Introducing NEW Beta Features
to Make AOL.com Your Own!
Posted Jun 18th 2007 10:43AM by Lisa Edwards
We are excited to introduce a new set of features that we released to Beta earlier this morning. Today's release addresses the majority of feedback that we received from you, our users, since our first Beta launch back in April, mainly the demand for greater customization of the homepage. The new set of features, now available for you to try, includes:
- Color Options. We know, based on your feedback, that the default homepage color does not appeal to everyone. And now you've got options! We designed new five color options, in addition to the default, for you to choose from including the familiar "AOL Blue". To change the color of your homepage, go to the color picker in the top right corner of the page and click on the color "chicklet" of choice. You're done!
- Wide / Narrow Page Layout. Think the wide body(default) layout is too cluttered? We created a narrow (two column) layout to provide an alternative homepage option for your viewing pleasure. To change your homepage layout, just click on the page icon at the top right corner (next to the color picker).
- Preview Panel Customization. Bored with the current set of Preview Panel options (Weather, Radio or Horoscopes)? Now you can choose the set of Preview Panels that you want displayed on your homepage. Just click on the arrow in the upper right corner of the Weather, Radio or Horoscopes buttons and make your selection from the dropdown menu of options. The new set of Preview Panel options include Games, Sports and AIM. And there are more to come in the near future.
- Navigation Enhancements. The AIM button is back by popular demand to provide one click access to AIM Express. We also grouped navigation to core products like Mail, myAOL and AIM with the Directory listings in the left column. Now you have one click access to the most popular and most used AOL features in one convenient location.
- Snaggable Top Stories Content ('SNAG'). The 'Snag' feature let's you add AOL Top Stories content to a personalized homepage or Feed Reader. Just click on the 'SNAG' button located in the top right corner of the rotating Top Stories module to display the following options:
- 'Add this Module to:...' Let's you add the AOL Top Stories module to a personalized homepage. Just click on the appropriate button and the Top Stories module will be added to our personalized homepage of choice (myAOL, iGoogle, Netvibes, Pageflakes) so you can stay in tune with what's happening even when you're not on the AOL Homepage.
- 'Subscribe to Feed:' Let's you subscribe to an RSS or XHTML Feed of the Top Stories module. Just copy and paste the appropriate URL into your Feed Reader of choice .
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About The Team
My Name is Lisa and I'm the Product Lead for AOL.COM. In short, I lead the team that designs, builds the new versions of AOL.com and make sure that current experience run smoothly. My mission (the team's mission) is to build the best home page for you and everyone that visits AOL.com. This is definitely NOT a one person operation. It takes a village! And I'll be introducing you to the team behind the scenes in the coming weeks.
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Reader Comments (Page 6 of 6)
101. I have to agree this format is too much like Yahoo. If I had wanted it I would have been using Yahoo. In addition Yahoo gives me greater control over where things that are placed so it is better. Too many error messages, too cluttered. I liked the old version much better and hope you reconsider bringing it back.
Posted at 10:53PM on Aug 1st 2007 by Janet
102. Now I cannot even view a story in AOL news--blank screen except for peripheral "teaser" words. On a very few occasions, clicking on a link takes me to a page full of anything but the story I want to read. Even the "exciting" color page option must be chosen every time I sign on. What's this "subscribe" stuff? It's all "bling"!
Posted at 9:17AM on Aug 2nd 2007 by D Sedmak
103. The new AOL is locking up on me. It's awful. Can't get past the home page. Can't get to my email! Please do thorough testing and quality control before launching new stuff. And why did we need the change in the first place?
Posted at 3:57PM on Aug 2nd 2007 by customboy
104. What have are you people smoking, maui wowie? Leave it alone, everytime I get used to your system, you change it. You make it more convoluted to use, taking more key strokes to do the same thing that took less strokes before.
Didn't you get enough nipple time? No, you have to be an overachiver by screwing up my AOL ENJOYMENT.
Have you ever heard of the "KISS" principal?.
Start doing less, to get more.
OP
Posted at 6:24PM on Aug 10th 2007 by opries
105. what is wrong with the back and foward buttons that you click on this feature they dont work?
Posted at 3:59PM on Aug 14th 2007 by Yvette Rodriguez
106. How can I control how often the aol.com page pops up. There are time that I don't want it to pop up so often when I am working on a very intense file. Do I have to just shut all of it down AOL and AOL IM in order to control the timing.
Posted at 7:03PM on Aug 16th 2007 by SHIR SHIR
107. Sucks. I spent 10 minutes looking at a Hyundai Big Duh black screen. Lackey to the corporate ad gods. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Posted at 11:16PM on Aug 17th 2007 by Ralph Hale
108. YOUR SO STUPID! YOU CAN'T EVEN PLACE THESE BLOGS IN ORDER OF NEWEST! THE NEWEST ARE ON THE LAST PAGE!... INSTEAD OF THE NEWEST BLOGS FIRST! THIS IS JUST THE TYPE OF STUPIDITY I EXPECT FROM AOL.
I HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR ALMOST AN HOUR FOR MY MAIL TO LOAD.... WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!? I HAVE LOST $250.00 THIS MORNING BECAUSE OF THIS COMPANY. I INTEND TO SUE. EVERYBODY! START HOLDING AOL RESPONSIBLE! START SUING! SUE! SUE! SUE!
THE REASON OUR PAGES LOCK UP, LAG, AND REFUSE TO LOAD IS BECAUSE AOL CARES MORE ABOUT ADVERTISEMENTS THAN US. LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF A LAGGING AOL PAGE, EVERY TIME, IT IS BECAUSE OF AN ADVERTISEMENT! WE CAN'T LOAD PAGES BECAUSE THEY WANT THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS TO COME UP FIRST! THE HELL WITH US! IF I STOPPED USING THE NET... OR SLOWED SURFING DOWN TO A CRAWL... IT WOULD BE BECAUSE OF THESE DAMN VIRUS', POP UPS, ADS AND JUST PLAIN SHITTY SERVICE. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ALL OF YOU, BUT THE NET ISN'T MUCH FUN ANYMORE... AND IT'S LOSING IT'S APPEAL QUICKLY: UPGRADE THIS, PAY FOR THAT.. THEN SOME IDIOT SCREWS EVERYTHING UP BECAUSE HES A MENACING ASSHOLE AND MY COMPUTERS SCREWED! SCAN THIS, BLOCK THAT... NO.... IT'S NOT FUN ANYMORE..BUT AN EXPENSIVE, TIME CONSUMING PAIN IN THE ASS.
AND YES, I'M STANDING BY MY CAPS! :-)
Posted at 1:13PM on Aug 23rd 2007 by MJ
109. Today's Beta has been nothing but trouble for Safari and Firefox. I'm getting blank screens when clicking on news items on the main page. This morning my mail was messed up, but it works tonight. Do your people check out browser compatibility?
Posted at 11:04PM on Aug 23rd 2007 by elmogul
110. Dear AOL,
Thank you for being a perfect example of what my business class was talking about last week. We were discussing companies that start to decline and lose customers. They then start making desperate attempts to keep up with more efficient sites such as, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc. by trying to get too "fancy" with their web pages. As you can see by all of these comments it has the opposite effect.
I will use AOL to write my research paper titled, "When a company fails." Thank you so very much for teaching me. I owe you.
p.s.
Now the site does not even allow you to sign on. Great job!! Keep up the good work!
Jason C
Posted at 12:36PM on Aug 26th 2007 by stpaulcrespin
111. The old version was so much better. You cannot get your mail 75% of the time. If you are lucky you might get your mail but if you log off you might never get back on. VERY DISSATISFIED
Posted at 8:39PM on Aug 26th 2007 by craind725
112. I think it is disgusting that you do not monitor your comments by readers. There should be a separate section to "click" on if I want to read the vile blog comments that you allow to be splashed about your "news" articles from your home page. I have been an AOL paying member for years. I never used to have the trash talk of readers on the same page when I wanted to read the headline news articles For example, when reading the information today about the teacher who's 5th grade graduation was on YouTube, I also ran past the following comments from readers. Perhaps AOL should use a little sensor ship. You are getting just as vile as YouTube and perhaps it's time to take my account elsewhere.
hedgelender101 11:20:31 PM Aug 26 2007
Report This! GET A CLUE....THIS BITCH GETS OFF ON ATTENTION...YOU CAN BET SHE HAS HER PANTS DOWN RIGHT NOW THINKING ABOUT ALL THE MEN LOOKING AT HER BUTT....LOL..YOU KNOW SHE GETS OFF ON THIS ATTENTION.....SHE GETS OFF ON ATTENTIONG....THIS IS SO STUPID IT IS FUNNY.....LOL...
Wjohnasswipe 11:20:16 PM Aug 26 2007
Report This! SHE NEEDS A BLACK COCK IN HER ASS A WHITE COCK IN HER MOUTH SHE SHOULD BE FINE
Posted at 11:41PM on Aug 26th 2007 by Blazegirl67
113. I am constantly irritated by the news screen that you insist upon showing when I try to get into my mail box.
Please get rid of it. When I go to email, I want to see email. If I wanted the news again I'd stay on the news screen.
Posted at 3:08PM on Aug 30th 2007 by lbbranum
114. With regrets I am typing this in the closing days of being able to use AOL with any sense of satisfaction. I have tried on and off for several hours to simply check our emails and received no response from AOL other than threads that lead no where near our messages. There are the usual condescending screen announcements and suggestions that we are making a mistake and try again. We have spent many years "trying again" to get the service we rightfully expect from an internet provider. AOL was for all of that time the only game in town and you could ignore our needs with impunity. We understand that other options are entering our area and look forward to a better relationship that you have made possible.
Posted at 3:28AM on Sep 4th 2007 by Ender Baker