• News Factor, Friday, February 23, 2007 11 AM

Inevitably, AOL's move to tack on ads to emails has drawn the ire of AOL Webmail users, according to an AOL spokesperson, who dismissed it as a "smattering" of complaints, saying the Web company plans to continue the practice. AOL began embedding email ads about eight months ago.

A user backlash was to be expected as the company shifted from a pay-for Web content and dial-up service to a free, ad-supported Web portal. AOL still has some 13 million paying subscribers, although the company has been all but insisting that its customers abandon its slower Internet service and upgrade to broadband.

Earlier this week, the Web giant implemented a small change to its email ad program. For mail sent between AOL Webmail users, it started placing short text ads on the bottom of messages touting AOL's other services. The change only affects its subscribers and those using AOL 9.0 software.

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