You can use some AOL features from the pay areas or the free areas. By "pay areas", I mean the parts of AOL that incur normal hourly connect charges. By "free areas", I mean the parts of AOL that are free of normal hourly connect charges. These are mostly customer service areas that can be reached by choosing Members' Online Support from the Go To menu.
While in a free area, you can do some of the same things you normally do in the pay area. Exactly what you can do depends on the version number of your AOL software.
*Some versions of AOL 2.0.1 have the same abilities as 2.0, others don't. Even though they have the same version number, all copies of 2.0.1 are not created equal. America Online apparently made some changes to the software without changing the version number.
If you're calling from within the continental United States, you won't be billed for online time while in a free area, but all chat windows and gateway windows will be closed. All other windows will be hidden, and you'll be unable to send or receive Instant Messages. Members outside the continental U.S. will be billed for access surcharges even while in free areas.
The largest free area is Members' Online Support, which is listed on the Go To menu. To return to the pay area, choose Exit Free Area from the Go To menu. All hidden windows will reappear.
14.02 Get a member's profile in a free area
In the table above, you'll notice that you can't get a member's profile in a free area with AOL 2.1. That's because choosing "Get a Member's Profile" while in a free area takes you back to the pay side. You can get a member's profile in a free area, but you have to be sneaky.
Choose Search Member Directory from the Members menu. Search for the screen name you're interested in, such as Stacey1730. There's can be only one Stacey 1730, so her name will be the only one found. Doubleclick the screen name to see her profile. Profiles are voluntary, so you won't find one unless the person opted to fill out a profile.
14.03 Compose mail in the free areas
Try this: go to a free area (use keyword "help" for example). Choose Compose Mail from the Mail menu. What happens? AOL asks if you want to exit the free area to compose your mail. It didn't work, did it? You have to be sneakier than that.
Here's the trick. Enter a free area and choose New Memo from the File menu (or type Command-M). Type the mail message you want to send. Then save the memo (choose Save from the File menu). Choose Exit Free Area from the Go To menu, then open the memo using the Open command. To conclude the trick, choose Address Memo from the Mail menu. Your message will appear in a standard mail window. Just fill out the To and Subject fields and send the message.
14.04 Work offline
You don't have to sign on to use some of AOL's features. Here are some ideas:
•Get help from the Apple menu
•Create and edit a memo
•Open and read a file you saved while online
•Open or close logs
•Access the Download Manager
•Set FlashSessions
•Compose new mail
•Read outgoing mail
•Read incoming mail
•Edit the Address Book
•Set preferences
The next three sections provide more detail on some of these items.
14.05 Compose mail offline (FlashSessions)
One of the easiest ways to save money is to write mail offline. If you're composing a new message (i.e., not replying to someone else's message), always do it offline if you want to save money.
When composing a new message, launch the AOL software, and choose Compose Mail from the Mail menu (or type Command-M). Type your message, complete with an address and subject. When you finish, click the Send Later icon.
In the dialog box that appears, you'll have with two choices: OK and Set Session. Clicking OK will allow you to schedule a FlashSession at a later time. Clicking the Set Session button allows you to schedule a FlashSession. You can begin a FlashSession immediately by choosing Activate FlashSession Now from the Go To menu. The choice is up to you. Read the next section to learn how to save more money by using FlashSessions to download mail for offline reading.
14.06 Read mail offline (FlashSessions)
You can also schedule FlashSessions to download waiting mail. Choose FlashSession from the Go To menu and turn on the option for Mail Incoming. Then click the Activate FlashSession Now icon, or schedule a FlashSession.
Beginning with AOL 2.1, you can opt to save FlashMail as individual text files, or as individual mail files. By default, mail is saved as mail files. What's the difference? You can doubleclick a mail file and it will open as a mail message, complete with reply and forward buttons. Doubleclicking a text file opens a document similar to a word processing document.
To read mail saved as mail files, choose Read Incoming Mail from the Mail menu. To open mail saved as a text file, choose Open from the File menu and look inside the Online Mail folder.
One of the great things about FlashSessions is that all mail is stored on the hard disk. It stays there until you decide to delete it. This is the way mail is supposed to work! In contrast, mail is normally deleted in 30 days or less. See chapter 6 for details on mail expiration.
14.07 Read articles offline
Several magazines and newspapers are available online. That doesn't mean that you have to read them online. Likewise, you don't have to read message boards online. Instead, save the articles to your hard disk, then read them after you sign off.
Enter the magazine or message board you want to read. Now doubleclick an article. When the article appears, place your cursor in the window. When the beach ball cursor stops spinning, the article has been transmitted to your computer. Now save the article using one of following two methods.
