AOL adds bots to IM buddy lists, drawing fire

updated 2:08 p.m. ET Nov. 17, 2005

NEW YORK - Two new buddies greeted chatters on America Online Inc.'s instant-messaging service this week, but not everyone wanted to be their friend.

Some AIM users complained that the buddies amounted to an intrusion. In a Web journal entry, Mike Masnick of Techdirt Inc. compared them to "buddy list spam."

Normally, users manually add a buddy to the list of contacts with whom they frequently chat. The new buddies — to promote AOL's movies and shopping services — are known as bots.

Users who send a message to the "MovieFone" buddy are automatically given options to check movie showtimes. The "ShoppingBuddy" offers ideas for gifts and information on deals. Sponsored by Gap Inc., products from its stores get top billing.

The two join other AIM bots, such as those for news and baseball scores, but this was the first time AOL added them automatically when users logged on, said AOL spokeswoman Krista Thomas.

Users of newer versions of AIM get an alert about the additions with instructions for their removal; information also is available at AIM's Web site.

In adding bots automatically, AOL was looking for a way to make users more aware of their existence, Thomas said.

She said the Time Warner Inc. unit was soliciting feedback on whether to do so again, and response so far has been mixed.

Print this Email this Blog this  IM this

MORE FROM GADGETS

Gadgets Section Front

Personal tech on fridge gets more practical Swim with your camera, surf with your iPod '$100 laptop' project, Microsoft team up Is mobile TV ready for its close-up? Corporate America's rejection of Vista Circuit City wants out of digital TV fines iTunes to start selling HBO shows Perils of the pocket call Apple: iPhone sold out online in U.S., U.K. Students show power of Google’s Android Gadgets Section Front   Add Gadgets headlines to your news reader: