Misplaced Pages

AOL: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 01:54, 27 May 2006 view sourceCrazynas (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers6,478 editsm Reverted edits by 69.210.107.112 (talk) to version 55354015 by Pilotguy using VandalProof← Previous edit Revision as of 02:00, 27 May 2006 view source 69.210.99.17 (talk)No edit summaryNext edit →
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox_Company | {{Infobox_Company |
company_name = AOL LLC | company_name = shittiest isp ever LLC |
company_logo = ] | company_logo = ] |
company_type = Owned by ] (95%), ] (5%) | company_type = Owned by ] (95%), ] (5%) |
company_slogan = "So easy to use, no wonder we're #1!"| company_slogan = "So easy to use, no wonder we're #1!"|
foundation = ] (as '''CVC''')| foundation = ] (as '''CVC''')|
location = ] in ]| location = ] in ]|
key_people = ], ]| key_people = ], ]|
num_employees = about 20,000| num_employees = about 20,000|
industry = ] & ]| industry = ] & ]|
products = ]| products = ]|
revenue = $8.3 billion ({{loss}}5%) ] (])| revenue = $8.3 billion ({{loss}}5%) ] (])|
homepage = <br> homepage = <br>
}} }}
'''AOL LLC''' (formerly '''America Online, Inc''') is an ]-based ], ], and media company operated by ]. Based in ], a community in ], ], with regional branches around the world, it was by far the most successful proprietary online service, with more than 32 million subscribers at one point in the ], ], ], ], the ], ] (declared bankrupt in 2004), ] and formerly ]. In early 2005, AOL ] stopped its service. In the fall of 2004, AOL reported total subscribers had dropped to 24 million, a drop of over a quarter of its subscribers. In late 1996, AOL suspended all dialup service within ] in the face of massive billing ], forcing the company into a rare case of full market retreat. '''shittiest isp ever LLC''' (formerly '''Internet for Retards, Inc''') is an ]-based ], ], and media company operated by ]. Based in ], a community in ], ], with regional branches around the world, it was by far the most successful proprietary online service, with more than 32 million subscribers at one point in the ], ], ], ], the ], ] (declared bankrupt in 2004), ] and formerly ]. In early 2005, shittiest isp ever ] stopped its service. In the fall of 2004, shittiest isp ever reported total subscribers had dropped to 24 million, a drop of over a quarter of its subscribers. In late 1996, shittiest isp ever suspended all dialup service within ] in the face of massive billing ], forcing the company into a rare case of full market retreat.


For many Americans through the mid-to-late-], AOL ''was'' the Internet, but the rise of high-speed Internet access from cable and telephone companies as well as the increasing sophistication of the public in handling browsers and other Internet utilities has cut into its user base. In 2000 AOL and ] announced plans to merge, and the deal was approved by the ] on ] ]. This merger was primarily a product of the Internet mania of the late-], known as the ]. The subsequent massive decline in value of stocks such as AOL resulted in much recrimination over the merger. Also, the merger with AOL allowed for Time Warner to vote off WCW (World Championship Wrestling). For many Americans through the mid-to-late-], shittiest isp ever ''was'' the Internet, but the rise of high-speed Internet access from cable and telephone companies as well as the increasing sophistication of the public in handling browsers and other Internet utilities has cut into its user base. In 2000 shittiest isp ever and ] announced plans to merge, and the deal was approved by the ] on ] ]. This merger was primarily a product of the Internet mania of the late-], known as the ]. The subsequent massive decline in value of stocks such as shittiest isp ever resulted in much recrimination over the merger. Also, the merger with shittiest isp ever allowed for Time Warner to vote off WCW (World Championship Wrestling).


News reports in the fall of 2005 indicated a renewed interest in buying out AOL. Suitors such as ], ], ], and ] have had discussions with ] about a possible purchase, and on ], ], Time Warner and Google announced that they were starting exclusive talks for Google to purchase $1 billion in AOL stock, a 5% share. News reports in the fall of 2005 indicated a renewed interest in buying out shittiest isp ever. Suitors such as ], ], ], and ] have had discussions with ] about a possible purchase, and on ], ], Time Warner and Google announced that they were starting exclusive talks for Google to purchase $1 billion in shittiest isp ever stock, a 5% share.


Although its dialup market is shrinking as more members switch to high-speed services, the success of its AOL for Broadband program has helped it to maintain members that would otherwise totally drop the AOL service. This combined with its growing advertising revenue through its relationship with Google, AOL collected 8.7 billion US dollars in revenue for ]. In early ], AOL informed its members that the narrowband monthly rate would be increasing from $23.90 to $25.90. Although its dialup market is shrinking as more members switch to high-speed services, the success of its shittiest isp ever for Broadband program has helped it to maintain members that would otherwise totally drop the shittiest isp ever service. This combined with its growing advertising revenue through its relationship with Google, shittiest isp ever collected 8.7 billion US dollars in revenue for ]. In early ], shittiest isp ever informed its members that the narrowband monthly rate would be increasing from $23.90 to $25.90.


] ]


==History== ==History==
{| class="wikitable" style="float: right;" {| class="wikitable" style="float: right;"
! colspan="2" | AOL release timeline ! colspan="2" | shittiest isp ever release timeline
|- |-
| ] | ]
| AOL for Macintosh gains popularity as a Mac BBS | shittiest isp ever for Macintosh gains popularity as a Mac BBS
|- |-
| ] | ]
| AOL for ] launched | shittiest isp ever for ] launched
|- |-
| ] | ]
| AOL for ] launched, AOL 2.0 for ] launched | shittiest isp ever for ] launched, shittiest isp ever 2.0 for ] launched
|- |-
| ] | ]
| AOL 2.0 for ] launched | shittiest isp ever 2.0 for ] launched
|- |-
| ] | ]
| AOL 3.0 launched | shittiest isp ever 3.0 launched
|- |-
| ] | ]
| AOL 4.0 launched | shittiest isp ever 4.0 launched
|- |-
| ] | ]
| AOL 5.0 launched | shittiest isp ever 5.0 launched
|- |-
| ] | ]
| AOL 6.0 launched | shittiest isp ever 6.0 launched
|- |-
| ] | ]
| AOL 7.0 launched | shittiest isp ever 7.0 launched
|- |-
| ] | ]
| AOL 8.0 launched | shittiest isp ever 8.0 launched
|- |-
| ] | ]
| AOL 9.0 Optimized launched | shittiest isp ever 9.0 Optimized launched
|- |-
| ] | ]
| AOL 9.0 Optimized SE/LE launched | shittiest isp ever 9.0 Optimized SE/LE launched
|- |-
| ] | ]
| AOL 9.0 Security Edition SE/LE launched | shittiest isp ever 9.0 Security Edition SE/LE launched
|- |-
| ] | ]
| AOL Suite launched | shittiest isp ever Suite launched
|} |}
AOL began as a short-lived venture called '''Control Video Corporation''' (or '''CVC'''), founded by ]. Its sole product was an online service called ] for the ] ] after von Meister's idea of buying music on demand was rejected by ]. (Klein, 2003) Subscribers bought a ] from the company for $49.95 and paid a one-time $15 setup fee. Gameline permitted subscribers to temporarily download games and keep track of high scores, at a cost of approximately $1 an hour. shittiest isp ever began as a short-lived venture called '''Control Video Corporation''' (or '''CVC'''), founded by ]. Its sole product was an online service called ] for the ] ] after von Meister's idea of buying music on demand was rejected by ]. (Klein, 2003) Subscribers bought a ] from the company for $49.95 and paid a one-time $15 setup fee. Gameline permitted subscribers to temporarily download games and keep track of high scores, at a cost of approximately $1 an hour.


In ], the company nearly went ], and an investor in Control Video, ], had a friend of his, ], brought in as a manufacturing consultant. That same year, ] was hired as a part-time consultant; later on that year, he joined the company as a full-time marketing employee upon the joint recommendations of von Meister and Kimsey. Kimsey went on to become the ] (CEO) of the newly-renamed Quantum Computer Services in ], after von Meister was quietly dropped from the company. In ], the company nearly went ], and an investor in Control Video, ], had a friend of his, ], brought in as a manufacturing consultant. That same year, ] was hired as a part-time consultant; later on that year, he joined the company as a full-time marketing employee upon the joint recommendations of von Meister and Kimsey. Kimsey went on to become the ] (CEO) of the newly-renamed crappy company Computer Services in ], after von Meister was quietly dropped from the company.


Case himself rose quickly through the ranks; Kimsey promoted him to vice-president of marketing not long after becoming CEO, and later promoted him further to executive vice-president in 1987. Kimsey soon began to groom Case to ascend to the rank of CEO when he himself retired, which Case did in 1991. Case himself rose quickly through the ranks; Kimsey promoted him to vice-president of marketing not long after becoming CEO, and later promoted him further to executive vice-president in 1987. Kimsey soon began to groom Case to ascend to the rank of CEO when he himself retired, which Case did in 1991.


].]] ].]]


Kimsey changed the company's strategy, and in 1985 launched a sort of mega-] for ] and ] computers, originally called ] ("Q-Link" for short). In May ], Quantum and Apple launched ] Personal Edition for ] and ] computers. After the two companies parted ways in ] ], Quantum changed the service's name to America Online. , <!--both links retrieved Sep 24 2005--> In ] ], Quantum launched ], a service for IBM-compatible ] developed in a joint venture with the ]. Kimsey changed the company's strategy, and in 1985 launched a sort of mega-] for ] and ] computers, originally called ] ("Q-Link" for short). In May ], crappy company and Apple launched ] Personal Edition for ] and ] computers. After the two companies parted ways in ] ], crappy company changed the service's name to Internet for Retards. , <!--both links retrieved Sep 24 2005--> In ] ], crappy company launched ], a service for IBM-compatible ] developed in a joint venture with the ].


In the early years of AOL the company introduced many innovative online interactive titles and games, including graphical chat environments ] (1986) and ] (1989), the first online interactive fiction series ] by ] (1988), ], the first fully automated ] game (1989), and the original ] title '']'', the first Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (]) to depict the adventure with graphics instead of text (1991). In the early years of shittiest isp ever the company introduced many innovative online interactive titles and games, including graphical chat environments ] (1986) and ] (1989), the first online interactive fiction series ] by ] (1988), ], the first fully automated ] game (1989), and the original ] title '']'', the first Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (]) to depict the adventure with graphics instead of text (1991).


In February 1991 AOL for ] was launched using a ] interface followed a year later by AOL for Windows. In October ], Quantum changed its name to America Online. These changes coincided with growth in pay-based BBS services, like ], ], and ]. AOL discontinued Q-Link and PC Link in the fall of 1994. In February 1991 shittiest isp ever for ] was launched using a ] interface followed a year later by shittiest isp ever for Windows. In October ], crappy company changed its name to Internet for Retards. These changes coincided with growth in pay-based BBS services, like ], ], and ]. shittiest isp ever discontinued Q-Link and PC Link in the fall of 1994.


== Massive growth == == Massive growth ==
Case drove AOL as the online service for people unfamiliar with ]s, in particular contrast to ], which had long served the technical community. AOL was the first online service to require use of ] software, rather than a standard terminal program; as a result it was able to offer a ] (GUI) instead of command lines, and was well ahead of the competition in emphasizing communication among members as a feature. Case drove shittiest isp ever as the online service for people unfamiliar with ]s, in particular contrast to ], which had long served the technical community. shittiest isp ever was the first online service to require use of ] software, rather than a standard terminal program; as a result it was able to offer a ] (GUI) instead of command lines, and was well ahead of the competition in emphasizing communication among members as a feature.


In particular was the Chat Room (borrowed from ]), which allowed a large group of people with similar interests to convene and hold conversations in real time, including: In particular was the Chat Room (borrowed from ]), which allowed a large group of people with similar interests to convene and hold conversations in real time, including:
*Private rooms &mdash; created by any user. Hold up to 27 people. *Private rooms &mdash; created by any user. Hold up to 27 people.
*Conference rooms &mdash; created with permission of AOL. Hold up to 48 people and often moderated. *Conference rooms &mdash; created with permission of shittiest isp ever. Hold up to 48 people and often moderated.
*Auditoriums &mdash; created with permission of AOL. Consisted of a stage and an unlimited number of rows. What happened on the stage was viewable by everybody in the auditorium but what happened within individual rows, of up to 27 people, was viewable only by the people within those rows. *Auditoriums &mdash; created with permission of shittiest isp ever. Consisted of a stage and an unlimited number of rows. What happened on the stage was viewable by everybody in the auditorium but what happened within individual rows, of up to 27 people, was viewable only by the people within those rows.
There were also text games played in the chat rooms, known as ]. There were also text games played in the chat rooms, known as ].


Under Case's guidance, AOL committed to including ] in its mix of products even when it was only a Commodore 64 service. It hosted the first ] game from any service '']'' (1989-1991); the first graphical online community ('']'' from ]); and the first graphical ], '']'' from ] (1991-1997) and the first chat room-based text role-playing game ], a horror role-playing game from Hecklers Online and ] Under Case's guidance, shittiest isp ever committed to including ] in its mix of products even when it was only a Commodore 64 service. It hosted the first ] game from any service '']'' (1989-1991); the first graphical online community ('']'' from ]); and the first graphical ], '']'' from ] (1991-1997) and the first chat room-based text role-playing game ], a horror role-playing game from Hecklers Online and ]


AOL quickly surpassed ], and by the mid-], it passed ] (which for several years allowed AOL advertising) and ]. shittiest isp ever quickly surpassed ], and by the mid-], it passed ] (which for several years allowed shittiest isp ever advertising) and ].


Originally, AOL charged its users an hourly fee, but in 1996 this changed and a flat rate of $19.99 a month was charged. Within three years, AOL's userbase would grow to 10 million people. During this time, AOL connections would be flooded with users trying to get on, and many canceled their accounts due to constant busy signals. Also, games which used to be paid for with the hourly fee migrated in droves to the Internet. Originally, shittiest isp ever charged its users an hourly fee, but in 1996 this changed and a flat rate of $19.99 a month was charged. Within three years, shittiest isp ever's userbase would grow to 10 million people. During this time, shittiest isp ever connections would be flooded with users trying to get on, and many canceled their accounts due to constant busy signals. Also, games which used to be paid for with the hourly fee migrated in droves to the Internet.


AOL was relatively late in providing access to the open Internet. Originally, only some Internet features were accessible through a proprietary interface but eventually it became possible to run other Internet software while logged in through AOL. They were the first online service to seamlessly integrate a web browser into content. shittiest isp ever was relatively late in providing access to the open Internet. Originally, only some Internet features were accessible through a proprietary interface but eventually it became possible to run other Internet software while logged in through shittiest isp ever. They were the first online service to seamlessly integrate a web browser into content.


AOL introduced the concept of ]s, leveraging their one-on-one ] technology. shittiest isp ever introduced the concept of ]s, leveraging their one-on-one ] technology.


Since its merger with Time Warner, the value of AOL has dropped from its $200 billion high and it has seen a similar losses among its subscription rate. It has since attempted to reposition itself as a content provider similar to companies such as Yahoo! as opposed to an Internet service provider which delivered content only to subscribers in what was termed a "walled garden.". In 2005, AOL broadcast the ] concert live over the Internet, and thousands of users downloaded clips of the concert over the following months. Since its merger with Time Warner, the value of shittiest isp ever has dropped from its $200 billion high and it has seen a similar losses among its subscription rate. It has since attempted to reposition itself as a content provider similar to companies such as Yahoo! as opposed to an Internet service provider which delivered content only to subscribers in what was termed a "walled garden.". In 2005, shittiest isp ever broadcast the ] concert live over the Internet, and thousands of users downloaded clips of the concert over the following months.


More recently, AOL has announced plans to offer subscribers classic television programs for free with commercials inserted via its new ] service. At the time of launch, AOL made available ]'s vast library of programs, with '']'' as its marquee offering. Other shows include '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''. More recently, shittiest isp ever has announced plans to offer subscribers classic television programs for free with commercials inserted via its new ] service. At the time of launch, shittiest isp ever made available ]'s vast library of programs, with '']'' as its marquee offering. Other shows include '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''.


One of AOL's recently added premium services is AOL Total Talk, a VoiP Internet service. One of shittiest isp ever's recently added premium services is shittiest isp ever Total Talk, a VoiP Internet service.


On April 3, 2006, AOL announced that the full name "America Online" will be retired, and that the official name of the service is now the acronym "AOL". On April 3, 2006, shittiest isp ever announced that the full name "Internet for Retards" will be retired, and that the official name of the service is now the acronym "shittiest isp ever".


== CD-ROM distribution == == CD-ROM distribution ==
{{seealso|AOL disk collecting}} {{seealso|shittiest isp ever disk collecting}}
AOL was able to rapidly bolster its growth by mailing out sign-up ]s and ]s containing free trials to hundreds of millions of households. Once offering only a few hours of free service, the discs now include up to a month's worth of free subscription time. shittiest isp ever was able to rapidly bolster its growth by mailing out sign-up ]s and ]s containing free trials to hundreds of millions of households. Once offering only a few hours of free service, the discs now include up to a month's worth of free subscription time.


This long and relentless campaign has produced a backlash, however. One program, called ], seeks to gather one million unwanted AOL CDs and dump them at AOL headquarters. Other organizations have objected upon both ] and ] grounds; for example, many environmentalists say that AOL's CDs are largely unwanted and result in massive non-biodegradable plastic waste. This long and relentless campaign has produced a backlash, however. One program, called ], seeks to gather one million unwanted shittiest isp ever CDs and dump them at shittiest isp ever headquarters. Other organizations have objected upon both ] and ] grounds; for example, many environmentalists say that shittiest isp ever's CDs are largely unwanted and result in massive non-biodegradable plastic waste.


AOL's mailings have never violated the law, though, and have consistently interested new customers. Although AOL has provided means for people to remove themselves from AOL mailing lists, ] has documented claims that these removal attempts are sometimes ineffective. shittiest isp ever's mailings have never violated the law, though, and have consistently interested new customers. Although shittiest isp ever has provided means for people to remove themselves from shittiest isp ever mailing lists, ] has documented claims that these removal attempts are sometimes ineffective.


Others view ] as valuable ] items due to the vast number of ] design variations. Others view ] as valuable ] items due to the vast number of ] design variations.


==Controversies== ==Controversies==
===Community Leaders=== ===Community Leaders===
Prior to the middle of 2005, AOL used volunteers called ], or CLs, to monitor chatrooms, message boards, and libraries. Some community leaders were recruited for content design and maintenance using a proprietary language and interface called ], although most content maintenance was performed by partner and internal employees. Prior to the middle of 2005, shittiest isp ever used volunteers called ], or CLs, to monitor chatrooms, message boards, and libraries. Some community leaders were recruited for content design and maintenance using a proprietary language and interface called ], although most content maintenance was performed by partner and internal employees.


In 1999, Kelly Hallissey and Brian Williams, former Community Leaders and founders of an anti-AOL website filed a ] against AOL citing violations of U.S. labor laws in its usage of CLs. The ] investigated but came to no conclusions, closing their investigation in 2001. In light of these events, AOL drastically began reducing the responsibilities and privileges of its volunteers in 2000. The program was eventually ended on ] ]. Current Community Leaders at the time were offered 12 months of credit on their accounts. In 1999, Kelly Hallissey and Brian Williams, former Community Leaders and founders of an anti-shittiest isp ever website filed a ] against shittiest isp ever citing violations of U.S. labor laws in its usage of CLs. The ] investigated but came to no conclusions, closing their investigation in 2001. In light of these events, shittiest isp ever drastically began reducing the responsibilities and privileges of its volunteers in 2000. The program was eventually ended on ] ]. Current Community Leaders at the time were offered 12 months of credit on their accounts.


