Off the Rails Episode 121: Somebody has to touch it at some point
Recorded August 22, 2025
We kick things off with the big news of the week: AOL finally pulling the plug on dial-up internet. Yes, it was somehow still a thing. Cue the nostalgia, sound effects, and plenty of snark.
From there, we debate the future of AVoIP. Is it the solution for everything, just another tool in the quiver, or the next technology destined to quietly fade away? Expect strong opinions, clashing perspectives, and a few surprising alliances you didn’t see coming.
We also launch a brand-new segment: Weekly Rivalry. Our first matchup? A non-rivalry between Iowa State and UNLV, brought to life with sports-style commentary, AV smack talk, and behind-the-scenes looks at how each campus tackles classroom tech, standardization, and those weird spaces nobody talks about.
Topics this week include:
The end of AOL dial-up (seriously, it was still around)
The great AV over IP debate: future standard or passing fad?
Standardization, room checks, and the weirdest classrooms ever supported
Why faculty still love (or hate) classroom PCs
News article:
https://www.theverge.com/news/757194/aol-dial-up-is-dead
https://help.aol.com/articles/dial-up-internet-to-be-discontinued
AI-generated alternate show titles:
Firmware Updates and Budget Cuts
Traffic Jam at the USB-C Junction
Goodbye, Dial-Up. Hello, AOL Discs on eBay.
AVoverIP: Tool, Fad, or Forever?
Ceiling Mics, Dongle Rescues, and Other Heroics
The Quiver, the Toolbox, and the Cable Slot That Eats HDMI
More Opinions Than Panelists
Cloud Dreams and Network Nightmares
Cadaver Labs, Poultry Farms, and Men’s Room IDF Closets
Far superior human created alternate show titles:
That’s big in Kentucky
Teddy is probably not going to have internet
I still have a Hotmail
More women for us!
I’m OK being blasphemous
We were aligned until you opened your mouth
From the thing over IP to the other thing
Baseband is coming to an end
You said that where you can’t be wrong
It’ll all figure itself out
I keep arrows in the toolbox
This is not just a Vegas thing, this is a Frank thing
Have you seen society?
We’re not pumping out geniuses!
We’ve had that for 10 years and it still doesn’t work
Digital plumbers
Some overwhelming whatever it is
It’s not that; it’s laziness
How many multi-factors do I need to get into this?
I can do this in my bedroom
There’s going to be a nerd on the back-end
Reboot the speaker
The AI will reboot it for you
Go get ‘em, tiger!
That stupid clocking thing
I lean into things that we hate
28-year-old Frank would have said something different
We don’t have money for Velcro-brand Velcro
It’s a 1-seater!
We stream live every Friday at about 300p Eastern/1200p Pacific and you can listen to everything we record over at AVSuperFriends.com
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