Recently I discovered I had not been providing the correct links in my Newsletters for some AOL users wishing to view my Website. The following extracts are from various tutorials I found on the net which I hope will assist other people like myself who have struck problems with AOL and to offer help to AOL users in learning how to deal with some of these problems, one in particular: making Clickable Links in email.
Note: this applies only to AOL users sending Plain Text email.
Q. How do AOL users make clickable links?
A. When an AOL user wants to send an email with a clickable link, the AOL user must enclose the link in HTML code, like this:
<a href="http://www.arieshouseofgreetingcards.com/sitemap.html">Click here</a>
When another AOL user gets the email he sees this:
Click here
Unfortunately, when everyone else in the whole world sees it, they see it in its native form like this:
<a href="http://www.arieshouseofgreetingcards.com/sitemap.html">Click here</a>
See: no clickable link.
What AOL users don't seem to realize is that AOL does things in non-standard ways. AOL routinely ignores the conventions that let everyone else communicate. AOL does things in its own, non-standard way.
Using the HTML wrap is necessary for AOL; it is not necessary for almost everyone else. And, for many users, the AOL wrap actually makes things worse.
Q. What can an AOL user do?
A. Actually, a very small change would help everyone.
All the AOL user needs to do is to put one space in front of the URL and another space behind the URL, like this.
<a href="http://www.arieshouseofgreetingcards.com/sitemap.html ">Click here</a>
Then, when another AOL user gets the email he still sees this:
Click here
But, the space lets the rest of the world see this:
<a href=" http://www.arieshouseofgreetingcards.com/sitemap.html ">Click here</a>
That simple change, a space in front of the URL and another behind the URL will let other email programs recognize the URL and turn it into a clickable link.
So, if you are an AOL user, learn this little trick.
We may not know why AOL keeps refusing to follow everyone else's standards. But at least this way, you can help make up a little of the difference.
A. AOL is a Internet service provider (ISP) with extra services such as chat rooms, calendars and more. You can learn more AOL and all about the different types of ISPs by going to: The Webmaster Info. on AOL Guide site.
Q. When you send your friends links to sites they say it doesn't work.
A. When you send an AOL user a link you need to write it
in HTML to make it a clickable link.
<A HREF="link address">Name of Link</A>
If you don't make the link clickable they will only see the address and they will have to copy and paste it into a their address window. If they don't know how to copy and paste do them a favor and send them instructions to learn:
How to Copy and Paste
Q. Are your graphics visible?
A. First and foremost. Your graphics may not (and
if you are a new user - probably are not) showing up on your page to other browsers, and other isp users. This means that only other aol'ers will be able to see your graphics unless they are using another browser. This can be serious, I have only recently understood why people kept writing to me and telling me that my graphics were not visible. Not even my backgrounds!
Q. AOL has a "compressed graphics" option that is automatically ON when you install AOL. AOL uses this to try to make graphics load faster from the web, to help speed things up. Well, with this option on, the graphics that you save from the web are also compressed (the aol browsers way) and although AOL'ers can see them, other browsers can't!
A. This problem is easy to fix! Go to the top tool bar on your aol screen, and choose "members". Then, choose "preferences", and then WWW. Next, click on the "graphics" tab. You will see a small box checked, and it asks if you want to use compressed graphics to speed up your loading time. UNCHECK this box! I can't remember if you need to restart your computer, but I think you should. The only way I can think of for you to
check which of your graphics are showing for other browsers, and which are not, is to download Netscape or Internet Explorer (it's free) and view your page....but, be warned,
it could be ugly!
Q. They ask you what your Buddy Name is.
A. They are referring to AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). It is a lot of fun and you can sign up for it even though you aren't a member of AOL. You will
be able to see when your friend is online and send them an instant message. It is just like a private chat room. You must download the program and install it. To get hooked up with your friend, use the Find Buddy Wizard. To find out more about AIM be sure to check out the great article on Focus on AOL Guide site.
Q. My friend keep saying how great AOL is! I'm happy with my ISP and I don't want to switch. Can I still use AOL features?
A. You can use some of features just by going to the AOL
site. If you want the full services from AOL but want to keep your ISP, you can get a plan for a reduced fee. Find out more about this feature.
Q. "...I use AOL. Yesterday I could see all the Web Sites, even the Java applets, I could hear the music just fine! Today, I can't hear any music, and I can't see any Lake applets or any other Java applets!!!..."
A. Does the above sound familiar to you? Okay,
'computing is NOT an exact science', and using AOL is an ADVENTURE! This means we have to figure out a way to 'beat the system'!
Q. On the days that our server is doing 'routine maintainence', just before they start, during maintainence, and right after they have 'maintained' the equipment .. there is a high possibility that all web pages will look not quite right! No problem!! Just launch another browser, bypassing AOL's browser, and enjoy surfing!!
A. You CAN use either Microsoft Internet Explorer and/or
Netscape even though you are an AOL Member!! Both are free downloads, so I suggest you go after one or both of them, and install them onto your computer!
There is just one little thing to remember .. you MUST sign on to AOL before you launch one of the other browsers!
Sign on .. go to your desktop, the task bar, or to Start > Programs to find the icon, then just open it!! Now go to those Sites and view and hear everything!!
Important note .... AOL is probably the most 'user friendly' method for a beginner to computers and the net to access the net. This is wonderful .. but .. it has certain 'draw-backs'. You, as the computer user absolutely MUST take some responsibility about what
you see on the net, and how you see it. It's imperative to keep up with the Windows Updates and Internet Explorer updates from Microsoft. After all, AOL uses Internet Explorer as the basis for it's own Browser.
Don't forget to click the 'expand' button on the upper right hand corner of your Browser Window, if you don't, then you will never see what all the other folks on the net are seeing. If you leave the Browser Window at the default size while in the AOL software, you are being cheated of a full screen view of anything. Just think what you are missing! It's too sad to linger on that subject.
