I’ve finally managed to awaken my friend, who’s been held in the AOL underworld for years, and I’m trying to lead her out into the light. She’s become a shriveled little atrophied thing, though, and will have to be treated gently. She thinks it’s normal, for instance, to be knocked off her Internet connection every few seconds; even that there are “just some days” when you can’t get on at all. She thinks it’s normal to have to click through a gauntlet of ads to get to her email. Etc.
So we’re going to this gradually: she’ll keep her AOL account for now, but is willing to try reading it on the Web on IE. But if there are any glitches, any, she’ll run rack back into her hole like a scared rabbit and never, ever come out again. This means her favorites, her old mail, and her address book must all be accessible through IE.
It also means that her AOL must be accessible at all times, too: she needs to feel that she can retreat to familiar ground if “the Internet” (she still thinks they’re too different things: AOL has been very successful in convincing the masses that their content is unique) is too confusing or frightening or just unfamiliar to her.
Is there anyone else out there who’s gone through AOL rehabilitation, and has maintained a successful recovery, who has any suggestions to help me with this?