1. Choose Save from the File menu. A standard file dialog will appear, asking where the article should be saved. This method works for any standard text, including mail, message folder messages, and file descriptions.
PROS: Fast and easy; saves only the information you want.
CONS: Saves each window to a separate file on the hard drive.
CONCLUSION: The save method is best for saving a few messages or articles.
2. Choose Log from the File menu. In the window that appears, System Log should be highlighted. Click the Open button. A standard file dialog will appear, asking where the log should be saved. Close the article window and open the next article. When you're done collecting articles, choose Log from the File menu, click System Log, and click the Stop button.
PROS : Logs can be activated once and will collect the text in many windows; produce only one or a few files on the hard disk.
CONS : Logs may collect some information that you may not want later; require a little more work to use.
CONCLUSION : The log method is best for collecting many messages or articles.
While offline, you can open the articles by doubleclicking them, or by using the Open command on AOL's File menu. AOL produces plain text files, so you can open them in your word processor if you prefer.
If you use logs, read about the EasyView AOL Browser in chapter 15.
14.08 User groups and AOL user group ambassadorships
A membership in a user group can save you money. Many groups have their own BBSes. The more time you spend on the BBS, the less time and money you'll spend on AOL.
User groups are a great way to meet other Macintosh users in your area. Most user groups have meetings, special interest groups, and newsletters. Many sell disks of the month filled with useful shareware. I've made a specific provision in the distribution policy that allows nonprofit user groups to distribute the FAQ on their disks of the month.
AOL offers ambassadorships to official Apple user groups. A user group may have two ambassadors. AOL waives the monthly membership fee of $9.95 for each ambassador. For more information, send email to Amy Arnold (AmyA17).
On America Online, use keyword "ugf" to enter the User Group Forum. To find an Apple ][ or Macintosh user group in your area, call Apple at 1-800-538-9696, extension 500.
14.09 _The Official America Online Membership Kit & Tour Guide_
This book lists for $34.95 retail and includes the America Online software and ten free hours for new members. It also includes a coupon for ten free hours of connect time for current members. With connect time going for $3.50 an hour, current members essentially get a free book and an 800K disk. My local bookstore had the book for $28.45, so I came out a few dollars ahead. Other editions of the book are available for the DOS and Windows version of AOL.
  You can order _The Official America Online Tour Guide_
directly from AOL for $19.95 plus $3.00 shipping and
handling, but it does NOT include the membership kit
or the offer of ten free hours for current members.
Ordering information:
_The Official America Online Membership Kit & Tour Guide--Macintosh Edition_. Tom Lichty. Ventana Press, 1992. ISBN 1-56604-012-4. $34.95 USA.
14.10 Sign on a friend
You get five free hours of connect time when you get a friend to join. To order sign up kits for Macintosh, Apple II, DOS, or Windows users, use keyword "friend". The sign up kit should arrive at your friend's house in about two weeks, and includes the appropriate software, a registration code, and ten hours of free connect time. Your five free hours depend on that code; make sure your friend uses it You'll receive five free hours after your friend has been a member in good standing for 45 days.
14.11 Understand how free time works
As I've mentioned before, some free hours must be used before the end of the current monthly billing period. When does the billing period end? The answer varies from person to person. The day you first logged onto AOL is your anniversary, and determines the beginning and end of your billing period. To discover when your billing period begins, use keyword "billing" to go to the Billing area and doubleclick Check Your Bill. You'll see a line like: "Next Billing Date: Oct 15." The previous day is the last day of your billing period.
New members receive ten free hours. Those hours must be used within thirty days of the day you first sign on. Use them or lose them.
The five free hours you get every month must be used during that month. Use them or lose them. They will not carry over to the next monthly billing period. Make an effort to sign on towards the end of your billing period and check your bill.
To determine how much time you have remaining for the month, use keyword "billing". In the window that appears, doubleclick "Request Summary Billing Info". The "Free Minutes Remaining" line is the amount of free time you have left. Use any free time you have remaining. Download some games or GIFs. Spend a few hours in the chat areas. Even if you use your time frivolously, you'll be getting something for your money.
Credited minutes received for signing on new members or winning a contest are treated differently. Those minutes carry over to subsequent months. They do not expire. Credited minutes are used after your free monthly minutes have all been used.
14.12 Download during non-peak hours
Downloads are slower during peak operating hours of 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM Eastern Time. The longer it takes to download a file, the more money you spend. You can reduce downloading costs by adding files to the Download Manager and scheduling a FlashSession to retrieve the files during non-peak hours.
Chapter 13 covers the use of FlashSessions and the Download Manager. Chapter 5 discusses the best time to call.
