It's happening - AOL jumps into free e-mail business - Page 9

**gdg** · 10 Jun 2005, 06:06 AM

I think AIM mail could be a big competitor in the free email race. The interface is not that bad...well, mainly if you use it with adblock in Fx. True IMAP availability (and for those that love POP, that also in the future) gives it an edge over others that are available right now, and serves as a better backup than Gmail even, as long as the IMAP works right. Other functionality (cancel unopened messages, spam controls, etc) that is traditionally AOL only still is pretty good compared with some things you get with other email services, though AOL as a service in general is terribly overpriced for its usability. Not so much the privacy concerns of Gmail, either.

PhiloVance · 10 Jun 2005, 06:53 AM

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but didn't we just go through this, like when free email accounts were the norm? Now it's BIG free email accounts. I think I'll stick with what I got.

The devil you know...and all that.

**gdg** · 10 Jun 2005, 09:19 AM

Yeah...maybe we just shouldn't discuss new possibilities in email. After all, it's only an email forum.

kaptitsky · 10 Jun 2005, 08:34 PM

When use Thunderbird to copy messages from local to a CommunigatePro IMAP server, the date on the message is retained.

When use Thunderbird to copy messages from local to the AOL AIM.Com server, the date on the message is set to the time of the copy.

Not so good for backup.

Oddly, when OE is used to copy local messages via IMAP , the date on the message is retained on the AIM.com server.

kaptitsky · 10 Jun 2005, 09:04 PM

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/10/te...gewanted=print (registration required)

Quote:

...

Another part of AOL's portal strategy is to find users from the more than two million people who cancel their AOL Internet access subscriptions each year. When a user calls to stop service, AOL's phone representatives will offer them a way to keep their e-mail addresses if they agree to use AOL's new free e-mail service at AIM.com.

...

trew · 11 Jun 2005, 12:53 AM

One of their Carrots? is to want me to take part in Sweeptakes? Whatever that is but they asked me about 5 times now in a month or so. My english fail to get what it is.

Most likely they get some money that way???

Trew

kaptitsky · 30 Jun 2005, 02:19 AM

Our blogger Juberti spoke:

Quote:

More on IMAP/SMTP settings
I was having trouble sending mail with my aim.com account, but fortunately I was able to walk down the hall and talk with the head of mail development, who informed me of the error of my ways...

You must use smtp.aim.com:587 for sending mail, NOT smtp.aol.com. On the IMAP side, you should use imap.aim.com:143, although imap.aol.com will still work. When I made this change, things worked fine for me.

He also mentioned that SSL/TLS is a work in progress, so you might be able to use SSL/TLS for your aim.com SMTP and IMAP - but you might not.

Seems to work for me, and mail sent though there seems to automatically be added to the Sent folder.

Thanks Juberti!

Javier · 30 Jun 2005, 02:43 AM

If so, for access using SSL, AIM/AOL should change their server certificates. Actually, IMAP server identifies itself as imap.mail.aol.com

trew · 9 Jul 2005, 01:29 AM

what is the difference then. Should I change to imap.mail.aol.com ? I use imap.aol.com now at port143 and that one work too. does your example have better feature or reliability or endurance or what? is mine only beta and yours the one to trust in teh long run?

When will POP3 arrive?

digp · 17 Jul 2005, 02:33 AM

so r u able to keep your x@AOL.com email if you are leaving AOL and they offer to allow you to keep it if you use AIM, or does it become x@AIM.com ?

kaptitsky · 17 Jul 2005, 03:08 AM

It's my understanding that they allow you to "keep" your AOL address.

Any offer of a "free" AIM address wouldn't let you keep your address, unless maybe they offered free forwarding.

But AOL likes KISS, so I'm guessing you keep your AOL.com address

digp · 17 Jul 2005, 03:37 AM

does anyone have any direct knowledge?

trew · 17 Jul 2005, 05:10 PM

My experience is that aim.com is related to the IM handle. I had to get such when I joined netscapemail. And despite me not using netscape for 6 month I still got aim.com mail for free istantly when I logged in. So that could indirectly tell you what to exåpect. If your aol mail has an IM handle they you have aim.com mail too.

**gdg** · 19 Jul 2005, 03:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by digp
does anyone have any direct knowledge?

I had an old AOL username from an AOL account discontinued years ago, my first username on the net, and it works on AIM, but with the @aim.com address. I'm not sure if that is standard, though, as that was also my username at Netscape before AOL bought out Netscape. When they bought out Netscape, they disabled that Netscape username, since it was already active on AOL, which I thought was a nasty thing to do, but according to them, the AOL username took priority. Then, with this new AIM email coming out, I can use that username for @aim.com email. A side effect was that I can now use the same username at Netscape again.

edit: I just tried using a more recent username that I had started as a trial, and discontinued, but after getting to the mailbox, it showed a @aim.com address rather than the @aol.com. A javascript box came up saying the account has been cancelled, and to call the AOL number to reactivate. The key message in that box:

Quote:

Coming soon: Use screen names from cancelled accounts for free AIM.com email!

