Ten AOL Watch readers were suspiciously unable to submit "marketing preferences" to block AOL's ads.

Is it a conspiracy? One AOL Watch reader sent this letter to Steve Case...

Date: Fri, 10 Jul 98 00:05:28 -0400
To: stevecase@aol.com, destiny@wco.com
Subject: DECEITFUL ADVERTISING


Your keyword MARKETING PREFERENCES has CONSISTENTLY been returning the following message for at LEAST one SOLID MONTH NOW:

'We're sorry, but our host computer cannot process your request - there are too many requests pending. Please continue, and try again in a few minutes. If you keep getting this message, please report it using keyword SYSTEM RESPONSE. Thanks!

WHEN, exactly, is this thing going to be FIXED?

I stopped at the little kiosk you had set up at Macworld in NYC yesterday (Wednesday 7/8) and explained the problem to the 'representatives' present. They tried it on THEIR connection and, naturally, it worked. When I asked to try logging on to MY account to try it I was refused and told that "if it works on OUR connection it should work on YOURS.

For the record, below are my marketing preferences for all my screennames. I trust you to see to it that these preferences are set for all the names currently on my account (as of 07/11/98). Should names be added/changed in the future, you may rely upon my duplicating this message.

No, I do not want to receive mail offers from other companies.
No, I do not want to receive special offers from AOL by mail.
No, I do not want to receive special offers from AOL by telephone.
No, I do not want to receive special offers from AOL by email.
No, I do not want to receive special AOL members-only popup offers.

ALSO FOR THE RECORD: I DO NOT WISH MY NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, CREDIT CARD NUMBER, OR ANY AND ALL PERSONAL INFORMATION ABOUT MYSELF THAT HAS BEEN GATHERED/OBTAINED BY AOL OR ANY OF ITS RELATED COMPANIES OR BRANCHES, OR COMPANIES THAT AOL IS ASSOCIATED WITH BY WAY OF BUSINESS OR SERVICE CONTRACTS TO BE DISTRIBUTED IN WRITTEN FORM, OR VERBAL FORM, OR ELECTRONIC FORM, OR ANY OTHER MEANS OF TRANSMISSION TO ANY OTHER COMPANY OR COMPANIES OR PERSON(S) WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM MYSELF.

Thank you.


(this email is being sent from my private ISP since I've been getting so many 'system response' errors while trying to EMAIL too; but THAT's another story)