This is a message from your webmaster, Grant MacLaren.

I have been a subsciber to America On Line since the frirst few months it was in operation. And, I intend to stay with AOL. I like my email address, I like the web space I get with my subscription (60 megs!), I like some of the "key word" access to investment portfolios, etc.

But, let's face it -- the AOL Browser is awful. So, what to do?

You have the choice of the following:

• Do nothing -- just keep surfing the web with AOL's browser. If you do this, most web pages will look pretty bad (unless the webmaster has taken great care to make his/her pages look ok by testing the page on the AOL Browser. Most have not.) If this text does not have a border around it, you're using an AOL Browser.

• Tune up your AOL Browser. -- and just keep surfing the web with AOL's browser. Go to www.altavista.com or www.yahoo.com and enter the following search string: +aol +browser +problems. You'll find instructions for changing your AOL Preferences, etc. If you do this, most web pages will look better than with AOL's "default" settings. But, you will find still find some "mailto" links do not work properly, some graphics will look fuzzy and you won't see that border I designed for this page test.

• Get an excellent Browser -- for FREE. Use one of the two links below (I prefer Netscape) and download a FREE browser. Install the browser on your computer and use it, not the AOL Browser, while connected via AOL. I think you'll be happy you did.

  However, email (mailto) links will not work while using Netscape or Explorer via AOL.
  They said this when I asked "why?:"
  "Third-party 'stand alone' web browsers are not able to send mail from your AOL account. At this time no other programs can access AOL mail because the current mail systems are not compatible with other mail applications. We are working to provide the ability to use other mail readers in the future."