===Billing disputes=== ===Billing disputes===
AOL has faced a number of lawsuits over claims that it has been slow to stop billing people after their accounts have been cancelled, either by the company or the user. In addition, AOL changed its method of calculating used minutes in response to a class action lawsuit. Previously, AOL would add fifteen seconds to the time a user was connected to the service and round up to the next whole minute (thus, a person who used the service for 11 minutes and 46 seconds would be charged for 13 minutes). AOL claimed this was to account for sign on/sign off time, but because this practice was not made known to its customers, the lawsuit won (some also pointed out that signing on and off did not always take 15 seconds, especially when connecting via another ISP). AOL disclosed its connection time calculation methods to all of its customers and credited them with extra free hours. In addition, the AOL software would notify the user of exactly how long they were connected and how many minutes they were being charged for. shittiest isp ever has faced a number of lawsuits over claims that it has been slow to stop billing people after their accounts have been cancelled, either by the company or the user. In addition, shittiest isp ever changed its method of calculating used minutes in response to a class action lawsuit. Previously, shittiest isp ever would add fifteen seconds to the time a user was connected to the service and round up to the next whole minute (thus, a person who used the service for 11 minutes and 46 seconds would be charged for 13 minutes). shittiest isp ever claimed this was to account for sign on/sign off time, but because this practice was not made known to its customers, the lawsuit won (some also pointed out that signing on and off did not always take 15 seconds, especially when connecting via another ISP). shittiest isp ever disclosed its connection time calculation methods to all of its customers and credited them with extra free hours. In addition, the shittiest isp ever software would notify the user of exactly how long they were connected and how many minutes they were being charged for.


===Account cancellation=== ===Account cancellation===
In response to approximately 300 consumer complaints, ] Attorney General ]’s office began an inquiry of AOL’s customer service policies. The investigation revealed that the company had an elaborate system for rewarding employees who purported to retain or "save" subscribers who had called to cancel their Internet service. In many instances, such retention was done against subscribers’ wishes, or without their consent. In response to approximately 300 consumer complaints, ] Attorney General ]’s office began an inquiry of shittiest isp ever’s customer service policies. The investigation revealed that the company had an elaborate system for rewarding employees who purported to retain or "save" subscribers who had called to cancel their Internet service. In many instances, such retention was done against subscribers’ wishes, or without their consent.


Under the system, consumer service personnel received bonuses worth tens of thousands of dollars if they could successfully dissuade or "save" half of the people who called to cancel service. For several years, AOL had instituted minimum retention or "save" percentages, which consumer representatives were expected to meet. These bonuses, and the minimum "save" rates accompanying them, had the effect of employees not honoring cancellations, or otherwise making cancellation unduly difficult for consumers. Under the system, consumer service personnel received bonuses worth tens of thousands of dollars if they could successfully dissuade or "save" half of the people who called to cancel service. For several years, shittiest isp ever had instituted minimum retention or "save" percentages, which consumer representatives were expected to meet. These bonuses, and the minimum "save" rates accompanying them, had the effect of employees not honoring cancellations, or otherwise making cancellation unduly difficult for consumers.


Many consumers complained that AOL personnel ignored their demands to cancel service and stop billing. Many consumers complained that shittiest isp ever personnel ignored their demands to cancel service and stop billing.


On ], ], America Online agreed to pay $1.25 million to the state of New York and reformed its On ], ], Internet for Retards agreed to pay $1.25 million to the state of New York and reformed its
customer service procedures. Under the agreement, AOL will no longer require its customer customer service procedures. Under the agreement, shittiest isp ever will no longer require its customer
service representatives to meet a minimum quota for customer retention in order to receive a bonus. However, many AOL users outside New York still claim to have problems cancelling their accounts. service representatives to meet a minimum quota for customer retention in order to receive a bonus. However, many shittiest isp ever users outside New York still claim to have problems cancelling their accounts.


===Cancelling An AOL Account=== ===Cancelling An shittiest isp ever Account===
There is controversy of the procedures of AOL of the "Cancellation" Department. Some ex-AOL employees had confirmed this procedure of cancellation: There is controversy of the procedures of shittiest isp ever of the "Cancellation" Department. Some ex-shittiest isp ever employees had confirmed this procedure of cancellation:


"...as a former employee who worked in cancellations, the easiest way is to just hang up. After you call in, verify your account (by providing screen name, answer the ASQ - account security question - the billing validator - last four digits of your payment method - or by providing the screen name, your name, and your complete address. Then simply say "I want to cancel my account" and hang up. By the guidelines AOL has set up, the representative MUST cancel the account..." "...as a former employee who worked in cancellations, the easiest way is to just hang up. After you call in, verify your account (by providing screen name, answer the ASQ - account security question - the billing validator - last four digits of your payment method - or by providing the screen name, your name, and your complete address. Then simply say "I want to cancel my account" and hang up. By the guidelines shittiest isp ever has set up, the representative MUST cancel the account..."


===Software=== ===Software===
In 2000, AOL was served with an $8 billion lawsuit alleging that its (now dated) AOL 5.0 software caused significant difficulties for users attempting to use third-party Internet service providers. The lawsuit sought damages of up to $1000 for each user that had downloaded the software cited at the time of the lawsuit. AOL later agreed to a settlement of $15 million, without admission of wrongdoing. In 2000, shittiest isp ever was served with an $8 billion lawsuit alleging that its (now dated) shittiest isp ever 5.0 software caused significant difficulties for users attempting to use third-party Internet service providers. The lawsuit sought damages of up to $1000 for each user that had downloaded the software cited at the time of the lawsuit. shittiest isp ever later agreed to a settlement of $15 million, without admission of wrongdoing.
It is also notable that AOL users are required to use the AOL browser (a variant of Internet Explorer) to access the ] and their ] accounts. This has brought upon many complaints, as it guarantees that AOL has ultimate control over what the user can access, and clearly restricts the user from using any alternative ] and/or ]. However, the main complaint regarding this factor has undoubtedly concerned the excessive advertising schemes present upon browser startup. Now, the AOL software has a feature called AOL Dialer, or AOL Connect on Mac OSX. This feature allows users to connect to the ISP without running the full interface. This allows users to use only the applications they wish to use, especially if they do not favour the AOL Browser. It is also notable that shittiest isp ever users are required to use the shittiest isp ever browser (a variant of Internet Explorer) to access the ] and their ] accounts. This has brought upon many complaints, as it guarantees that shittiest isp ever has ultimate control over what the user can access, and clearly restricts the user from using any alternative ] and/or ]. However, the main complaint regarding this factor has undoubtedly concerned the excessive advertising schemes present upon browser startup. Now, the shittiest isp ever software has a feature called shittiest isp ever Dialer, or shittiest isp ever Connect on Mac OSX. This feature allows users to connect to the ISP without running the full interface. This allows users to use only the applications they wish to use, especially if they do not favour the shittiest isp ever Browser.


=== Usenet newsgroups === === Usenet newsgroups ===
When AOL gave clients access to ] in 1994, they hid at least one newsgroup in standard list view: ''alt.aol-sucks''. AOL did list the newsgroup in the alternative description view, but changed the description to "Flames and complaints about America Online". When shittiest isp ever gave clients access to ] in 1994, they hid at least one newsgroup in standard list view: ''alt.shittiest isp ever-sucks''. shittiest isp ever did list the newsgroup in the alternative description view, but changed the description to "Flames and complaints about Internet for Retards".


