~~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~
Post of the day
~~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~

Bob Faulkner (bfaulk@spamstop.ionet.net)
        AOL-free since 3/17/96
   (Delete spamstop to return e-mail)
Need a real ISP? http://thelist.internet.com

AOL sees this as opening the door to business customers AOL -may- charge for this in the future It promotes the AOL "Brand"

Internet Messenger probably defeats the idle timeout of ISPs AOL may count IM-only users in its user base Ex-AOLers may start talking with (and miss) their AOL friends AOL gets a database of email addresses of ISP users for marketing

In an unusual sequence of events, the techonology writer who wrote about AOLs "latest way to keep in touch" picked up his phone on the first ring. So I politely inquired as to why technology which has existed for eons was not once mentioned on his article.

He was surprised and asked me what the name of the software was. It took a bit of back and forth to get him to understand that the software's name was "talk" (the conversation reminded me of "Who's on First?") and that it was distributed with almost all, if not all flavors of Unix.

Well that wouldn't do any good he thought, since Unix is not a mass market OS of choice. So I finally got it through to him that all he had to do was establish a telnet session (telnet he knows...) and from there issue a talk session.

Okay. Then he says, well you can telnet from MS IE but not Netscape, so you are still not talking about a mass market available thing. So I patiently explained to him that he could initiate a telnet session from Windows 95 by going to the Start button, choosing run.... and typing telnet <hostname> in the dialog box.

Oh. I didn't know that. I'll be darned was the gist of his reply. So I said I was looking forward to a follow-up article in which he would spell out that this technology has existed for years. He seemed to beg-off, as I was really talking about "Unixy" (his word, not mine) stuff and it wouldn't be worth writing about.

.....the lesson I learned here.... ...resistance is futile....

OMEGA

sdoliov


From: lindellj@spambusters.org (Lindell B. Jones, Jr.)
Newsgroups: alt.aol-sucks
Subject: Re: seen the latest AOL commercial?
Date: Thu, 15 May 1997 00:49:41 GMT
Organization: Spambusters, Inc.

On Wed, 14 May 97 18:08:36 GMT, pearce@ANTIhalcyonSPAM.com (Jani Pearce) wrote:

>In article <5lbe3e$8d3$2@jake.probe.net>, dok@probe.net (Hanz0) wrote:
>
>>Just saw a new AOL commercial.  They show some AOLer saying "I couldn't
>>believe it!  I can't even program a VCR and I'm online!!!!!(1)"
>>
>>Hits the proverbial nail on the head, doesn't it?
>
>Oh good grief, is this for real?

>Sheesh, nothing like trying to
>attract the completely raw newbie. (Then again, who else would have
>them?)

>I can just see their next ad, probably be something like:
>
>"I can't even dial my telephone and I'm online!!"

>*Sigh* Another shining example of the dumbing down of America...

>
>--
>*Remove spamblock to mail* Member, a.a-s Troll Patrol(tm) - Policy Division
>   The Official a.a-s Web Page: http://www.halcyon.com/pearce/aas.htm
>      Why & How to Leave AOL: http://www.halcyon.com/pearce/why.htm


 -------------------------------------------------------------
 Lindell B. Jones, Jr.

        E-Mail me at ---> lindellj@mindspring.com
                  or ---> lindellj@mo.net
        Why is AOL sucks?
        What can you do with ther cd rom bisk?
        Why ain't I using no good english?
        Find out at http://walden.mo.net/~lindellj/aol
 -------------------------------------------------------------

"Exchange email with anyone who's online, including the Internet."

As long as your message isn't larger than 2MB.

"Get the inside sports story on ABC Sports Online - an AOL exclusive"

See: http://www.abcnews.com/sections/sports/

"AOL keeps everyone happy"

That would explain all the lawsuits.

"AOL puts almost any information imaginable at your fingertips"

Operative word - "almost"

"AOL is there when you need us - 24 hours a day"

Except when we're down.

"There's a place for everyone on America Online"

What's the keyword for Christian Coalition? the NRA?
Art Stone
--
Detroit News - May 1st, 1997: AOL is "the online equivalent of getting drunk and making a fool of yourself."





From: NOT@case.offline (K.)
Newsgroups: alt.aol-sucks
Subject: Re: IE security patch: AOL's customers still left in the lurch
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 09:37:15 -0700
Organization: Sprynet

On 15 April 97, njkahn@no-spam.hooked.net (Mimi Kahn) wrote:

>On Sat, 12 Apr 1997 09:58:26 GMT, NOT@case.offline (K.) wrote:
>
>> However, AOL vice president David Gang said his company only recently
>> received Microsoft's revised computer code, and is now designing a
>> patch for the problem. When the bug was discovered, Microsoft warned
>> users about the problem on its Web site. But AOL chose not to issue
>> warnings to its customers. [...]

"We are dedicated to providing our members with the most effective tools to protect themselves against all threats to their computers' integrity. We believe that the best offense is educating our members ... "

Tatiana Gau AOL Integrity Assurance

"At AOL, we place the highest priority on security. We are committed to ensuring the highest quality online experience possible for all of our members."

Tatiana Gau AOL Integrity Assurance

Yes, maybe Mr. Case is "...winging it ... in the finest entrepreneurial tradition of playing it close to the line". But I think customers and shareholders of AOL might appreciate it if he spent a bit less time "winging it" and devoted some attention to growing his company in a responsible manner: by providing customers with the service they have every right to expect. Then perhaps AOL will be rewarded with that other tradition of a well-run company: profit. Who knows, he might even get some good press.


Mark G. Scheuern


--

Mark




From: artstone@ibm.net (Art Stone)
Newsgroups: alt.aol-sucks
Subject: Economist: In search of the mouse potato
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 17:22:39 GMT
Organization: Altopia Corp. - Affordable Usenet Access - http://www.alt.net

http://www.economist.com/issue/19-04-97/wb8714.html

The Economist has a profile on Robert Pittman and his current situation with AOL (at the above URL).

An interesting statistic:

>AOL's subscribers spend 80% of their time looking at the company's own
>"content" -- a miscellany of entertainment, chat and travel services -- rather
>than using it as an inexpensive route to the Internet.

This story includes a new claim about AOL's influence and power:

>At first glance, AOL is well placed to do this. It has some 8m subscribers -- m ore
>than MTV on most nights

Is this stating that MTV has less than 400,000 people watching, or that the Economist doesn't understand that AOL only the capacity for 400k simultaneous users? Or did they buy the pointless "number of sessions" statistic?

In case it isn't obvious, a "mouse potato" is the Internet equivalent of the Couch Potato.

Ouch. I resemble that remark.

Art Stone
--
Get the "scoop" on using AOL's secret access numbers.
http://kode.net/~artstone/isptest/sprintnet.html




From: xrickb52x@aol.com (XRickB52x)
Newsgroups: alt.aol-sucks
Subject: Meg: Up and at 'em
Date: 16 Apr 1997 03:09:02 GMT
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com

Here's part of Meg's AOL Insider report from 4-15-97:

=====================================================
"It's a few minutes after 7:00 a.m. as I input the list, and I'm not sure if I'm awake, but I'm definitely upright. In fact, I'm sitting in front of my home computer listening to my modem hooking up to AOL -- on the first try! And that's when I (blearily) thought of today's column...because it's so easy to sign on at this morning hour.

You see, Meg is not a morning person (You can tell?), but I'm trying to make a few adjustments. Why? Because lately those low volume hours (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.) have been mocking me with their tempting promise of easy access.

So I'm making an effort to apply some creative time-shifting to my personal online habits. (Yes, Meg has a personal life, even though some of my friends have reported it missing). I'll be logging on before breakfast instead of after dinner; over lunch instead of after work; before I leave the office rather than with my favorite bed time snack."
=====================================================

Yes, boys and grrls, you too can utilize America Online, if only you rearrange your entire life around it. Why should AOL upgrade the system if the company can just train YOU to be obedient lap dogs?!?

If you ask me, Meg has been doing too much caffeine in the morning. Does she realize she is a spoof of all that is wrong with AOL? How embarassing for her. I really hope "Meg" is a PR guy who's just writing this persona.

Rick Brown
rickb52(at)aol.com
(No X's to reply)

Meg is AOL's equivalent to Tokyo Rose during World War II.
"Come on, Joe. You know AOL is superior."




From: rmartin@spam-foiler.voicenet.com (RM)
Newsgroups: alt.aol-sucks
Subject: Re: Steve Case interview on MSNBC
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 1997 15:24:20 -0500
Organization: None Whatsoever, Inc.

