This weekend I bought a video from AOL's hi-Q video store. With some minor resistance from Vista, the download and install of the AOL video player and video download manager software went just fine. Then my video ($1.99) downloaded just fine, but would not play. Next thing you know I'm IMing with AOL support rep "AOLTechJDP". After a little back and forth with "AOLTechJDP" I began to wonder who, or what, I was talking to. Here's an excerpt:
AOLTechJDP: Thank you for the information. I would like to inform you first that this error message is not caused by your AOL software. It is caused by your Windows Media Player.
mark: ok
AOLTechJDP: To help you with this. I will give you the site address of the Windows Media Player discussion board. Then just type C00D11B1 on the search box then click SEARCH.
mark: oh. that's no help at all.
mark: if your service is designed to depend on Microsoft Media player, as thousands of others do, you should provide support for that.
AOLTechJDP: If you do not prefer my suggestion, please contact Microsoft support to assist you further with this matter.
mark: are you even a human being? where are you located?
AOLTechJDP: For security reasons, AOL has a policy of not disclosing our member support locations. Thank you for your understanding that I cannot release that information.
mark: ok. are you a living, breathing, sentient human being, or a text-generating robot? can you at least answer that?
AOLTechJDP: I am human.
AOLTechJDP: That is all. There is no need to adjust any of your AOL settings because it is not an AOL error message.
mark: are you male or female?
mark: I'm only curious, and as a paying AOL customer I have a right to know . . .
AOLTechJDP: I'm sorry but that is no longer an AOL software related question.
mark: ok HAL9000, have a nice day
[session terminated]