=== Terms of Service (TOS) === === Terms of Service (TOS) ===
There have been many complaints over rules that govern AOL's members conduct, called the '']'', which apply to everyone who uses AOL, regardless of age, or where an AOL member is on the Internet. Claims are that these rules are too strict to follow and do not allow swearing. <!-- removed because doesn't make any sense: or a very flexible rule called room disruption. --> There have been many complaints over rules that govern shittiest isp ever's members conduct, called the '']'', which apply to everyone who uses shittiest isp ever, regardless of age, or where an shittiest isp ever member is on the Internet. Claims are that these rules are too strict to follow and do not allow swearing. <!-- removed because doesn't make any sense: or a very flexible rule called room disruption. -->


===Certified e-mail=== ===Certified e-mail===
In early 2005, AOL stated its intention to implement ], which will allow companies to send email to users with whom they have pre-existing business relationships, with a visual indication that the email is from a trusted source and without the risk that the email messages might be blocked or stripped by ]s. This decision has drawn fire from ], which characterizes the program as an "e-mail tax". ] defended the move in a ] saying "I hope Goodmail succeeds, and that it has lots of competition. I also think it and its competitors will eventually transform into services that more directly serve the interests of mail recipients. Instead of the fees going to Goodmail and AOL, they will also be shared with the individual recipients." In early 2005, shittiest isp ever stated its intention to implement ], which will allow companies to send email to users with whom they have pre-existing business relationships, with a visual indication that the email is from a trusted source and without the risk that the email messages might be blocked or stripped by ]s. This decision has drawn fire from ], which characterizes the program as an "e-mail tax". ] defended the move in a ] saying "I hope Goodmail succeeds, and that it has lots of competition. I also think it and its competitors will eventually transform into services that more directly serve the interests of mail recipients. Instead of the fees going to Goodmail and shittiest isp ever, they will also be shared with the individual recipients."


== Company purchases == == Company purchases ==
As it grew, AOL purchased many other software companies, including: As it grew, shittiest isp ever purchased many other software companies, including:


*] bought in December 1994. *] bought in December 1994.
*]'s ] (later to become ]) in 1994. *]'s ] (later to become ]) in 1994.
*] from ] in 1996. *] from ] in 1996.
*] in February 1998. *] in February 1998.
Line 181: Line 181:
*] in 2003. *] in 2003.


==Notable persons associated with AOL== ==Notable persons associated with shittiest isp ever==
*] (former CEO and board chairman) *] (former CEO and board chairman)
*] (former CEO and board chairman) *] (former CEO and board chairman)
*] (former President of Marketing) *] (former President of Marketing)
*] (Nullsoft founder) *] (Nullsoft founder)
*] (Vice-Chairman, President AOL Audience Group) *] (Vice-Chairman, President shittiest isp ever Audience Group)
*] (during merging with ]) *] (during merging with ])
*] (Netscape co-founder) *] (Netscape co-founder)
*] (former AOL employee convicted of stealing the Internet provider's entire subscriber list -- over 30 million consumers, and their 90 million screen names -- and selling it to a known spammer.) *] (former shittiest isp ever employee convicted of stealing the Internet provider's entire subscriber list -- over 30 million consumers, and their 90 million screen names -- and selling it to a known spammer.)
*] (Co-founder of Weblogs, Inc.) *] (Co-founder of Weblogs, Inc.)


Line 195: Line 195:


==McAfee== ==McAfee==
AOL includes McAfee VirusScan and McAfee Firewall Express for its subscribers. At the time of the release, McAfee VirusScan was 8.0 and Firewall Express was 5.0. Initially, it was only available to subscribers using the AOL 8.0 and 9.0 software; but since is available to anyone as low as 6.0. To install McAfee VirusScan (8.0) for AOL subscribers you may go to AOL Keyword ''MCAFEE'' or access http://install.av.aol.com/. To install the Firewall Express, subscribers may go to AOL Keyword ''FIREWALLEXPRESS'' or access http://memberselfservice.aol.com/firewall/index.adp shittiest isp ever includes McAfee VirusScan and McAfee Firewall Express for its subscribers. At the time of the release, McAfee VirusScan was 8.0 and Firewall Express was 5.0. Initially, it was only available to subscribers using the shittiest isp ever 8.0 and 9.0 software; but since is available to anyone as low as 6.0. To install McAfee VirusScan (8.0) for shittiest isp ever subscribers you may go to shittiest isp ever Keyword ''MCAFEE'' or access http://install.av.shittiest isp ever.com/. To install the Firewall Express, subscribers may go to shittiest isp ever Keyword ''FIREWALLEXPRESS'' or access http://memberselfservice.shittiest isp ever.com/firewall/index.adp


Currently, AOL employs the use of Safety & Security Center (SSC) which contains McAfee VirusScan (10.0), McAfee Firewall (7.0), AOL Spyware Protection(2.2), and Phishing Protection. To download and install SSC, AOL subscribers may go to AOL Keyword ''SAFETY'', or access http://www.aol.com/safety/ Currently, shittiest isp ever employs the use of Safety & Security Center (SSC) which contains McAfee VirusScan (10.0), McAfee Firewall (7.0), shittiest isp ever Spyware Protection(2.2), and Phishing Protection. To download and install SSC, shittiest isp ever subscribers may go to shittiest isp ever Keyword ''SAFETY'', or access http://www.shittiest isp ever.com/safety/


==AOL Keywords== ==shittiest isp ever Keywords==
Keywords are words or phrases that act as shortcuts to AOL areas and Web sites. Keywords are words or phrases that act as shortcuts to shittiest isp ever areas and Web sites.
For example, to view football news and results, you go to AOL Keyword: Football. For example, to view football news and results, you go to shittiest isp ever Keyword: Football.


You can use AOL Keywords in either of the following ways: You can use shittiest isp ever Keywords in either of the following ways:


* Type a keyword directly into the white box on the AOL toolbar, then press the Enter key. * Type a keyword directly into the white box on the shittiest isp ever toolbar, then press the Enter key.


* Press the Ctrl and K keys at the same time, type a keyword and click Go. * Press the Ctrl and K keys at the same time, type a keyword and click Go.


Many companies used to pay AOL to have their site featured as a AOL Keyword. When you type in an AOL Keyword, it redirects you to an AOL members-only Site like '''aol://1722:billing''' or '''http://channels.aolsvc.co.uk/billing:1722''', but you need AOL's browser to access these places. The one with ''aol://'' in it uses a proprietary ](Uniform Resource Identifier) scheme that does not work in other browsers. Many companies used to pay shittiest isp ever to have their site featured as a shittiest isp ever Keyword. When you type in an shittiest isp ever Keyword, it redirects you to an shittiest isp ever members-only Site like '''shittiest isp ever://1722:billing''' or '''http://channels.shittiest isp eversvc.co.uk/billing:1722''', but you need shittiest isp ever's browser to access these places. The one with ''shittiest isp ever://'' in it uses a proprietary ](Uniform Resource Identifier) scheme that does not work in other browsers.