In article <332f988e.1695805@news.ionet.net>, BFaulk@spamstop.ionet.net (Bob Faulkner) informs:

> I was up watching late-night TV (actually early-morning TV), and saw
> Steve Case on MSNBC. It seems that the network is doing a series this
> week on the problems our least-favorite online service has had. They
> also interviewed some current and former AOL customers. Case trumpeted
> the company line, that they went to fixed-rate pricing because they
> were "listening to our customers" (never mind that ISPs were kicking
> their asses). One of the former users they talked to cited AOL's
> crappy service, useless customer support and endless promises of
> system enhancements as reasons for leaving. She held a bisk in her
> hand that she reportedly got in the mail the day of the interview, and
> said how ridiculous it was that AOL was hustling new members while
> being unable to adequately service the ones they already have.
>
> It's amusing viewing. They will run a different segment every night
> this week, for all you night owls. I don't recall exactly when I saw
> it, but it was between 2 and 3 AM Central.
>
>

It's funny, because I remember that edition of The Site on MSNBC. It just so happened that the host, Soledad O'Brien, did a segment on the "ABC's of Chat" the very same show. And guess what the demonstrator, Leo Laporte, used to show how fun and easy chat was?

Yeah, AOL.

If I recall correctly, this was pretty much the rundown of the ten minute chat tutorial:

Laporte went into your typical "Lobby" on AOL with about eight other people. After he had greeted the room, and went back to the chatting explanation for the host, he was phished for his credit card number, password, etc.

And he called it a "hacker." Now you would think that a computer focused show could tell the distinction between your run of the mill AOLamer on a phishing binge and an actual hacker. Apparently not.

A few moments later, he decided to join another "room" and clicked on the rooms made by AOL staff. Your typical "Life", "Books", and "Family."

All were almost completely empty.

Next, he decided to show the member created rooms. You can imagine some of the titles: "realsubmission", "hairym4m" etc.

All filled with 23 people.

I was laughing loud enough to wake the dead that morning. Finally, AOL's idiot chat exposed on national television.

At least he *said* the acronym "IRC..."

> Bob Faulkner (bfaulk@spamstop.ionet.net)
> Ex-AOL user since 3/17/96
> "Some people are born psychotic. Others have to work at it..."
> (Delete spamstop to return e-mail)

RM

--

"I became insane over long periods of horrible sanity."
               -- Edgar Allen Poe

>Well well, after causing all sorts of acrimonious 
>remarks by sending out posts with enormously long lines,  AOL is now 
>back to its second favourite annoying trick of sending out two or more 
>posts of selected messages.  I honestly don't know why people sign up 
>with them and stay after their free connect is over.  I tried them last 
>year and hated them, even before they gave everyone free access.  I can 
>only suppose that if you mail multiple diskettes to everyone on earth 
>with a mailing address, you will get buyers.  The things are even 
>materialising on my desk at work now, without even an address.

To all the AOL users out there: if all you have AOL for is 'Net access, take a look at www.thelist.com to see if there are any real ISPs in your area. There are some good deals out there if you look hard enough. You'll get much better service, and you'll be helping to make the 'Net a better place.

There is one thing I do like about AOL, though. The free start-up kit CD-ROMs make really nice coasters. :-)

--
Tony DeBari          debari@net-gate.com

"Another day, another defilement." - Autolycus, King of Thieves

>Wendy Goldberg,

(who?)

>an AOL spokes woman, said the company acted as swiftly as

>possible. She said AOL first learned of the problem Tuesday

>and by the end of the day had a new computer code installed

>that resolved it.

>She noted that AOL has a disclaimer that it cannot vouch for
>the accuracy of the stock information it provides but that
>it is believed to be accurate. She said the company immediately
>posted a note in its help area to explain the problem and what
>the company was doing to fix it.

> Kevin dafler                   | "I know there's a Devil; the son-
> Dorffler@inforel.com      |    of-a-bitch keeps making commercials!"
> ================================================
>                          http://www.inforel.com/~dorffler
> ================================================

>On 11 Feb 1997 06:15:49 GMT, mcgatney@access.digex.net (DAwn,
>(hv)) wrote:
>>
>>DAwn Writes----->>>
>>
>> Seen the fetching Steve Case commercial where the kindly CAse,
>> wearing an AOL T-shirt, says in effect, "We gave you flat-rate
>> because you wanted it, we underestimated just how much you
>> loved us, and we're working day and night to increase our
>> capacity to match our popularity?"  Seen that one?
>>

Heh! Yeah.. a laugh riot!

