Does AOL send emails sooner if the sender is right then using one of their services?

September 2, 2004 12:34 PM

I know speaking about AOL is not eCool, but ....it seems that AOL e-mails are delivered more frequently if I'm actually, actively doing something with AOL (e.g., sending e-mails, or using their web browser--which I don't do, but). Am I imagining this, and if not, is there any way to defeat what seems to be AOL's way of managing resources?
posted by ParisParamus to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

You want email advice from a bunch of traitors?
posted by goethean at 12:46 PM on September 2, 2004

I used AOL for a couple of years, and I never noticed anything like that.
posted by Blue Stone at 1:05 PM on September 2, 2004

If they are doing something, and a mail preference widget doesn't exist, no. There might be a hack to disable such at thing, but you can bet your bippy AOL would go right back at it. The surest defeat is not to use them.

The history between Trillian and AOL IM interoperability comes to mind. AOL fought back. My advice: buy your own domain to prevent future email lock-in with an ISP and jettison AOL for one where you choose your own software...for everything.
posted by pedantic at 3:49 PM on September 2, 2004

Every time you send an email, then AOL will probably check if you've got any emails in your inbox. This isn't AOL behaviour though, it applies to most email clients. i.e. There's no way you can do a send, you can only do a send / receive.

I agree that you should get your own email address which is independant of any email supplier. The people I've used to send me my emails has changed several times in the last five years, but the fact that I have a domain name hides this from the rest of the world.
posted by seanyboy at 12:08 AM on September 3, 2004

Response by poster: The parimary reason I continue to pay AOL about $17/month is their very good e-mail-by-phone utility. If anyone has used Verizon's wifi network in NYC and/or used a Palm PDA with the wifi card sold for it, you might be able to wean me off AOL.
posted by ParisParamus at 7:44 AM on September 3, 2004

Response by poster: PRIMARY.
posted by ParisParamus at 7:45 AM on September 3, 2004