Dear AOL user,
In the last week, tens of thousands of us spoke out against AOL's "email tax." And, with your help, our diverse DearAOL.com coalition has jumped from 50 organizations to 500.
Now, AOL is striking back with an active misinformation campaign against their own customers and the public. One AOL support representative even claimed that our emails were a scam—and told the customer to block future emails from MoveOn (you can read the IM transcript below).
We're writing to set the record straight. So take a look at the "myth and reality" points below—and then please tell AOL to stop misleading their customers and stop their pay-to-send proposal.
Help us reach our goal of 1,000 contacts to AOL by clicking here:
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1526&id=6988-6727623-W_XULCR4B5bgUcdsKAj2iA&t=3
Please tell AOL it's wrong to sell access to people's inboxes, and that we won't let AOL destroy the free and open Internet that has become so important to democracy and innovation. We know the truth and we're pushing back.
Here are 3 myths that AOL hopes the public will believe:
MYTH #1: Nothing will change for those who don't pay to send.
REALITY: This weekend, the Silicon Valley-based San Jose Mercury News wrote an editorial entitled, "Paid e-mail will lead to separate, unequal systems; Free systems will become neglected." Here is an excerpt:
[AOL's pay-to-send system] is likely to work as an incentive for AOL to move as many senders as possible to the paid system...the temptation would be to neglect the free e-mail system, whose reliability would decline. Eventually, everyone would migrate to the fee-based system. There would be no way around the AOL tollbooth. [Read full editorial here: http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1522]
MYTH #2: AOL's pay-to-send system will reduce spam.
REALITY: AOL doesn't even claim its pay-to-send proposal would reduce spam—because it won't. Just the opposite, AOL wants to let commercial emailers pay to bypass spam filters. This creates a perverse incentive for AOL to err on the side of letting more unwanted emails into their customers' inboxes.
About this conflict of interest, the San Jose Mercury News editorialized, "why doesn't AOL announce it will forgo the fees—a decision that would help silence critics? AOL won't say."
MYTH #3: Nonprofits would not be hurt by AOL's email tax.
REALITY: Those who pay AOL's email tax would get guaranteed delivery, but everyone left behind would get increasingly unreliable service. Last Friday, AOL tried to create the illusion of responsiveness. They repackaged an already existing feature for nonprofits as if it was new, and then tried to divide our coalition by giving special email privileges to some "qualified" nonprofits while leaving other nonprofits, charities, small businesses, and even community and hobby mailing lists behind.
"I don't take bribes," responded Gilles Frydman, a coalition partner who needs email to run his free online network for cancer patients. "The solution is not AOL offering a few of us service for free in exchange for our silence—the solution is preserving equal access to the free and open Internet for everyone."
Please help us reach our goal of 1,000 contacts with AOL. Tell AOL to stop misleading their customers and stop their pay-to-send proposal that would hurt the free and open Internet—click here:
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1526&id=6988-6727623-W_XULCR4B5bgUcdsKAj2iA&t=4
–Eli Pariser, Noah T. Winer, Adam Green, and the MoveOn.org Civic Action team
Tuesday, March 7th, 2006
Sources:
1. "Email Blocking and Filtering Report," Return Path, 2005
http://www.returnpath.biz/pdf/deliveryIndex.pdf
2. "Paid e-mail will lead to separate, unequal systems; Free systems will become neglected," San Jose Mercury News, March 5, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1522
3. "Diverse Groups Team Up to Fight E-Mail Fee, Associated Press, February 28, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1524&id=
4. "AOL Trash Talks Cancer Patients Over Opposition to Email Tax," MyDD.com, February 27, 2006
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1523
INSTANT MESSAGE CONVERSATION EXCERPT, AOL STAFF & AOL CUSTOMER
AOL: Hello...Welcome to Live Technical Support. My name is Nezel.
USER: if AOL starts charging ANYONE for mail I will not continue to use the service...Just wanted to tell you.
