AOL issued a statement early Wednesday saying service would be restored Wednesday afternoon. In fact, it didn't go up until 11 pm.
Subscribers trying to log on received the following series of messages.
The system is temporarily unavailable. Please try again in 15 minutes.
The system is temporarily unavailable. Please try again in 30 minutes.
The system is temporarily unavailable. Please try again in an hour.
The system is temporarily unavailable. Please try again in an hour and 30 minutes.
Earlier this week one representative told the San Francisco Chronicle that AOL computers were immune to the kind of outage that occurred yesterday
.
This kind of thing is going to get AOL a reputation for dishonesty. The
Wall Street Journal wrote, "AOL put out a puzzling press release claiming
that [newly-hired Chief Operating Officer] Razzouk had chosen to resign
largely because he didn't like 'the prospect of relocating his family to
the Washington, D.C. area.' Never mind," the Journal added, "that Mr.
Razzouk had, in truth, just sold his Memphis home -- and that he had
already closed on the purchase of a new $1.7 million showplace in McLean,
Va."
True to form, AOL's system automatically displayed the worst possible
messages. The mandatory-viewing ad pitching more time on the system
started, "We know that many of you have been reluctant to fully explore
the diverse offerings..." The "Top News Story" in their Reuters headline
area turned out to be "AOL apologizes for massive outage". And the
sign-off ad: "This week: 'Gravity Kills' "
AOL plans to make it up to their members by giving each and every one of
them a whopping 32-cent refund. The ultimate irony: just last month AOL
took out help-wanted classified ads saying "At America Online, we dominate
the programs we design..."
But life goes on at AOL. Actual messages from today's Welcome screen....
Set your mouse for adventure, your mind on a new romance.
Clownscope horoscopes: Your daily diary of destiny at Ringling Online.
Coming Up: Tarot reader Melissa Townsend.
Life on AOL - Part VI
Life on AOL - Part I
Life on AOL - Part II
Sneak Preview: Part III
Life on AOL - Part IV
Life on AOL - Part VI
Life on AOL - Part VII
Life on AOL - Part VIII
Life on AOL - Part IX
Life on AOL - Part X
Life on AOL - Part XI
Life on AOL - Part XII
Life on AOL - Part XIII
Life on AOL - Part XIV
Life on AOL - Part XV
Life on AOL - Part XVI
Life on AOL - Part XVII
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