Exodus Report #2

Friday, December 02, 2005 Sentinels ... A Sentimental Move: Reflections of a Journaling Community

In the wake of the storm, lighthouses have been lit for the safe return of the J-Land Community as it was once known. The following AOL Journalists have registered at Pam's Directory at one point over the last 29 months of Journal Service and have offered public opinions on why they chose to move away from AOL.

The first number represents the number of months the journalist had been using AOL Journal services. The second number in parenthesis represents the number of site visits that had been made to that particular journalist's journal up through the couple of weeks between November 15th and 30th. The comments are condensed, short-hand versions of the text, or at best paraphrases of what the journalist wrote. The statements are not quoted directly. Please visit the journalists to obtain a more pure, elaborate-spoken testament of their thoughts and feelings.

We did the best we could in trying to capture "the Essence" of what was being said of the reasoning journalists were leaving for Blogs outside what was once homeland.

Ayn

Aiibrat - 27(33,928), ads, and stupidsheetguy tos'd

Andreakingme - 27(unknown), ads, not enough good, AOL doesn't care, change good, people matter

Angelm0304 - 8(5,517), change good

Annalia135 - 19(43,182), miss the community, grown, 1 1/2 years, support, love, hope for return through Jason Calaconais

Anmyatt - 12(unknown), ads, subscribers already pay, non-endorsements, private use, exclusive, no respect from AOL

Armandt - 27(50,418), (months changed from 7 to 27 due to AOL error), ads without permission, without warning, canned statement from PR, journalists need human contact, prefer another blogger, no customer service, felt ambushed, AOL sold integrity, Exodus, boycott AOL journals, moral objectives against particular ads, ads "crap"

Aynetal3 - 27(34,005), boycott AOL Journals, anger at ads for services paid, principle

Astaryth - 13(7,920), ads, benefits of new journals, change good, moved with the movement, now enjoy bloglines

Angelm0304 – 8(5,520), don't know why

Ber144 - 22(11,674), ads, mobile, tired, AOL non-communication, dislike no choice in ads, boycott

Bettefan05 - 24(6,048), past loyalty to AOL over, time for change, miss friends

Blattman2005 - 1(149), metaphoric run away train, ads, village cannot support this extra weight, spell the death of J-land as we know it, forced us out, there is no turning back

Boycalleddare - 21(7,149), not amused, insufficient services at AOL

Chance2288 - 19(1,794), ads, I'm not disempowered, protest, thought being valued meant something, feel abused, feels unloved, sold-out, pimped us, choice, split revenue, cost/value, independence

Chasenkids - 18(52,369), not paid for advertisement, don't endorse product, last straw, ads, join friends

Chittarabunny129 - 24(8,425) ads

Ckays1967 - 26(35,125), love and respect for community, petulant, redirect energy

Coy1234787 - 20(30,468), ads, the Great Exodus

Cutebutpsycho028 - 15(31,270), people leaving, been procrastinating changing before, angry at AOL, want to get back to real life

Dazeychic - 27(32,196), ads, had postponed decision before, regret losing service, to better live, connecting to people, expression

Deabvt - 25(22,671), sadness, diasporas, ads

Dvlwitgrneyes - 16(11,204)

Emmapeeldallas - 3(7735), ads, don't get me started on AOL, AOL wasn't offering anything I would buy somewhere else and this confirms it

Ernhrtfanalwys3 - 4(3775), won't have my journal used as free bulletin board, sick and tired of AOL not putting customers first, we're not going to take it anymore, AOL sticking it to it's paying customers again, I wasn't surprised, AOL leader in screw-over

Freeepeace - 26(78,974), ads, don't endorse ads, nor condone or approve of customer disregard and disrespect, moving on with life, community, moving on

Gabreaelinfo - 12(unknown), AOL's wretched behavior, ads, paying for advertisements, expense of AOL

Gourneeaun - 26(7897), ads, protest, angry at AOL

Gypsytrader49 - 24(3956), ads, already pay for journal, infringement on community

His1desire - 28(41957), ads, angered at thoughts for sale, angered to make decision/take stand, journals invalidated next to Blogs outside AOL, journal meant recognition which was not for sale, angry at Blogs outside AOL laughing at us, not an AOL billboard, need to protest, torn, angry, sad, frustrated, not heard by AOL, pressure of negative attention after receiving VIVI award, stressed, AOL profiting

