I used to store and share my vast library of appliance repair service manuals using Xdrive, which was, at one time, the premier secure file sharing service. Sometime in 2007, AOL bought ’em out and, as you would expect, Xdrive went steadily downhill after that because AOL has a gift for turning everything they touch into a steaming pile of monkey dung (they have a lot in common with Microsoft in this respect).

After suffering through numerous problems and technical glitches with Xdrive under the new AOL management, the unthinkable happened: Xdrive shat the bed and lost all my files. Since I was dealing with AOL staff, I wasn’t surprised to discover that the “tech support” drones were utterly useless creatures and a colossal waste of calories and air. The most helpful person I spoke to was in billing when I cancelled my account. And I was pleasantly surprised to find later on that she actually did cancel it when my credit card wasn’t re-billed for the “service.”

Then I stumbled across a recent announcement that AOL is shutting down Xdrive permanently at the end of the year. Now I’m gleefully awaiting the announcement that AOL itself will shut down at the end of the year.

The biggest thing at my site affected by this is the Live Help program. I’ve had to temporarily suspend it whilst I setup a new file hosting and sharing service since unlimited access to all my appliance service manuals was a key feature of the program. I still have all the manuals on my local hard drive but now I have to locate a new secure file sharing service and set up shop there.

But fear not, my intrepid seeker of higher appliantological wisdom! You can still get help fixing your appliance from Master Appliantologists, including your fermented host, in the world-famous Samurai Appliance Repair Forums.