Mastering America Online

Have it your way: You can customize AOL to suit your needs. Here's how.

By Eric Griffith

Everybody knows America Online. It has become one of the biggest brand names in America, especially since it offered to buy Time Warner in January for $160 billion in AOL stock. Even in cyberdollars, that's a lot of dough.

There's a good chance you've tried AOL—almost everyone interested in the Internet has. Some users love it, others absolutely loathe it. ( Check out www.aolsucks.com if you don't believe it. ) There's a reason AOL has 22 million members, and it's not just because the company sends a free AOL 5.0 CD-ROM to nearly every household in the United States. Let's face it: AOL is easy.

The interface is simple. The items you need most, like e-mail and news, are within easy reach when you sign on. The screen you're looking at is colorful, and occasionally even fun if you get into the right chat room.

But AOL can still be frustrating. It's configured to accommodate a large number of users all doing the same things—e-mailing, chatting and accessing AOL content—in the same way. If you want to do things differently, chances are you can, but AOL does not make that obvious, or easy. The company itself isn't much help—it's too busy trying to get its service on televisions and cell phones and buying up Time Warner to provide adequate assistance to millions of individuals who want to do things their own way, instead of AOL's way. But, if you know where to look, the secrets of using AOL can be revealed.

The following tips work with the new version of AOL 5.0 for both Windows and Macintosh unless otherwise noted.

Mo' better mail

E-mail is the most popular application on AOL, and on the Internet in general. Here's how to get the most out of it.

Get it back: You can recover mail you previously deleted by selecting Recently Deleted Mail from the Mail Center menu on the toolbar. But you must do it within 24 hours, or it's gone forever.

Sign it: Create a personalized signature that is automatically appended to messages by selecting Set up Mail Signatures from the same Mail Center menu.

Don't forget: AOL can remind you of important events via e-mail. Set up a list of forget-me-nots at Keyword: Reminders.

Fit to print: You can see daily news headlines on AOL's welcome page, or you could have Associated Press and Reuters news on topics you follow sent to you directly by e-mail. Sign up at Keyword: News Profiles.

Ultimate spam defense: You can block unwanted e-mail: advertisements, porn, get-rich-quick schemes, your brother-in-law's jokes. Go to Keyword: Mail Controls.

mail anywhere: Wherever you are, at work or on the road, you can check your e-mail from any computer with a Web connection—even if it doesn't have AOL service—at AOL Mail ( www.aolmail.aol.com ). This Web space acts just like e-mail in the AOL software. It even informs you, "You've Got Mail."

Web options

Some features of AOL don't even require AOL software, so you can check things from any Web-enabled computer.

Appointments and pictures: If you're away from home and want to check your pictures or calendar, you can access Web-based versions of AOL's My Calendar ( www.calendar.aol.com ), which remembers your appointments and sends you e-mail reminders; and You've Got Pictures ( www.pictures.aol.com ), which lets you view, store and share digital images. Use your current AOL account. You can also sign up for a free, Web-only screen name to use My Calendar, and in the future, You've Got Pictures.

Web buddies: AOL Instant Messenger is a freeware version of the AOL Buddy List (Keyword: Buddy), which lets you send instant messages to anyone you know who's online and has an AOL screen name ( from the service or free from www.aol.com ). When friends sign on, they show up in the listing; double-click on a name and you can type a message. IM even supports AOL chat rooms. Using IM without AOL requires a separate software download from www.aol.com/aim or use the AOL Quick Buddy ( www.aol.com/aim/quickbuddy.html ) to send instant messages directly from your Web browser.

Netscape option: The Web browser that you use within AOL's software is Microsoft Internet Explorer. If you prefer Netscape Navigator for aesthetic or political reasons, you can still use it. Just launch AOL and dial in as usual. Now, while you're still connected to the service, launch Navigator, and you can surf via your AOL connection.

Navigation and surfing

Getting around AOL doesn't have to be difficult. Follow these tips for better navigating.

Places in the heart: Any area of AOL you like and want to revisit can be easily stored using the Favorite Places feature. Click the small heart icon on the top of any window, and you'll be asked to add it to your Favorites list. You can then find it in the future in the Favorites menu, which is indicated by a heart in a folder on the toolbar.

Window cleaning: After you've surfed AOL for a while, you may find yourself with a lot of content windows open. You don't have to click each to close them all—select Close All Except Front from the Window menu at top.

Destroying history: AOL 5.0 tracks the last 25 spots you've visited on its service and on the Web; click the arrow next to the text box at the top of the screen to see the list. Avoid this tracking by going to Keyword: Preferences. Click Toolbar and check "Clear History Trail after each Sign Off or Switch Screen Name."

Bye-bye icons: Create more onscreen real estate for your surfing by hiding the icons in the toolbar. At Keyword: Preferences, click Toolbar and then select Text Only in the Appearance area.

Safety, support and privacy

You can protect yourself against spam—unwanted mail, usually advertising—and invasions of your online privacy.

Limit your info: You can opt out of letting AOL sell your personal information (name, address, phone, credit card), thereby cutting down on the amount of spam you get in your real mailbox and your e-mail inbox. You can even prohibit AOL from placing annoying pop-up windows filled with advertising in front of you as you surf. You can do all this at AOL's Marketing Preferences area, which provides complete instructions at Keyword: Choices. Great, right? Yes ... until AOL resets your preferences, setting you up to get back on the spam lists. AOL policy is to reset your marketing preferences occasionally—every 10 years for telemarketing, every year for pop-up windows and so on.

Tattletale: If you see any questionable behavior or content on AOL, from swearing in chat rooms to people harassing you with instant messages, turn them in. Details are at Keyword: Notify.

Learning about you: AOL 5.0 for Windows includes a tool called AOL System Info that profiles your system. Use these details when calling tech support (800-827-3338). Click on the Start Menu, select Programs, then America Online and then choose AOL System Information from the pop-up menu.

Too personal: Don't create a Member Profile—others can search your information to target you for spam. Go to the My AOL menu and select My Member Profile. Erase anything that is already entered there.

NOT INTERESTED: Member Profiles are different from Interest Profiles, which are a "service" AOL would like you to sign up for so you can receive e-mail advertising targeted to your taste. It's up to you. Do you want more ads in your inbox?

Miscellaneous tips

AOL's various sections don't all fit into clean categories, and neither do all tips.

Default dilemma: At installation, you will be asked if you want to make AOL your default for surfing and e-mail. Say no if you have any other way of going online. If you say yes, AOL may prevent you from using other ISPs to connect to the Internet.

CD REALITY: It's hard to overlook the CD-ROMs AOL sends out that say "500 Hours Free" just for trying the service. In reality, you have to use those 500 hours all in the first month—a minimum of 16 hours a day logged on.

AWOL downloads: When you download a file from AOL, it's not always easy to find later. The Download Manager keeps track of anything you download to your hard drive, telling you where it went. Use the My Files menu on your toolbar to access it.

Garbage dump: Your AOL browser (a version of Internet Explorer) should have its cache of stored file information dumped regularly to avoid slowdowns. Go to Keyword: Preferences, select Internet Properties (WWW), then Delete Files.

Get Webby with it: You can build a free Web page for yourself on AOL. Visit Keyword: 123Publish to get all the help you need. Save it all: The Personal Filing Cabinet feature lets you store e-mail, newsgroup messages and downloaded files on your hard drive. You can automate the process of retrieving them at Keyword: Auto AOL.

Many more tips: If you want more information on interesting things you can do with your AOL account, you can visit Keyword: Tips or MHM (the Members Helping Members forum).