AOL is the devil:

Anti-Christ

Old Nick ... or Old Ned

Lucifer

Anyone who uses AOL is living in the dark ages. It's not only not needed, it's stupid. Who cares about there new version of GayOL. I will never use them again.

Not all computer users are comfortable with using multiple applications to achieve the desired results. If you think the program is stupid, don't use it. No one is trying to force anyone to use anything. Different people need different things in life to get the same or similar task archived.

This is the only response to an AOL bashing comment that I will make & I will not read another bashing comment regarding AOL. Not everything posted on the internet is the truth but someone's perception of the truth as they see it.

Just know that a lot of people see Bashing comments as stupid, bigoted & just down right mean. But mostly just stupid. That's all I have to say on the subject.

Most of the AOL features are available at AOL.com
and as a portal it's light years ahead of Yahoo,
MSN and Netscape. Up to 1995 it was a BBS and not an ISP but that's a minor complaint as Windows did not have a browser until 1995 but in my opinion it's hard to figure out who did more to destroy the internet.
For a company that's trying to s*** can dial-up and even BYOA it's amazing that they still have
12,000,000 paying at least $9.95 a month. It's a wonder that Bill Gates the financial wizard
didn't buy it when it was up for grabs instead of pouring billions into that financial disaster MSN.. but wait a minute he's the same guy when asked in the 90's about the internet replied that he didn't see anyway to make money
out of it.
PS.. if you know a subscriber and can borrow a login and password you can receive over 70 XM channels for free with an unlimitted amount of space for an inbox but those that use AOL.com
can still get 2 gig with as many acounts as
they want.

umm ok except google offers just about everything AOL does FOR FREE.

-2 gig email: yup
-unlimited accounts: done
-millions of videos: youtube anyone?

nice job on defending AOL by attacking windows. no, seriously. because i havent said a word about them so its a great point to make. think about this for a second: yes its true that Windows didnt come with a browser until 1995. but before that, microsoft didnt release a product that PRETENDED to give users internet access...which is EXACTLY what AOL did until that year.

-microsoft didnt have anything to give users internet access until 1995, so they didnt release an internet-related product. BUT when internet explorer was released, it did just that and did a good job of it.

AOL didnt have anything to give users internet access so they lied to their customers by telling their customers their product could do exactly that, and charged them for it. but when they finally offered full internet access to their customers they released the worst internet browser in the history of computing.

MSN may suck, but MS still had internet explorer to fall back on. just like AOL sucks but they still have "refusing to cancel accounts" to fall back on. no one here is claiming bill gates or his company is perfect. but this is a case of the lesser of two evils, and by comparison microsoft looks MUCH better.

AOL is free also. They do have plans which cost but that if for tech support and dial up access. I don't see why people have to bash one program or service. If you don't like something why even waste the time posting. You are not changing anyones opinion about using AOL and their software.

Helix took a step backwards from Open Ride, Access to way less aol content, chatrooms, no themes for the overall look, no keywords which open ride had,
design is way too simple.

It is still beta. Maybe they will add more content.

Yes, Taking a look back (back in the day so to speak) of AOL 2.0, people were new to the experience of being (online) even if is was limited. When AOL 3.0 for 95 came out the experience changed, because of being able to use IE and Netscape to do things & just use AOL for the connection & email. Then AOL 4.0 with a whole new look and feel about it. The versions didn't change much after at all till AOL 8.0 & that was a bit out of place from the normal AOL ecperiance with themes & such. AOL 9.0 it was like they reached the limit of what could be done with the software as an all in one. OpenRide for me was dissapointing and the 4 pane thing wasn't doing it for me. Helix on the other hand isn't a bad attempt for a new all in one suite. It needs work like all beta software, but has promise. AOL has always tried keeping dial up subscribers by offering them special price plans. No other service, for me at least, would do that for an amount that was agreeable. Needless to say when I got broadband I was blown away & When AOL offered the free use of the software and services, The comfort and ease of use of the email in the AOL 9.0 client was a keeper, plus letting me check to see if the AOL customer I emailed had opened the email I send them was neat. So With Helix I think if they work out all the bugs, won't be a bad option for some to use.

