Does AOL ruin my computer?

I have a friend who says America Online loads lots of bad stuff onto your computer, like spyware and adware, etc. He also says when Norton accepts AOL, it accepts all the bad stuff connecting with it. Is he a paranoid freak or should I trash AOL?

Does AOL ruin my computer?computer repair

I am not sure about the adware/spyware part. I suppose that's possible, considering what we know about AOL. Historically, AOL often did mess up one's network connections, as well as possibly slowing down the PC in general. Nowadays I would really question why one would want AOL for anything?

Does AOL ruin my computer?free antivirus

AOl Is horrible, the worst you could get. Yes they allow lots of bad stuff but they are also laid out so you cannot browse the web as efficiently as other browsers. Get anything but AOL! (but if you decide to diconnect service with them good luck..they like to give people the run around on that too)
AOL is like a big virus all by itself ... i have to agree with ur friend ...
Yes, AOL is full of spyware and tries to take over your computer.

AOL is pointless now anyway. It's overpriced crap. If you have DSL or Cable, you don't need it at all. The dialup service costs more than most DSL or Cable cheap services. Even if you insist on Dialup you can get it much cheaper from your local phone company, I don't care where you live.