Farewell, AOL, But I Doubt It

I got my first and only personal email account somewhere a little less than 20 years ago -- LowWacker@aol.com, named for a parody band I had with Lou Nigra and Ed Kassel, Lower Wacker Overdrive, that took its name from Lower Wacker Drive that ran there by the Chicago River.  I even continue to pay the 23.90 per month so I can have dialup capability.

Over the years, AOL has improved its email.

With each successive improvement, normal email functionality has deteriorated.

With the latest major overhaul, it has finally become unbearable to use.

Perhaps you other few AOL email users have not had my experience.  Let's see, what has the lastest round of improvements given me:

   --   Addresses no longer autocomplete.

   --  When signing into email, it now always reads "0 New Messages," even though I may have a couple dozen.

   --   If you don't have your recipient's email memorized, you click "TO:" and after much too long a time, you get a list of every email address you have ever sent to.  You may click "TO," "CC," or "BCC."  And then click "send" and it will place the addresses in your email fields.  But it takes a long time.

   --   There does not appear to be any way to delete old or unused email addresses from this list.

   --   There is no way to go quickly in this list to emails beginning with a particular letter.

   --   When replying, the cursors skips between the text to the address box after a few seconds,  the result being that if you start typing your reply, you find that you are typing your message in front of the address of your recipient.  Absolutely no, zero, point to this function.  It alone renders the damned thing useless.  If you are replying, your addressee is already established.  There is seldom any reason at all to want your cursor to wander up to the address box.

   ---  You can no longer drag and drop emails into folders -- it's all check-the-box-and-go-to-the-menu-for-still-more-mouse-clicks.

Who thought all of these things were good ideas?  Did they try them out with people who are still using this crummy system?

So I say farewell, old email address, although I don't think you will.  The next round of improvements should eliminate the ability to send and receive emails via AOL altogether.

For blog-related items, my email remains CoolHotCenter@gmail.com.  Personal email should go to StevenJonLawson@gmail.com. 

Keep in touch.