AOL Phoenix

kaptitsky · 15 Dec 2010, 09:44 AM

Anyone else started with AOL Phoenix mail, their next generation high-end webmail client?

Interesting; designed to be an aggregator, accessing multiple accounts with control over inbound and outbound servers.

Plus I took a new name and got a great one at love.com. Rumor is that they have released a whole mess of old AOL screennames too.

The quick compose is freaky to me, but it's prolly great for people who like small snippets and don't understand e-mail.

They have added mobile phone alerts as an option on filters, but still no autoforwarding.

Nice filtering options on the in-box, and unlike Gmail, you can still sort the in-box.

The side panel is not collapsible, but it's much smarter, offering various info. I'm sure that's a key revenue plan.

Interesting. And my accounts have 10 invites each. I haven't used one; don't know if invited people also get invites.

It's clearly beta. They promise better Gmail import in 2011, for example, when they will import labels.

I hate the name "Phoenix." So corny, so desperate.

But I like AOL mail.

And so far, though it's a bit trendy, I like this.

sflorack · 15 Dec 2010, 01:06 PM

Ooooh, invites?

jeffpan · 15 Dec 2010, 03:39 PM

I'm interested in AOL's any improvement.
Please send me an invitation, jeffpang AT aol.com, thanks.

Moderator: Fixed "live" email address to avoid spambots.

walesrob · 15 Dec 2010, 06:54 PM

If its an 'aggregator' type of account, Polarismail already do this with their new Group Office interface.

I've had my aol email account for years, and they've emailed to say they'll be sending out my invite shortly. Should be interesting.

I wonder when AOL plan to resurrect the old My E-Address domain email service?

Javier · 15 Dec 2010, 07:41 PM

I have received my invitation to test Phoenix but I cannot get it because AOL has restricted registration for invites just for people connecting from United States.

I have tested several proxy services (all return to step 1 after selecting "Next" and displaying for 1 second the new screen requesting for more info) and I have also tried to get it using a VPN (HotSpotShield), not even loading the registration from with this option.

Therefore, I have an invitation but I cannot offer you more information because I live in Spain.

kaptitsky · 15 Dec 2010, 09:38 PM

Interesting insight in what people are asking for from Phoenix:

http://phoenixfeedback.aol.com/forums/79239

Sorry. You have to have a Phoenix enabled AOL account to see that.

But the list is long, from SSL & IMAP support to keyboard shortcuts. People even want threaded messages. And all the aggregator problems are there, like having to pay for Yahoo POP3 to get it.

The focus seems to be on the interface, and not on deeper functionality.

Javier · 15 Dec 2010, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaptitsky

Interesting insight in what people are asking for from Phoenix:

http://phoenixfeedback.aol.com/forums/79239

I am not able to see the forum. Maybe geographical restrictions too.

I have registered in the forum, but when trying to access the suggested URL I get this error message:

"This forum is open to Project Phoenix users only. Thanks for your interest!"

kaptitsky · 15 Dec 2010, 09:53 PM

I find the "Quick Bar" very annoying. It's always across the top of the screen with my chat icon and very big icons for mail, IM, SMS and status, and it wants to expand into a compose window. The damn icons should be half the size for me, or be able to dissapear, but it's what they are selling.

And the side bar is, well

Quote:

Smart View
Convenient access to what's in your inbox:
This conversation
Snippets of each message and who wrote them
Attached photos
A gallery of photos and a player to view them
Attached files
Displayed here so you don't need to dig
Mapped locations
Turn addresses into maps and links to directions
Articles you might like
Scan headlines and keep up with what's happening.

sflorack · 15 Dec 2010, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaptitsky

The damn icons should be half the size for me, or be able to dissapear, but it's what they are selling.

Have you considered a using stylesheet?

I actually don't mind the styling. It reminds me of the Windows Start button.

PS. Thanks for the invite!

sheprd · 16 Dec 2010, 11:01 PM

Thanks kaptitsky for info provided I received my Invite a few days ago but did not receive any Invites for friends. Were your invites sent along with your original ? Have any idea as to how I could get some invites for friends? I am happy with getting the user name I wanted and the short domain. For the present I am using my new address via pop with another of my accts. If you can think of any way for me to receive additional invites, please post.

kaptitsky · 16 Dec 2010, 11:28 PM

In the "Smart Bar," on the right hand side of the interface, just under the "search" box, I have a small heart with the number of invitations I have left:

X Invites left
Invite a friend to Phoenix!

I click on that to open a window and enter an e-mail address for invitations. That e-mail contains the required link.

sheprd · 16 Dec 2010, 11:41 PM

Thanks a million kaptitsky.

kaptitsky · 19 Dec 2010, 09:01 AM

As most of us know, as an aggregator, Gmail pulls POP3 mail from other accounts on some sort of automatic schedule. Not a real clear or simple schedule, but on a schedule.

AOL Phoenix, in which aggregation may be the biggest new component, doesn't do that. It seems to pull only when you log into the webmail.

That means that IMAP access won't show new mail from other accounts. It means that SMS notification in a filter won't show new mail (and it wont do other actions that Gmail offers like automatic forwarding ever.)

It's not a great aggregator, in other words. Not useful to me.

