janethuggard - 4:40 pm on Apr 5, 2005 (gmt 0)

Well, Chico, I got news for you. AOL users, as a whole, are the least savy users on the web. I have eretailed, ewholesaled, and worked with them designing websites. I have talked with them on the phone for hours just trying to explain to them what a link is, how you know it is link, what you do with a link, why they can't get anywhere unless they typed in www. before the domain name, what a domain name is, what a browser is, what an operating system is, what a cookie is, how you clean a cookie, and how... after you read an email, you respond to it. These are the very same people who thought they were ready to launch an ecommerce website, and run it themselves. Only to have them call me back and ask me the same questions, again and again, until I cancelled them. (under the 'inability to learn' clause of my TOS, added just for the AOLers)

I have worked with thousands of AOL users, and I think I can say without a doubt, as a whole, they are some of the least capable people on the face of the planet. Those who have a brain in their head, usually leave AOL after the first year.

While AOL is perfect for those who can not figure out how to click a link or respond to an email, it is without a doubt the worst system on the web. They are the reason the web has to be extremely user friendly.. we have to hit them over the head to get them to read or click if we design for their portion of society. They have the worst email system in the world, and have to be 90% of the root of the problem, when it comes to misunderstandings in email. Try to explain that to them, and you will need more time than any of us webmasters have to spend.

Overall, comprehension is very low within the AOL user group.

The good news is the system likes to keep them within the boundaries of AOL, and that is good news for the rest of us.

Yes, there are exceptions to the rule, but I am talking as a whole.

There was a time, when we provided design work that I actually refused to work with any client who used AOL. It was in our TOS. Way too many problems with those people, very hard to teach, save a few bright bulbs... those I was able to convince in the first phone conversation that AOL was a cesspool, and they left, went on to learn, and have successful online businesses now. They are rare.

To this day, I see an AOL email address coming from my contact forms, instant delete. I don't waste my time on them anymore. This post might make them scream, but I can assure you, right now, I will not respond to it. There would be no point. I learned that long ago.