Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? in

Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? in http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r953896 en Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:29:47 EDT Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:29:47 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,1021273 anon : 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?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,1021273 Sat, 23 Jun 2001 12:41:22 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,989301 JrFreud : 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"]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,989301 Sat, 16 Jun 2001 11:44:03 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,989208 patinlb : 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]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,989208 Sat, 16 Jun 2001 11:18:45 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,975242 anon : 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?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,975242 Wed, 13 Jun 2001 16:22:32 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,970694 anon : Ok, so the AOL users are catching all kinds of slack for this one, and on one side, I feel kinda sorry for them. But, then again, some part of me wants to just scream at people who can't catch a joke about such obvious factors as deleting your main AOL executable file -- and I might even give a few rank beginners this one, but if you don't know what aol.exe is, maybe you should sign up for a computer course before jumping on the Internet...it's much safer! -- or this line in the so-called hoax:

WARNING: KEEPING THIS FILE ON THE SYSTEM AFTER JUNE 8 WILL COST YOU $2.90 MORE PER MONTH!

FAILURE TO REMOVE THIS FILE WILL KEEP YOUR "UPPER MEMORY MANAGEMENT" MODULE OF YOUR INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT (IQ OVER 85) BLOCKED. DELETING AOL.EXE WILL FREE YOUR IQ TO GO ABOVE 85!!!

DELETING THIS FILE WILL ALLOW YOU TO SPELL CORRECTLY AND USE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROPERLY.

Ok, tell me now this isn't an obvious joke.... I'll forgive a few users a lack of computer-saavy, but for cryin out loud! READ an e-mail before you panic...if it's a joke or a hoax, it will give itself away. I can't feel sorry for people who failed to read this line and decided to screw up their own ISP connection.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,970694 Tue, 12 Jun 2001 19:12:50 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,967975 anon : Yes ... sent via e-mail to subscribers to a JOKE LIST!!

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,967975 Tue, 12 Jun 2001 09:52:34 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,967429 anon : Since when was any more proof needed??? Thirty Million Monkeys. Monkeys. Monkeys.

AOL user equals

minivan driver equals

Random Lane Changer (traced to fly DNA splicing) equals

jerk/twit driving while talking on the cell while changing the radio station equals

scum who slow down to 'scan for dead bodies' when there's an accident, thereby adding 10 minutes to our commute equals

bast*** who hoards the coffee creamers in his desk to take home later, leaving other coffee drinkers S.O.L. (thought I didn't know?) equals

boneheads who actually applauded that macveigh freak's execution equals

all the apes who actually voted for bush..(there were only 30 million of you right?) equals

the freaks who lie on their resumes to get jobs they're not capable of doing equals

dumbasses who buy dell and gateway PCs equals

and the extended warranty plans (hahaha) equals

the ones who actually know the NAMES and LIFE STORIES of people on friends and gideons crossing and ER.

Yeah. One in three of us is a monkey. Look on both sides of you if there is someone there and they aint monkeys welllll......]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,967429 Tue, 12 Jun 2001 03:05:59 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,966147 anon : It wasn't on a joke site. The joke was sent via email to his subscribers. ]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,966147 Mon, 11 Jun 2001 21:32:16 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,964118 bigunk : Wrong again Honey. Apple did not invent the user interface. Bob Metcalf (the guy who started 3COM) and his bean bag dwelling cohorts at Xerox PARC did it. Whether Apple stole, bought, borrowed or whatever is not in question here. As far as 30 million bottom feeders go, they are the price we pay for having access at all. I mean....someone has to believe these stupid hoaxes. Yeah, it drives our incomes, but it gets disturbing to have to deal with these know nothings as a career.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,964118 Mon, 11 Jun 2001 15:02:41 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,963238 anon : One of the things that drives me (and Ray) crazy about AOL users is their complete inability to read and follow directions. So isn't it sort of delicious irony that they up and figured out how to do it when the instructions were fake? I feel no pity for these people - even if they did delete the file, they'll be getting a new one when AOL sends out its next round of discs. Society spends too much time coddling idiots instead of making them figure out how to do it themselves. Ray is one of my personal heros, out there fighting in the name of everyone who still knows how to think for themselves.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,963238 Mon, 11 Jun 2001 11:47:43 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,959228 JrFreud : [aol2dsl]Right on, jscott! We must not forget the 30 million paying customers who keep AIM, Winamp, and various other programs free!]
Well, now that you put it that way, my best wishes to all AOL users. LOL.
--
For the time being: "Verizon's Worst Nightmare"]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,959228 Sun, 10 Jun 2001 15:08:47 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,957324 Netbars : Right on, jscott! We must not forget the 30 million paying customers who keep AIM, Winamp, and various other programs free! Go AOL, AOL users are my favorite pals! (Of course, there are other free programs out there, but the large majority of net users either a) already use AOL, see the 30 million people note as mentioned previously, or b) use the AIM program to in order to communicate with the suckers who foot the bill for AIM, aka AOL users.
--
When you get to Hell, tell em I sent ya. Group discount.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,957324 Sun, 10 Jun 2001 01:44:17 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,956743 anon : Never heard of them. Seriously, Apple may have invented the user-friendly interface, but they never had 30 million users who now take it for granted. AOL users by their sheer numbers now have a mountain of influence - certainly much more than we do - and this has to be influencing interface design. I was also not giving AOL credit for inventing anything, merely for mainstreaming it. If you can argue that one, go ahead. Also, if you can give me example of how any of these 30 million bottom-of-the-food-chain users are a detriment to you, let's hear that one too.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,956743 Sat, 09 Jun 2001 23:03:36 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,956482 Hayward : While there are many who HAVE to or have some reason to WANT to stick will AOL, this kind of silliness goes a long way to explaining AOL's TRUE user base and their complete cluelessness about just about everything. DON'T make me (or even suggest I) think... big surprise.
--
-Hayward
»haywardm.com (Hayward's Key West)]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,956482 Sat, 09 Jun 2001 22:04:18 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,954321 anon : AOL (tried hard to avoid using 'AOHell') driving usability standards? Haha, whatever you are smoking! Ever heard of Apple Computer?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,954321 Sat, 09 Jun 2001 13:25:34 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,954152 anon : Aol.exe is not a vital component or file of windows. Duh! I had my PC before AOL ever got on it. I can reinstall AOL with the AOL CD.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,954152 Sat, 09 Jun 2001 12:32:17 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,954146 anon : Common sense should prevail over any kind of technobabble and computer knowledge.

