AOL to Pull the Plug on Dial-Up After More Than 30 Years

I know a lot of people in the Eastern Sierra still have their trusty AOL email addresses — those nostalgic @aol.com inboxes that have survived the rise and fall of countless tech fads. But here’s the real question: are any of you actually still on dial-up?

If so, your modem days are numbered. I do know a few still using the dial up service or i wouldn’t have posted this news. AOL has announced it will discontinue its dial-up internet service after more than three decades. For many, dial-up was the sound of the early internet — that screeching handshake between computer and phone line, followed by the thrill of finally loading a web page… one pixel row at a time.

Back in the ‘90s, AOL wasn’t just a way to get online. It was the way. You’d pop in one of those shiny trial CDs (they seemed to come in every magazine and mailbox), and suddenly you were part of a vast new world of chat rooms, instant messages, and early web surfing.

These days, broadband and cellular data have all but erased the need for dial-up. AOL says the decision is simply about moving on from obsolete technology. Still, it’s the end of an era for anyone who never quite let go of that slow but steady connection.

So, Eastern Sierra — I know some of you still rock the AOL email address. But if you’re one of the few still listening to that modem chirp, it might finally be time to say goodbye. And yes, you can still “You’ve Got Mail” — just… a lot faster.