A few years ago in a tech letter that I subscribed to someone ask about AOL., well the answer they gave was "friends don't let friends do AOL" well that saying stuck with me. I thought it was because you had a hard time getting it out of your computer. Today I came across this and wanted your thoughts on it.



WARNING: AOL is looking at you, kid!

AOL has been since its inception an operating entity of the US intelligence apparatus. Their latest admission is that they have formed a partnership with Fatherland Security to permit unlimited surveillance on AOL subscribers, as reported by the US Department of Commerce. They for years have supplied intelligence on subscribers and have allowed government agencies free access. We have told you this time after time for the past ten years.

What AOL did illegally for years was legalized under the Patriot Act, which permits warrantless searches of persons and property. If you use AOL all your personal emails and information is distributed to law enforcement all over the country. American and European business communities are fearful trade secrets may end up in the hands of the Bush crime family and their associates worldwide, never mind the dossiers that are being build upon average American citizens. We have had extensive problems with sending to AOL subscribers for years. AOL has blocked any messages that contain links to sites that AOL forbids you to see. Using software AOL is able to kick back any email that even mentions a forbidden site. AOL members can white-list senders, but it has no effect at all on the pre-filtering that AOL does before the email ever gets delivered. One journalist said AOL bounced 88% of the newsletters that had been sent to subscribers who use AOL, including cs.com and netscape.net. AOL deletes huge quantities of mail prior to delivery.

In August, AOL paid $1.25 million in penalties and costs and has to reform some of its customer services practices to settle an investigation by AG Eliot Spitzer’s office. Three hundred customers said AOL ignored demands to cancel service and stop billing. That has been going on for six years. In similar complaints in April they paid $75,000 to the AG in Ohio. The complaints are legion. A site just dropped all of its AOL subscribers because AOL wouldn’t deliver to their subscribers. We warn you now it is only a matter of time before we have to drop AOL. If you are an email subscriber we advise you to find another ISP. Every week we have problems that you can avoid by changing carriers.

Source: The October 23, 2005 edition of The International Forecaster


http://www.federalobserver.com/archive.php?aid=10214