>> Anyway, CAse notes that AOL will be adding 150,000 modems by
>> the end of June to handle all this extra love for AOL that
>> flat-rate has brought to the surface.  And then, in the next
>> breath, he gloats, "And that'll mean we can handle 6,000,000
>> more sessions a day."
>>

<snip>

The one thing that stands out about that ad...... The part where he gloats about the fact "our technicians are working AROUND THE CLOCK working on the problems on the network" (paraphrased) and there is a shot of two minimum wage garbage cleaners looking at a LAPTOP COMPUTER on a card table!! My daughter said it best: "Is AOL really run on a laptop computer??"

BWWWAAHHHH!

Check that ad out.. it wins my award as the best anti-AOL TV ad I have ever seen. Yes, it beats that wonderful black screen with the busy signals Compu$erve ran during the SB.

If someone is good at MST3K parodies.. give that new AOL ad a try. It is ripe for a rippin'....


--
Allan W. Schlaugat allanws@primenet.com
Eau Claire, WI USA Amateur Radio: N9ISN





From: artstone@ibm.net (Art Stone)
Newsgroups: alt.aol-sucks
Subject: AOL 10-Q (Oct-Dec '96)
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 21:17:06 -0500

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/883780/0000883780-97-000002.txt

AOL's 10-Q for the 2nd quarter (Oct-Dec '96) is now available on Edgar.

Year to year, Revenue was up $160 million for the quarter.

Cost of Revenue was up $100 million, General and Administrative up $25 million, and Marketing was up $94 million.

For the 6 months, AOL's cash position "improved" by $11 million because:

Prepaid expenses dropped $22 million
Accounts Payable increased $27 million
Prepayment of accounts increased $51 million
Short term investments of $10 million were liquidated
Preferred Stock of $15 million (Asia AOL) were sold
Common stock of $21 million was sold

From the notes:

OnlineHost:	*** You are in "Town Square - Lobby 640". ***
OnlineHost:	
Alovatak:	What's up?
D RAB 003:	nothin' much.  where from?
Alovatak:	Alabama
D RAB 003:	really?  im from Florida!
D RAB 003:	Pensacola
Alovatak:	cool. Ive been to Disney world a few times. Do you
live near there?
Leeko24:	helloo
Leeko24:	i do
D RAB 003:	nope.  have u ever heard of Pensacola, FL?
Alovatak:	nope.
D RAB 003:	its in the panhandle right near Alabama.  Mobile is an
hour away.
Alovatak:	cool. Do you have a boyfriend?
D RAB 003:	nope, but that's fine by me.  im not looking for one,
nor do i desire to have one at present
D RAB 003:	do u?
Alovatak:	not at the moment. my so called "best friend" was goin
out with him behind my back.
D RAB 003:	really? that's sad.  who was she going out with? your
ex-boyfriend?

OnlineHost:	*** You are in "Town Square - Lobby 661". ***
OnlineHost:	
DBowers621:	why
ARN 40:	any teens here
JUGGY 001:	age/sex is stupid
DBowers621:	yes
RevMansn8:	FINALLY SOMEONE AGREES WITH ME
Diddle7274:	yes
ARN 40:	age\sex check
JUGGY 001:	me?
BECK1597:	racecar
DBowers621:	14m
RevMansn8:	duh
ARN 40:	m 17
JUGGY 001:	thanx!
Diddle7274:	15/f
ARN 40:	Manson rules
BECK1597:
11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
BECK1597:	manson sucks
JUGGY 001:	222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222222
DBowers621:	what
RevMansn8:	If I cant have u then NO ONE will
ARN 40:	beck you suck
BECK1597:	3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333
JUGGY 001:	who?
JUGGY 001:	333333333333333333
BECK1597:	4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444
DBowers621:	stop
DBowers621:	p
DBowers621:	p
[8 more lines of the same]
ARN 40:	stop
DBowers621:	p
DBowers621:	p
DBowers621:	p
JUGGY 001:	Rev, who do you want?
BECK1597:	5
BECK1597:	55
[9 more lines of the same]
NoDoubtMS:	age/sex check?
BECK1597:	5
BECK1597:	5
[5 more lines of the same]
JUGGY 001:	NO!
ARN 40:	m 17
DBowers621:	14m
Keroppiaad:	15/f
JUGGY 001:	no more age/sex!
Diddle7274:	f 15
RevMansn8:	NoDoubt?yuk! What does MS stand for MY SCROTUM?
Keroppiaad:	15\f  white girl              15/f  black girl
RevMansn8:	?
JVinsonjr:	hello
JUGGY 001:	62
JUGGY 001:	+654
Diddle7274:	bye