It still doesn't say you get to keep the AOL.com address, though I rather doubt it judging from the address that showed up in that more recently discontinued account. I don't think it would make sense for AOL to allow free accounts to keep @aol.com anyway. They seem to want people to see that as a premium-only address.

kaptitsky · 19 Jul 2005, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gdg
It still doesn't say you get to keep the AOL.com address, though I rather doubt it judging from the address that showed up in that more recently discontinued account. I don't think it would make sense for AOL to allow free accounts to keep @aol.com anyway. They seem to want people to see that as a premium-only address.

Actually, the NYT article quoted above says that you do get to keep your address if you agree to it when you cancel AOL. That reads to me like the only way to get a free AOL.COM address is from the retention staff at AOL.

The Times says that this is to drive AOL leavers to the portal AOL is trying to create. AOL has always had an active rentention program -- try to leave and they make offers, free or reduced cost service and so on. This is part of that effort.

The premium nature of AOL is losing value every minute, and so keeping people tied to the portal, the new possibility, seems important to AOL.

10 Jun 2005, 08:34 PM	#124
kaptitsky The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,186	When use Thunderbird to copy messages from local to a CommunigatePro IMAP server, the date on the message is retained. When use Thunderbird to copy messages from local to the AOL AIM.Com server, the date on the message is set to the time of the copy. Not so good for backup. Oddly, when OE is used to copy local messages via IMAP , the date on the message is retained on the AIM.com server. Last edited by kaptitsky : 11 Jun 2005 at 11:05 AM.

17 Jul 2005, 02:33 AM	#130
digp Master of the @ Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,338	Re: there are free aol.com addresses. . . so r u able to keep your x@AOL.com email if you are leaving AOL and they offer to allow you to keep it if you use AIM, or does it become x@AIM.com ?

10 Jun 2005, 06:06 AM	#121
gdg Moderator Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,308	I think AIM mail could be a big competitor in the free email race. The interface is not that bad...well, mainly if you use it with adblock in Fx. True IMAP availability (and for those that love POP, that also in the future) gives it an edge over others that are available right now, and serves as a better backup than Gmail even, as long as the IMAP works right. Other functionality (cancel unopened messages, spam controls, etc) that is traditionally AOL only still is pretty good compared with some things you get with other email services, though AOL as a service in general is terribly overpriced for its usability. Not so much the privacy concerns of Gmail, either.

10 Jun 2005, 06:53 AM	#122
PhiloVance Essential Contributor Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Cal-e-for-nia Posts: 377	Not to rain on anyone's parade, but didn't we just go through this, like when free email accounts were the norm? Now it's BIG free email accounts. I think I'll stick with what I got. The devil you know...and all that.

10 Jun 2005, 09:19 AM	#123
gdg Moderator Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,308	Yeah...maybe we just shouldn't discuss new possibilities in email. After all, it's only an email forum.

11 Jun 2005, 12:53 AM	#126
trew Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 836	One of their Carrots? is to want me to take part in Sweeptakes? Whatever that is but they asked me about 5 times now in a month or so. My english fail to get what it is. Most likely they get some money that way??? Trew

30 Jun 2005, 02:43 AM	#128
Javier Master of the @ Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Madrid, Spain Posts: 1,344	If so, for access using SSL, AIM/AOL should change their server certificates. Actually, IMAP server identifies itself as imap.mail.aol.com

9 Jul 2005, 01:29 AM	#129
trew Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 836	what is the difference then. Should I change to imap.mail.aol.com ? I use imap.aol.com now at port143 and that one work too. does your example have better feature or reliability or endurance or what? is mine only beta and yours the one to trust in teh long run? When will POP3 arrive?

17 Jul 2005, 03:08 AM	#131
kaptitsky The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 2,186	It's my understanding that they allow you to "keep" your AOL address. Any offer of a "free" AIM address wouldn't let you keep your address, unless maybe they offered free forwarding. But AOL likes KISS, so I'm guessing you keep your AOL.com address

17 Jul 2005, 03:37 AM	#132
digp Master of the @ Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 1,338	does anyone have any direct knowledge?

17 Jul 2005, 05:10 PM	#133
trew Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 836	My experience is that aim.com is related to the IM handle. I had to get such when I joined netscapemail. And despite me not using netscape for 6 month I still got aim.com mail for free istantly when I logged in. So that could indirectly tell you what to exåpect. If your aol mail has an IM handle they you have aim.com mail too.