The America Online MythBuster

Reality:
False

AOL's Instant Messenger program used to be a feature unique to an AOL subscription. In those days, you could send e-mail back and forth between the Internet and AOL (though 'Net-to-AOL e-mail was and still is given the lowest delivery priority, with AOL-to-'Net being the second lowest and internal AOL e-mail the highest), but real-time communication was limited to such protocols as IRC (a system known as Internet Relay Chat).

Now, you can communicate with Instant Messenger regardless of whether you wish to chat with an AOL member or anyone on the Internet. E-mail has always been fairly ubiquitous, and now so is real-time communication. Newer protocols that have come along, such as Powwow, Netmeeting, and ICQ, offer you even more choices when it comes to online chat. No longer are you under the mercy of AOL if you wish to enjoy something more efficient than e-mail.

You can download the latest free versions of ICQ from http://www.mirabilis.com/ and Instant Messenger from http://www.aol.com/aim/. Additionally, you may use the Outlook Express e-mail program that comes standard with your Lynchburg.Net account to write to your AOL friends or anyone else in the world who has an e-mail address.

Myths:

1. Raising charges 20% while reducing your online time is normal.
2. All Internet Providers have poor customer support.
3. Receiving 100+ e-mails a week from strangers is normal.
4. All Internet Access Providers are harder to use than AOL.
5. AOL offers content that can't be had elsewhere.
6. I have to use AOL to chat or e-mail with other AOL members.
7. Experiencing constant busy signals is normal.
8. Wading through 3 to 6 blinking ads before getting online is normal.
9. Censorship is a normal part of using the Internet.
10. Everyone's private and credit card information is open season to anyone without a search warrant.