Glad I don't use AOL!!

Stormieweather · 08-15-2006, 10:34 AM

Quote:

We're on to you, Number 10080615
And so is everyone else, after AOL posts users' private soul searchings and quirky questions on the Internet. Oh, they took it off. Too late.
By JOHN BARRY, Deputy Floridian Editor
Published August 15, 2006

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No. 1197042 plunges into the glow of her computer. Try to imagine her. It's almost midnight, she's alone, again. She doesn't feel well. She worries about her heart, pancreas, liver, spine. She longs to be thin, she longs for someone to love.

She types these search words into AOL: "win gastric bypass; does any insurance cover gastric bypass; are there grants for gastric bypass."

Then she pauses; she starts typing again: "american idol; chris daughtry; bio for chris daughtry; chris daughtry's wife; photos of chris daughtry's wife. "

No. 1197042 and 650,000 other America Online users had no idea their most intimate worries and longings - articulated in computer searches in March, April and May - would be exposed to the world.

AOL recently put them on the Web, replacing each of the customers' screen names with a number. It said the records of 36-million Web searches by its unknowing customers were intended for academic study. Then it removed them from the Web and apologized.

But the records had already made their way into blog land for anyone to see. More than 190 included their Social Security numbers.

They offer a glimpse into private worlds. You can't help but picture what these people must be like, how they live, who they love, the unspoken, sometimes unspeakable things they yearn for.

And you can't help but feel uneasy when their secrets are revealed.

You see people's longings, desires and agonies, and those all-too-familiar interior demons that Joseph Conrad described in Heart of Darkness: "the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire."

* * *

No. 118401 goes looking for Barbie Benton. Remember her? She was Hugh Hefner's playmate way back when. Then 118401 searches for a Calvin Klein alpaca coat, arts and crafts mission furniture, and the number of calories in a single M&M.

He or she checks out real estate in Aspen, restaurants in Buffalo, and skiing in Beaver Creek. Then 118401 types: "arnold naked schwarzenegger" and "best pecan pie recipes."

* * *

No. 11055734 types, "im a muslim man with a spanish girlfriend" and then asks "what steps to take in marrying a non muslim woman."

Dozens of times in March, 11055734 wrestles with his passion: "what is love and lust," "what makes latinas so fascinating to all men" and "persian men like curvy women."

11055734 also types: "real pictures of death and suicides," "real photos of death accidents," and "real photos of death and asphyxiation."

He looks for "pictures of wicked mermaids."

* * *

No. 98280 types in "girl gone wild." Later, 98280 types "first trimester of pregnancy." A bleak mystery is born.

Who is typing? Man or woman? Maybe both, at separate times? 98280 seeks information on "diabetic's use of cocaine" and "co-dependency."

Later comes "coping with abusive spouses," and "dealing with abuse from a spouse with mental disorder."

Then: "chinese baby predictor."

98280 wants to know "how do I get an agent for acting jobs," and inquires about "discount living room furniture."

He or she seeks "bible scriptures for defeating the enemy."

And this horribly dispiriting inquiry: "how does a male's cocaine use affect a fetus."

Followed by this entry, days later: "beyonce naked pictures."

* * *

No. 10247738 types in: "can you be saved if you are a liar." He or she searches for "pathology of lying," "chronic lying," and "compulsive lying." Then seven times, he or she asks: "kirk cameron and six children."

Then: "removing breast implants."

His or her private imaginings span the globe, take fantastic twists and turns. Does 10247738 have a bad dog, long for a baby to love, live alone on a mountain surrounded by wild beasts?

10247738 asks, "why is it so difficult to adopt from china." He or she types: "vicious great dane."

He or she searches for "how to kill a bear," wonders how to knit and make goat cheese, and, for eight minutes, shops for a black lace cat suit.

After midnight on May 11, No. 10247738 types "marry a mountain man."

* * *

No. 10080615 begins by searching "florida teachers certification" on March 6. The next day, he or she looks for Braves spring training tickets.

