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Archive-name: online-providers/aol-sucks-faq/part3
Posting-Frequency: monthly See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge *** FAQ (Part III - alt.aol-sucks ) *** Is this a flame newsgroup? YES. That's not what the review said in news.groups.reviews. It was a troll. It was not! It was too. Someone noticed that news.groups.reviews was one of the default newsgroups AOL made available to its users. They added a review of alt.aol-sucks, so the very first newsgroup new users would come across would point to one criticizing AOL. News.groups.reviews was so poorly posted to, that for a while it was the only message in the newsgroup! What did the review say? "Originally started to flame users of America Online (AOL) about software bugs in AOL's Usenet reader, this newsgroup has evolved into a surprisingly high-level and thoughtful discussion. Besides comparisons of online services, tips on internet access providers, and the inevitable debate about UNIX interfaces, newsgroup topics have included GUI's vs. command lines, how to perform high-level internet functions like FTP using conventional e-mail, software bugs, and rot-13 message-coding. This newsgroup provides a good glimpse into the evolution of the internet community as a whole, and where commercial on-line services fit in the scheme." Okay. So where is it written that the discussion on alt.aol-sucks is actually going to reach flame intensity? On AOL. They renamed the newsgroup "Flames and complaints about AOL". What about the innocent AOL-ers who wander in to alt.aol-sucks, and find furious discussion with venomous scatalogical attacks, and gets really uncomfortable? "You may find that in certain Newsgroups, the participants use language and discuss subject matter that would not be acceptable on America Online....you may choose to avoid certain Newsgroups if you are uncomfortable with the discussion that takes place in them." ---America Online's "Note about Content" If the book editor for "In These Times" read the newsgroup, what would he say? He's probably got more important things to do. I bet he doesn't. I bet he does. I bet he doesn't. I bet he does---whoops. You're right! He doesn't. He wrote a whole article about it in the October 31 issue. So what's his opinion of alt.aol-sucks "The regular contributors to the group (called, appropriately enough, "alt.aol-sucks") are masters of the art of 'flaming'..." "...the only purpose of the group was to let Net veterans (and would-be veterans) pick on hapless AOL newbies." I heard he posted to the newsgroup shortly after his article appeared. What did he say? "Please be more specific. Blow *what* out my ass?" This sounds okay. I just want to have fun with people. "alt.aol-sucks offers only a poor parody of real human interaction." --David Futrelle (Book Editor, "In These Times") Is that true? Some believe the sanitized offerings on AOL are more of a parody. They restrict what words you can use, and what you can say. Why do the anti-AOLers feel free speech is so important? Anything to control what you speak, say or do is, according to the anti-AOLers, not right. People should be free to express themself. The level to which the AOL staff attempts to control your speech is ridiculous. You can always attack someone on AOL if you're really angry. No. "Personal attacks against other members are soundly prohibited." That's an AOL rule? Yes. AOL's Terms of Service. They're that specific? Yes. AOL's Terms of Service outline a long list of behaviors which aren't permitted on AOL. "Any action by a Member that, in AOL, Inc.'s sole opinion, restricts or inhibits other Members from using and enjoying America Online (such as but not limited to, the use of vulgar language; inappropriate screen names; committing, or discussing with the intention to commit, illegal activities), is strictly prohibited. Member specifically agrees not to submit, publish, or display on America Online any defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, racially offensive, or illegal material; nor shall Member encourage the use of controlled substances. How could AOL call for a level of discussion that's so...insincere? This is a company that signs its form letters "Warm Regards". So this newsgroup is just flames? "Flames and complaints." About anything? They usually have a theme: they're related to America Online. They also challenge the opinions of people who've made points about America Online. I wanted to post a critique of AOL, and dissect the origins of its censorship. It will be welcome. But someone might flame me? Yes. Why? Because we feel like it. That's mean. Bite me. It's fun. [End Part III] User Contributions: 1 Toni Geren  Sep 2, 2022 @ 12:00 am After 30 years a AOL customer I have been permanently banned from comments. The only reason I can come up with is TRUTH HURTS! Never used profanity, posted vulgar things but when posting a truth with sourced over the covid lie...banned. Honestly I don't miss this Marxist loving site a bit. I wear that censorship like a badge of honor right along with the thousands banned...for telling the TRUTH...before me. Now I can say it. EAT SHIT AOL! Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: |
