The AOL I remember predates fb

jdwithit · on Dec 14, 2018

I very distinctly remember downloading the AOL update that added a "browser" for "the world wide web". Up til that point, AOL was pretty much a walled garden where you could only access content created by AOL or other members. It may have had some level of Usenet access? I forget.

I had no idea what this web nonsense even meant, but I was extremely excited to find out. Turned out to be a pretty good idea in the end.

_Microft · on Dec 14, 2018

Yes, it got Usenet access at one point.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September

mywittyname · on Dec 14, 2018

I remember you could log into AOL, then open up a web browser to access the rest of the internet. Was that not always possible with AOL?

mcbits · on Dec 14, 2018

My memories of AOL have faded, but I believe the early web access was only through their built-in browser and was very limited. ("Enter keyword: DEALS" etc.) At some point they started providing SLIP/PPP or whatever it was that normal ISPs used to enable IP over dialup.

reaperducer · on Dec 14, 2018

Was that not always possible with AOL?

No. AOL was AOL, and the World Wide Web was another entity that you accessed with a GEnie, Delphi, or some other service.

Eventually mail gateways were build so you could relay e-mail from one service to another. Then later came web browsing on AOL.