People who do not like AOL will say anything to get people not to try an AOL product. I've been an AOL customer for over 15 years & have had very little trouble with it. Using a cable internet connection just made it better. With a powerful internet security suite, my machine has been spyware and virus free. Don't let a person's hate of AOL products stop you from doing what you want to do. Hate is an all consuming evil.

youve been an AOL customer for 15 years? really? did you know that for the first 3 years you were an AOL customer, you werent actually using the internet?

"Ultimately the Net itself--which AOL subscribers were finally able to access in 1995-- made the service's shortcomings painfully obvious. Prior to that, though AOL offered plenty of its own online content, it walled off the greater Internet. Once people realized what content was available elsewhere on the Net, they started wondering why they were paying AOL."

source: http://www.pcworld.com/a...772-page,2/article.html

From what is being put forward in this comment area, Windows update could also be called spy ware. If you are not doing anything illegal, and have a powerful firewall or internet security program, why worry about it. All software has it's good and bad parts and points. People should not try to force others by ranting's about software. Live and learn things for yourself. Helix is quite interesting but you can have the same thing by using your web browser for surfing, Outlook or Thunderbird for email (AOL email can use any email client now)and AIM or the IM program of your choice. Helix is just an effort to get people that have always used the AOL program (because it's easy)for internet to take a step forward. It's all about personal preferences.

"If you are not doing anything illegal...why worry about it"

yeah, umm isnt that the same argument for renewing the patriot act? we should worry about it BECAUSE ITS AN INVASION OF PRIVACY.

and helix is in no way interesting. all AOL did was take AOL explorer, AIM 6.1, and put them both in front of a fullscreen window that automatically logs into AOL email. how is this any different from firefox with gmail notifier and Pidgin for instant messaging?

what i am doing is not ranting...i am merely trying to protect less knowledgeable computer users from being duped into using AOL software.

Answers to questions about Viewpoint media player can be found here : http://www.viewpoint.com...er/v4/html/vmp_faq.html

wikipedia says its malware:

Viewpoint is commonly installed with AIM without the explicit consent of the user because it is considered to be a required package.

VMP is sometimes considered to be spyware because the license agreement states that the software collects information about users' interactions with advertisements and the browser and operating system in use. This information is reported to Viewpoint's customers. Despite the fact that it is delivered with a unique identifying code, most people will consider this to be an infringement on their privacy.

The addition of their advertisments and collection of information will most often create a performance decrease on the user's computer. Though viewpoint can be partially removed through the Add/Remove programs dialog in Windows, many users have reported having to search for all folders with "Vewpoint" in the name to completely remove the program from their system.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/.../Viewpoint_Media_Player

...for AIM users, viewpoint is responsible for displaying ADVERTISEMENTS in that annoying little window at the top. nothing more.

Wrong, Viewpoint can not be removed from AIM or AOL if you want your Super Buddy expressions and stuff to work.

super buddy icons...arent they the ones you have to pay AOL to even use?

and according to the CREATOR of super buddy icons, they are only available in AOL 9.0, not AIM.

http://joecorrao.com/sb/Superbuddy.html

so to repeat myself, viewpoint is SPYWARE that does nothing but display ads...the best AOL could do to validate its installation was create the almost never used super buddy icons after the fact.

"super buddy icons...arent they the ones you have to pay AOL to even use?"

Wrong

"and according to the CREATOR of super buddy icons, they are only available in AOL 9.0, not AIM."

Also wrong, I have them on AIM now. When they first came out the version of AIM was not out that supported it, but that was quickly updated...years ago. I see no date on this web page post.

So why doesnt any spyware detection programs see Viewpoint as Spyware?

