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AOL To Launch Blogging Service

Jorkapp writes "Later this summer, AOL will launch its 'AOL Journals' blog service, provided free to its members. AOL Journals (named as such, since a survey showed the average user found the word 'blog' to be confusing) will allow users to post text, pictures, and voice entries. More information can be found at the Washington Post."

9 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. The average AOL user by WTFmonkey · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...also found the words "unlimited," "free," and "useful" to be confusing.

    1. Re:The average AOL user by Lord_Slepnir · · Score: 5, Funny

      After they continued to bill my account after they told me I had canceled, I found it easier to go right to my bank and I issue a stop payment. I replied with a goatse printout when they sent me a 'Why aren't we getting your money'. Never heard from them again.

    2. Re:The average AOL user by mesach · · Score: 5, Funny

      I called up to cancel one time after i used them while i was waiting for my DSL hookup at the new place, and the girl was giving me a hard time about it... trying to get me to listen to her schpiel...

      Me: can i cancel my account,

      Her: but what if i give you aol for free for 3 months...

      Me: i really want to cancel.

      Her: let me sign you up its free and you have nothing to lose...

      Me: No I would like to cancel i have dsl now.

      Her: I can sign you up for AOL for Broadband for 3 months for free...

      Me: (Frustrated) OK what have you got...

      Her: going into her schpeil about the AOL for Broadband BS, when she gets to the part about, "then I cancel at any time before the 3 months are up and you will not be charged"

      Me: (Grinning) Then can I cancel NOW?

      Her: (MAD) Yes you can

      --
      moo.
  2. Thanks AOL! by RocketJeff · · Score: 5, Funny

    I never found the word 'blog' to be confusing - just stupid.

    Thanks to AOL for naming it something else instead.

  3. Informal Review already released by SpriteGF · · Score: 5, Informative
    Here's one weblogger's take on the service. Most notably, the author quotes,
    The demo was going to be off-the-record, but because the opinion grinders in the room didn't turn the team into mincemeat -- reaction started with "this doesn't suck" (noted as high praise indeed), and quickly elevated to "they have a clue," and ended with "good job"...
  4. Anyone worried by mindstrm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    about content ownership? With all these blog hosting services... do the licenses permit them to republish your information? What kind of information are they gathering out of all those blogs, neatly stored on their servers?

    We freak out about the government wanting to pry into anything, yet we see no issue when the largest ISP on earth wants to encourage everyone to post their innermost thoughts online for all to see, to be forever archived by the googlebot?