Iscribble4u - 5(663), disappointed, rocked by corporate action coming from AOL, extremely unhappy, banner ads

Jeffcomedy - 19(3524), ads

Jellogirli - 24(unknown), intolerable terms with AOL, angry AOL deleted adult entries, can combine two journals at Blogger (adult content), people better able to know me, let it "hang-out"

Judithheartsong - 19(51632), mass exodus, ads, sickened and dismayed, defiled, grieving loss of sacred space, AOL won't take protest seriously, take a stand against ugly and wrong, cost of support system, so will assist with tracking moves the community is making, AOL can you hear us?

Krobbie67 - 24(unknown), blogger's benefits outweigh AOL, difficulty maintaining two accounts, breaking point offering free email without membership cost, already pay a Internet Access Server, selling farm on backs of loyal subscribers, have been thinking of leaving

Lab2401 – 23(3116), AOL incompetence, paying for space others get for free, ads, AOLs dysfunction, after 2 years, I find I don't seem to matter, AOL has lost my loyalty, been placated with assurances of improved service that have fallen short of promises, small pebble on their mountain, they can decorate our space their way, AOL does not respond
to emails, comments or calls, don't feel I'm wanted or needed, angry at AOL, feel disrespected, corporate greed

Lamove04 - 17(45062), hates Bank of America, boycott ads on my blog, sarcastic of AOL ad design/strategy person, disgusted with ads, people will leave, corporate greed

Levi1023 - 20(7632), on strike, AOL is terrible, journalists should be paid for the ads, most money grubbing companies don't care, AOL needs to here our complaints

Lights4me40 - 16(1122), AOL shutting me down, haven't had time to read journals, AOL makes me mad, will miss journal friends, no longer want to pay for it

Luckyaugustgirl - 19(10660), repulsed by offensive ads, more comfortable with the option of moving while things are controversial, desperately sad heart, good friends leaving, torn, don't want to lose community, afraid not to take a stand, ad ruins color scheme of journal, I hate AOL

Musenla - 25(14013), banner ads, subjected to indignities, invaded private writing space in middle of night, no permission asked, journal defaced by ads we don't endorse, AOL making money from space paid for by journalist, AOL made a big mistake, trying to attract advertisers at expense of paying customers, blatant disrespect, erode good reputation you may have, shameless ad fiasco, cancel subscription, not being treated by dignity and respect, abused subscribers long enough

Nicurnmama - 11(14156), Respect is a two-way street, love for journalists, ads, advertising at the cost of husband paying the bills, offensive ads, doesn't want the bitter hateful feelings having toward AOL, sad life is like this, optimist, tore the community, genuinely care about other journalists, community accepts each other as all shapes, sizes, beliefs, sexual preferences, political parties, and international, the community will endure - somewhere beside AOL, ugly thing to have happened

Paisleyskys - 8(unknown), I have loved every moment with AOL journals, but it is time to move, ban the ads

Pattboy92 - 24(64028), won't put up with, saddened, no warning after community VIVI awards, sense of unity AOL's Swan song, refuse to pay for AOLs advertising, no control over the advertising, if anyone profits my words should be me who is paying monthly service, unacceptable, should have been informed, angry AOL created screen name just to take complaints, not swayed by promised of "nifty" things to come, made the decision to move

Promiseluv372 - 8(3299), Hey AOL remove that ad, disclaimers band-aid gag, want the ads gone, my journal my thoughts, do not approve of the ads

Realitycheckmco - 19(unknown), AOL should wake up, wrote to AOL as 7 year paid member, AOL has greedy coffers on regular basis, AOL doesn't care, ads, need to affect AOLs bottom line, had to think hard whether or not to move, need ad free of products we don't endorse and open expression of self

Republicanjen - 16, 18331, Other blogs are ad free, AOL bloggers angered, leaving service, AOL services now being offered free, ads now being added to paid and non-paid journals, uproar in J-land community, ads an intrusion, AOL dishonest with journalists, many either moving or leaving service, ads are not palatable, mood of J-land transformed practically in a matter of hours just after journalists had hosted the VIVI Awards, mood soured quickly, boycott AOL and their advertisers, AOL ambushed its paying customers

