Today the Instant Messenger name I have had for 8 years was suspended because it was once connected to an AOL account. I haven't had AOL for years and have happily gone about using the AIM name Xkot, but now after all this time they have taken the name away from me because ages ago it was connected to an account there. Apparently they are hoping the people they do this to will sign up with their pile of garbage service to get their names back.
I can tell you this - I will never, ever pay for any AOL product. I won't use Netscape. I will do my damnedest to avoid anything related to Time Warner. I am going to cancel my subscription to Time magazine. I will still use AIM under a different name just because that is the only way to talk to some people, but I'll be looking into other clients like Trillian so I don't support them by viewing ads. They have done nothing but put the final nail in the coffin of any positive feelings I have had for the company.
Along with my username I lost the majority of my buddy list. Feel free to drop me an email with your AIM name just to make sure I have it. I don't know which one I'll use for now but I'll reply to you with it if I settle on one.
Posted by Xkot at March 12, 2003 03:42 PM | Speak It | TrackbackThere's always Yahoo! Messenger. Even has webcam support.
Posted by: Ezrael on March 12, 2003 04:03 PM - linkDid they give you a new one, like Xkot12098432_341? :-p
Posted by: Susan on March 12, 2003 04:30 PM - linkWhen did this happen? My aim name was part of an AOL account right about the same time yours was, but I was able to log in about an hour ago. If they screw with it, I will be very upset, as everyone knows my web presence begins and ends with dabloone. I have others as well, mainly for remote purposes, but I already lost my damn zone name to Microsoft, those SOBs.
I haven't touched AIM itself in over 9 months. I use Trillian exclusively. Since AOL gave up on the battle to block it, I have had no problems at all, and updates come out fairly consistently. And there are no ads. :-D
Posted by: dabloone on March 12, 2003 05:12 PM - linkEz - For some reason I just can't stand Yahoo's messenger.
Susan... no... fortunately there aren't that many Xkot's :)
Dabloone... I know what you mean about being upset. I didn't realize how much I use that aim name to communicate.
Posted by: Xkot on March 13, 2003 12:20 AM - linkAnyone ever use Trillian?
Posted by: Fathead on March 13, 2003 12:43 AM - linkI've used it but I just can't find a skin I like. If anyone has suggestions of good ones I'd love to see a link or something.
Posted by: Xkot on March 13, 2003 12:48 AM - linkI use the SETi skin for my trillian. It is a nice blue that DID match my StyleXP theme, but I stopped using StyleXP for now.
Posted by: dabloone.org on March 13, 2003 03:56 AM - linkGot my account taken away too, seems like total BS. I hated AOL/Time Warner before this just increases the rage :-) I've had this sn for at least 3 years and i haven't had AOL since I became of the right mind in about 2 and a half and NOW you want to take my screen name away because I won't pay for your slow internet porn mailing junk program? piss off
Posted by: JoeMimic well formerly on April 3, 2003 04:10 AM - linkYahoo Messenger is the way to go!!!
Yahoo: Crushing_Fist
Posted by: RobNyc on April 4, 2003 12:26 PM - linkI used Trillian is not so good, but not to my choice is boring :(
Posted by: on April 4, 2003 12:26 PM - linksame thing happend to me 4 days ago..
is your account still suspended??
My AIM was just suspended. I noticed that it didn't happen until I tried signing up for another service provider. I haven't used AOL in months. I really needed that SN to keep in touch with everyone. It sucks that I lost my buddy list. I will never remember every SN on it. Did you ever find a way to get your SN back? I've sent them several emails. I refuse to ever pay for AOL again. It's over priced and full of ads now. Why pay 25 bucks when you can pay 5-10 for the same service? Email me if you've found away to get it reactivated. Thanks, William.
Posted by: notasimpleway on June 13, 2003 11:34 PM - linkaccording to " xkot" it will only be for a few days. now hopefully thats the case with this. I need my s/n back though!.. well im crossin my fingers
Posted by: SLy on June 14, 2003 11:20 PM - linkI AM PISSED!!!!!! i have had my aol screen name since 1996.. and well, a few months ago my family decided to cancel it because we could do the same thing with aim. well now my account is suspended forever until we pay AOL 104.65 for the 5 months that we HAVEN'T used it. and i will never get my screen name back! I HATE AOL!!!!!!
Posted by: sasacat on June 27, 2003 01:38 AM - linkagreed... this is bullshit... i have used my AIM screen name for about 4 years, in all ways unrelated to any AOL account. today i try to sign on, and it says "account suspended". i find out that somehow an AOL account was associated with my screen name, and that account was suspended. now i can do nothing to get my screen name back, even though i never had AOL. nothing at all. incredibly gay.
Posted by: Mike on August 2, 2003 03:08 PM - linkUse Gaim. Its buddy list is stored locally, so you can keep that and move it over to a new name if you get cancelled. Mine got suspended as well. I have heard they re-release them in batches about every 6 months. But that is old information so who knows.
Posted by: Jeff on November 3, 2003 12:23 PM - linkthe assholes can get screwed, I cancelled aol and then used aim for a while without problems. after a few months of illness i tried again to be told it had been suspended.
my bitter experience with aol is that they are to big to give a shit anyway.
there is yahoo with cam support and hundreds of isp,s around.
Xkot - the exact same thing just happened to me today. I hate those bloodsuckers. At leaast my friends that I dont like will have a harder time IMing me now.
Posted by: krikx on March 21, 2004 11:48 AM - linkXkot - the exact same thing just happened to me today. I hate those bloodsuckers. At leaast my friends that I dont like will have a harder time IMing me now.
Posted by: krikx on March 21, 2004 11:48 AM - linkI found my buddy list! it's saved on your hard drive in a file called userinfo.bag in your aim dir. change it to a txt file and view the names from your buddy list
Posted by: KrikX on March 21, 2004 04:12 PM - linkThis bullshit just happened to me today after cancelling AOL a few days ago and now my screen name is "suspended". Did you guys ever get yours back???? WTF.
Posted by: Gallopp on March 29, 2004 05:48 PM - linkHey, I found this page on a google search becuase I too just lost my aim name. If you ever at any point used trillian, there is a folder saved for it in your program files. In there is a file called buddies.xml, that contains a list of your aim buddies.
Posted by: Joe on April 1, 2004 01:38 PM - link