Why Aol Sux
America Online is the largest Internet provider in the world, but it didn't become one without a fight. Originally a closed-in, proprietary online service, it was pried open by the public's fascination with the global network. For all of the company's past glory, it is now little more than a big communications company.
America Online wants to be more than a communications company, though -- it wants to be an entertainment network, like "the MTV of the Internet." And that is where its problems set in. AOL, in a desperate bid to get subscribers in order to make itself more attractive to advertisers, went to a flat-rate plan this year, making AOL competitive on price but disastrously poor in ...
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dialing into AOL. In addition, if you do connect, you are condemned to use badly written AOL software to read and send email and to browse the Web. For a service that is still more expensive t han its competition, is the sacrifice worth it?
Censorship on AOL
The Internet is a place of free speech, where one can discuss any topic without fear of censorship or retalliation. This is not the case on AOL. Staff known as "Guides" regularly patrol the service, looking for members violating the Terms of Service, making use of AOL internal policy including its list of ninety banned words. These roving censors have the power to take disciplinary action against violators of AOL's rules, including the cancellation of members' accounts.
AOL's Legal Threats
When America Online's Webmaster, Jason Mitchell, found out about this web site, he was not pleased. In fact, he wanted it shut down. So, he sent an email message threatening litigation to both this site's author and his Internet ...
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Why Aol Sux. (2007, December 9). Retrieved May 17, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Why-Aol-Sux/75549
"Why Aol Sux." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 9 Dec. 2007. Web. 17 May. 2025. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Why-Aol-Sux/75549>
"Why Aol Sux." Essayworld.com. December 9, 2007. Accessed May 17, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Why-Aol-Sux/75549.
"Why Aol Sux." Essayworld.com. December 9, 2007. Accessed May 17, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Why-Aol-Sux/75549.
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