TomA102210 seems to think that theres some imaginary resurgence in AOL subscriptions...their policy of refusing to cancel subscriptions says otherwise:

http://consumerist.com/c...o-cancel-aol-180392.php
http://www.nytimes.com/2...tner=rssnyt&emc=rss
http://www.betanews.com/...ing_Accounts/1184196626

gotta love their customer service.

additionaly AOL was rated #1 of the 25 worst tech products of all time, in a PC world article that also highlights how AOL users were walled off the actual internet until 1995:

http://www.pcworld.com/a...772-page,2/article.html

dont believe that? then go to the AOL wikipedia page and scroll down to the "controversies" section:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AOL

AOL has lost the trust of consumers...this "we" is not shrinking, it is massive and growing. the average computer user will have to be tricked into using AOL, while more knowledgeable users avoid AOL products like the plague. AIM is the only reason AOL is still a mainstream company...and people are gradually switching to superior ad-free chat programs like GAIM (changed their name to pidgin because AOL threatened to sue the nonprofit open-source group), miranda IM, meebo, kopete, etc.

helix is not new...it still comes bundled with viewpoint SPYWARE, runs constantly in memory, and is slower than firefox, opera, netscape, and IE.

stay away from all AOL products.

"their policy of refusing to cancel subscriptions says otherwise"

This is NOT their policy. It is sad to hold a company responsible for the actions of some (former) employees. Heck, NASA is a bunch of drunks then :) I just hate how everyone bashes AOL simply because they are AOL.

You believe everything you read on Wikipedia, then I suppose you are a follower and believe most of what you read on the web.

Also talking about AOL's shrinking subscriber base.. of course it shrinking, they changed their marketing strategy and made AOL free, if people still signed up and paid for free service I would be shocked. Matter of fact according to the new Nielson ratings, AOL is #1 in page views.. http://www.washingtonpos...10/AR2007071001763.html

Lastly, Viewpoint is used for their artwork (buddyicons and toolbar) and is not spyware, someone else pointed that out as well... oh, and the browser in Helix.. Internet Explorer, so I doubt its slower :)

unlike you, i actually took the time to test Helix...which was slower than firefox, IE, and opera in both resource usage and page loading/rendering.

as for wikipedia, perhaps you missed the article that pointed out wikipedia being only 1% less accurate than encyclopedia britannica...which i guess isnt fair considering it was written 2 years ago :)

your point about AOL being #1 in page views is convincing. too bad i actually have experience with using AOL and know that it forces every single user to have the AOL homepage open ALL THE TIME, no matter what you try to do to close it. i guess if you never let your consumers leave your website, it would eventually be #1 in most viewed.

as for the AOL employees, considering the sheer volume of customers who tried to cancel their accounts and were refused, id say this is more of a company policy than an isolated incident.

finally, viewpoint SPYWARE and its crappy toolbar are not useful in any way...all AOL did was rush to create those super buddy smileys after the fact to validate keeping it in their products. it displays IE popups, shows annoying ads in AIM, slows down your computer, and reports internet activity to viewpoint and AOL. please refer to my above posts if this is not enough information.

we bash AOL because they have a history of terrible software and shady policies. and to say their subscriber base is shrinking BECAUSE they made their product free is ridiculous...if anything that would attract more people. but unfortuntely for AOL more and more people are realizing just how bad AOL software is. THATS why their consumer base is shrinking. thank you and goodnight.

I have used AOL for 12 years. I have used Helix since the day it came out. Yes it uses more resources then other browsers, of course its NOT a brower, its a mail client, IM client Browser in one.

The Welcome screen in previous clients is not a web page so no credit for page views there :)

Its not a Company policy, what company could ever have a policy like that? Honestly. The whistle would be blown all over the place. I have also canceled many accounts (but always have maintained at least one) and have never had an issue.

Viewpoint is installed for art handling, its not installing the viewpoint toolbar or any spyware. Run Adaware and such to see.

Subscribers that are reported are not the free users, Subscribers are paid customers, that is why they are shrinking.

Has AOL had some bad software, YES and like you point out, its in its history. I give all software a break and try it out without TRYING to make conclusions beforehand. I like Helix, I think its going in the right direction and look forward to Beta 2.

cennis says:

When will AOL realize that we hate them and go die in a fire?
-----------------------------------------
Never, I hope. Fortunately there are fewer and fewer of those you refer to as "we".

