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AOL Help

Boards Migration - All Clear

Erin BushPosted on Feb 11th 2008 4:12PM by Erin Bush
Filed under: AOL Help, Other Stuff, Community Info, Marvelous Mob, Community Management

Hello Boards Users. We are finished with our database migration. Access to all your favorites and preferences should be readily accessible now.

Thank you for your patience!
Happy Posting!

~Erin

Boards Migration on Sunday

Erin BushPosted on Feb 8th 2008 2:04PM by Erin Bush
Filed under: AOL Help, Status Updates, Other Stuff, Community Info, Community Management

Hello Boards Users. Wanted to give you a quick heads up that this weekend, we'll be migrating our boards database behind the scenes, which may cause strange behavior between 10PM ET on Sunday, 2/10 and mid-Monday 2/11.

This is what you can expect. Your saved preferences, favorite boards and signatures will be unavailable during the migration. You will also not be able to save any preferences changes during this time. Rest assured that they all will return as soon as the migration period is over on Monday -- at least that's what they tell me.

You will be able to read and post while all this is going on.

We're sorry for the inconvenience!

~Erin

Upcoming Important AOL Community Changes

Joseph MannaPosted on Feb 6th 2008 11:38AM by Joseph Manna
Filed under: AOL Help, Status Updates, Community Info, Community Management

Hey folks,

In the next several weeks, you will notice some changes as it pertains to AOL Community. Specifically, the AOLPeopleMGR mailbox will be decommissioned and all message boards will be migrated to a Member-Managed experience.

For a while now, we've informed you to write to AOLPeopleMGR for any concerns relating to AOL Community. As of February 8, we'll consolidate AOLPeopleMGR into the TOSGeneral@aol.com mailbox. Rest assured, you can still let our team know of any egregious Terms of Service violations or general questions relating to the enforcement of the Terms of Service and we'll handle it within 48 hours.

In the next several weeks, we'll no longer moderate "AOL Managed" community areas. We provide tools (like message board filters) that empower the user experience, as well as the ability to report inappropriate content to us for further review via Notify AOL.

~Joseph

Classic (Old) AOL Message Board Format Retires

Joseph MannaPosted on Feb 4th 2008 12:13PM by Joseph Manna
Filed under: AOL Help, Status Updates, New Features, Community Info

This is a picture of the classic Message Board format found within the AOL software. Users still accessing the legacy interface for AOL Message Boards will be redirected to the Web message board format which offers newer features starting the morning of February 7.

What can you expect with these changes?
Hyperlinks that point to the classic boards (like ones you might have saved in your favorites) will automatically redirect you to the appropriate Web message board. At the same time, all "backdoors" to the format will no longer function.

Within the Web format, users are presented with more formatting options, including the ability to add pictures. With pictures, signatures can be customized and take advantage of the other aspects of HTML. Web boards also offer the ability to subscribe to boards and be alerted via AOL Alerts to any new messages.

Some important notes that you should be aware of:
 • If for some reason a link does not automatically direct you to the right place, look at your old link and look at the new one. Here's an example that illustrates what you would navigate to within your Web browser:
aol://5863:000/mB:555062:0123456
http://messageboards.aol.com/aol/en_us/articles.php?boardId=555062

• Some users may need to re-add their favorite boards by clicking the "Add to My Boards" link located along the top of a message board.
• The Notify AOL button is in the form of a link located directly below a message. It requires that you have pop-ups allowed so you can properly report content that violates the AOL Terms of Service to our team.

You may share your thoughts and concerns on the message board for AOL Message Boards or in the comments below. The Community products team will review the feedback provided.

~Joseph

How To Join Chat Rooms on AOL

Joseph MannaPosted on Dec 20th 2007 10:26AM by Joseph Manna
Filed under: AOL Help, Tutorials, Community Info

Hey folks,
People Connection - AOL Community
We received a lot of feedback since the redesign of AOL People Connection. Thanks again for all of your comments. The most popular feedback about the changes was about how to join the discussion in AOL Chat rooms.

AOL Chat rooms require AOL Software like AOL 9.1, AOL Desktop or AOL for OS X. This is because AOL Chat rooms use a proprietary language that only AOL software can understand. No worries, though, the AOL software is easy to use and offers plenty of additional features that users have loved for years.

Alternatively, if you don't wish to use the AOL software, you can participate in our Web-based AIM Chats. These rooms are still pretty new, so grab some buddies and join in the discussions. You can access these rooms with your AOL or AIM screen name and a Web browser that includes the latest version of Adobe Flash.

Continue reading How To Join Chat Rooms on AOL

Message Boards: Updated Layout for Greater Usability

Joseph MannaPosted on Dec 5th 2007 4:47PM by Joseph Manna
Filed under: AOL Help, Status Updates, New Features, Community Info

Hey folks,

The Message Boards product team informed me that they will be deploying an update to the Boards product tonight. This will bring significant changes to the layout of the page. Many of you will probably enjoy these changes since it also adds more usability to the product overall.