OnlineHost:	*** You are in "Town Square - Lobby 655". ***
OnlineHost:	
Kissalive8:	bye cow
ToMsTeR187:	{S CHRONIC
MBerger19:	define a real lady for me sugar
PoloBEAR20:	Hey Whats up everybody
STP5171229:	hi
PoloBEAR20:	{S Welcome
Kissalive8:	anyone wanna talk about being alive ??
STP5171229:	wheres everyone from?
ToMsTeR187:	I THOUGHT TODAY WAS SOME OFFICIAL HACKER DAY?
PoloBEAR20:	{S Hello
ToMsTeR187:	I GUESS NOT
Kissalive8:	Detriot
MBerger19:	ruby whats a real lady
Ruby19790:	someone who knows how to have fun
PoloBEAR20:	Hey how come that didnt work??
MkWrd:	Greetings from San Francisco.
MBerger19:	what do you do to have fun
PoloBEAR20:	Does anyone Have any gifs?
Kissalive8:	{s welcome
MkWrd:	Hey Kissa!
Ruby19790:	:-)
Kissalive8:	{S WELCOME
Ruby19790:	:-)
PoloBEAR20:	Hey kissa
Kissalive8:	hello there
PoloBEAR20:	Lets get together and kissa

**************************************************************

Well it's good to know AOL cares so much about their customers. However, I hope some attorney will file a class action suit on behalf of people who have been damaged by AOL's failure to perform to their own TOS.

Personally, I would like to charge them what my time is worth. However, it does give a new meaning to the idea of the roach motel; you can check in but you can't check out.





From: "Frank&Arlene Hendricks" <afch@ny.tds.net>
Newsgroups: alt.aol-sucks
Subject: re: an article in today's local newspaper
Date: 28 Dec 1996 14:30:47 GMT
Organization: TDS Telecom - Madison, WI


"MAN CHARGED WITH PROMOTING OBSCENE MATERIAL"

NEW YORK - Members of the Brooklyn district attorney's office had a surprise waiting for a Connecticut man who thought he had a rendezvous set with a 13-year-old girl he met through a computer online service.

The girl turned out to be an invention of the DA's squad and officers were waiting when James Barrows arrived at Gerristen Beach in south Brooklyn. He was charged with promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child, obscenity and giving indecent material to a minor, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes said Tuesday.

Barrows, 55, of Madison, Conn., also was charged with engaging in sexually explicit conversations with a minor and sending e-mail showing a minor having sex. He is due back in court on Friday.

Prosecuters say Barrows drove about 100 miles from his central Connecticut home on Monday, prepared to meet what he believed was a 13-year-old he courted for four months via the AMERICA ONLINE computer service.

"This case should serve as fair warning to adults who would prey upon children that they will pay a heavy price for such conduct in this jurisdiction," Hynes said in a statement. /end of article/

/no comment other than support of entrapment, inducing paranoia and "somebody is watching you."/

I don't endorse what Mr. Barrows done but then again, this article falls far short of "hearing both sides of the story."





From: Bobt741
Subject: Cannot get a site to update

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hi.

I have a site that has frequent changes. Yet AOL users complain that they are not seeing any changes. I have heard that the problem is something with the proxy server. How can I counter this problem? Does the Meta tag have anything to do with this?

This is really aggravating.

Thanks
Dan

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

       [ I had this problem as well, Bob.  Even hitting AOL's "Reload"
         button returned the old version of the web page. ]

     "AOL is the BARNEY of on-line services."

            "AOL is the Barney of On-Line Services."


^
|___  Done with space key.

