Error messages from AOL are the least of my problems with them --
the worst problem I have had (since last fall when they exploded)
is that messages just get lost in space, WITHOUT an error message.
Specifically, I have had posters send messages to the list and the
message never shows up, and they don't get an error message back.
I don't know why that happens, but it's very frustrating.  On the
other side, there are posters who I know are missing messages and
I am not getting error messages back from their ISP.  It's most
likely to be AOL, but Juno can be an offender.  And Earthlink!

I look at AOL kind of like a subscription magazine.  You belong to
it to do AOL things, some of which are neat.  And it also depends
on where you live geographically -- there seems to be more trouble
in certain geographic regions, probably because of the path the
message takes.

I suspect more and more you will see subscribers do what my family
has done -- we have our mail ISP and we also have AOL for ... AOL.
 I never use it for email.  The kids do sometimes, because it
offers alternate addresses and they can have their own.

We are in a position to recommend to subscribers if they want a
new ISP that they try cfids.net -- which is a "signature" site
that serves both to advertise our illness, and the profits go to
the national advocacy organization.  I think you'll see more of
that, too.  (It's 17.00/mo for members, 19.99/mo nonmembers, the
usual price, plus -- if you're interested -- 5 megs WEBspace for
$5 more -- I think!)

Getting a whole new set of problems from WEBtv customers who
either can't figure out how to cut and paste, or don't have the
capacity to do it.

Mary Schweitzer