AOL IM Punting

Date 1996
Founded Various
Submitted By PHAT
Source AOL-Files.com/FDO-Files.com Archive

It started with early versions of AOL (2.5 through late 4.0). AOLers were often punted offline via constant strings of gibberish HTML or other text sent to victims in IM’s. With 2.5 and 3.0, the text didn’t matter as much as how fast your prog could send IMs. Most computers at the time 2.5/3.0 was around were Pentium I’s or lower and could not handle a rapid succession of IMs. This would either freeze your computer or GPF AOL.

Before 4.0, punting was very easy and common, users were punted offline left and right. When 4.0 came out, AOL planned to eliminate punting (and some progs). Late into 4.0, IM punting stopped working altogether in what many Proggers call “The Update of Death”.