The problem brought to light by the privacy organizations affects people with e-mail readers formatted in HTML, which includes popular programs such as MS Outlook, MS Outlook Express, NetscapeMessenger, Eudora and Hotmail, according to the report, written by Richard Smith, a security consultant.
And the company failed to exploit many of its advantages and annoyed many with its unwillingness to work with the grain of the net culture by supporting the Netscape browser or opening up AOL's Instant Messenger to work with other services.