WARNING: KEEPING THIS FILE ON THE SYSTEM AFTER
JUNE 8 WILL COST YOU $2.90 MORE PER MONTH!

AOL advertises this price increase to every user by placing it on their Welcome Screen about a week or 2 ago. Common sense AOLers!

FAILURE TO REMOVE THIS FILE WILL KEEP YOUR
"UPPER MEMORY MANAGEMENT" MODULE OF YOUR
INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT (IQ OVER 85) BLOCKED.
DELETING AOL.EXE WILL FREE YOUR IQ TO GO ABOVE
85!!!

Anybody with common sense would know a file on the computer is not going to affect your IQ, this isn't exactly the Alzheimer's disease. I don't know much about computers but I had enough sense to know what IQ stands for.?

DELETING THIS FILE WILL ALLOW YOU TO SPELL
CORRECTLY AND USE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
PROPERLY.

Again, I think common sense would tell me this is a joke.
It's affecting my spelling skills and the ability to use the English language so I can't speak or write to people.

I am not computer literate, but I can read. :P My sisters could understand this is a joke and they don't even go on the Internet. The references to spelling, IQ, and english language is a dead give a way.

]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,954146 Sat, 09 Jun 2001 12:29:59 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,954023 DSL Robot :

said by daveporter:
It's dumb to follow instructions from people you don't know, without having some reason to believe that they know what they're talking about, and without being sure that they mean you no harm.

(That's how viruses spread)

I agree with you, but as one of the article links mentioned, some people got the warning from people they know, like their sister or brother. So maybe somebody along the line was "idiotic", but they ended up making it look valid.

I think the hoax itself turned into a nasty virus. Again, better safe then sorry. So what if somebody deleted aol.exe and reinstalled.
--
The trouble is not in your set...
we control the horizontal...we control the vertical...
- The Outer Limits]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,954023 Sat, 09 Jun 2001 11:45:56 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,953963 dave :

said by RR Robot:
I'm not an AOL user, but isn't it possible that aol.exe could contain a virus? What's so dumb about that? What if some other program modified aol.exe?

It's dumb to follow instructions from people you don't know, without having some reason to believe that they know what they're talking about, and without being sure that they mean you no harm.

(That's how viruses spread)
--
dave
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,953963 Sat, 09 Jun 2001 11:28:47 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,953902 radmish : It was on a joke site! He was joking and never claimed it was truth. The people who couldn't figure that out are at fault not for him. Since when can't you tell a joke?]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,953902 Sat, 09 Jun 2001 11:09:22 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,953896 anon : I hope he gets sued. I've said it before - those of us at the top of the IT food chain benefit from AOL's 30 million in many ways. They keep up the demand for broadband or even just plain bandwidth, they have driven the usability standards in software over the last 8 years, and they keep the computer industry mainstream enough that some of us can make a living in it. Bandwidth and computer parts would not be cheap if it was just a million or so hackers buying it. Lay off them - they have their purpose.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,953896 Sat, 09 Jun 2001 11:06:40 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,953875 JrFreud : Couldn't happen to one of my more "favorite" companies. ROFLMAO.
--
For the time being: "Verizon's Worst Nightmare"]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,953875 Sat, 09 Jun 2001 10:59:48 EDT Re: Solid proof that AOL users are idiots? http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,953858 DSL Robot : I'm not an AOL user, but isn't it possible that aol.exe could contain a virus? What's so dumb about that? What if some other program modified aol.exe?

Maybe some of the so-called "dumb" people deleted it and re-installed. Better safe then sorry.

I think it's a rotten hoax. I hope the hoaxer's systems crash big time, preferably from a virus. :)

[text was edited by author 2001-06-09 10:54:11]
]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,953858 Sat, 09 Jun 2001 10:53:20 EDT Solid proof that AOL users are idiots... http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,953828 ROCINANTE 2112 : Read the article and the Jokeaday.com link to see the reason.

Case closed.]]> http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,953828 Sat, 09 Jun 2001 10:40:58 EDT