Ryanagi - 19(unknown), on strike, 10 years with AOL, makes me cry the way AOL has shafted their members by opening to the larger non-paying Internet, giving away free services some are paying for, whoring out my journal with ads

Sepintx - 27(45389), Black Tuesday, embarrassed, AOL monetized its AOL journal product with ads, ads highly annoying, distract from journals content, waste bandwidth, AOLs ads cannot be disabled or blocked, banners across top are a throw back, ads not effective - lazy marketing, my content is unique as is other journalists, we deserve better marketing

Sideshowjane - 25(unknown), hate the ads, angry, paying AOL and AOL adds ads on our journal, we should be able to speak our mind without corporate interference, my friend has moved, people I meet on Internet say AOL is bad, AOL another faceless, money-grubbing corporation to make money, displeased

Sieblonde - 14(16296), spam ad, intrusive unwanted, shoved down my throat, no longer trust AOL, looking at other blogs, angry at journal malfunctioning, resentful, paying to be a non-consenting billboard, refuse purchase from advertisers, extremely intrusive, annoying, want them off journal, no longer participating in AOL sponsored events, such as guest editor, Scalzi's journal, magic smoke, message board or other

Sistercdr - 24(3048), AOL appears to have miscounted complaints, hate some of the advertisers on my journal, neighborhood trashed, dissatisfied with ads on paid space, sign online petition to stop AOL from displaying banner ads on paying members journals, for every one complaint there are ten equally dissatisfied customers who don't speak, just leave taking money with them, complaints give companies opportunities to change and satisfy customers, insulted, question commitment to customer satisfaction, inconvenienced by maintenance requirements, people use AOL, but nobody seems to like it, customer service issues making people angry, stayed previously because of message boards and journals, but community destroyed with effectiveness of a tornado, while "your thoughts, your blog," will not support advertisers, rude, intrusive of personal space, permission not sought, AOL is a media company, more money in ads than customers, rates driven buy subscriptions, exodus of journalists, AOL forcing away draw for advertisers, more ads than most, dissatisfied customers dissatisfied with advertisers

Starbell2 - 25(8848), Have been blog shopping for a couple of months, following migration of J-landers, other blog, very professional and more savvy, be with bloggers who are famous, professional, teckkies, and more knowledgeable, which is growth, Google has the brain power and are Internet orientated

Thebludragoness - 1(unknown), I'll be nice, hopefully can call AOL and tell them where to stick it

Theresarrt7 - 18(19301), journals are hallowed ground where secrets cry aloud, journals defaced with ads, we do our living, laughing, loving, and dying on these pages. They are not billboards for advertisers, you have defaced by house, remove the ad banners

Txsguinan - 24(13634), feel jinxed, sad everyone left town in protest, I love it here, but it is time to move on, I don't want to leave, but I can and must, friends going or gone

Upseted - 7(21109), boycott companies providing banners on AOL journals, Angry at AOL, forced ad banners without notice, do not endorse any of these companies, AOL is not listening to paying customers, remove ads banners, AIM was supposed to get banners not paid members, neighborhood is going to get bigger, more diverse, members already pay highest cost on ISP, AOL profits more for ads than customers, are we redundant, take a stand for services, customer should be priority, but AOL considers the advertisers the customers not those subscribed for years, flashing ad banners aesthetically offensive, take time to load, garish, crass and annoying, what not given away isn't worth paying for

Virage65 - 10(6704), don't like the ads, left in support of my friends, almost everything you see on AOL is advertising, I would stand with my friends in a legal complaint, sign a petition, listening to your customers is an effective way to promote good will, welcome a peaceful resolution

Viviansulllinwank - 28(unknown), AOL waited until the VIVIs then they screwed us royally, take a stand, angry at AOL, disappointed, resent what they did to the community, resent customer service for not taking care us, no release or advance notice, ugly ads, biggest insult was waiting until they thought we were happy

Xasporated - 21(unknown), words, messages, photos and expressions belong to the author of this journal not to profit AOL, relocated (free-of-cost), no ads to paying membership, please do not click ads