When will AOL realize that we hate them and go die in a fire?

Word.

It loads fast, but still needs some work. I've already sent in submissions that email should allow as a tab and not a window inside of helix. Also to incorperate AMP into next release. If you minimize the search bar it shows additional buttons. To me this seems alot like the MSN Explorer & OpenRide married. Perhaps other customizations would allow theme choices like in AOL Explorer.

BIL says:
After having received a number of unsolicted cellphone messages from someone using "AOL with extras", I wish AOL would just go away and die. I don't use AOL but my phone is capable of utilizing many AOL features. They apparently randomly call numbers and leave text messages.
------------------------------------
From what you say it sounds like your assumption is that the unsolcited cellphone messages might come from someone at AOL. Nothing could be further from the truth. AOL does not share files supporting the activities you cite in your post, nor are they abusing anyone. Put what you have about these activities and the "illegal file program sharing" on the table right here on this forum, take what you see as appropriate action or drop your useless and false accusations altogether. I don't think you will though because you don't have a leg to stand on.

Actually I did take the appropriate actions. I reported the file sharing to AOL itself. When I continued to speak out to AOL about this and mentioned that I would be happy to share the information with the authorities AOL cancelled my account and buried the issue. They refused to give me access to any documents regarding the issue without a court order and the authorities refused to pursue the issue without documented proof. Then I was reading posts from a current (at that time) AOL employee that confirmed the activities were common. As for the messages, they actually show up on my cell as having been posted by someone using "AOL with AOL extras". In the end AOL cancelling my account was a very good thing. I got rid of all the spam, and memory hogging software. AOL requires almost no understanding of software or the internet. That was it's strong point. This is no longer the case. Almost any browser can be set up now to be used easily by all but the most inexperienced users.

After having received a number of unsolicted cellphone messages from someone using "AOL with extras", I wish AOL would just go away and die. I don't use AOL but my phone is capable of utilizing many AOL features. They apparently randomly call numbers and leave text messages. I assume that if you actually call back they would add your number to a list that can be abused. AOL has always been know for illegal activities from illegal file program sharing to supporting various porn activities. They need to die and stop abusing the rest of us.

I just wrote a proper review, all that I left out was re: AIM-6. Nothing to say about AIM-6 it's the same as it's always been. Look for installation of the AOL toolbar and enabling Fast start when installing Helix It's nice to have the option to not have them.

AOL is the devil:

Anti-Christ

Old Nick ... or Old Ned

Lucifer

I actually like it, I prefer to the look to the old client, its more... modern, and in I think much easier then the old client.

AOL and BetaNews together, what a sorry state of affairs this is! Plz say it's not true? AOL has never produced any application that isn't bloated, under featured, resource hungry, and loaded with useless crap. I will never use AOLs software ever again, I tell everyone I know never to use it, and I constantly post articles about how bad AOL is and never to use it!

christopherktom says:

I will never use AOLs software ever again, I tell everyone I know never to use it, and I constantly post articles about how bad AOL is and never to use it!
-------------------------------------------
Tell everyone you can and post away. Remember, regardless of what you say and what you post, you advertise for AOL. Some folks will try AOL just because you bad mouth it.

it looks like betanews is in bed with AOL...theyve deleted bad reviews of helix for the 3rd straight time in less than 24 hours.

flood the helix download with bad reviews!

Which explains Nate's use of the terms "schizophrenic," "muddled," and "duct-taped" to describe AOL's development history thus far. Yea, we're really after AOL's kudos with comments like those.

-SF3

Your comments were removed by FileForum editors because they were not actual reviews. You were simply attacking AOL as a company, and in a childish manner to boot.

If you want to write a real review of the software, please do. Otherwise, refrain from posting off-topic flamebait.

Consider this your official warning, as FileForum editors will simply disable your account if you keep flooding the site with junk.

yyyaaaaaawwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnn......zzzzzzzzzzz.......zzzzzzz.....zzzzzzz

It's a nasty resource eating application that isn't as easy to use as the 9.0 client.