Re: AOL

[morgan @ engr . uky . edu (Wes Morgan)]

>Yes, indeed, let's
>be realistic:  the situation here is that AOL is unresponsive, and ducking the
>issue by playing the "it must be someone else's job" game doesn't cut it.

I'm not arguing that AOL is lickety-split in answering queries.
Since neither of us knows the division of responsibilities at
AOL, it seemed quite likely that different problems are routed
to different people.  Let's address that issue without flaming
the one person from AOL who has taken the time to join online
forums and listen to (and respond to) our feedback.

Perhaps David can give us a bit more information on the process
AOL uses.  I know that, in at least one case, complaints are
referred to the Terms of Service folks - not David.  Perhaps
a 'quick response' bug should be put in their ear.

>This gentleman from AOL who is on this list may be quite a competent person, 
>but if he's forwarding e-mail concerning users to someone else and that e-mail 
>doesn't get answered, then AOL is still unresponsive.

Agreed, but let's ascertain the cause without tossing all of AOL 
into the dungheap.

>That's the reality of allowing aol.com users to sign on my lists.

I don't have many aol.com subscribers, but I've not had much problem with
bounce messages; perhaps I've been lucky in that respect.

>> I've already seen improvement.  They're dealing with spammers, abusers and
>> Nasty Evil Users right and left;  I would understand if one of my complaints
>> fell through the cracks.
>
>How are they dealing with these?  I received a junk mail message about a diet
>program or some such from an AOL user the other that was intended for my
>mailing list.  

Hmm...I just saw AOL's announcement, in several Usenet groups, that (roughly)
a dozen users were nuked for email/Usenet abuse.  In that announcement, they
apologized for being unable to reach every complainant.  If memory serves, it
was this diet thing...it sounds as if you just didn't get the word.  (Interes-
tingly enough, AOL *immediately* started taking a PR beating for nuking the 
abusers...)

Keep in mind that they received, in all likelihood, hundreds of complaints
about that email/Usenet spam.  I'd like to get a personal reply to every-
thing I send them, but I see the reality of email floods as well...8)

>AOL is a for-profit business that needs to clean up its public relations act.

I agree; however, I also see great improvement from their original positions
and actions.  This sort of thing doesn't just happen overnight.  They could
just as easily tell us to go find a corner; I, for one, am glad that they've
begun participating in managerial forums like this...

--Wes