  5. Blog of and AOL user by Nighttime · · Score: 5, Funny

    july 18 - i just tried to connect to america online. ive heard it is the best online service i can get. i cant connect. i dont know what is wrong.
    july 19 - some guy at the tech support center says my computer needs a modem. i dont see why. hes just trying to cheat me. how dumb does he think i am?
    july 22 - i bought the modem. i couldnt figure out where it goes. it wouldnt fit in the moniter or the printer. im confused.
    july 23 - i finally got the modem in and hooked up. that nine year old next door did it for me. but it still dont work. i cant get online.
    july 25 - that nine year old kid next door hooked me up to america online for me. hes so smart. i told the kid he was a prodigy. but he says thats just another service. what a modest kid. hes so smart and he does these services for people. anyway hes smarter then the jerks who sold me the modem. they didnt even tell me about communications software. bet they didnt know. and why do they put two telephone jack holes in the back of a modem when you only need one? and why do they have one labeled phone when you are not suppose to hook it to the phone jack on the wall? i thought the dial tone sounded funny! boy are modem makers dumb! but the kid figured it out by the sound.
    july 26 - whats the internet? i thought i was on america online. not this internet thing. im confused.
    july 27 - the nine year old kid next door showed me how to use this america online stuff. i told him he must be a genius. he says that he is compared to me. maybe hes not so modest after all.
    july 28 - i tried to use chat today. i tried to talk into my computer but nothing happened. maybe i need to buy a microphone.
    july 29 - i found this thing called usenet. i got out of it because im connected to america online not usenet.
    july 30 - these people in this usenet thing keep using capital letters. how do they do that? i never figured out how to type capital letters. maybe they have a different type of keyboard.
    JULY 31 - I CALLED THE COMPUTER MAKER I BOUGHT IT FROM TO COMPLAIN ABOUT NOT HAVING A CAPITOL LETTER KEY. THE TECH SUPPORT GUY SAID IT WAS THIS CAPS LOCK KEY. WHY DIDN'T THEY SPELL IT OUT? I TOLD HIM I GOT A CHEAP KEYBOARD AND WANTED A BETTER ONE. AND ONE OF MY SHIFT KEYS ISNT THE SAME SIZE AS THE OTHER. HE SAID THATS A STANDARD. I TOLD HIM I DIDN'T WANT A STANDARD KEYBOARD BUT ANOTHER BRAND. I MUST HAVE HAD AN IMPORTANT COMPLAINT BECAUSE I HEARD HIM TELL THE OTHER SUPPORT GUYS TO LISTEN IN ON OUR CONVERSATION.
    AUGUST 1 - I FOUND THIS THING CALLED THE USENET ORACLE. IT SAYS THAT IT CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS I ASK IT. I SENT IT 44 SEPERATE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INTERNET. I HOPE IT RESPONDS SOON.
    AUGUST 2 - I FOUND A GROUP CALLED REC.HUMOR. I DECIDED TO POST THIS JOKE ABOUT THE CHICKEN THAT CROSSED THE ROAD. TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE! HA! HA! I WASNT SURE I POSTED IT RIGHT SO I POSTED IT 56 MORE TIMES.
    AUGUST 3 - I KEEP HEARING ABOUT THE WORLD WIDE WEB. I DONT KNOW SPIDERS GREW THAT LARGE.
    AUGUST 4 - THE ORACLE RESPONDED TO MY QUESTIONS TODAY. GEEZ IT WAS RUDE. I WAS SO ANGRY THAT I POSTED AN ANGRY MESSAGE ABOUT IT TO REC.HUMOR.ORACLE. I WASNT SURE IF I POSTED RIGHT SO I POSTED IT 22 MORE TIMES.
    AUGUST 5 - SOMEONE TOLD ME TO READ THE FAQ. GEEZ THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO USE PROFANITY.
    AUGUST 6 - SOMEONE ELSE TOLD ME TO STOP SHOUTING IN ALL MY MESSAGES. WHAT A STUPID JERK. IM NOT SHOUTING! IM NOT EVEN TALKING! JUST TYPING! HOW CAN THEY LET THESE RUDE JERKS GO ON THE INTERNET?
    August 7 - Why have a Caps Lock key if youre not suppose to use it? Its probably an extra feature that costs more money.
    August 8 - I just read this post called make money fast. Im so exited. im going to make lots of money. I followed his instructions and posted it to every newsgroup i could find.
    August 9 - I just made my signature file. Its only 6 pages long. i will have to work on it some more.
    August 10 - I just looked at a group called alt.aol.sucks. I read a few posts and I really believe that aol should be wiped off the f

    --
    I've got a fever and the only prescription is more COBOL.
  6. This is a great idea by ispel · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I know the consensus is that AOL sucks; mod me down if you must. Considering their contribution of a stupendous project like mozilla (funding, many full time Netscape developers, hosting, existing software, robust set of tools, all donated to make the best browser free software), I hope any good ideas they come out with increases the # of their subscribers.

    A blogging feature not original, or particularly timely, but there is no time like the present. This is a great idea for AOL to add great value to their free AIM service (and AOL). I'd say most people have an intrinsic need to espouse their daily lives in a public setting. Current blogging offers require, at least, a smidgen of tech-know-how to find livejournal, download a client, or whatever. With AOL, the user only needs to know what a "Journal" is and have AIM/AOL installed; I believe the service will be quite popular.

  7. Re:Blog of and AOL user by Izago909 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I didn't know you met my grandparents. You should teach them the difference between their yahoo email name and aol screen name. Next time they get it mixed up I don't have to drive 20 miles to fix it and remind them that they aren't the same thing.

    My grandmother has about had it with AOL. She wants to know why everyone wants to enlarge her penis. My personal favorite was when I was helping her out and she got the pictorial advert for fisting transsexuals. They've got more than just mail. I've never heard grandma say a single swear in my entire life, until that day. Thanks AOL.