--
<news:alt.fan.kia-mennie>                       <web:http://aaln.org/ht_lit>

James Egelhof                                            jegelhof@cloud9.net

Cloud 9 Consulting, Inc.                                   +1 (914) 696-4000
White Plains, New York                                 http://www.cloud9.net

  _/      _/  _/                                
 _/      _/      _/_/_/   _/_/_/    _/    _/    
_/      _/  _/  _/    _/ _/    _/  _/    _/     
 _/  _/    _/  _/    _/ _/    _/  _/    _/      
  _/      _/  _/    _/ _/    _/    _/_/_/       
"Omni ignotum pro magnifico est"      _/        
                                   _/_/         
(Opinions expressed herein are mine, etc.)      

                http://www.aol.com/about/updates/1995/950803.html

A:  "I've got good news for Macintosh and Windows95 members -- we're
     making terrific progress on the development and testing of the 3.0
     versions for those platforms, and we're on track for a Fall release!"

                http://www.aol.com/about/updates/1996/960707.html


  destiny@crl.com   /\ ONGOING COVERAGE of class action settlement opposition
                  /    \     Do you support the proposed settlement?
==============================================================================
               /__________\    http://www.crl.com/~destiny/time.htm

        Please wait while we add new art to your system.

  destiny@crl.com   /\   UPDATED DAILY:  AOL Watch * Hackers, censors & disks
                  /    \      Saturday: Class action suit settled
==============================================================================
               /__________\     http://www.crl.com/~destiny/time.htm

