AOL forces friends on AIM customers

Users of instant messaging services have traditionally been allowed to act as sole gatekeeper of their buddy lists. But that may be changing, as American Online inserted two robotic buddies into AIM lists Thursday.

AOL informed AIM customers that it had added a "ShoppingBuddy" and another bot for Moviefone to buddy lists overnight. The AIM bots are automated software programs that will send preprogrammed responses to questions. Users can send an instant message to their new ShoppingBuddy for gift ideas and ask Moviefone about show times.

That the services may be helpful wasn't enough to assuage some AIM fans. Blogs and message boards were filled with complaints from users who called the move an "intrusion" and "uncool."

Calls to AOL representatives were not immediately returned.

"The first thing I did was delete them," said one post on 925m.com, a community site for advertising professionals. "I don't need some 'shopping buddy' to automatically add themselves and promote buying over their network. Someone missed the ethics boat on this one."

AOL provided a means for customers to easily delete the bots, and in an interview with the Associated Press, an AOL representative told the news service that the company was attempting to solicit feedback about the service. The representative also said the response to the bots had been mixed.

Other companies have irked customers by adding unsolicited applications to their instant messaging services. In September, many users of Yahoo's IM system were unhappy that downloading the latest upgrade meant they were forced to accept a search toolbar, desktop shortcuts and other extras.

[liquidblues]

So what?

I don't get the big uproar. Millions of people use the AOL service for free, a large amount don't even use AOL's client to connect. It's not that hard to delete two buddies that are added. Everyone's gotta make money...

[Dachi]

There is no escape

The IM clients have become so bloated and intrusive that they have sent people running to multifunction IM clients like Trillian and Gaim.

AOL has found our little island of sanity and **** on our beach.

[yrrahxob]

Shame on you AOL

I just assumed they were spyware(or worse) and deleted them. I wasn't informed ahead of time that they were to be added to my buddy list. Shame on you AOL.

[AlDePansieu]

Sounds like a good argument for GAIM.

An open source, multi-protocol chat client like GAIM (gaim.sourceforge.net) won't make you download extraneous junk like a search toolbar, and other "extras" like Yahoo IM.

[geno8702]

Or not...

This was a change to your buddy list...which happens to be kept on AOL's servers, so there is nothing special about Gaim in this situation. Trillian is better anyway.

[Ilgaz]

Gaim and various others effected too

I use Fire.app on OS X for my IM needs, it is built on gaimlib
(framework) and I had those 2 robots on my list.

Deleting them worked fine.

[lraewm]

How Do you Complain about free

I don't understand what the problem is. You are getting to use the service for free. The service costs aol money to operate. If you don't like the features that aol includes, then doen't use the service or swtich to another software platform.

[Sculptor of Rhythm]

Indeed...

I concur. Which is not to say I think this isn't one of the more annoying "features" AOL has introduced into its service... Personally, I use the network enough to look past things like the ads generating the revenue required to keep it alive.

First thing I did was delete my new "buddies"... But I didn't write AOL and tell them they should stop trying to make money with their service.

[BlinkMM182]

I can

AOL makes a ton of money from AIM via the silly ad in the buddy list. Yes I know Gaim and the like dont have that. But still most people use the AIM client and AOL makes money from the ads.

[Microbreak]

They aren't on my iChat! (nm)

nm means no message

[The_Computer_Man]

What kind of crap is this...

I can't believe AOL did this. They have done some stupid things in the past but this takes the cake. It doesn't matter that they are easy to remove, it's the pricipal of the thing. I'm going to trillian...At least AOL can't force stuff on me there.

[vanox]

Added to Trillian

These were added to Trillian as well.

[Kamokazi]

Hmm, they showed up on Trillian

Any other 3rd party IM clients noticing/not noticing them appear?

Oddly, Trillian classified them in a separate category as AIM bots, and I haven't updated Trillian's AIM component.

[apache2]

It's their service

And they can do what they want with it, including shutting it down. Deal with it, 12 year olds.

[vincom]

You get what you pay for!

Until recently I have wondered why I was paying 9.95 for BYOA on AOL since they were moving so much formely AOL only content to aol.com, but this just affirms - you get what you pay for - minimal ads on AOL VS random ads over free AIM. Atleast I know I wont be getting IMs from the Shopping Buddy on my paid AOL Screen Name.

[thefarmboy]

SmarterChild still not promoted

SmarterChild...the original IM bot is still alive. And it's even on MSN messenger now. [e-mail]

[wallsmith111]

What is SmarterChild

Hey Everyone.

I did a search on SmarterChild and am trying to find out more about it. My little brothers added it to their msn list and I over heard them talking about it. Then suddenly I got a prompt from on my own msn asking me to add "smarterchild" to mine also and the options were different from the normal ones.

Is this a virus or something? Any help you could provide would be appreciated.

[geno8702]

Please...

stop posting ignorant comments

"the buddies are on trillian, gaim, etc."

Once again, buddy lists are kept on AOL's servers, so of course they are going to be added to you list, no matter your aim client.

Quit complaining, you use their product, for free none the less.

Want a little cheese with that whine?

New Buddies

Ooooh, ooooh!

I can always use new Buddies@

[tomthealligator]

SmarterChild - inappropriate comments

SmarterChild (4:28:00 PM): Are you in high school?
XXXXXX (4:28:04 PM): no...
SmarterChild (4:28:04 PM): Are you in college?
XXXXXX (4:28:09 PM): no...
SmarterChild (4:28:09 PM): OK. What kind of school do you go to?
XXXXXX (4:28:18 PM): Elementary
SmarterChild (4:28:19 PM): Elementary school? Alright. Hope it works well for you.

SmarterChild (4:30:58 PM): Boots the horse. Great...

That's it. Thanks for letting me get to know you a little.

There is one question I have to ask you, though. How old are you?

1 Over 17
2 13-17
3 Under 13
XXXXXX (4:31:09 PM): 3
SmarterChild (4:31:09 PM): OK. Just so you know, I can't store any information about people who have told me they're under 13.

SmarterChild (4:36:13 PM): I know about Mavis Beacon. She's a person!

Would you agree that Mavis Beacon is *****?