Actual choices for AOL's "Hub" channel
<blockquote>

<B>	The Hot Button.  Download Mr. December.<BR><BR>
	Live girl:  the naked truth about men and women<BR><BR>
	Sex talk with Dr. Judy:  Advice from a top therapist<BR></B>
</blockquote><BR>
Even the Welcome screen ad for AOL's "Digital City" read "CAN'T GET NO
SATISFACTION? You haven't seen our People & Personals!  
<P>
The Hub's only non-sexual choice was "Tarot to go:  Get your fortune told
online".  <P>

Messages from AOL's Welcome screen are only slightly more promising... <P><BR>
<center>

<B>   Toons are Tops!  Find Astro, Scooby & Dino in the Cartoon Network.</B>
<P>
	<B>	Actor Gary Coleman.  In Celebrity Circle.</B>
<P>
<B>   TEN HUT:  Arm your mind.  Air your views.  Military City Online.</B>
<P><BR>
</center>
That last area is dedicated to life in the military.  Its welcome screen
sends out mixed signals...<BR><BR>
<blockquote>
	<B> Support our deployed troops this Thanksgiving.<BR>
 Discuss the latest news, like the misconduct at Aberdeen...<BR></B>
</blockquote>

The whole "Welcome Screen" idea is a naked ploy to get users to spend more
time online.  As a blatant revenue-generating device, members signing on
are met with loaded questions. <BR><BR><BR>
<center>
<B> Illegal Alien Deportation - Digital City asks:  Cruelty or Good
  Riddance?<BR><BR>

 Is Odwalla using the e-coli scare to put competitors out of business?
  Sound Off!<BR><BR>

 PROSTITUTION!  Right or wrong?  Vote in the Digital City SF Insta-poll
<BR><BR>
 SOUND OFF!  OJ's 2nd day of testimony.  Do you believe him?  Do you
  CARE? 
<BR><BR>
 Al Davis says RAIDERS WOES are Oakland's fault.  Sound Off in Digital.
<BR><BR>
</B></center>
Yet despite AOL's busy signals, they keep exhorting users to spend more
time online. The day AOL switched to flat-rate pricing, I decided to check
out the chat room "Lobby". 
<BR><BR>
<pre>

	Town Square - Lobby 249
	~~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~
	DinaGram:	Hi
	Jinkeze33:	Dina?
	TShea52578:	hello????????????????
	Jinkeze33:	Hello
	DinaGram:	how are you?
	Tedybear26:	hey
	ATleins69:	who da fuck likes RAP
	TShea52578:	what's up
	DinaGram:	i don't
	Jinkeze33:	Nothin
	Jinkeze33:	I don't either

</pre>
Ah, life on AOL.  But that was a generic chat room.  A week later, I
decided I might have better luck if I tried the David Letterman chat room
in AOL's new "Late Show"  area...
<BR><pre>
	FSTICK69:	it doesn't stand for fishstick
	Brazthetar:	he
	Brazthetar:	he
	Brazthetar:	he
	AGO 42:		i figured that
	Filter769:	fart stick
	Approximat:	heehee
	SWEBABE:	yes
	Brazthetar:	dats wut i tot
	Filter769:	you are
	Filter769:	wow
	FSTICK69:	f---stick69
	Filter769:	fart stick
</pre>

Now I understand this welcome screen message from August 10:<BR><BR>
<center>
<B>    Is drooling ever in good taste?  Spit it out in this week's Fab Fact.
</B></center>




<BR>

<hr>
<blockquote>
<A HREF="welcome1.htm">Life on AOL - Part I</A><BR>
<A HREF="welcome2.htm">Life on AOL - Part II</A><BR>
<A HREF="postday.htm#partIII">Sneak Preview:  Part III</A><BR>
<A HREF="welcome4.htm">Sneak Preview:  Part IV</A><BR>
<A HREF="welcome5.htm">Life on AOL - Part V</A><BR>
<A HREF="welcome6.htm">Life on AOL - Part VI</A><BR>
<A HREF="welcome7.htm">Life on AOL - Part VII</A><BR>
<A HREF="http://www.frontiernet.com/~patches/ws/aolgreet.txt">Life on AOL - Part VIII</A><BR>
<A HREF="http://www.covesoft.com/underwired/spams.html">Life on AOL - Part IX</A><BR>
<A HREF="welcomex.htm">Life on AOL - Part X</A><BR>
<A HREF="eyargh.htm">Life on AOL - Part XI</A><BR>
<A HREF="puck.htm">Life on AOL - Part XII</A><BR>
<A HREF="parte.htm">Life on AOL - Part XIII</A><BR>
<A HREF="life14.htm">Life on AOL - Part XIV</A><BR>
<A HREF="life15.htm">Life on AOL - Part XV</A><BR><BR>

<A HREF="whonetg.htm">Life on AOL - Part XVII</A><BR>
<A HREF="life18.htm">Life on AOL - Part XVIII</A><BR>
<A HREF="life19.htm">Life on AOL - Part XIX</A><BR>
<A HREF="life20.htm">Life on AOL - Part XX</A><BR>



<BR>

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