| reply to rmstorey
Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots... As any jokeaday subscriber knows, Ray has it in big time for AOL. He even banned all AOL members from being on the nasty list because he was tired of hearing their stupid comments all the time. If someone is subscribed to jokeaday, they should know by now that 1) Everything Ray does or sends out is a JOKE, and 2) He gives AOL a lot of crap. With those two things in mind, how on earth could anyone really believe that joke was real? |
|
patinlb
join:2001-05-09
Long Beach, CA | In defense of Ray's site:
Ray clearly states that his site is irreverent, will poke fun at anything and anyone, is not for the super-sensitive and is clearly a JOKE list! That said, why would anyone take any of his mailings as gospel?
In defense of AOL:
AOL has its purpose. Remember the days when a Radio was complicated to operate? When you strung antenna wire up your walls and out a window to get reception? When it was not a matter of simply flipping a switch and listening?
Remember when you couldn't program a VCR? And some of you still can't?
This is where AOL is a boon to novice computer and internet users. It does all the "hard stuff" for them, not requiring that they know one thing about the subject except how to flip a switch.
The tragedy of AOL users is that most of them never outgrow the training wheels. They prefer not expending any effort (or, are maybe incapable of learning) to learn how to do it themselves.
I used AOL when it first entered the scene many years ago right about the time I graduated from a TRS80 color Computer III to a PC. Two months was all it took for me to learn the basics of doing it myself an moving on to another ISP.
I will always be grateful that AOL was there when I needed it.
I now help other people set up their computers and troubleshoot the problems they have, but my knowledge took effort and interest to learn. Most AOLers don't want to bother.
Pat in LB |
|
| Guess I wish I'd been sharp enough to recognize what Steve Case knew---make it easy and they will come. Now, if I had just bought stock then.
--
For the time being: "Verizon's Worst Nightmare" |
|
|
|
| reply to patinlb
I started online when there was only FidoNETs and other such BBS (Bulletin Board Systems). Compuserve was the first National BBS as far as I'm aware, then along comes America Online (AOL). They were, and still are, a BBS. Their internet access option is only a gateway. In the early days, they did not even have this gateway. And only about 20% of the members even use it.
My point is that I see Steve Case and AOL as followers, not leaders. In my opinion, they are only in business because of the timing, and the volunteers which helped build it. Mr. Case turned his back on these same volunteers once the size of AOL was large enough marketing engine. And from that point on, AOL started mass recruiting and developing itself as a solution for the Marching Morons of this world. It had its chance to be something greater at one time, but Mr. Case took it upon himself to abandon the strong community that was being built for the sake of his own profit, which I believe is why it is the irresponsible abomination it is today.
One last thought for those of you that refer to AOL as "training wheels"....would you let a child/novice go out by themselves in mainstream traffic with training wheels still on and no idea about the rules of the road? |
|
