Why is my AIM account broken?
I may have
waived my right to privacy, but I didn't waive my right to have a functioning AIM account. Sadly, AOL seems to think I did.
C.K. and I aren't content to only argue politely with each other in public. We like the party to continue over iChat
where we can pull out all the stops.
Something strange has happened lately that has dampened my enjoyment of our gleeful banter sessions verbal sparring matches... all of a sudden, I can't see any of his messages! At first I thought he was just ignoring me. So I
tossed out a few zingers that he couldn't possibly have resisted replying to. It was then that it became clear that something was wrong. After a few comical emails, we determined that he could see every IM I was sending, but after a short while I couldn't see any of his.
I solve other people's Mac problems for a living, so I know a thing or two about troubleshooting. I usually have 10+
IM windows open at any given time and this wasn't happening with anyone else. So I did the obvious. I blamed him. Then I shut my Powerbook down for the day and went home, hoping the he had solved the problem on his end.
I got home, launched iChat and sent C.K. a message. We bantered some more and then it happened again. He was typing as loudly as he could but I couldn't hear a thing. I still insisted it was him. So he signed on under a different name,
using a different chat client altogeher. That worked fine for a little while. Then it happened it again. It was becoming clear that the problem wasn't on his end. But it wasn't a software issue on my end since I was now using an altogether different computer. I signed on under a different name and tried again – bingo... it was working. Lather,
rinse, repeat. I'm seeing a pattern here.
My brilliant powers of deduction led me to the conclusion that the only constant in this whole equation was my AIM
account, which I've been using for years. When I switch to a different account (what I previously referred to as my
"stealth account"), I can see every IM C.K. sends – whether I want to or not. Maybe missing his messages wasn't such a bad thing afterall? I switched back to my "real" account today and the problem, of course, returned. So I'm back on the stealth account until I can figure out what C.K. could possibly doing to cause me such grief.
But I digress. This issue is vexing. And perplexing. And frankly, it's pissing me off!! Somehow I doubt AOL
would be eager to assist me with this problem I am having with the free account they so kindly allow me, especially since I'm not using their software. It's not iChat's fault, since I can use other AIM accounts without fail (knock wood). Giving up that AIM identity for good would be like losing a limb, though. It's been with me for a long time and although I can transfer my buddy list to the other account, it just won't be the same.
To save me the trouble of giving up the account, can anyone figure out how C.K. AOL C.K. broke it? Better yet... is there something in AOL's TOS
that I can blame? Or maybe I should just swear off chatting with C.K. instead of swearing off the account?
Your thoughts?