Feature Spotlight: Preview Panels and Customization
Posted Aug 29th 2007 8:29PM by Lisa Edwards
Another feature we introduced with the new AOL Homepage are Preview Panels. Preview Panels are the four big iconic buttons located in the top column of the page and combine navigation to popular features (on click of the icon) with a sneak peek of relevant information and functionality that expands down when you mouse over the icon.
We've given you a starter set of Preview Panels including Mail, Weather, Radio and Video. However, you can change 3 of the 4 panels (Mail is permanent) so you control what panels you want displayed on your homepage. Just click on the arrow in the upper right corner of each icon to display the list of options.
We are working on creating more Preview Panel options over the coming months so that we're giving you even more options to choose from. And we'd love to hear what panels you'd like to see on your homepage. So let us know.
Until next time!
Lisa
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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 1 of 4)
1. AlO has gone from bad to worse. I would love to cancel our account but too many have our email address.
Posted at 3:56PM on Aug 30th 2007 by pmenken
2. whats up with this? First, i cannot even sign on to aol thru aol i have to use another server. when i finally got on to the screen name i was trying to get access to i tried to access my favorites menu but the menu that popped up was one of my other screen names. also where is the easy access to change from one screen name to another as it was before you changed it. if i can get access to my favorites i am going to transfer them to our other server. And we will DUMP AOL. THIS NEW THING SUCKS. Apparently you just want more people to sign on to AOL so that you can sign them off. (America Off-Line AOL) Change it back and make it more accessible!!!!
Posted at 5:14PM on Aug 30th 2007 by jb
3. dump them and make AOL easier to use and (where is the favorites tab)
Posted at 6:12PM on Aug 30th 2007 by jb
4. This new version of aol email seriously sucks! It may look cool but it loads like a snail and when I send an email or forard or reply there is this long huge space I have to delete so people receiving emails from me don't have to scroll all the way to the bottom. Hotmail, Yahoo & Comcast load just fine. I am DONE w/AOL!
Posted at 8:21PM on Aug 30th 2007 by clehmkuhls
5. I tried aol/aim today for the first time... the major problem i found as also a friend did was that e mails sent to yahoo addresses wer not being sent. what happened was an error message came back or most of the time I had no clue they were not getting the messages.... this was a major factor for me.. I was told by someone that this all happened when you decided to make changes to the old AOL... well let me tell you I won't stick with this service and I sure as heck wouldn't want to actually pay money for it..
A BIG Thank you, But NO THANKS
Posted at 9:18PM on Aug 30th 2007 by rmarieellis20026
6. Alright! Hey Guys, just seein the comments ---^ I Like AOL...Sean O'Connor Columbus, Ohio
Posted at 11:58PM on Aug 30th 2007 by Sean
7. We pay a good price for AOL, all the adds are intrusive and a bother.
Who the heck is still paying for AOL?????????
Posted at 7:15AM on Aug 31st 2007 by J.J.
8. I want the mail section to have the option to show ALL folders. It says at the bottom of the mail section to "show all mail" but it leaves the home page. I want to be able to see ALL folders at the home page.
PLEASE!!!!
Posted at 7:16AM on Aug 31st 2007 by J.J.
9. Since the new page has been running, the loading time for my e-mails is excessively long, and inspires me to move my mailing address.
Posted at 1:20PM on Aug 31st 2007 by Lisa
10. Since the new page has been running, the loading time for my e-mails is excessively long, and inspires me to move my mailing address.
Posted at 3:48PM on Aug 31st 2007 by Lisa
11. I agree with the users that the latest is NOT the greatest.
Whenever I "Reply" - the cursor navigates to the "To" textbox!!!
It should be obvious to Whom I am replying????
Also do not like the inadequate speed and all of the dancing icons. Might I also suggest that if I am using the AOL to check my eamil - shouldn't that be the PRIMARY FUNCTION that appears?????