The new layout will boast a wider 980-pixel wide format. (To get an idea of what that looks like, check out AOL People Connection or AOL Money.) Also, they will move the Message Board Search from the bottom of the page, to the right side of the boards.

On smaller note, for channels that don't have a newer header, the team will provide a default, "AOL Message Boards" branded one, so it should look nice no matter what board you're on.

The team anticipates that between midnight (tonight) and 4AM tomorrow, the boards will be updated. Let us know how it goes and what you think of these changes in the comments below.

[Update: 12/5, 10:01AM] At this time it appears that the board servers are not accessible. We've notified the board team and they are investigating it and should be back up shortly.

[Update: 12/5, 11:18AM] Board update complete. Took a little bit for all the servers to be updated, but the team and I confirm that the boards are now functioning and have been updated. :-)


~ Joseph

Welcome to the New People Connection

Posted on Nov 27th 2007 5:17PM by Kelly Wilson
Filed under: AOL Help, New Features, Featured Communities, Featured Items, Community Info

Hey everyone!

Welcome to the new People Connection site! Don't see what you're looking for? A bit confused by the new look? We're here to shed some light on the subject. People Connection brings everything together. Boards, featured blogs, chats, hot topics and fun products are highlighted to help you express, connect and share.

The message boards tab at the top of the page guides you to your favorite message boards -- old and new. Just choose a topic and run with it!

Blogs are easy to find, browse through and create. We keep you updated with the most commented on and most recently updated blogs, so it's easy to discover people and points of view.

We love all of the pictures you've sent us through the years, and our photo galleries showcase your photography skills and once-in- a-lifetime experiences. So, check it out!

Last but not least -- the Member Directory. Search for friends and family, or meet a whole new group of friends. Fill in the blanks, and you're good to go.

We hope you enjoy the new and improved People Connection!

If you have any comments or questions, or if you'd like more details about any of the new features, leave a comment below.



[UPDATE 12/20] -- If you want to learn more about to Chat on AOL, check out my follow-up entry titled, How To Join Chat Rooms on AOL.

You Received a Greeting Card ... ORLY?

Joseph MannaPosted on Aug 27th 2007 4:25PM by Joseph Manna
Filed under: AOL Help, Privacy and Security, Community Info

Are you suddenly popular and receiving online greeting cards from people you don't know? Well, you're not alone, I've noticed these, too. I'm going to share some tips to spot these scams.

So what do these e-mail scams look like? I looked in my Spam folder the other day and picked the first one I found:
Subj: Don`t worry, be happy!
Date: 8/17/2007 3:55:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: amanraj_24@[redacted]
To: josephvmanna@aol.com

I`m in hurry,
but i still love you...
(as you can see on the ecard)
http://71.237.[redacted]

So, besides the fact I don't know the sender, the first warning sign is the fact they are linking to an IP address. (An Internet Protocol [IP] address is a set of four numbers that identifies a specific computer on the Internet). Also, the e-mail is not formatted well, and it's pretty generic.

Co-worker Joe Loong, pointed me to Snopes' coverage about the rise of fake greeting cards that people are receiving. Snopes is a Web site that lets you research urban myths, chain letters and other e-mails you might receive. (Other popular AOL-related rumors they've put to rest such include Microsoft/AOL Incentives to Forward E-Mail, or forwarding an e-mail under the guise that AOL is paying for one's [fictional] misfortune.)

On the other hand, AOL Greetings is a safe source for online greeting cards -- so you won't get any malicious pop-ups or Spyware after receiving your greeting card. Also, their e-mail is certified, meaning no one can forge it. Illustrated below is an example of what an AOL Greetings looks like, so you know what to expect in our greetings:

AOL Greetings E-Mail Header. Click to get a larger image.

If you received a suspicious e-mail, you should report it as spam. When you report a message as spam, you help prevent others from receiving it. AOL Spam Controls rely on "community intelligence" to adapt to new tricks spammers might try. On a related note, you can check out the top ten spam subject lines reported by AOL Members -- Viagra isn't number one anymore!

(Oh, by the way, ORLY? is an Internet meme, similar to LOLCats instead featuring a Snowy Owl, which I think fits this entry well. So, next time you get a suspicious e-mail, look into it before you click the links.)

AOL Member Directory Profiles - Password Phishing Alert

Joseph MannaPosted on Aug 24th 2007 5:19PM by Joseph Manna
Filed under: AOL Help, Privacy and Security, Status Updates, Featured Items, Community Info, Member Directory

[Update 8/31: A number of profiles that have been compromised are now carrying a "dating site," which users have not inserted on their profile. Pictured below is what one of these might look like:]


This is a profile that was compromised by a spammer. Read more below to learn how to fix it.