Some AOL keywords at AOL USA, AOL Germany, AOL Canada or AOL UK only works in these countries and cannot be used by AOL customers in other countries (and vice versa). Every other country (where AOL is available) has their own AOL keyword(s). Some shittiest isp ever keywords at shittiest isp ever USA, shittiest isp ever Germany, shittiest isp ever Canada or shittiest isp ever UK only works in these countries and cannot be used by shittiest isp ever customers in other countries (and vice versa). Every other country (where shittiest isp ever is available) has their own shittiest isp ever keyword(s).


For a list of available Keywords, go to AOL Keyword: "Keyword List" (rec. for AOL in the United States) For a list of available Keywords, go to shittiest isp ever Keyword: "Keyword List" (rec. for shittiest isp ever in the United States)


==See also== ==See also==
Line 219: Line 219:
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]


==References== ==References==
*Klein, Alec (2003). ''Stealing Time: Steve Case, Jerry Levin, and the Collapse of AOL Time Warner''. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-5984-X. *Klein, Alec (2003). ''Stealing Time: Steve Case, Jerry Levin, and the Collapse of shittiest isp ever Time Warner''. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-5984-X.
*Mehta, Stephanie N. & Vogelstein, Fred (Nov. 14, 2005). "AOL: The Relaunch". '']'', p. 84&ndash;88. *Mehta, Stephanie N. & Vogelstein, Fred (Nov. 14, 2005). "shittiest isp ever: The Relaunch". '']'', p. 84&ndash;88.
* *


==External links== ==External links==
* *
* (]) * (])
* *
* *
* *
* *
* *
* *
* *
* *
* *
* *
* *
* *
* *
* *
* Disgruntled AOL 5.0 users seek up to $8 billion in damages * Disgruntled shittiest isp ever 5.0 users seek up to $8 billion in damages
* *
* *
* *
* *
{{Time Warner}} {{Time Warner}}


] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]


] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]

Revision as of 02:00, 27 May 2006

shittiest isp ever LLC
File:Shittiest isp ever logo.png
Company typeOwned by Time Warner (95%), Google (5%)
IndustryInternet & Communications
Founded1983 (as CVC)
HeadquartersDulles in Loudoun County, Virginia
Key peopleJonathan Miller, Ted Leonsis
ProductsISP
Revenue$8.3 billion (Decrease5%) USD (2005)
Number of employeesabout 20,000
Websiteisp ever.com www.corp.shittiest isp ever.com
isp ever.com www.shittiest isp ever.com

shittiest isp ever LLC (formerly Internet for Retards, Inc) is an American-based online service provider, Internet service provider, and media company operated by Time Warner. Based in Dulles, a community in Loudoun County, Virginia, with regional branches around the world, it was by far the most successful proprietary online service, with more than 32 million subscribers at one point in the US, Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Latin America (declared bankrupt in 2004), Japan and formerly Russia. In early 2005, shittiest isp ever Hong Kong stopped its service. In the fall of 2004, shittiest isp ever reported total subscribers had dropped to 24 million, a drop of over a quarter of its subscribers. In late 1996, shittiest isp ever suspended all dialup service within Russia in the face of massive billing fraud, forcing the company into a rare case of full market retreat.

For many Americans through the mid-to-late-1990s, shittiest isp ever was the Internet, but the rise of high-speed Internet access from cable and telephone companies as well as the increasing sophistication of the public in handling browsers and other Internet utilities has cut into its user base. In 2000 shittiest isp ever and Time Warner announced plans to merge, and the deal was approved by the Federal Trade Commission on January 11 2001. This merger was primarily a product of the Internet mania of the late-1990s, known as the Internet bubble. The subsequent massive decline in value of stocks such as shittiest isp ever resulted in much recrimination over the merger. Also, the merger with shittiest isp ever allowed for Time Warner to vote off WCW (World Championship Wrestling).

News reports in the fall of 2005 indicated a renewed interest in buying out shittiest isp ever. Suitors such as Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, and Comcast have had discussions with Time Warner about a possible purchase, and on December 16, 2005, Time Warner and Google announced that they were starting exclusive talks for Google to purchase $1 billion in shittiest isp ever stock, a 5% share.

Although its dialup market is shrinking as more members switch to high-speed services, the success of its shittiest isp ever for Broadband program has helped it to maintain members that would otherwise totally drop the shittiest isp ever service. This combined with its growing advertising revenue through its relationship with Google, shittiest isp ever collected 8.7 billion US dollars in revenue for 2004. In early March 2006, shittiest isp ever informed its members that the narrowband monthly rate would be increasing from $23.90 to $25.90.

File:Aoleuropelogo.JPG
The shittiest isp ever Logo used in European Countries

History

shittiest isp ever release timeline
1989 shittiest isp ever for Macintosh gains popularity as a Mac BBS
1991 shittiest isp ever for DOS launched
1993 shittiest isp ever for Windows launched, shittiest isp ever 2.0 for Macintosh launched
1994 shittiest isp ever 2.0 for Windows launched
1995 shittiest isp ever 3.0 launched
1998 shittiest isp ever 4.0 launched
1999 shittiest isp ever 5.0 launched
2000 shittiest isp ever 6.0 launched
2001 shittiest isp ever 7.0 launched
2002 shittiest isp ever 8.0 launched
2003 shittiest isp ever 9.0 Optimized launched
2004 shittiest isp ever 9.0 Optimized SE/LE launched
2004 shittiest isp ever 9.0 Security Edition SE/LE launched
2006 shittiest isp ever Suite launched

shittiest isp ever began as a short-lived venture called Control Video Corporation (or CVC), founded by William von Meister. Its sole product was an online service called Gameline for the Atari 2600 video game console after von Meister's idea of buying music on demand was rejected by Warner Brothers. (Klein, 2003) Subscribers bought a modem from the company for $49.95 and paid a one-time $15 setup fee. Gameline permitted subscribers to temporarily download games and keep track of high scores, at a cost of approximately $1 an hour.

In 1983, the company nearly went bankrupt, and an investor in Control Video, Frank Caufield, had a friend of his, Jim Kimsey, brought in as a manufacturing consultant. That same year, Steve Case was hired as a part-time consultant; later on that year, he joined the company as a full-time marketing employee upon the joint recommendations of von Meister and Kimsey. Kimsey went on to become the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the newly-renamed crappy company Computer Services in 1985, after von Meister was quietly dropped from the company.

Case himself rose quickly through the ranks; Kimsey promoted him to vice-president of marketing not long after becoming CEO, and later promoted him further to executive vice-president in 1987. Kimsey soon began to groom Case to ascend to the rank of CEO when he himself retired, which Case did in 1991.

File:Shittiest isp ever.gif
The shittiest isp ever logo used until late 2004.