On the 10th, 13th and 14th of March, the only thing 10080615 looks for is Victory motorcycle stores.

Then, on the 18th, someone on the same account spends six hours looking for places to have anonymous sex, either in public bathrooms or at massage parlors that offer that service.

The search for sex continues through March and April. On May 2, someone logs on to check FCAT scores.

John Barry can be reached at 727 892-2258 or jbarry@sptimes.com.

[Last modified August 15, 2006, 07:08:24]

Article link - http://sptimes.com/2006/08/15/Florid...ou__Numb.shtml

Hmm, the weird things I search for during the course of the day would make most people scratch their heads and go huh!?. I'm an administrator for a large abuse support site so I'm often looking up resources for posters there, posts here that catch my interest may start me searching, my Everquest guild keeps me busy looking for strategies, not to mention my kids and their various ailments and questions which often get the search bar humming. I stay away from porn, lyrics sites, download sites, and anything too off the wall because I have lost my computer data twice to nasty, drive by viruses from places like that. So what would the details about your searches reveal?

Stormie

Pangloss62 · 08-15-2006, 02:05 PM

AOL so sucks. I hope they go down the toilet!

I love watching them crash and burn after watching every other ISP diversify and do better with customers.

AOL can burn in Hell.

Flint · 08-15-2006, 03:20 PM

A friend of mine actually used one of those "free AOL discs" - and you know what happened? They charged him for it. He used the "free disc" and they charged him for the service. When he called to inquire about the charge, he was told to refer to the "fine print" . . . True story.

According to AOL, they had to start charging for the "free service" because people were subscribing and cancelling, and subscribing again, perpetually, via free discs. He sort of felt like "why is that my problem?"

Pangloss62 · 08-15-2006, 03:47 PM

Quote:

because people were subscribing and cancelling, and subscribing again, perpetually, via free discs. He sort of felt like "why is that my problem?"

What did they expect? Stupid AOL! I did the same thing and it was like pulling teeth to unsuscribe. And when you install that "free" software, it puts all sorts of perfidious little links and popups that stay on your computer, EVEN IF YOU UNINSTALL THE DAMN THING.

And those "It's so easy" commercials were so condescending.

Flint · 08-15-2006, 05:05 PM

I cannot comprehend the concept of a "content provider" . . . content?! It's the internet! The internet is the content!

Elspode · 08-16-2006, 12:27 PM

AOL is a company in trouble. Huge layoffs, major shifts upcoming in their business model. They have sucked and been greedy, and now they will suffer.

Flint · 08-16-2006, 04:05 PM

Exactly what my friend thought, when they charged him for the free disc, that they must be in trouble. He used to work from an ISP, and when times were good, they gave out credits to accounts like candy...and when times were rough things like that changed quick. The other thing about it is, were they using these free disc accounts to artificially inflate their subscriber numbers? I mean, maybe they did have X number of subscribers, but were they paying subscribers?

DanaC · 08-16-2006, 05:22 PM

Eww....AOL. I made the mistake of trying out their dial up service years ago. The thing I found really hard to get along with was all the peripheral shite. Not only did they fill my harddrive with bunches of auxillary programmes (none of which had a browse function on the install, which meant they all installed direct to C:/ Programs) but they slipped a strange pair of AOL goggles over the internet. A quarter of my screen was taken up with a border of aolness. No matter where I went online I had to view it through this border. Hateful.

footfootfoot · 08-16-2006, 07:37 PM

A hole. The H and E are silent, like in FOX.

A friend of mine had an animated GIF of the little aol guy having some other little aol guy (presumably you) bent over and getting the daylights f'd out of him. Summed it up nicely in 32k.

