From an outraged customer

Mercutio

Mercutio

Fatwah on Western Digital
Joined
Jan 17, 2002
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I am omnipresent
"How can you call yourself a computer expert if you don't know AOL?!?"
-- former professional baseball player, current professional idiot

I just thought I'd share that with you guys. Feel free to discuss.
 
I've had the same exact thing said to me in an extremely sarcastic manner by a close relative I've helped enormously (gratis, of course). That hurt, coming from somebody close who had (and still gets) oodles of my "computer expert" time.
 
The same complaint has been levied against me. I really feel stupid about it but facts are facts - I don't use it and thereby I don't know it well.
 
I gave it to a new customer plain and simple the other day. They have a T-1, but he still had AOL installed on his machine and used that to "get on the web" as he was familiar with the process. When I built him his new $2500 PC, compete with Office 2003 and Firefox, he asked "why didn't you install AOL 9.0"? My response was "AOL is the source of many of your problems and you don't need it." I felt like I was taking away a child's safety blanket.
 
This dude has cable internet to his house, but he's never used it. He apparently still dials out on a regular phone line.

I've *seen* the cable modem. With a thick layer of dust on it!

He thought it was supposed to make his dial up work faster.

OK, so, anyway, I'm glad I'm not the only one with that problem. I've never used AOL. I will never voluntarily use AOL. I think AOL should be de-peered from the internet.

And that's all this moron does.
 
Generaly when ask about problems with a computer, I ask if anything AOL is installed. If it is, I suggest they format and re-install, without AOL. Then I get the 'you're an idiot' Oh well. Eventually, I usually end up doing a format and re-install.

Bozo :mrgrn:
 
Usually I say something along the lines of "You are already paying AOL for support; why would you want to pay me for the same support. I suggest you call them."

You avoid calling them an idiot and you avoid having to learn AOL and they get the problem fixed.
 
There were a few times when I used AOL out of necessity... it was before the Internet became accessible to the masses (which was, what, 95-ish?) and when CompuServe either wasn't working or I exceeded my monthly hours allotment. I thought I might as well since they give you these free CD's. Ever since I migrated from Mac to PC (early 96), I chucked the CompuServe and never used a BBS again.
 
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