We're aware of a number of Member Directory profiles that appear to be compromised. These compromised profiles are being used by spammers; more importantly, some accounts are being used by "password phishers" to direct people to fake AOL Web site (in this case, a fake AOL Pictures Web site), in an attempt to steal your account password. Here is how you can spot the fakes, as well as what we're doing about it.

The compromised profiles have an "AOL Pictures" image and a link to a fake AOL Pictures Web site. The fake links are in the "About Me" tab of the profiles, whereas the real embedded AOL Pictures galleries are in the "Pictures" tab. Here's what they look like:

This is a picture comparing the fake AOL Pictures link and the legigimate AOL Pictures tab in a profile.
Example of phished (top) and legitimate (bottom) AOL Member Directory Profiles.

The link takes the user to page that looks very much like an AOL sign-in page, then redirects them to the legitimate AOL Pictures site after it gets your password.

Keep in mind, while this particular password stealing attempt uses a fake AOL Pictures site, there are also variations. The best way to ensure that you're going to a legitimate AOL Web site is to look at the full Web address in the link, and in your Web browser's address bar when you get to the site. If you have any doubts as to whether you're at a legitimate AOL site or not, don't enter your login information.

If you think your account may have been compromised (that is, if you think you've given your password to a fake site), I strongly recommend that you go to AOL Keyword: Billing (or https://bill.aol.com) and:

* Change your passwords
* Update your Account Security Question (ASQ)
* Look at the screen names on your account and delete any unauthorized names from your account.
* Perform a virus scan on your computer. A lot of phishing sites will attempt to deliver a virus or password stealer on your computer. If you don't have updated anti-virus software, AOL provides McAfee VirusScan Plus for free.

Once your account is secured, if your profile was compromised, you'll probably want to reset your profile. It's easy to do:
  1. Click Edit My Profile located on the top of your profile.
  2. Click Settings, located on the left side.
  3. Click Reset Profile.
Then you can edit your profile with whatever comes to your mind (and doesn't violate the guidelines).

To upload pictures to your profile, click the Pictures link on the left side, then click "Add Pictures." When you upload your pictures, they will be available on the Pictures tab on the top.

Safety is a very important topic for us, and covers many areas such as your Instant Messaging, as well as products such as AOL Member Directory Profiles. We are currently taking steps to identify potentially compromised accounts and block spam sites.

If you see a profile that you suspect is a spam profile or part of a password stealing scam, you can report it by clicking the "Notify AOL" link in the left column.

E-Mail Box for Reporting Member Directory Profile Problems

Joe LoongPosted on Aug 20th 2007 2:44PM by Joe Loong
Filed under: AOL Help, New Features, Community Info, Member Directory

Hi folks -- so as we mentioned, the Member Directory team has been monitoring your comments about problems since the last Member Directory Profiles update.

The two main issues are:
  1. Some users' profiles are not showing up, are inaccessible, or aren't displaying properly after the switchover.
  2. Some users are unable to save changes to their profiles.
Diarmuid from the Member Directory folks over in Ireland (whom I'll be grabbing as a blogger as soon as he's available) asked me to pass along this message:
"Hi,

We have made a lot of changes with a view to providing our users a much richer experience to share their profiles with their friends. If any of you are seeing any issues then please send the details to the e-mail address MemDirReports@aol.com.

Please include as much information as you think is relevant such as your operating system, which browser you were using and also the date on which you saw the problem.

Many thanks, Member Directory Team"
The e-mail box is set up so the entire team in Dublin can monitor it. Don't forget to include the screen name of the profile you're talking about (if it's different than the one you're mailing from).

Additionally, it appears that Mac users aren't seeing the editing fields properly. I have to confirm with the team, but I suspect this is an Internet Explorer for Mac issue -- since IE for Mac has basically been dead since 2006, a workaround right now is to use the standalone Safari or Firefox browser. Let me know if that works or not.

Remember, please report your member profile problems to MemDirReports@aol.com.

Thanks -- Joe

AOL Keywords Intermittently Working for Some People

Joseph MannaPosted on Aug 16th 2007 1:38PM by Joseph Manna
Filed under: AOL Help, Status Updates, Community Info

Hey, folks. Judging from the recent comments we've received, it appears that some of you are experiencing intermittent problems with the AOL Keywords feature.
This is a picture of the AOL Keywords window, in the AOL software.

When using the AOL software and trying to go to a Keyword via the Keyword box or clicking on a link to a Keyword (including the IM Settings link on the Buddy List setup screen, Mail, Welcome and other Keywords), affected users are sporadically getting an AOL Search results page.

