People are saying AMERIKA BOY who comes into several chatrooms throwing his scrolls of smiling faces, freezing up anyone running graphics features while in the chats: they are telling everyone you (AOL) cannot get rid of them because they have breeched security and hacked in through some mysterious back door.
If this is the case and AMERIKA BOY is really from outside AOL entering AOL chatrooms, how can we be sure we are safe to shop on AOL? Can you guarantee our safety and that AMERIKA BOY won't rip us off or be a threat to us in any other way? Can you insure us that when we are booted down to black screen on XP (rare) when he runs his scrolling, can you insure our systems are safe?
Is it true that you cannot get rid of AMERIKA BOY? Please respond back to Goddessof7worlds.
AOL'S RESPONSE TO ME
Subj:
Terms of Service
Date:
4/13/2005 12:28:35 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From:
TOSGen1
To:
GoddessOf7Worlds
Dear Member,
Thank you for writing. To empower our members, AOL has recently developed enhancements to our chat feature. These improvements allow AOL members who create a chat room to have the ability to eject other members from that room by clicking the "eject" button. Members who create the room can also close the room. "Member-Created Rooms" include:
Member-Created Public (listed in Find a Chat)
Member-Created Private
Buddy Chat
When a member closes the room, it becomes open for ownership by the next member that creates a room with that specific title. If the owner should leave the room without closing, the room will be without a founder until such time it empties and is reopened.
As these are not AOL created rooms, but rather member created, ownership is based on a first come, first serve basis. If you are uncomfortable with an owner or a specific room, please feel free to create your own chat room, public or private, or visit our AOL created rooms.
Regards,
Community Action Team
America Online, Inc.
AND THE SECOND OF THEIR RESPONSES OFF OF A CALL
Subj:
Terms of Service
Date:
4/13/2005 12:29:29 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From:
TOSGen1
To:
GoddessOf7Worlds
Dear Member,
Thank you for contacting America Online's Community Action Team.
In order for the Community Action Team to take action against a member who violates the Terms of Service (TOS), we must have complete and accurate documentation.
AOL has created Keyword: Notify AOL where you will find detailed instructions on how to report TOS violations including Instant Messages, message boards, web pages, screen names and profiles. To report a chat room or Instant Message (IM) violation, simply click on the Notify AOL button on the chat room or IM window. Newsgroup violations may be reported by sending e-mail to the screen name: TOSUsenet.
America Online considers AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) separate from the America Online system. Consequently, AOL's Terms of Service (TOS) do not apply to AIM users. Thus, AIM Instant Messages do not contain a "Notify AOL" button.
If you are using the 8.0 version of AOL, simply highlight the subject line of the e-mail in your e-mail box and click on the Report Spam button at the bottom of the screen.
To report an e-mail violation using the 7.0 version of AOL, highlight the e-mail subject line in your e-mail box and click on the Notify AOL button at the bottom of the screen. You do not need to open the e-mail in order to forward it.
To report e-mail violations using other versions of AOL, please review the information at Keyword: Notify AOL.
To empower our members, AOL has developed the following privacy features which can be used to enhance your online experience.
Ignore chat - to ignore a member, simply right-click on the screen name, in the listing to the side of the chat room, and then click on Ignore Member.
Turn off Instant Messages - To block specific members from sending you IMs, please go to Buddy List Setup screen (on AOL 6.0 or previous version go to AOL Keyword: Buddy, on AOL 7.0 or higher click the Setup button on the Buddy List). From there, click on the Preferences button and then click on Privacy Preferences tab. Once there you can customize your IM choices using the options listed.
You can also turn off your Instant Messages by sending an IM to the screen name $im_off. You will need to type some text (at least one letter) in the body of the IM and click the send button. They will stay off until you reactivate them by sending an IM to $im_on or until you sign off.
Block yourself from Buddy Lists - You may also block yourself from showing up other people's Buddy Lists. Follow the directions for turning off Instant Messages (listed above) and select the option 'Cannot view me on their Buddy List or IM me' on the Privacy Preferences tab.
Block unwanted e-mail - if you wish to block e-mail from a particular member, you can do so by signing on with the master screen name, then going to Keyword: Mail Controls.
If you are being physically threatened or harassed offline, such as via the telephone, postal service, or in person, you should notify your local police department.
Please note, this screen name cannot accept replies. If you have additional comments or questions please visit Keyword: TOSQuestions.
Regards,
Community Action Team
America Online, Inc.
It sure is aggravating trying to get AOL to listen. If this Amerika Boy is coming in from the outside ( i don't believe this is true as onliners say) then AOl is not safe to conduct any business, web searching and your systems are not safe on AOL. But, if this Amerika Boy is nothing but a nuisance, we must ask ourselves why people who use sharpened or vulgar speech are kicked off aol when someone who runs scripts (tos violation) thus knocking people off to black screen forcing them to reboot their systems while he takes off and goes to another chat to do the same, is allowed to continue on AOL as a customer.
Is it time to create our own server, say a People's Server? Aol did tell me to keep reporting these script running scrollers. See above if you haven't already figured out how to notify aol.
1 comment:
May I please say that I am very aggrivated by AOL not accepting responsibility for AIM users, although, if and when you go to AIM Terms of Service, it says they are the same as AOL's. Yet, they don't give you any way to report vulgar abusive or threatening logs.
And might I add, I don't understand why AOL offers Power Tools when they TOS you every time you use it in a chat room. Why buy something you can't use? I'm really aggrivated. I spent most of my day on the phone with aol rather than chatting in rooms-because now they have gotten a new policy and suspend you from using a chat room for 24 hours for any TOS violation, even though they don't take the time to investigate if it was a correct violation. Yet they say.."Oh well we aren't in charge of a man who calls you "VULGAR" names or threatens you in AIM. When in fact AOL owns AIM and is responsible. I blocked him from messaging in AOL, while in turn he decided he was going to play by AOL rules and IM me with vulgarities and threats, KNOWING HE WAS GOING TO GET AWAY WITH IT. Although I have a total Power Tools LOG of the threats and comments filled with vulgarities, Aol says that doesn't matter.
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