>Date: Sat, 15 Jun 1996 03:02:11 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Ben Schlaver 
>Subject: The Violence of Censorship: An open letter to Steve Case of
>  America Online
>
>A couple of days ago, America On-line shut down the account and website of
>Dr. Susan Block. This web site has been viewed by thousands of people in
>only a few months. Dr. Susan Block is the Director of the Dr. Susan Block
>Institute for the Erotic Arts & Sciences, best-selling author, host of the
>Dr. Susan Block Shows and Radio Sex TV on HBO.
>        The shut-down occurred completely without warning. Suddenly, we got
>a flurry of calls from fans who couldn't get into our website. Then we
>discovered that even we could not enter our own website. AOL would not even
>allow us to read our mail, let alone update our material or let Dr. Block
>answer her clients' inquiries. A total unilateral lock-out. After several
>calls to various AOL employees, Dr. Block reached AOL Supervisor Lexie
>Haines who agreed to look at the Website (which she'd never seen), and find
>out just what was so "offensive" that someone (who still remains anonymous)
>at AOL had decided to shut us down.  Following are notes e-mailed between
>the two of them over this incident of brute censorship on-line...
>
>
>Subj:   Home Page
>Date:   96-06-14 19:33:50 EDT
>From:   AMHaines
>To:     DrSuzyB
>
>Dear Dr. Block,
>
>I'm very glad that I had a chance to speak with you so that we could work
>out the details of reactivating your account.  I have had a look at your web
>pages and believe that I can now give you a much more clear idea of what
>type of content will need to be removed from your pages.
>
>There are numerous referrences to masturbation and giving ones self orgasms,
>these should be removed.  Discussion of genitalia will have to be removed,
>as will discussion of specific sexual acts.  I would reccommend that, rather
>than having the "Cyber Sex Toy Catalog" and the Video Catalog appear on the
>page, that you, instead, offer visitors a number or address through which
>they can get copies of the catalogs. Mention of S&M, B&D, swinging,
>threesomes, water sports and the like should also be avoided as should words
>such as "horny".  The photos of the cover of "Love" magazine and the one of
>the Chimpanzees having sex should come down.
>
>I understand that, as a sex therapist, some of this may seem a bit extreme
>to you but I sure that you also understand that our Terms of Service and
>Rules of the Road have been established with a very broad range of people in
>mind.
>
>If you have any further questions you should feel free to E-mail me, I'll be
>happy to assist you in any way that I can.
>
>Regards,
>
>Lexie Haines
>Supervisor, Graphics Review
>Community Action Team
>America Online, Inc
>
>
>
>Subject:   Home Page
>Date:       96-06-14   19:40 PST
>From:      DrSuzyB
>To:         AMHaines (Lexie Haines)
>
>Dear Lexie,
>
>Your e-mail listing the "parts" of my web pages that you and/or AOL find
>offensive and that must be "removed" gives me no choice but to remove
>virtually all of the information I have on AOL that many thousands of your
>members have been grateful to access.  After all, as a sex therapist and sex
>educator, how can I educate people about human sexuality without references
>to "genitalia," "masturbation," or  "orgasm," or without discussing
>"specific sexual acts"?
>
>You write that you "understand this may seem a bit extreme" to me, but that
>your "Terms of Service and Rules of the Road have been established with a
>very broad range of people in mind."  What range of people?  The Ralph
>Reed-Pat Robertson-Phyllis Schaffley-Ayatollah Khomeini Koffee Klatch?
>
>Really, Lexie, I must say that I am horrified and astounded at the "broad
>range" of your squeamishness and the arrogance of your censorship.  As I
>told you over the phone, I am a very reasonable, cooperative professional.
>I am not some sort of salacious, exploitative kook.  I work within FCC
>guidelines and according to community standards for my radio and TV shows.
>I am a Yale graduate, best-selling author and respected lecturer in the
>field of sexuality.  I have spoken on the subject of sex in numerous
>universities, high school, bookstores, even in churches and temples, and I
>have never encountered such an absurd, sex-phobic, body-hating,
>diversity-loathing list of no-no's as you have e-mailed me.
>
>I hope to God, Lexie, that you and your ilke are not involved in the raising
>of children, because an attitude such as yours makes children grow up
>confused, tormented, and hating their bodies, themselves and the opposite
>sex.  Numerous studies (including those by developmental neuropsychologist
>James Prescott) have shown that this kind of pleasure-loathing,
>genital-fearing, shameful attitude contributes greatly to violence in our
>society, especially male violence against women.
>
>And yes, Lexie, I consider this attitude to be YOURS.  I won't allow you to
>hide behind the veil of hypocrisy that says "These are AOL's rules, not
>mine.  I'm just following orders."  We all know that the worst crimes of
>this century were committed by people who were just following orders.  Evil
>abounds when good people do not stand up for what's right.
>
>I think of you as a good person, Lexie.  You sounded so understanding on the
>phone, laughing in agreement when I suggested that censoring nudity and
>language on-line results in censoring some of civilization's finest works of
>art and literature.  Please don't stand by and let the evil of censorship
>thrive under your supervision.  When you start by censoring certain parts of
>the human body because they "offend" a few right-wing nuts, you next find
>yourself censoring great art (as those people following orders did), next
>women will be made to cover themselves head-to-toe as they must in
>fundamentalist countries, next books will be thrown out of libraries and
>burned, next "offensive" people will be locked up, and our society will look
>very much like Orwell's "1984" (which, by then, will have long been burned
>into oblivion).
>
>And so, Lexie, when everything is "cleaned up" and "pure" enough for the
>Popes and Ayatollahs and AOL Supervisors, we will wait for history and our
>children to judge us.  What will they say about the army of censors that
>charged through our times, excising parts of our bodies, acts of love,
>expressions of consensual pleasures and works of art?  They will say that we
>destroyed a culture.
>
>E-mail like yours makes me shudder for our future.
>
>Very sincerely,
>Susan M. Block, Ph.D.
>
>cc:  SteveCase@AOL
>
>
>
>Let Steve know what you think about this: 703.448.8700 (ask for Steve Case's
>office.
>****************************************************************************
>*************Please distribute to all appropriate parties*******************
>****************************************************************************
>Check 'em out:
>
>http://www.DrSusanBlock.com (http://members.aol.com/DrSuzyB/ until next week.)
>
>

--
David Smith           *  Next EFF-Austin meeting: 
bladex@bga.com        *  Fifth Anniversary Cyberdawg
President, EFF-Austin *  Steve Jackson Games, 2700-A Metcalfe
512-304-6308          *  Saturday, July 20th, 6:00 p.m. to dusk

Smythe                                                  smythe@slip.net
http://www.slip.net/~smythe 
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On 22 July, 1996, at 6:00 pm GMT, everyone in the world     Phoenix-->*_,--._/
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                        -matt ex-customer since april

                     David Pinero
    dpinero@pobox.com / http://www.pobox.com/~dpinero
 DigiCom, Inc. Web Site http://www.pobox.org.sg/~digicom