Kimsey changed the company's strategy, and in 1985 launched a sort of mega-BBS for Commodore 64 and 128 computers, originally called crappy company Link ("Q-Link" for short). In May 1988, crappy company and Apple launched AppleLink Personal Edition for Apple II and Macintosh computers. After the two companies parted ways in October 1989, crappy company changed the service's name to Internet for Retards. , In August 1988, crappy company launched PC Link, a service for IBM-compatible PCs developed in a joint venture with the Tandy Corporation.

In the early years of shittiest isp ever the company introduced many innovative online interactive titles and games, including graphical chat environments Habitat (video game) (1986) and Club Caribe (1989), the first online interactive fiction series crappy companyLink Serial by Tracy Reed (1988), crappy company Space, the first fully automated Play by email game (1989), and the original Dungeons and Dragons title Neverwinter Nights, the first Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) to depict the adventure with graphics instead of text (1991).

In February 1991 shittiest isp ever for DOS was launched using a GeoWorks interface followed a year later by shittiest isp ever for Windows. In October 1991, crappy company changed its name to Internet for Retards. These changes coincided with growth in pay-based BBS services, like Prodigy, CompuServe, and GEnie. shittiest isp ever discontinued Q-Link and PC Link in the fall of 1994.

Massive growth

Case drove shittiest isp ever as the online service for people unfamiliar with computers, in particular contrast to CompuServe, which had long served the technical community. shittiest isp ever was the first online service to require use of proprietary software, rather than a standard terminal program; as a result it was able to offer a graphical user interface (GUI) instead of command lines, and was well ahead of the competition in emphasizing communication among members as a feature.

In particular was the Chat Room (borrowed from IRC), which allowed a large group of people with similar interests to convene and hold conversations in real time, including:

  • Private rooms — created by any user. Hold up to 27 people.
  • Conference rooms — created with permission of shittiest isp ever. Hold up to 48 people and often moderated.
  • Auditoriums — created with permission of shittiest isp ever. Consisted of a stage and an unlimited number of rows. What happened on the stage was viewable by everybody in the auditorium but what happened within individual rows, of up to 27 people, was viewable only by the people within those rows.

There were also text games played in the chat rooms, known as shittiest isp ever chatroom game.

Under Case's guidance, shittiest isp ever committed to including online games in its mix of products even when it was only a Commodore 64 service. It hosted the first Play by email game from any service crappy company Space (1989-1991); the first graphical online community (Club Caribe from LucasArts); and the first graphical MMORPG, Neverwinter Nights from Stormfront Studios (1991-1997) and the first chat room-based text role-playing game Black Bayou, a horror role-playing game from Hecklers Online and ANTAGONIST, Inc.

shittiest isp ever quickly surpassed GEnie, and by the mid-1990s, it passed Prodigy (which for several years allowed shittiest isp ever advertising) and CompuServe.

Originally, shittiest isp ever charged its users an hourly fee, but in 1996 this changed and a flat rate of $19.99 a month was charged. Within three years, shittiest isp ever's userbase would grow to 10 million people. During this time, shittiest isp ever connections would be flooded with users trying to get on, and many canceled their accounts due to constant busy signals. Also, games which used to be paid for with the hourly fee migrated in droves to the Internet.

shittiest isp ever was relatively late in providing access to the open Internet. Originally, only some Internet features were accessible through a proprietary interface but eventually it became possible to run other Internet software while logged in through shittiest isp ever. They were the first online service to seamlessly integrate a web browser into content.

shittiest isp ever introduced the concept of Buddy Lists, leveraging their one-on-one instant messaging technology.

Since its merger with Time Warner, the value of shittiest isp ever has dropped from its $200 billion high and it has seen a similar losses among its subscription rate. It has since attempted to reposition itself as a content provider similar to companies such as Yahoo! as opposed to an Internet service provider which delivered content only to subscribers in what was termed a "walled garden.". In 2005, shittiest isp ever broadcast the Live 8 concert live over the Internet, and thousands of users downloaded clips of the concert over the following months.

More recently, shittiest isp ever has announced plans to offer subscribers classic television programs for free with commercials inserted via its new IN2TV service. At the time of launch, shittiest isp ever made available Warner Bros. Television's vast library of programs, with Welcome Back Kotter as its marquee offering. Other shows include Scarecrow and Mrs. King, The F.B.I., F Troop, and Growing Pains.

One of shittiest isp ever's recently added premium services is shittiest isp ever Total Talk, a VoiP Internet service.

On April 3, 2006, shittiest isp ever announced that the full name "Internet for Retards" will be retired, and that the official name of the service is now the acronym "shittiest isp ever".

CD-ROM distribution

See also: shittiest isp ever disk collecting

shittiest isp ever was able to rapidly bolster its growth by mailing out sign-up diskettes and CD-ROMs containing free trials to hundreds of millions of households. Once offering only a few hours of free service, the discs now include up to a month's worth of free subscription time.

This long and relentless campaign has produced a backlash, however. One program, called No More shittiest isp ever CDs, seeks to gather one million unwanted shittiest isp ever CDs and dump them at shittiest isp ever headquarters. Other organizations have objected upon both environmental and privacy grounds; for example, many environmentalists say that shittiest isp ever's CDs are largely unwanted and result in massive non-biodegradable plastic waste.

shittiest isp ever's mailings have never violated the law, though, and have consistently interested new customers. Although shittiest isp ever has provided means for people to remove themselves from shittiest isp ever mailing lists, No More shittiest isp ever CDs has documented claims that these removal attempts are sometimes ineffective.

Others view shittiest isp ever disks as valuable collectible items due to the vast number of CD-ROM design variations.

Controversies

Community Leaders

Prior to the middle of 2005, shittiest isp ever used volunteers called Community Leaders, or CLs, to monitor chatrooms, message boards, and libraries. Some community leaders were recruited for content design and maintenance using a proprietary language and interface called RAINMAN, although most content maintenance was performed by partner and internal employees.

In 1999, Kelly Hallissey and Brian Williams, former Community Leaders and founders of an anti-shittiest isp ever website filed a class action lawsuit against shittiest isp ever citing violations of U.S. labor laws in its usage of CLs. The Department of Labor investigated but came to no conclusions, closing their investigation in 2001. In light of these events, shittiest isp ever drastically began reducing the responsibilities and privileges of its volunteers in 2000. The program was eventually ended on June 8 2005. Current Community Leaders at the time were offered 12 months of credit on their accounts.

Billing disputes

shittiest isp ever has faced a number of lawsuits over claims that it has been slow to stop billing people after their accounts have been cancelled, either by the company or the user. In addition, shittiest isp ever changed its method of calculating used minutes in response to a class action lawsuit. Previously, shittiest isp ever would add fifteen seconds to the time a user was connected to the service and round up to the next whole minute (thus, a person who used the service for 11 minutes and 46 seconds would be charged for 13 minutes). shittiest isp ever claimed this was to account for sign on/sign off time, but because this practice was not made known to its customers, the lawsuit won (some also pointed out that signing on and off did not always take 15 seconds, especially when connecting via another ISP). shittiest isp ever disclosed its connection time calculation methods to all of its customers and credited them with extra free hours. In addition, the shittiest isp ever software would notify the user of exactly how long they were connected and how many minutes they were being charged for.