DanaC · 08-16-2006, 07:42 PM

It'd be me if it was a gif of a 5ft 8" size 10 ( i think thats either an 8 or a 6 in US sizes) woman with short spiky hair and long legs bent over.....oooh nice thought:P

footfootfoot · 08-16-2006, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanaC

It'd be me if it was a gif of a 5ft 8" size 10 ( i think thats either an 8 or a 6 in US sizes) woman with short spiky hair and long legs bent over.....oooh nice thought:P

What a visual. I need a few moments of privacy...

xoxoxoBruce · 08-17-2006, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

A friend of mine had an animated GIF of the little aol guy having some other little aol guy (presumably you) bent over and getting the daylights f'd out of him. Summed it up nicely in 32k.

Oh...oh...I want that gif....please.

Ibby · 08-17-2006, 09:47 PM

I hope AOL goes down but AIM stays up, cause AIM beats the living hell out of any other IM program.

footfootfoot · 08-18-2006, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Oh...oh...I want that gif....please.

I want both gifs; Dana's and the little aol guy. I keep searching for the little guy. Maybe if I threaten to spank Dana with a fish she'll send me hers.

DanaC · 08-18-2006, 05:00 PM

Oh 3foot...as long as it's a swordfish!

08-15-2006, 02:05 PM	#2
Pangloss62 Lecturer Join Date: May 2006 Location: Atlanta Posts: 768	AOL so sucks. I hope they go down the toilet! I love watching them crash and burn after watching every other ISP diversify and do better with customers. AOL can burn in Hell. __________________ Things are never as good, or bad, as they seem.

08-15-2006, 03:20 PM	#3
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	A friend of mine actually used one of those "free AOL discs" - and you know what happened? They charged him for it. He used the "free disc" and they charged him for the service. When he called to inquire about the charge, he was told to refer to the "fine print" . . . True story. According to AOL, they had to start charging for the "free service" because people were subscribing and cancelling, and subscribing again, perpetually, via free discs. He sort of felt like "why is that my problem?" __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

08-15-2006, 05:05 PM	#5
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	I cannot comprehend the concept of a "content provider" . . . content?! It's the internet! The internet is the content! __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

08-16-2006, 12:27 PM	#6
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	AOL is a company in trouble. Huge layoffs, major shifts upcoming in their business model. They have sucked and been greedy, and now they will suffer. __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

08-16-2006, 04:05 PM	#7
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	Exactly what my friend thought, when they charged him for the free disc, that they must be in trouble. He used to work from an ISP, and when times were good, they gave out credits to accounts like candy...and when times were rough things like that changed quick. The other thing about it is, were they using these free disc accounts to artificially inflate their subscriber numbers? I mean, maybe they did have X number of subscribers, but were they paying subscribers? __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

08-16-2006, 05:22 PM	#8
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	Eww....AOL. I made the mistake of trying out their dial up service years ago. The thing I found really hard to get along with was all the peripheral shite. Not only did they fill my harddrive with bunches of auxillary programmes (none of which had a browse function on the install, which meant they all installed direct to C:/ Programs) but they slipped a strange pair of AOL goggles over the internet. A quarter of my screen was taken up with a border of aolness. No matter where I went online I had to view it through this border. Hateful.

08-16-2006, 07:37 PM	#9
footfootfoot To shreds, you say? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet! Posts: 18,449	A hole. The H and E are silent, like in FOX. A friend of mine had an animated GIF of the little aol guy having some other little aol guy (presumably you) bent over and getting the daylights f'd out of him. Summed it up nicely in 32k. __________________ The internet is a hateful stew of vomit you can never take completely seriously. - Her Fobs

08-16-2006, 07:42 PM	#10
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	It'd be me if it was a gif of a 5ft 8" size 10 ( i think thats either an 8 or a 6 in US sizes) woman with short spiky hair and long legs bent over.....oooh nice thought:P

08-17-2006, 09:47 PM	#13
Ibby erika Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: "the high up north" Posts: 6,127	I hope AOL goes down but AIM stays up, cause AIM beats the living hell out of any other IM program. __________________ not really back, you didn't see me, i was never here shhhhhh

08-18-2006, 05:00 PM	#15
DanaC We have to go back, Kate! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 25,964	Oh 3foot...as long as it's a swordfish!

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