Path: chuka.playstation.co.uk!scea!peter_alau@playstation.sony.com
From: Darco <darco@bigfoot.com>
Newsgroups: scee.yaroze.freetalk.english
Subject: Re: If Frank Bruno stopped fighting, so can we!
Date: Fri, 04 Sep 1998 07:16:01 -0400
Organization: SCEA News Server
Lines: 37
Message-ID: <35EFCBF1.241FFB16@bigfoot.com>
References: <35eee3a1.5783979@news.playstation.co.uk> <6snapf$l6j20@chuka.playstation.co.uk> <35EF37F4.166E@manc.u-net.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: 144.dialup.datasys.net
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.05 [en] (Win95; U)

James Shaughnessy wrote:
> 
> Nick Ferguson wrote:
> >3) [Tanvir,] you have an AOL-ish habit of GOING INTO CAPS and over-
> >using !!!!exclamation-marks!!! which is JuST tHE SoRt OF tHinG PeOple
> >taKe THe PiSS OuT oF AfTEr BeING On-LinE FoR a FEW YeaRs...
> 
> I'm probably being really dumb and naive in the ways of the "Leccy
> Abacus" (er, I mean computer) but I don't get this AOL thing.  I see
> messages from people saying stuff like "mmm he must be an AOL member.."
> I JUST DON'T GET IT!  Oh yeah the caps thing, right ;)

Heh, don't worry man. All caps is acceptable when you use it correctly.
You aren't an aoler. :)

> But what's the
> full story? (morning glory etc.)  AOL is an ISP isn't it?

Well... Yes and No. AOL is an online service that stands for "America
OnLine". It's different than an ISP because you need to have an AOL
client program to use it. From AOL you can get news, stock quotes, etc.
without really getting on the internet. In fact, AOL didn't originally
give access to the internet. AOL is not a true ISP. Internet access was
sketchily added to the client which gives marginal performance to
winsock programs.

The slight malice towards AOLers has to do with a stereotypical attitude
of the typical AOLer. Most people think of AOLers as non-technical
people who just want to easily get on the internet, 25 and up. Also,
another typical AOLer is the young teenager who knows absolutely nothing
about netiquite or proper self expression. I MEAN, THIS HAPPENS ALOT.
ANNOYING ISN'T IT? sO dOES tHIS bECAUSE wHEN tHEY tYPE, tHEY lOOK aT tHE
kEYBOARD aND nOT tHE sCREEN wHEN tHEY cHAT.

The AOL Stereotype is something that you want to avoid... At all costs.

'Darco