AOL Causes System Disaster

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Old news by a few days, but I remember concerns about AOL 5.0 from members here from days past. LINK

AOL 5.0 Causes System Disaster, Hagens Berman LLP Claims SEATTLE, Feb 24, 2000 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Many Washington state residents who installed the latest version of America Online (NYSE:AOL) to surf the Internet are finding themselves drowning in software problems, according to a class action lawsuit filed today in Washington state.

America Online, the suit claims, knowingly released a version of their software that, without warning, made major changes to users' computer operating systems rendering them unstable, and in some cases, inoperable. The suit also claims that AOL, the world's largest Internet software provider (ISP), effectively barred their customers from connecting with competing ISPs.

The suit, filed today in King County Superior Court, claims the Internet giant failed to divulge to its users that the AOL 5.0 upgrade would make dramatic changes to the users' operating systems and would interfere with the user's ability to connect to the competing ISP networks.

Seattle attorney Steve Berman, known for his national expertise in class-action lawsuits, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Washington state residents under the Consumer Protection Act.

"Users who installed AOL 5.0 expected that they were going to get 500 free hours of faster, better Internet access," Berman said. "But what really happened was that their computers were unknowingly sabotaged so that they could no longer use any Internet service other than AOL. This was a brazen attempt by AOL to hold these customers hostage as long as they wanted to connect to the Internet."

According to Berman, AOL 5.0 is perhaps the most insidious way the company could force consumers to use AOL. "Once the software was up and running, it changes so many of the systems configurations, the average user had no hope of connecting with anyone else other than AOL. Many who tried to unwind the installation found that it was almost impossible since it affected more than 200 files."

The class, if approved, would represent all AOL users in Washington State who subscribe to the service and installed AOL 5.0. According to Berman, the exact number of people affected by this is yet unknown, but could number in the tens of thousands.

Berman is managing partner of Hagens Berman. Berman's practice is focused on securities, antitrust, ERISA, and consumer and environmental matters, with a heavy emphasis on class actions. Berman represented 13 states in suits against Big Tobacco, and was one of the prime architects of the groundbreaking Liggett settlement. Other class actions the firm handled include matters involving The Boeing Company, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Egghead, Nordstrom, Boston Chicken, Noah's Bagels, Louisiana Pacific and Washington Public Power Supply (WPPSS).

For more information about this lawsuit or to learn how to join the action, please visit www.hagens-berman.com.

-- canthappen (n@ysayer.com), February 27, 2000

Answers

Downloaded 5.0, and it was a stinker to get uninstalled and off this computer! Also had the same experience with McAfee antivirus changing files and McAfee actually crashed the system and I had to reformat after that.

-- suzy (suzy@nowhere.com), February 27, 2000.

Not to be confused with MS Internet Explorer 5.0, which also "without warning, made major changes to users' computer operating systems". But at least with IE, the guys making the changes are the same guys that wrote the OS. I find IE 5.0 to be quite stable.

But AOL, that's a whole 'nother story... <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), February 27, 2000.


I did AOL 5.0 weeks ago.....havoc with my puter. Fortunately, I uninstalled next day and so far everything is OK. In fact, here lately AOL is behaving very well. They haven't stolen my cursor for many days now. Odd. AOL is still uglier than homemade sin, though.

-- canthappen (n@ysayer.com), February 27, 2000.

COULDN'T HAPPEN TO A NICE COMPANY (AOL, OF COURSE)!!!! I DO HOPE I AM THERE TO SEE IT WHEN AOL FINALLY REAPS WHAT THEY HAVE SOWN.

-- tt (cuddluppy@aol.com), February 27, 2000.

COULDN'T HAPPEN TO A NICER COMPANY (AOL, OF COURSE)!!!! I DO HOPE I AM THERE TO SEE IT WHEN AOL FINALLY REAPS WHAT THEY HAVE SOWN.

-- tt (cuddluppy@aol.com), February 27, 2000.


I uninstalled 5.0 after having problems too. Still having some minor issues after the uninstall. My cursor goes out on me too, canthappen. Everyone I know who installed 5.0 has had problems with it.

Thanks for the post.

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), February 27, 2000.


And, what the heck, here's the Fred Langa article (again!) from winmag.com for those who haven't had the fun (?) and educational (?) experience of AOL 5.0:

AOL 5.0: The Upgrade of Death?

Be afraid. Be very afraid. (Did the Squirrel King have anything to do with AOL 5.0?)

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), February 27, 2000.


Dee, was curious as to what you do when AOL steals your cursor. I either have to go down to taskbar, where it will appear, and click on IE or do an endtask. When I bring up IE the cursor is fine, but if I go back to AOL it is still gone. Like I said it hasn't happened for several days now. It used to be a daily occurrence. TIA

-- canthappen (n@ysayer.com), February 27, 2000.

It's about time someone reined in these "Software Cowboys!"



-- Z (Z@Z.Z), February 27, 2000.


I heard 5.0 was the devil, so never installed it, there aren't any significant improvements that I've heard of. 4.0 is good.

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), February 27, 2000.


I have to relate something funny. A couple times in the near past we've had threads denouncing AOL. I copied the link and pasted it on the AOL stock thread at the Motley Fool. All of those AOL stockholders are devout backers of the stock and don't you dare say anything bad about their holdings. It was, as if, I was personally insulting them when all I was trying to do was provide evidence as to the real worth of their holdings. I lost my eyebrows over there. FLAME OFF.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), February 27, 2000.

LMAO, Guy. Thanks.

-- canthappen (n@ysayer.com), February 27, 2000.

I downloaded this 5.0Shortly after it came on line at AOL, and I saw weird things happing right away, so I got rid of all the AOL programs Everwhere I found it, and then had to reformat my "C" drive anyway..My wife still has 5.0 in the back ground, and is still running 4.0, and she has all kind of crashes, and her curser keeps coming up missing alot also...Well I'll let her worry about it, I'm just worrying about my own machine. LOL..Good ridence, AOL>

-- Vern Looney (lilshoeman2@netzero.net), February 28, 2000.

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