Account cancellation

In response to approximately 300 consumer complaints, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s office began an inquiry of shittiest isp ever’s customer service policies. The investigation revealed that the company had an elaborate system for rewarding employees who purported to retain or "save" subscribers who had called to cancel their Internet service. In many instances, such retention was done against subscribers’ wishes, or without their consent.

Under the system, consumer service personnel received bonuses worth tens of thousands of dollars if they could successfully dissuade or "save" half of the people who called to cancel service. For several years, shittiest isp ever had instituted minimum retention or "save" percentages, which consumer representatives were expected to meet. These bonuses, and the minimum "save" rates accompanying them, had the effect of employees not honoring cancellations, or otherwise making cancellation unduly difficult for consumers.

Many consumers complained that shittiest isp ever personnel ignored their demands to cancel service and stop billing.

On August 24, 2005, Internet for Retards agreed to pay $1.25 million to the state of New York and reformed its customer service procedures. Under the agreement, shittiest isp ever will no longer require its customer service representatives to meet a minimum quota for customer retention in order to receive a bonus. However, many shittiest isp ever users outside New York still claim to have problems cancelling their accounts.

Cancelling An shittiest isp ever Account

There is controversy of the procedures of shittiest isp ever of the "Cancellation" Department. Some ex-shittiest isp ever employees had confirmed this procedure of cancellation:

"...as a former employee who worked in cancellations, the easiest way is to just hang up. After you call in, verify your account (by providing screen name, answer the ASQ - account security question - the billing validator - last four digits of your payment method - or by providing the screen name, your name, and your complete address. Then simply say "I want to cancel my account" and hang up. By the guidelines shittiest isp ever has set up, the representative MUST cancel the account..."

Software

In 2000, shittiest isp ever was served with an $8 billion lawsuit alleging that its (now dated) shittiest isp ever 5.0 software caused significant difficulties for users attempting to use third-party Internet service providers. The lawsuit sought damages of up to $1000 for each user that had downloaded the software cited at the time of the lawsuit. shittiest isp ever later agreed to a settlement of $15 million, without admission of wrongdoing. It is also notable that shittiest isp ever users are required to use the shittiest isp ever browser (a variant of Internet Explorer) to access the World Wide Web and their E-Mail accounts. This has brought upon many complaints, as it guarantees that shittiest isp ever has ultimate control over what the user can access, and clearly restricts the user from using any alternative Web browsers and/or E-Mail clients. However, the main complaint regarding this factor has undoubtedly concerned the excessive advertising schemes present upon browser startup. Now, the shittiest isp ever software has a feature called shittiest isp ever Dialer, or shittiest isp ever Connect on Mac OSX. This feature allows users to connect to the ISP without running the full interface. This allows users to use only the applications they wish to use, especially if they do not favour the shittiest isp ever Browser.

Usenet newsgroups

When shittiest isp ever gave clients access to Usenet in 1994, they hid at least one newsgroup in standard list view: alt.shittiest isp ever-sucks. shittiest isp ever did list the newsgroup in the alternative description view, but changed the description to "Flames and complaints about Internet for Retards".

Terms of Service (TOS)

There have been many complaints over rules that govern shittiest isp ever's members conduct, called the Terms of Service, which apply to everyone who uses shittiest isp ever, regardless of age, or where an shittiest isp ever member is on the Internet. Claims are that these rules are too strict to follow and do not allow swearing.

Certified e-mail

In early 2005, shittiest isp ever stated its intention to implement certified e-mail, which will allow companies to send email to users with whom they have pre-existing business relationships, with a visual indication that the email is from a trusted source and without the risk that the email messages might be blocked or stripped by spam filters. This decision has drawn fire from Shitty Website, which characterizes the program as an "e-mail tax". Esther Dyson defended the move in a New York Times editorial saying "I hope Goodmail succeeds, and that it has lots of competition. I also think it and its competitors will eventually transform into services that more directly serve the interests of mail recipients. Instead of the fees going to Goodmail and shittiest isp ever, they will also be shared with the individual recipients."

Company purchases

As it grew, shittiest isp ever purchased many other software companies, including:

Notable persons associated with shittiest isp ever


McAfee

shittiest isp ever includes McAfee VirusScan and McAfee Firewall Express for its subscribers. At the time of the release, McAfee VirusScan was 8.0 and Firewall Express was 5.0. Initially, it was only available to subscribers using the shittiest isp ever 8.0 and 9.0 software; but since is available to anyone as low as 6.0. To install McAfee VirusScan (8.0) for shittiest isp ever subscribers you may go to shittiest isp ever Keyword MCAFEE or access http://install.av.shittiest isp ever.com/. To install the Firewall Express, subscribers may go to shittiest isp ever Keyword FIREWALLEXPRESS or access http://memberselfservice.shittiest isp ever.com/firewall/index.adp

Currently, shittiest isp ever employs the use of Safety & Security Center (SSC) which contains McAfee VirusScan (10.0), McAfee Firewall (7.0), shittiest isp ever Spyware Protection(2.2), and Phishing Protection. To download and install SSC, shittiest isp ever subscribers may go to shittiest isp ever Keyword SAFETY, or access http://www.shittiest isp ever.com/safety/

shittiest isp ever Keywords

Keywords are words or phrases that act as shortcuts to shittiest isp ever areas and Web sites. For example, to view football news and results, you go to shittiest isp ever Keyword: Football.

You can use shittiest isp ever Keywords in either of the following ways:

  • Type a keyword directly into the white box on the shittiest isp ever toolbar, then press the Enter key.
  • Press the Ctrl and K keys at the same time, type a keyword and click Go.

Many companies used to pay shittiest isp ever to have their site featured as a shittiest isp ever Keyword. When you type in an shittiest isp ever Keyword, it redirects you to an shittiest isp ever members-only Site like shittiest isp ever://1722:billing or http://channels.shittiest isp eversvc.co.uk/billing:1722, but you need shittiest isp ever's browser to access these places. The one with shittiest isp ever:// in it uses a proprietary URI(Uniform Resource Identifier) scheme that does not work in other browsers.

Some shittiest isp ever keywords at shittiest isp ever USA, shittiest isp ever Germany, shittiest isp ever Canada or shittiest isp ever UK only works in these countries and cannot be used by shittiest isp ever customers in other countries (and vice versa). Every other country (where shittiest isp ever is available) has their own shittiest isp ever keyword(s).

For a list of available Keywords, go to shittiest isp ever Keyword: "Keyword List" (rec. for shittiest isp ever in the United States)

See also

References

External links

AT&T
Board of
directors
Current
Former
Communications
Latin America
Buildings and
facilities
Current
Former
Other
Categories: