In a message dated 2/3/01 11:51:31 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Maybe a dumb question, and WAY off topic, but I can't see a reason to use
AOL, but I knwo there are many on the list who do.
What do they offer?
Thanks
Bill >>
Bill, some of us started out with AOL way back when.
AOL is *not* for the technically minded "power" user, nor is it for the
"stupid" or computer illiterate.
A person *does not* need to go out on the Net for anything, in that AOL is a
self contained (gated?) community. Internet Explorer is linked to AOL, but
AOL has its own weather, news, horoscopes, chat rooms and bulletin boards out
the yang, Hollywood stuff, music stuff, computer software downloads to
include DOS and Windows games (most of it free or shareware), Kid's only
(children's web access is very tightly controlled (by the master list name),
Web Pages, (ready made or do it yourself), "buddy" mail, CBS news, Instant
messaging (source of controversy in that AOL simply wants to "own" its own
invention (an intellectual property rights thing):
last but not least, AOL literally ties millions of families together: my
five daughters, my Brothers and Sister, Mom and Dad, nephews-neices-perhaps
300 people in 14 countries and 21 states.
*To write my Mom, I type her screen name, no @, no .com, just her screen
name: hit enter and it goes direct, and because it *does not* go out on the
Net, we can communicate in *real* time.
Then there's AOL Long Distance @ 5 cents a minute, (Mom won't use Internet
telephony), AOL Travel and a host of features I have no use for. AOL offers
rebates and computer related equipment at prices non-AOLers will *never**
ever see.
*I recently (November) bought a premium digital photo editing software
package for $49.00, about $150 less than I've ever seen it offered anyplace
else.
*I do not know about other ISPs, but AOL does keep my extended family in
touch. What that's worth I do not know, but my AOL "Buddy List" is priceless.
Of course I think it's "power user snobbery" to think of *any* community of
24 million+ people as being somehow less intellectually adept. AOLers
certainly are not computer "gageteers" or "digiheads", as some young computer
users refer to themselves. There are millions of us who simply don't have or
take the time or inclination to do "power user" things, things that are on
their face, frivolous, "overclocking" being one.
Mafud
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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