I haven't found any consistent pattern between the accounts or the software versions. I reached out to the Keywords team and they are looking into it.

Also, a special thanks to PGroot for helping me troubleshoot the problem.

If you can't access AOL Keywords, please let us know in the comments below the date and time, AOL version, and what AOL Keyword you tried to access. Because it's an intermittent problem, your comments will help us track this down.

Thanks!

AOL Help: A Fix and a New Look

Joseph MannaPosted on Aug 14th 2007 4:09PM by Joseph Manna
Filed under: AOL Help, AIM Help, Status Updates, Community Info

The AOL Help team has two pieces of good news to share:

* Getting to AOL Help From the AOL Software: About a month ago, some AOL software users were getting 502 or 504 Gateway errors when accessing AOL Help. The Help team looked into it and found the glitch, which happened about 15% of the time.

It's been fixed, and I confirmed this with several users who had reported this to me.

* New Look for AOL Help: The AOL Help team did a complete makeover of the AOL Help Web site.

AOL Help
AOL Help: Better, Faster, and Improved!

The new AOL Help is better organized and has a lot of new features, including:

* Anyone Can Browse AOL Help -- You no longer require an AOL or an AIM account to browse the help articles. (Signed-in users will see additional information regarding their account on the upper left side).
* My Information -- When you're signed in, you'll see information regarding your account, browser and computer. Also, helpful service alerts will inform you possible issues that might affect you such as outdated software or billing issues.
* Product Pages -- Specific products have hub pages labeled with the product logo, and featuring popular articles, tutorials, common error messages, troubleshooting tips and more. Right now, they've got product pages for: AIM, E-Mail, Security, Mobile, Video, Money & Finance, and Radio.
* Search Improvements -- The back-end search is completely new, and I think it works a lot better and pulls in more relevant results.


So, what do you think about the new AOL Help site? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

New, Free: McAfee VirusScan Plus Safety and Security Software From AOL

Joseph MannaPosted on Aug 6th 2007 6:20PM by Joseph Manna
Filed under: AOL Help, Privacy and Security, New Features, Featured Items, Community Info

Hi, folks. As many of you know, your safety, security, and privacy is a top priority at AOL. This includes keeping your computer safe from viruses, hackers, and spyware. Spyware describes hidden programs on your computer designed to redirect Web sites, send spam, or do other bad things).

There's a powerful security suite provided free of charge to all AOL members, known as McAfee VirusScan Plus that will help you combat risks to your safety.

This is a picture of McAfee Security Center, provided by AOL.
McAfee Security Center, provided by AOL. A green check mark means your computer is safe and secure.

The primary benefit of this suite is that it's fully compatible with Windows Vista. In addition, it's packed with a firewall and spyware protection to keep your computer safe. Previously, Safety & Security Center (SSC) was not compatible with Windows Vista.

As a perk for members on the High Speed Essentials ($9.95) or Dial-Up Advantage ($25.90) plans, they get more premium features at no additional charge. You can learn more about the different security software and the features at http://safety.aol.com/. If you're not a member yet, sign up for your free AOL account to get the free security software you need.

One of my buddies in Member Services suggested if you have difficulty uninstalling an older McAfee application, you might want to use the MCPR utility as a last resort to remove previous installations from your computer. Likewise, if you have Symantec (Norton), you might want to use SymNRT.

Fixes for Common AOL Issues

Joseph MannaPosted on Jul 20th 2007 2:17PM by Joseph Manna
Filed under: AOL Help, Tutorials, Community Info

Hi, folks. I just wanted to list out some fixes to common problems you may run into when you're browsing the Internet using the AOL software:

 Web page looks funny or don't load properly
Whenever a Web page doesn't draw in right, looks strange or otherwise fails to load, here are the first few easy things to try:

* Reload the Page: Force the page to reload by holding the CTRL key and clicking the Refresh icon. Here's what it looks like in AOL 9.0:
AOL 9.0 Refresh icon
Shortcut: Hit the F5 key to reload, or CTRL+F5 for a forced reload

[Click Read More to see all the suggested fixes]

Continue reading Fixes for Common AOL Issues

Managing Your AOL IM Privacy Settings

Joseph MannaPosted on Jul 9th 2007 7:16AM by Joseph Manna
Filed under: AOL Help, Tutorials, Privacy and Security, Community Info

When you're online you probably Instant Message (IM) a lot of people and keep in touch with the buddies you already have. AOL and AIM give you tools that let you manage who sees you online and who can talk to you.

Within the AOL software, the AOL Buddy List is the gateway to chatting with your buddies. You can manage your settings by clicking the Setup button located in the lower right corner:
This is a picture of the AOL Buddy List Setup Button

[Click the Read More link for the full instructions after the jump.]

Continue reading Managing Your AOL IM Privacy Settings

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