[Crimson Barrel Knight]

http://www.benstanfield.com/thrash/2005/03...avesdrops_.html

Yep. It's true.

After seeing this, I'm sure there'll be a wide-spread uninstallation party going on. I think it may be because of the stupid kids that go online and talking to their boyfriends/girlfriends, not knowing that they're decades older than them, but that's my opinion anyway. Other than that, AOL's gone and jumped off a bridge for some thrills.

Post your shocked natures.

EDIT: Credit to Max for showing me this.

[Kemosabi]

One simple word does it for me: Boycott.

AOL's percentage rates will soon fall, and they won't be able to make a red cent off their scheme. The worst thing is that most people don't read the TOS for ANYTHING.

- :P -

[Blink]

Wow. That's all I can say is wow. It's like Verizon tapping your phone line. Does this mean AIM the program or the service? I use Trillian right now, and I want to know if I should switch to MSN wholey or just stay as I am.

[Crimson Barrel Knight]

The effects with Trillian are unknown, but they were definately referring to AIM, and maybe even instant messages on the AOL internet service.

[Nobody]

Well, this is just a violation of pravacy! AIM has never been very good in my opinion, and now I think it is closer to some that just takes up space than a good thing. I'm not going to go on AIM much anymore, now that I've read this. AIM officially sucks.
EDIT: I now have an ICQ number. Check my profile for it.

This post has been edited by Nobody: 12 March 2005 - 04:32 PM

[TobiasMar]

This is like a privacy invasion. :P I hate people evasdropping on my convos. This is quite disturbing. However, I don't feel afraid to use AIM, so I will continue using it.

EDIT: I changed my mind about that this is 'privacy invasion.' Look at Andross' point below.

This post has been edited by Gimli the Great: 13 March 2005 - 04:40 PM

[Andross]

It's not privacy invasion, technically. The Internet is public domain. Anyone can get into it, so technically, nothing is private, just protected by copyright laws. People can still look at it and even use it, just not claim it as their own. BUT, AOL should have made mention of a TOS change, because technically, users did not agree to that TOS yet.

BTW, if you didn't know already, cell phone calls aren't private either; the gov't can tap your call anytime it likes because the signals are traveling through public property (unlike landlines, which are owned by companies).

But enough of that. To answer questions, this would apply to those of you with AIM screen names, because you are using their servers. It may not be that you are using the actual program, but in order to chat, you need use their servers.

[l3lueMage]

what andross is sort of true and think of it this way, its not like they will show the whole world your convos so forget about it, or they wont email u being like OMG u said l love u to some girl tehe lol, i mean i am not bothered by it << maybe cause i dont use aim anyways xD

[Nick Presta]

I've never used AIM and never will.

MSN > AIM

[Izar]

I'll still use AIM. I have nothing to hide in my conversations. If they wanna eavesdrop, I don't care. It's their AIM service anyways.

[TobiasMar]

Andross, on Mar 12 2005, 09:43 PM, said:

It's not privacy invasion, technically. The Internet is public domain. Anyone can get into it, so technically, nothing is private, just protected by copyright laws. People can still look at it and even use it, just not claim it as their own.

Well Andross, thats the EXACT reason why I am calm and still sticking with AIM. People calling this 'evasdropping' did NOT make sense to me, but I do hate it when there are people evasdropping. So, I changed my mind about this ToS update. I think its OK now.

[Andross]

l3lueMage, on Mar 13 2005, 07:45 AM, said:

what andross is sort of true and think of it this way, its not like they will show the whole world your convos so forget about it, or they wont email u being like OMG u said l love u to some girl tehe lol, i mean i am not bothered by it << maybe cause i dont use aim anyways xD

That's not why they are eavesdropping. They probably have a program setup to detect certain text in order to look out for acts of piracy or lude conduct.

[Nick Presta]

Just like on call phone lines, where if they hear a series of words (Terrorist, Bomb, WTC, Bush, Assisnation).

Probably for stuff like that. AIM could care less about your 8th grade crushes XD

[Izar]

lol, exactly. it's AIM's service, and by privacy, they wont give your info out to others, except if it harms some one.

[Nobody]

Andross, on Mar 12 2005, 09:43 PM, said:

It's not privacy invasion, technically. The Internet is public domain. Anyone can get into it, so technically, nothing is private, just protected by copyright laws. People can still look at it and even use it, just not claim it as their own. BUT, AOL should have made mention of a TOS change, because technically, users did not agree to that TOS yet.

BTW, if you didn't know already, cell phone calls aren't private either; the gov't can tap your call anytime it likes because the signals are traveling through public property (unlike landlines, which are owned by companies).

But enough of that. To answer questions, this would apply to those of you with AIM screen names, because you are using their servers. It may not be that you are using the actual program, but in order to chat, you need use their servers.

I never thought of it that way...
That post has changed my mind; I'm sticcking to AIM.

[Lind]

There is also the point that AOL will not allow anyone under the age of eight-teen (due to parental controls) to use anything BUT AIM. In other words, some of us don't have any choice if we want to chat with our friends.

[musicman2059]

I guess now is the time to go back to ICQ.

[Elliott]

Lind, on Mar 18 2005, 08:24 AM, said:

There is also the point that AOL will not allow anyone under the age of eight-teen (due to parental controls) to use anything BUT AIM. In other words, some of us don't have any choice if we want to chat with our friends.

Heard of the telephone? Or face to face talking?
AIM sucks as an IM program anyway. Like nick said, MSN > AIM.

[Neon]

I believe he was talking about not having any choice of which online messanger to use.
Telephone and face to face aren't online services.

On that topic, you always have a choice. They only say that to cover their arses if something goes wrong, but anyone with some form of common sense can use any of their services safely.
Unless you're one of those people who goes around telling random people your personal details over the net :P.

I've never used anything other than MSN, and I don't plan to.

[Lind]

Agatio, that was rude. I have friends and family that live to far away for me to speak face to face or even talk to by telephone (like in Germany). So yeah, sometimes the only way I can talk with people when I want is over the internet.

And no, I DON'T have a choice. AOL won't even let me download the program to chat. It pops up with a parental controls web restriction page instead of taking me to the download. This has happened with MSN and Yahoo!

[Crimson Barrel Knight]

Lind, on Mar 19 2005, 03:35 PM, said:

Agatio, that was rude. I have friends and family that live to far away for me to speak face to face or even talk to by telephone (like in Germany). So yeah, sometimes the only way I can talk with people when I want is over the internet.

Just ignore him is all I can say. He's ... er, like that sometimes.

AIM just doesn't really cut it for me, as well. I mean, what other IM services let you edit your display name, and other stuff like that?

[TobiasMar]

Well Lind, he's not trying to be rude, he's just stating that he doesn't like AIM. IMO, YIM > MSNM > AIM. However, I wouldn't say that AIM sucks, it's actually not bad, just MSNM and YIM are better IMO.

[Elliott]

Lind: I didn't mean to be rude, sorry.
CBK: Shut up.

And MSN is free to download, use, create accounts etc. And it's overall better.
Why can't people see that?

[My Best Wishes]

Well everyone is entitled to what they belive and freedom of choice. (silly consitution)
But i understand that some people don't like msn becuase of bad experinces and chain e-mails. I choose msn though.

[Crimson Barrel Knight]

Agatio, on Mar 20 2005, 12:35 AM, said:

CBM: Shut up.

Who's CBM? Never heard of the guy. Maybe he's the stalker on GSSF that keeps calling my cell ... >>

In my opinion, MSN is better than all the others. YIM just feels out of place in some parts of the programming. But even though I see the upsides of AIM now, I'm still not taking a step upon that messenger again.