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1. Comment - AOL to Give Away Free Movies Dec. 2

   (Dec 3, 2006 - 12:46 PM)

   AOL Promotion
   
   As one who tried to use the AOL promotion, this appears a disaster for them, pointing out problems.
   
   Their system only works with internet explorer version 6. Those with version 7 must remove it and reinstall. I never could make their software work on one computer even after removing IE 7. Admittedly those with more technical expertise (although I have a MIT PhD by MIT engineering degree is undergraduate and dated) may have not as much trouble.
   
   The site says “Currently, AOL Hi-Q Delivery Manager does not work with IE 7.0. We are working on a fix and will release it shortly. Until the fix is released, existing and new Hi-Q Delivery Manager users who have installed the IE 7.0 upgrade, will not be able to access the Delivery Manager or playback videos through the Hi-Q Delivery Manager Player.”
   
   Of course, those technology geeks most likely to download movies are also those most likely to be using Firefox, or to have upgraded Explorer to version 7.
   
   On another computer it appears to be working but as of writing (6 hours after promotion ended and perhaps 30 hours after order placed), the download is only approaching half completed. Users may conclude the Netflix, Blockbuster, Amazon technologies of placing on online order and .having the item mailed or shipped is quicker.
   
   Their servers appear to have been badly overloaded (and AOL posted a notice to that effect during the promotion assuring customers they would eventually get the product promised) and ordinarily service may be better.
   
   I got an error message (unexplained) saying to call a certain number. This gives two options. One for technical support merely produces a recording saying to go online, no human (obviously their computer could have said that directly). If you choose billing questions you get a nice lady (who knows no technology) but said she had not been told of any limitation on the number of free movies you could order.
   
   While some of the language seems to limit customers to one free download, it appears their system would take more than one order (producing a receipt for $0) and online discussion groups have people that placed orders for tens of movies. This may be one reason their servers got so overloaded.
   
   The promotion appears a success in that many may have been let to try the AOL service, and to install (or attempt to install the Explorer 6 browser needed to make it work. (Of course, many after the promotion may return to IE7, which Microsoft believes to be more secure). Alas, many will probably say never again, certainly not if I have to pay their prices for it (Netflex gives quicker service at better prices apparently).
   
   It is likely many who signed up for the service did not realize they were involved with something called the Kontiki Delivery Manager. Reading the material on the Kontiki website it appear my computer may be being used to deliver content to others. If so, this should have been made clear. If not, AOL needed to make that clear to reassure their customers.
   
   Reading help screens it appears AOL may sets it up so their delivery manager starts automatically when you use explorer. If so, many users may find their systems have one more item running in the background slowing performance down. They will be unhappy when they discover this (especially those who did a one time download and do not expect to be regularly doing downloads).