AOL tactic

To get your point across using childish, misleading and insufferable methods. Trying to convince someone (who by using such tactics one can imagine to be extremely gullible) using an idiotic and obviously deceptive approach. Although mentioned in name, the usage of this term is not limited to AOL alone.

Almost all corporations use AOL tactics to sell their product or service. All are insults to your intelligence.

Any form of aggressive advertising that does any of the following actions, almost all of which are legal in the USA but not necessarily morally correct:

1. Use of banner ads with Microsoft Windows windows in them to make one think their computer has a problem.

2. Withholds useful information from you until you click Yes on "Do you want to install and run" so they can spread their malware.

3. Rapid and annoying moving iPods or other shiny things/status sympols that might make a Neanderthal have a four hour erection.

3a. So-called free iPods/Xbox 360s that require you to sell your name and address to loads of advertising cartels and require you to buy many other things you don't want AND require your friends to do the same.

4. Pop up/Pop under ads. Need I say more?

5. Microsoft Windows XP Messenger Service black-on-grey text ads that say your computer will die unless you install a virus on it that kills your PC anyway.

6. AOL Discs--self explanatory.

7. Any advertisement for a cult that would make the Jehovah's Witnesses blush.

8. while (1){ ~linux/home$festival -tts "Head On Apply Directly to the forehead!" }

9. Obvious corporate theft from consumers/double-dipping such as advertisements on DVDs, in movie theaters and on Cable/Dish TV.

10. Ads that make you feel sad in misleading ways, such as one for Ron the indigent atheist terrorist needs you to paypal him $20 so he can bomb a church.

11. Windows Vista which appeals to people who give up their freedom to run emulators and file sharing so they can have shiny pretty cute windows that stack like glass.