As far as I can see, the three new components in Phoenix are

1) Aggregation ("one mailbox")
2) Interface changes (the quick bar and side bar)
3) Some social media interconnection (like status updates)

None of these are really great features, at least to me. I can't imagine why it might move any real mailhead away from Gmail

And there are bits I am missing from classic AOL. For example, they have gone to paged views of the inbox rather than the old continuous view.

sheprd · 20 Dec 2010, 04:11 AM

I received a request for an INVITE from a forum user. How do I send him one?

kaptitsky · 20 Dec 2010, 04:41 AM

You either get an e-mail address from them and send the invite to that address, or you send the invite to one of your addresses, copy the link from that e-mail and PM them the link, which is what I did.

I'd suggest you get an e-mail address from them in a PM.

15 Dec 2010, 09:44 AM	#1
kaptitsky The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,186	AOL Phoenix Anyone else started with AOL Phoenix mail, their next generation high-end webmail client? Interesting; designed to be an aggregator, accessing multiple accounts with control over inbound and outbound servers. Plus I took a new name and got a great one at love.com. Rumor is that they have released a whole mess of old AOL screennames too. The quick compose is freaky to me, but it's prolly great for people who like small snippets and don't understand e-mail. They have added mobile phone alerts as an option on filters, but still no autoforwarding. Nice filtering options on the in-box, and unlike Gmail, you can still sort the in-box. The side panel is not collapsible, but it's much smarter, offering various info. I'm sure that's a key revenue plan. Interesting. And my accounts have 10 invites each. I haven't used one; don't know if invited people also get invites. It's clearly beta. They promise better Gmail import in 2011, for example, when they will import labels. I hate the name "Phoenix." So corny, so desperate. But I like AOL mail. And so far, though it's a bit trendy, I like this.

15 Dec 2010, 07:41 PM	#5
Javier Master of the @ Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 1,344	Problem with invitations I have received my invitation to test Phoenix but I cannot get it because AOL has restricted registration for invites just for people connecting from United States. I have tested several proxy services (all return to step 1 after selecting "Next" and displaying for 1 second the new screen requesting for more info) and I have also tried to get it using a VPN (HotSpotShield), not even loading the registration from with this option. Therefore, I have an invitation but I cannot offer you more information because I live in Spain.

15 Dec 2010, 09:38 PM	#6
kaptitsky The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,186	Interesting insight in what people are asking for from Phoenix: http://phoenixfeedback.aol.com/forums/79239 Sorry. You have to have a Phoenix enabled AOL account to see that. But the list is long, from SSL & IMAP support to keyboard shortcuts. People even want threaded messages. And all the aggregator problems are there, like having to pay for Yahoo POP3 to get it. The focus seems to be on the interface, and not on deeper functionality. Last edited by kaptitsky : 15 Dec 2010 at 09:45 PM.

15 Dec 2010, 01:06 PM	#2
sflorack The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 2,937	Ooooh, invites?

15 Dec 2010, 03:39 PM	#3
jeffpan The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Macao Posts: 2,428 Representative of: tls-mail.com	I'm interested in AOL's any improvement. Please send me an invitation, jeffpang AT aol.com, thanks. Moderator: Fixed "live" email address to avoid spambots.

15 Dec 2010, 06:54 PM	#4
walesrob Essential Contributor Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: UK Posts: 392	If its an 'aggregator' type of account, Polarismail already do this with their new Group Office interface. I've had my aol email account for years, and they've emailed to say they'll be sending out my invite shortly. Should be interesting. I wonder when AOL plan to resurrect the old My E-Address domain email service?

16 Dec 2010, 11:01 PM	#10
sheprd The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: VA, USA Posts: 2,789	Thanks kaptitsky for info provided I received my Invite a few days ago but did not receive any Invites for friends. Were your invites sent along with your original ? Have any idea as to how I could get some invites for friends? I am happy with getting the user name I wanted and the short domain. For the present I am using my new address via pop with another of my accts. If you can think of any way for me to receive additional invites, please post.

16 Dec 2010, 11:28 PM	#11
kaptitsky The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,186	In the "Smart Bar," on the right hand side of the interface, just under the "search" box, I have a small heart with the number of invitations I have left: X Invites left Invite a friend to Phoenix! I click on that to open a window and enter an e-mail address for invitations. That e-mail contains the required link.

16 Dec 2010, 11:41 PM	#12
sheprd The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: VA, USA Posts: 2,789	Thanks a million kaptitsky.

19 Dec 2010, 09:01 AM	#13
kaptitsky The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,186	As most of us know, as an aggregator, Gmail pulls POP3 mail from other accounts on some sort of automatic schedule. Not a real clear or simple schedule, but on a schedule. AOL Phoenix, in which aggregation may be the biggest new component, doesn't do that. It seems to pull only when you log into the webmail. That means that IMAP access won't show new mail from other accounts. It means that SMS notification in a filter won't show new mail (and it wont do other actions that Gmail offers like automatic forwarding ever.) It's not a great aggregator, in other words. Not useful to me. As far as I can see, the three new components in Phoenix are 1) Aggregation ("one mailbox") 2) Interface changes (the quick bar and side bar) 3) Some social media interconnection (like status updates) None of these are really great features, at least to me. I can't imagine why it might move any real mailhead away from Gmail And there are bits I am missing from classic AOL. For example, they have gone to paged views of the inbox rather than the old continuous view.

20 Dec 2010, 04:11 AM	#14
sheprd The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: VA, USA Posts: 2,789	I received a request for an INVITE from a forum user. How do I send him one?

20 Dec 2010, 04:41 AM	#15
kaptitsky The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,186	You either get an e-mail address from them and send the invite to that address, or you send the invite to one of your addresses, copy the link from that e-mail and PM them the link, which is what I did. I'd suggest you get an e-mail address from them in a PM.