Last week I complimented AOL Time Warner. I take it back. Way back.

It's one thing for AOL to screw up and take action like a grownup in the case I cited. But when the problems are ongoing and continually disrespect consumers, apologies and firings do not suffice.

The latest episode is the release of AOL 9.0, free software for your PC. A detailed study by badware.org recommends that people steer clear of the software:

In our preliminary findings, we find that AOL 9.0 (free version) is currently badware because it installs additional software without telling the user, it forces the user to take certain actions, it adds various components to Internet Explorer and the taskbar without disclosure, it may automatically update without the user's consent, and it fails to uninstall completely.

We currently recommend that users do not install the version of AOL software that we tested, unless the user is comfortable with the level of risk we identify or until the application is updated consistent with the recommendations in this report.