (http://www.blueyonder.co.uk), deathscythe. My family has been using this ISP for a few years now, and we've got no complaints with their service.

Check out the link I provided for you if you are interested in finding a new ISP. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[hucasts_rock]

On 2004-07-08 22:48, InfernoNR7 wrote:
I guess you're talking about all the cyber sex and child predators on there. It is sad.


Also all the "PRESS 55 IF UR A HOT GUY AND WANNA CHAT!11111" ...and links to innapropriate sites...and that's what about 8 people do at once every...single...second...Well, there's one feature I like about AOL chatrooms: The IGNORE feature. That way, you can just block out the annoying people and go to chat about the topic you went there to chat about in the first place.

[HUnewearl_Meira]

On 2004-07-08 18:28, DruidMettool wrote:
AOL still hasn't gone out of buisness yet? They charge over 30 bucks a month for Dial-Up... BAD Dial-Up... And anyone who thinks AOL is still worth using should be shot.


They charge $22.95 a month for dial-up access to their service, or $15 a month for online access (Bring Your Own Internet Access) to their service. It's not technically dial-up Internet Access because you can't simply dial-up. You run their software, and the software dials out to one of their connection numbers. The reason it's unreliable is because it's a popular service, and it's difficult to keep up enough access numbers to allow everyone access at once. It's rather stable at 2 in the morning, though. o_O

Again, AOL is a good service for what it is. What it is not is an ISP. As I stated before, paying for AOL because you want an ISP is like buying a fresh roll of Bounty paper towels because you need toilet paper. It'll do the job, but it's not what you're looking for.

[Rich_T]

AOL are one of the lowest rated ISPs on http://www.adslguide.org.uk go there and finds something better.
As for those CDs they send out, theres an international project to gather up as many AOL CDs and once 1million have been collected they will be delivered to AOLs international HQ http://www.nomoreaolcds.com/

[Murdercall]

From TV adverts AOL gives of big impression that it is an isp :/ which misleads many families into getting it...

[HUnewearl_Meira]

On 2004-07-09 12:02, Murdercall wrote:
From TV adverts AOL gives of big impression that it is an isp :/ which misleads many families into getting it...



Well... Most of their customers wouldn't be able to tell the difference, anyway. The thing to really observe is that AOL doesn't actually supply you with your own IP address. I'm not exactly sure how their protocol works, but it's not a normal IP. Instead, it's some sort of weird hidden address dealio. Any actual ISP will assign an IP address to your computer when you connect. My Comcast connection at home, for example, gives me access to 2 IP addresses, or I can buy more if I feel it is necessary. If I were to dial-up on AOL, however, I'd end up with a bizarre internal AOL address, with a fake IP (I believe the IP that AOL reports is the IP of the local router, with some sort of funky appendage to it; it's been a while since I've seen it) that gets reported when I access a webpage server.

Furthermore, you don't have access to a full array of external ports on AOL, so certain services won't work at all-- generally because of the fake IP address. You can identify what's apparently your IP address using the normal methods, but attempting to access that IP address will prove impossible for some programs. The Mango and I discovered this when we tried to put together a program that allowed for classic RPG-style PvP combat. Simply put, there was nothing wrong with the code, but our computers couldn't connect our ports because the IPs we were using were fake.

But again, most people wouldn't notice stuff like that, because they only access the internet to check news and stuff like that. AOL can therefore advertise that they allow you to access the internet, without technically being an ISP, because it does allow you to access the web.

[Armok]

AOL simply put is the enemy of most ppl of the rants section of pso. Hve you ever seen a computer after the free trial has been 'Uninstalled'. It runs as fast as a 3 legged horse

[soccerdudegy]

A long time ago me and about sixteen other people in a gaming chatroom actually over-threw the "other" people in there, for lack of a better word. i don't even remember what we did, but somehow just annoyed the crap out of them. I just typed made up words, and everyone else in our group of sixteen made up a dumb story, and I guess we annoyed them enough because they left, and we actually just got to sit back and have a nice gaming chat. for two seconds. then aol's chat server crashed.

[Kadavreski]

haha...some fools think its good...aol gets such a bad rep and all they say is "its good"

[HUnewearl_Meira]

On 2004-07-09 13:30, mechgun_mike wrote:
haha...some fools think its good...aol gets such a bad rep and all they say is "its good"



I spent several years rather enjoying the service, and I don't regret a second of it. Again, you have to take it for what it is, not what you might've expected it to be. For what it is, it's quite a nice premium service.

And I don't care what other sources you have, there is no better way to acquire pirated software, than by exploiting a combination of AOL's features. Plus, I've yet to come across another e-mail service that is more convenient than AOL's.

[Kadavreski]

1:we're not allowed to talk about illegal activitys on the net

2:i bet you enjoyed it.

[Nazo]

God... AOL...

I remember using AOL for 90 days as a free trial, and then it didn't work. We had to call up the AOL folks just to wait around 30 minutes before the guy finally got to us and said,


"Sorry sir, I'm not sure."

And then hung up on us. Those bastards.

[Kadavreski]

Ass-of-licking

is what AOL stands for...its so crap, i hate it,

the uninstallation takes takes 4-5 hours!!! WTF!!!
WTF???

now, ntlworld, theres a service.

[BerserkerKutu]

Just GOT to say, I use AOL and I have no problems with it, heck, I couldn't improve it.
Works just great with me, I can even get onto Online mode on PSO.
Maybe it just hates you lot, but loves me! =P

[Arislan]

I know you're relatively new and all, but please, read the forum rules. This topic was quite happy being dead, and was snatched from its grave by a bump. Please don't bump old topics, usually around 2 weeks is the max in any given forum.

[Blue-Hawk]

I know what it's like with AOL. I once had it from 6-99 to 5-01. Had to reformat my old pc 5 or 6 times because of it.... Not to mention, I think it screwed up my modem on the old pc. Thank GOD I told Dell to keep it off my new pc. http://www.pso-world.com/psoworld/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif