[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: "i have had aol for over 7 years. i have had the same screen name for that entire duration ... the spam i simply delete...no big deal it's a couple mouse clicks...much like some of the mindless drivel that shows up on this list. click click."
I was on AOL for three years and saw the spam problem expand faster than Enron bank accounts in the Cayman Islands over the past 24 months. When an address that I set up for my 3-year-old niece (just to reserve the name) starting getting ads for Viagra, penis enlargement, and porn sites, I decided the problem was out of hand. (The address had never even been used, to surf or mail.) Click, click. Yeah, you can hang up on telemarketers, too, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't get ticked at the people who gave them your phone number. AOL can't even control scammers who send you mail that pretends to come from AOL billing and asks you to fill in forms that request everything from your Social Security and credit card numbers to your mother's maiden name. Sure, you have to have an IQ of 59 to fill in the form, but AOL has more than its fair share. Arrogance On Lithium wouldn't even let me unsubscribe online, I had to call them and explain why I was leaving, much like someone trying to break up with a girlfriend. One who suddenly offers to put out more and demand less if you'll only stay. But when you say you've already found another provider, they tell you your service is suspended immediately, even though you've paid til the end of the month. "To maintain your account, you must call back (and wait interminably for a 'service representative') at least two business days before the end of the billing period." Failing that, fork over another month's fees. Like any bad relationship, the process of ending it often reveals the true nature of the beast. Proud Americans should demand that the Bush government bar AOL from using and tarnishing their name. Online or otherwise. In a final word of advice, I use a pseudonym address for this post simply because I've found that it's the best way to keep my working address off of spam lists. Much more efficient than 'click, click.' The clutter goes to one address, which, like an ad flyer, I rarely expect to contain anything important. Cheers [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Macintosh? Get free email and more at Applelinks! <http://www.applelinks.com>
