Spam as a detriment to user experience.
[ Posted by Dan on November 25, 2002 | 0 Comments ]

C|Net says AOL is testing a POP/IMAP email client that seems to be apart from the AOL service. Keeping in mind that AOL is on an anti-spam crusade, I'm hopeful that this plan is real and that they mean what they say...

Corre said AOL Communicator will target "heavy users of AIM and advanced users of e-mail," but would not say whether the company plans to charge for the software or whether it would be sold to companies or to AOL subscribers.

Users of Hotmail know the pain of spam, and even if there is a filter to put spam in a trash box, it should never have gotten to you in the first place. Just open a Hotmail account, don't ever send any email, and never give the address out, and you'll still get spam. I don't see that business plan coming from AOL.

Dealing with spam is a bad user experience. I know that's obvious to me and you, but it bears repeating. I've heard it straight from the horses mouths that user experience is a top priority at AOL and that spam is to be fought vigorously. If AOL can supply cheap, stable, spam free email, in a client that's easy to use, then they have MSFT and Apple beat.

 

Comment posting has been turned off because I don't have enough time and will to deal with the constant comment spamming. I'm very sorry and will fix this sometime soon (soon = before 2004 ends).