Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

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."

11 of 296 comments (clear)

  1. 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>

  2. Wish AIM were next by cygnusx · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'd love AIM to be opened up, but I'm not holding my breath. Mail is a commodity now, and there is no obvious benefit in walling it up any more. But IM is dominated by the big three: AOL+ICQ, MSN and Yahoo. AOL has too much to lose by letting go, especially since its craptacular IM client is likely to be beaten hands down by Gaim or MSN Messenger.

    1. Re:Wish AIM were next by osewa77 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Locking in your customers to a product, even if it's not in the best interest of those customers, especially when you have the ability to open things up, is at best a short term strategy. As a company, you're trading goodwill for money. To succeed with this strategy, you hope you're in a market where the monetary value of the goodwill you lose doesn't exceed the extra money you get from the lock-in. You hope you don't have a company like Google or Microsoft (in compete mode) that is intent on giving the customer the best deal even if it costs more! Else you have to just open up like AOL just did. At least GMail won't be providing IMAP. my two cents.

  3. 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"?

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

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

    --
    http://www.bradheintz.com/
    - updated
  5. Unofficial AOL Email FAQ by bcolflesh · · Score: 5, Informative

    Accessing the AOL Mail System using
    IMAP & Authenticated SMTP
    An Unofficial Guide

  6. new mail by grub · · Score: 5, Funny


    "You've got standards-based mail!"

    --
    Trolling is a art,
  7. 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.
  8. Re:And the best IMAP Client is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you're wondering what IMAP IDLE is, and why you should care, read this review of IMAP email clients -- by an MS developer who works on their email software (the review's conclusion may surprise you).