NOT GENEALOGY - SITE ACCESSING PROBLEMS There was something about this in the paper not too long ago. Someone had complained about all of AOL's updates and the reply was that "yes, you could stop them, but why would you want to?" The web sites themselves are constantly changing and adding on as new technology comes along. AOL updates constantly to keep up with the changes and all the new bells and whistles the web sites use. Can you get AOL updates on 4.0? Do you have a firewall in your computer? If so, can you get rid of it? Do you have Windows or a Mac? What version of Windows are you running? If at all possible, could you pick up a used Pentium? The classifieds are loaded with them. Other than that, try getting up around 2:00am and try then. The internet is much quieter and the traffic load much lighter. You might have a better chance than of accessing the sites you want. If you have to use AOL 4.0 I think you are stuck with not being able to access various sites. The sites themselves are changing and the various ISP's have to keep up with the changes. When you complain it's always the other guy's fault... neither AOL's fault or the site owners' fault. I guess it's no one's fault but technology itself. This isn't a problem with just the bigger genealogy sites; it happens with the smaller ones also. I have found that when I can't access a site, which happens a LOT, I'll try the refresh button. If that doesn't work, I delete the screen that tells me I have an error 505 or whatever number pops up and go to the top where the URL is and click the GO button. If that doesn't work, I check the URL and see if I can shorten it to the .com then try again. If I still can't get into the site I want I stop trying and go back and try later. if I can't get to that site later and it's something I really want to see, I'm stuck. I do think that if you can scream or cry it helps!<g> Whacking the computer out of pure frustration seems to help also.......not to get into the site, but you feel better even though your hand hurts!<G> The problem generally seems to happen when the internet is busiest and on the weekends. I'm up very early and have no problems with accessing sites until approximately 6:00am, then the slowdown starts. Weekends are horrible for access. School vacations are horrible for access. I would assume that other ISP's are the same. I finally downloaded a program to speed things up and it will work well until I hit the heaviest user hours. Another computer article in the paper (Tampa Tribune) made the comment that AOL is now so massive it can't keep track of itself. I've also noticed that AOL seems to LOVE to update during the busiest times, right before school and work and right afterward. Everytime it updates, I crash and lose whatever I was working on. I have now learned to keep an open email addressed to me with the URL's and hyperlinks of whatever pages I'm working with. At least that way I can go back to the same spot and/or backtrack and do the work over again. I haven't lost that site. I also believe that AOL filters what you can and can't see, contrary to what AOL itself says. They blatently do so regarding the various IM services and will admit to that. There are some sites that I KNOW are there; I KNOW I'm using the correct URL, and I can't get into them. I get the response that the site has probably changed it's address. I know I have email that never reached me. I will get something from this list referring to another email.....but I never received that email. I'm not sure if that's AOL or all ISP's. Linda House Brousseau In a message dated 2/12/01 8:22:41 PM Eastern Standard Time, RICHARDZON@aol.com writes: > > > In response to problems with Ancestry.com on the SNYDER-L@rootsweb list... > > In the last 6 months, as websites have made changes, one by one I am losing > the ability to use most of my favorite genealogy websites. Some I can't get > into at all and others scroll so slowly that they are frustrating to use, > and > others throw domain security warning and shut my computer down. Because I > don't have Pentium, I have to run AOL 4.0. This is a list of the genealogy > websites I can't access properly any more: > familysearch.org - can't get into at all any more > familyhistory.com - domain security warnings and shut downs > worldconnect.com - what is with that blue line?? and slow > familytreemaker.com - scrolls very slowly and too much selling of cds > genealogylibrary.com - opens with public screen vs. member screen > ancestry.com - domain security warnings and shut downs > > These used to be great websites and I really miss them. Has anyone else had > similar experiences? > >