AOL: I understand that you have received a notice that AOL will be charging you for e-mail...Please send the e-mail to my screen name: AOLTechCNR...
AOL: At this time, I can say that AOL will not be charging you extra for using e-mail feature.
USER: not me, certain groups...
AOL: At this time, AOL will not charge you extra for using e-mail feature alone...I want to check the email...AOLTechCNR@aol.com is my complete e-mail address.
USER: That doesn't answer the question I asked. You said I will not be charged. I asked if groups like MoveOn will be...
AOL: Did you send it?
USER: Yes..do u have it?
AOL: Yes. I got it...That e-mail is a scam...
USER: Its a scam?...really?...
AOL: Yes...It is REALLY a scam mail...Please do block the sender of e-mail from sending e-mail on your AOL account.
USER: I will check into it with MoveOn...
The end.
Please conact AOL today:
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=1526&id=6988-6727623-W_XULCR4B5bgUcdsKAj2iA&t=5
***********************************************************
I am very upset with AOL. So upset I'm working on getting my family used to
another ISP system. As soon as they learn the new system I will be dumping your
program from my PC.
Why am I so upset at you?
First: You decided to give up all of my personal information to the
government. At least Goggle put up a fight for our freedom on the internet. You,
without a fight, handed over all your customers information.
Second: I have been paying your high prices for your service for MANY years.
I am a member of MoveOn.org and volunteer for them in many events held here
in Broward County Florida. I need to be able to communicate with them. It's not
enough that you charge me for your service but you want to charge them to
send me an Email. This is the last straw for me and why I am working on getting
my family used to another system.
All you care about is Money for which I will no longer give to you. And you
have no regards for our freedom and liberties.
**********************************************************
Dear **,
We were very happy to receive your suggestion and are pleased when our members take an active interest in improving the service. Innovation is a big part of what we do at AOL, and it's great when our members give us new ideas to start working on. We are sharing our members' comments with the people who design, build and program the service. Your input is the key to helping us improve the AOL® service.
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To clarify the issue, AOL may begin charging businesses a 1-cent fee to send commercial e-mail to AOL members. This is part of AOL's continued effort to protect our members from spam or unsolicited e-mail. Please note that the article is not suggesting that AOL members will be charged for each e-mail they send. Be assured that sending e-mail will continue to be free for AOL members.
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We are now offering e-mail partners 3 choices to deliver their e-mail to AOL users. We are going from 2 free services that we will continue to maintain: Whitelist and Enhanced Whitelist, to an added third voluntary layer, Certified E-mail.áá
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ABOUT THE CERTIFIED E-MAIL SERVICE
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The Certified E-mail is an optional premium serviceáfor highly qualified mailers sending permission-based messages to existing customers. AOL will continue to offer "white list" and "enhanced white list" privileges to mailers who do not wish to take advantage of the Certified E-mail service.
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Every free benefit that current e-mail partners receive now on the AOL Whitelist and Enhanced Whitelist will be maintained. Mailers who do not want take advantage of the Certified E-mail service can still send e-mails to AOL members as long as they are in our White List or Enhanced While List.
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The addition of Certified E-mail in no way means that mailers need to pay to send to AOL e-mail boxes. This program adds to our existing, industry-leading spam-fighting efforts, which have dramatically cut the amount of spam reaching our e-mail usersÆ inboxes.
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Below are some of the advantages for mailers in the Certified E-mail service:
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- Recipients will quickly and easily recognize your e-mail such as a distinguishing icon for authenticated mail and guaranteed delivery for important e-mails. (AOL« Keyword: Certified Mail)
- Mailers will get detailed information and assistance for instances of undeliverable e-mails.
If you need further information about the Certified E-mail program, please visit the site:
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http://ted.aol.com/index.php?id=55
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Thanks again for your comments. The more we hear from members, the more we know what you think works, what should be improved and what you'd like to see next. Please continue to share your thoughts on how we can make AOL an even better service for you.
Roland P.
AOL Customer Care Consultant
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