I will assume you are familiar with the reasons people think AOL is evil. If you aren't, enlighten yourself HERE at one of many sites all over the web that tell the same truths over and over. Do I disagree with these pages? For the most part, no, I don't. But I can see the big picture, and despite the actions of AOL, I am glad AOL is the largest ISP in the world.

  Reason #1

 To understand why AOL is such a good thing, you have to understand AOL. AOL is not your average ISP. AOL is different. When you connect to AOL, you don't connect to the internet, but to AOL's network. When you access a website from AOL's network, your request is sent to an AOL server where AOL checks to see if a cached copy of the page is available.
  If there is a cached page, you will see that page and not the actual site itself. You could spend an entire day browsing and never actually contact the internet. AOL will not tell you if the page you are looking at is real, or something stored on AOL's servers. AOL uses a proprietary system for everything from web browsing to email. The benefits of this were not apparent to me at first, until I realized how many AOL users aren't actually on the internet at all.

 If the majority of the people looking for an ISP settle with AOL, that means that there's a good chance the majority of the people won't be visiting the same websites I do. Even if they try, it's possible they will only get a cached version anyway.  This frees up a lot of bandwidth for those of us who use a real ISP to connect to the internet.  AOL provides a lot of additional content that is exlusively served off AOL servers. AOL seems to downplay the internet as a fringe part of the whole AOL community. The lastest commercials for AOL emphasize how easy it is to use and goes over many of the features AOL offers, while not once mentioning the use of the internet itself.

  Reason #2

 Not only does AOL practically discourage its users from using the actual internet, but when its users do go out into the world wide web, they are all placed into an easily bannable range of IP addresses. This means that people who create websites and other internet services can provide alternate services, or deny service altogether to any user of AOL. This further frees up bandwith for the rest of us, and keeps users of AOL disinterested in anything outside of AOL's own exciting content. I've personally seen this in action on websites and use a service where "AOL users have been banned for your convenience" from many areas.

  Reason #3

 AOL advertisements focus on how easy it is to use. Their commercials show people young and old using the software to get "online". This draws in the computer illiterate. They are assured that AOL is so easy, anyone could use it. The truth is AOL is easy.
  When AOL installs, it changes several system files so that AOL won't have any trouble installing and running. If an AOL user decides to try another ISP after installing AOL software on their machine, they will have nothing but problems getting the new service to work. This is not because the other service is any less easy to use, but becuse AOL changed system files other ISPs need to run correctly. Dialup Networking and TCP/IP are hit the hardest, with files changed, and added left and right. Novice users get very nervous when they are told they have to uninstall and re-install system files. After all the trouble it would take a user to get setup and working on a new service, it's no wonder why an AOL user would just continue to use the service that works. I will admit that this is an underhanded pratice, and this very subject has prompted lawsuits against AOL, but it serves a purpose as well. It helps to ensure that AOL users stay on AOL. If it's a good thing that people are on AOL, it's a good thing that they stay there.

  Reason #4

  The vast majority of AOL users are connecting to AOL over a dailup connection. As the price of broadband access goes down, the availability of broadband goes up, and more and more people go to faster and faster connections, there is a real concern that the internet will slow to a crawl. The current network cannot take the kind of traffic that a broadband connection in every home would demand. Eventually the structure of the internet will be updated to accomadate the rush to high speed connections. However, while that transition occurs, I feel more comfortable knowing that the majority of the people who use the most popular ISP in the world are on 56k modems. AOL has a service now where users of DSL and cable modems can connect to AOL over their existing connection. While I have no doubt that some AOL users will enjoy this feature, it still means that they will be spending their time on AOL's content, and off my bandwidth.

  Reason #5

 AOL plugs more money into advertising than any other ISP in the world. That means an AOL CD in every mailbox which makes for a lot of bright colorful CDs for my personal amusement. There are a lot of entertaining uses for AOL CDs. They can be used to create anything from a work of art for your home or office, to a mini light show in your own microwave. Even better than the CDs is the fact that lately AOL CDs are being sent out in DVD cases. Hang on to those, and if you break a DVD case, you'll have a stack wating to replace it. You can also carry a few around with you, and if you ever come across someone you don't care for much who is looking for an ISP, and who doesn't know how to use his or her computer, give him the AOL CD and help AOL grow!