AOL Mail Problem

On Thu, 27 Jul 2006 09:28:24 -0700
  chuck goolsbee <chucklistforest.net> wrote:
[original message edited for brevity--m.black]

> The fatal flaw in AOL's feedback system is that it is
user-generated, and 
>users will classify virtually anything as
"spam". It is actually quite 
>entertaining to skim the scomp feed... ecommerce
confirmation/shipping 
>notifications, mailing lists they subbed themselves to,
personal 
>correspondence(!), etc. I have heard that the AOL mail
UI puts the "report 
>as spam" button right next to the
"delete" button, which perhaps accounts 
>for the error rate which (at least in our case) exceeds
96%.


I get the AOL feedback for my university and am also quite
amused what their customers consider as spam:

    - Notification of acceptance of admission to the
university
    - Notification of financial aid award
    - Personal replies from campus faculty to students
    - Confirmation of employment application submission

Someone told me that it's probably a careless error when
users
make these mistakes. However, my friend has AOL and when I
looked
at his client, the Submit Spam menu choice was nowhere near
Delete.

I have to agree with a poster who claimed e-mail is as dead
as
citizen's band radio. I better plan for alternative
employment.

matthew black
california state university, long beach