Why do I still have AOL? It’s crazy, I know. Very outdated. The Democrats made fun of Mike Pence because he still uses it. But there are too many people from my past who still contact me that way, and I think it’s too late in my life to change my e mail. Here’s the bad thing: AOL has some way of connecting me to every website I’ve ever visited, and places where I’ve purchased anything. Not only that, the politicians have wormed their way in, and dog me for contributions to causes and people I really don’t care about. Every so often, after receiving about 100 emails a day, I find myself faced with the dreaded unsubscribe chore.

The dreaded unsubscribe chose. It's tedious to unsubscribe.

The dreaded unsubscribe chore. It’s a tedious task, but every so often it’s necessary.

Do you know how to cut down on those unwanted e mails? I didn’t , until I read about it in Heloise. You know, the lady newspaper columnist who tells you exciting ways to re purpose toilet paper rolls. At any rate, Heloise said that first, you open the dreaded e mail. Then, you scroll to the bottom of the page. Put on your glasses, get a flashlight, and squint at the fine print. Somewhere in there it says,” unsubscribe.” You click on that. And, if you’re lucky, you will receive a message that you’re unsubscribed.

But it doesn’t always work out so easily. Often, you will be directed to another message which demands to know why you’re unsubscribing, and making you verify that you honestly don’t want to get any more emails from them. Or, they ask you to key in your email address–as if they didn’t know. After you’ve done that about 30 times a , it gets tiresome and time consuming. Sometimes, they’ll tell you that it may take a while to get unsubscribed, and not to worry if you still keep getting emails from them . That’s a sneaky way to keep you from losing track of who you’ve unsubscribed. The truth is, some of them will never let you go.

At any rate, today’s the day to start the dreaded unsubscribe chore. I will only give it an hour of my time, which won’t even scratch the surface. But you have to start somewhere.

Remember the first time you sent an e mail? It was so exciting to write to a friend or relative via the internet. No more sitting down with cramped fingers to write a real letter. No purchase of stationary and stamps, or trips to the mailbox. It was just as exciting to receive an e-mail. And then there was Facebook. For some, it became the ultimate form of braggadocio. Look at my wonderful life! But for most of us, it was a fun way to share photos through cyberspace with family and friends. But have you noticed what’s happening lately? Are Facebook & E Mail becoming obsolete?

Are Facebook & E mail Obsolete? They're being used less all the time. — Are Facebook & E Mail Obsolete? More people are texting, and fewer are posting on Facebook.

While I used to look forward to opening my e mail, now I dread it. Usually, I have at least 50 e mails from people trying to sell me something. And then there are the political e mails. For some reason, both the Democrats and Republicans think I might be interested in their causes. Maybe it’s because of my blog. I’m apt to criticize or comment on any male or female politician, regardless of their party. But if I criticize a Democrat, the Republicans think I may want to contribute to their campaign, and vice versa. They’re both wasting their time, because I won’t send money over the net to any political candidate.

Why do I keep my e mail account active? Because for some family and friends, my old e mail address is the only way they know to contact me. Especially if we haven’t kept in touch. And there are times when you need it for changing passwords and doing other business.

Most people in my social network seldom use e mail. They text. I used to resist texting because it’s difficult to use cell phone keypads with arthritic fingers. But there’s no longer a choice. If you can’t text, you’re out of the loop. Pictures, too, are much easier to send with messaging.

For the past few years, Facebook posts have become annoyingly political. I like seeing photos of your kids and the rosebush in your yard, but I do not want to read your rants and raves about Trump, Biden, or any politician. Don’t you think I have sense enough to form my own opinions at this age? There’s one group I belong to which has posts about growing up in my city. These are what I would term neutral. No one can get mad about seeing an old school building or skating rink. But generally speaking, fewer and fewer people are active on Facebook. And those who are, post less frequently. .

Tag: aol

THE DREADED UNSUBSCRIBE CHORE

Most people in my social network seldom use e mail. They text. I used to resist texting because it’s difficult to use cell phone keypads with arthritic fingers. But there’s no longer a choice. If you can’t text, you’re out of the loop. Pictures, too, are much easier to send with messaging.

Are Facebook and E mail obsolete? Not quite, but they’re fading fast.