14.13 Use AOL instead of a long distance phone call
The beauty of America Online is that it allows you to communicate with people across the country via a local call. As a result, you can send email to a friend across the country or around the world for pennies. Switching from AT&T to AOL can save you a fortune.
If you and a friend are signed on to America Online at the same time, you can have a two-way chat via Instant Messages. How much will it cost? It depends. If you and your friend never use all of your free hours every month, it won't cost either of you anything. You've already paid for those hours. If you don't use them, you'll lose them. If you've each used your free hours for the month, it will cost each of you $3.50 an hour. Compare that to the price of a one hour long distance phone call. Also, you each get charged equally, so there's no need to keep track of whose nickel is paying for the call.
You can capture the conversation to disk using the Save command (Command-S) or with an Instant Message Log. See chapter 13 for more information about logs. See chapter 11 for more information about Instant Messages.
14.14 Cut your long distance bill to AOL
Some members have an entirely different problem. It's not the AOL bill that gets them, it's the long distance charges they pay to access AOL. This happens in rural areas, and in areas that aren't so rural.
Your first step is to use keyword "access" to search for local access numbers. If there aren't any, use keyword "access" and request one. There's no guarantee that a local access number will be added, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
If you're calling long distance, you need to master FlashSessions. Read and compose mail offline. Add files to your Download Manager and download them with a FlashSession late at night when long distance rates are lowest.
A high speed modem really makes sense for long distance calls. A faster modem will reduce your AOL bill and your long distance bill. Remember: AOL's rates are the same no matter how fast your modem is.
Finally, shop around for the lowest long distance rates. The big phone companies (AT&T, Sprint, MCI) are extremely competitive. See who has the best rates for your needs. Your local phone company may have special calling plans to help you. For a few dollars a month, you may get a reduced rate to a single phone number, or to a particular city, or to any number within a thirty mile radius, etc. Investigate your options.
14.15 Buy a high speed modem
AOL's rates are the same whether you're calling at 1200, 2400 or 9600 bps. If there are 9600 access numbers in your area, it makes sense to call AOL at 9600 bps.
Naturally, you won't be able to connect to AOL at 9600 unless you have a high speed modem. You can buy 9600 modems, but I'd recommend a 14400 modem. They cost only a little more, but provide 50% more speed. AOL hasn't announced plans for 14400 access, but they may in the future. In the meantime, you can use the extra speed when calling BBSes or online services which support 14.4.
When shopping for a 9600 modem, you have to be careful. Make sure the modem supports V.32, which is the international CCITT protocol for 9600 bps modulation. Some "9600" modems send faxes at 9600, but send data at 2400. When you connect to AOL and other online services, you're exchanging data. Don't believe claims that V.42bis data compression will make a 2400 modem as fast as a 9600 modem. V.42bis never quadruples your throughput. Anyway, the AOL software specifically disables any kind of hardware compression, including V.42bis and MNP-5. None of the national online services support V.42bis or MNP-5.
Shopping for a 14400 modem is easy. Just check the box to make sure the modem supports V.32bis, the international CCITT protocol for 14400 bps modulation. Almost all 14400 modems support V.32bis.
If you've ever thought about buying a high speed modem, now's the time. The prices have dropped, and several low-cost models have appeared. The extra speed will make windows fly open and make everything seem peppier. If you download a lot of software, you'll get the most benefit from a fast modem. See for yourself:
A HIGH SPEED WOULD PAY FOR
MODEM WHICH ITSELF AFTER THIS MANY
COSTS THIS MUCH: HOURS OF DOWNLOADING:
__________________ ________________________
$100.00 9.5
$150.00 14.3
$200.00 19.0
$250.00 23.8
$300.00 28.6
If you're not the pocket protector type, you can take the above table at face value and go to the next chapter. If you are the pocket protector type, whip out the slide rule and do the numbers yourself. The above table is based on the following formula:
downloading cost at 2400 - downloading cost at 9600 = price of the modem
or
3.50*4x - 3.50*x = modem
"3.50" is the cost in dollars of one hour of downloading on America Online. "x" is the number of hours needed to download at 9600 bps. The expression "4x" represents the number of hours needed to do an equivalent amount of downloading at 2400 bps, which takes 4 times as long. "modem" is the cost of the modem in dollars. The results have been rounded to the first decimal point.
For the sake of simplicity, the formula assumes that downloading is not done using any of the five free hours per month. The formula also assumes that you are currently using a 2400 bps modem. If you're using a 1200 bps modem, the modem would pay for itself even faster than the chart shows. If you have to pay access surcharges or long distance fees, the modem would pay for itself much faster than the chart shows.
