New From AOL: Unwanted Buddies

Suddenly appended to their buddy list were two new "buddies." Well, make that bots. A shopping bot and a movie phone bot, which one could, in theory query about what's playing and where.

Call me old fashioned, but buddies, even the online variety, should be invited. Of course, the flip side of that is AIM is free, so maybe a little intrusion is the price we pay for our chumminess.

Sources say that Dan English, ex of Microsoft's channel program, has indeed surfaced. English who is reportedly a marksman of note, is at Mossy Oak, the Mississippi-based purveyer of huntin' and fishin' gear.