Thanks
Posted at 3:50PM on Aug 31st 2007 by jeanniemo
12. We've received several comments on the new Web Mail product features and performance issues. While we are sharing your feedback directly with the Mail Team, we did want to let you know that the Mail Team has blog. You can find it here: http://mailblog.aol.com. It's the place to find information on the new Mail product and features, as well as updates on issues.
Best,
Lisa
AOL Homepage Product Lead
Posted at 4:00PM on Aug 31st 2007 by Lisa Edwards
13. AOL.COM SUCKS!! Stop changing stuff!! Why do you keep trying to make things better, you always make them worse! I wanted to check my other email account through AOL.Com, but no matter how many times I sign out of one screen name, it automatically signs me back in when I try to sign into my other account. No wonder everyone in the world tells me to get rid of AOL!!
Posted at 4:30PM on Aug 31st 2007 by falcon5914
14. Hi,
Sorry you're having trouble switching screen names and we definitely want to help resolve your issues. Can you give me some more information? It sounds like you're click in the "Sign..." link above the Mail icon on the AOL.com Homepage. Then what are you doing?
Lisa
AOL Homepage Product Lead
Posted at 4:39PM on Aug 31st 2007 by Lisa Edwards
15. I started out woth AOL when I first moved to a new home in Texas 12 years ago. At that time, no IP was doing a very good job and many changes have been made along with many new providers. I left AOL because of several factors that anoy me to this day. AOL was very slow and the software was cumbersome. It took up a lot of hard drive space and the service was too expensive, especially with all the trouble I encountered. I obtained the services of a competitor and was happy with their simplicity, price and service. In the meantime, it took me three months to get AOL to cancel my account. I have still to receive a refund for those three months. Apparently they're good at signing you up but geting loose is a whole different world.
Your new home page is an artful and well thought out device. As usual, the page is much too busy for those who dont wish to use every aspect available. It appears that the old addage is still in sparse use, "Keep It Simple Stupid" or KISS
Posted at 4:41PM on Aug 31st 2007 by Ken
16. Ken,
Thanks for sharing your feedback on the new homepage. We realize that there are features on the new homepage that may not appeal to every individual. But our objective is to create a product that appeals to the mass market and provides a variety of news, information, and features daily used features like Mail, Weather, AIM.
We do offer products like the new myAOL personalized homepage that lets you decide what features and content you want to appear on your homepage. If you're interested in checking it out for yourself, you can find it here: http://my.aol.com
So between these two products, we offer a "Whitman's Sampler" experience with AOL.com that shows a bit of everything that's happening in the World and a "Build Your Own" experience with the myAOL product that's just what you want and nothing more.
Again, thanks for comments. Despite your negative experiences in the past, we hope that you find value in our new Web experiences.
Best,
Lisa
AOL Homepage Product Lead
Posted at 4:59PM on Aug 31st 2007 by Lisa Edwards
17. All you've really done is add places for more advertising which is making me feel like I'm paying for their contact with me. Don't like it. Especially all the flashing and gyrations. We pay a good price for AOL, all the adds are intrusive and a bother.
Posted at 5:14PM on Aug 31st 2007 by Kathy Gunderson
18. I think this new AOL is horrible!!! Where is the Favorites tab? I rely on that a lot. I want to be able to access AOL without having to go through Comcast. Why weren't we notified that there was going to be a change?
Posted at 7:33PM on Aug 31st 2007 by lbcrampton
19. dear lisa... @ aol.com design
your design is wonderful... there is only one big problem with the system which is really annoying!!!!!!!!
when one writes an email the system gets stuck everytime a ad banner changes... I am speaking of big time annoying...
so annoying that if you don't do something about it I will be changing mail address... A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! !
A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! ! A N N O Y I N G ! ! ! ! !
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Posted at 9:09PM on Aug 31st 2007 by marheik
20. can you just give me back a page i can read. i just want my email. i do not need your crap on the page.
Posted at 12:42PM on Sep 1st 2007 by media man