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AOL Mail To Be Accessible Via IMAP

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the move-in-right-direction dept.

jfruhlinger writes "News.com.com is reporting that AOL's e-mail service, long accessible only via AOL's proprietary, monolithic app, will be available via IMAP starting Thursday. The story notes that this is part of a series of initiatives from AOL to move content beyond its walled garden and into standards-based formats such as HTML and IMAP that any Internet app can access. Supposedly a 'a dramatically different direction' for Netscape is in the works, too."

17 of 296 comments (clear)

  1. Hey Nice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now I can delete the 99% spam I get in my AOL inbox faster!

  2. Finally by Andreas(R) · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is one less reason to make fun of aol users :)

    1. Re:Finally by DR+SoB · · Score: 5, Funny

      Haha! No more, "Hey AOL, 1994 called, they want their email service back!"

      --
      Mod +5 Drunk
    2. Re:Finally by elwell642 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Right. One down, 5.28 million to go.

      --

      <insert witty linux comment here>

  3. what speed by jacquesm · · Score: 4, Funny

    The lightning speed with which AOL makes new technology available to their users has always amazed me !

    --
    MP3 Search Engine
  4. important question... by spangineer · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is great news for AOL people, but there is one important issue to worry about...

    Will they still be able to hear the nice person's voice say, "You've Got Mail"?

    1. Re:important question... by elwell642 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Will they still be able to hear the nice person's voice say, "You've Got Mail"?

      Sure! But now the emphasis will be different:

      " You've got mail!"

      (Which I suppose means that all previous AOL clients will be auto-upgraded to say, "We've got your mail!")

      --

      <insert witty linux comment here>

  5. Egads... by RareHeintz · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wow. It's like they want to be a real ISP or something.

    --
    http://www.bradheintz.com/
    - updated
  6. new mail by grub · · Score: 5, Funny


    "You've got standards-based mail!"

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  7. Hello? what news? by 0BoDy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Any Hacker that's been unfortuneate enough to get stuck using free trials of AOL has know that AOL was accessable by an off-branded-sort of IMAP for years, at least 8 years in fact. The fact that they're telling people this, is Good I suppose, but You can connect via Oulook, If you want, but I'm not sure why this is really valueable to anyone, since IMAP isn't the easiest thing to setup, and if someone is using AOL. . . .

    As Far as I know, I have possitive Carma, mod me down if you must

    --
    Can I be a Luddite too?
  8. [OT] Re:important question... by lukewarmfusion · · Score: 3, Funny

    When I was developing a patient community for a cancer treatment facility, I had a wav that, upon login, played "You've got cancer!"

    My boss thought it was hilarious. Good thing we remembered to take it out before the client saw it!

  9. Funny comment on NPR by The+I+Shing · · Score: 5, Funny

    This reminds me of a funny thing a commentator on NPR said a few years ago, "Having aol.com in your email address is the online equivalent of wearing a Members Only jacket."

    What really makes me cringe is when I see an AOL address on the website of someone who owns his or her own domain name. Why can't you just use your domain name email? Why would you admit that you're an AOL subscriber? my brain screams.

    --
    You are in error. No-one is screaming. Thank you for your cooperation.
    1. Re:Funny comment on NPR by Allen+Varney · · Score: 4, Funny
      What really makes me cringe is when I see an AOL address on the website of someone who owns his or her own domain name. Why can't you just use your domain name email? Why would you admit that you're an AOL subscriber? my brain screams.

      Try the decaf, friend. I have my own domain and I still use my AOL e-mail address -- because I've had that same address for over a decade, and changing it would be bad for my business.

      Hey, I'm an AOL subscriber AND I have a lower Slashdot ID than you! If your brain was screaming before, that must make your brain want to choke. If it turns out my karma is better than yours, will your brain commit hara-kiri?

  10. New Direction? by emc · · Score: 4, Funny

    Supposedly a 'a dramatically different direction' for Netscape is in the works, too.

    Woo Hoo!

    Any new direction is better than their current direction: down.

  11. Re:They Could Do THis All Along by Complicity · · Score: 2, Funny
    Competition always encourages innovation
    Only with AOL could IMAP be considered 'innovation' :)
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    - c -
  12. New direction? by chinton · · Score: 2, Funny
    Supposedly a 'a dramatically different direction' for Netscape is in the works, too."

    Active development?

  13. Not News by cbelt3 · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is NOT news. AOL's been allowing this for at least a year or so. Just via a weird port (587?). I set it up on my Mac a month ago after reading about it on dealmac. Even sets up a nice little "SPAM" folder so I don't have to carefully save and pore over those letters from that poor Nigerian guy who is lost in space.