Response, as they say, is 'mixed'

In plain English, when someone said, "Well, response was mixed," what it really means is that everyone hated the idea.

And can you blame them?

Two new buddies greeted chatters on America Online Inc.'s instant- messaging service this week, but they were not universally welcomed.

Some AIM users complained that the buddies _ to promote AOL's movies and shopping services _ amounted to an intrusion. In a Web journal entry, Mike Masnick of Techdirt Inc. compared them to "buddy list spam."

The new buddies are known as bots. Users who send a message to the "MovieFone" buddy are automatically given options to check movie showtimes. The "ShoppingBuddy" offers ideas for gifts and information on deals. Sponsored by Gap Inc., products from its stores get top billing.
...
(AOL spokeswoman Krista Thomas) said the Time Warner Inc. unit was soliciting feedback on whether to do so again, and response so far has been mixed.

First of all, IM'ing is for kids for ought to be doing their chemistry homework or reading a good book.

Second, you mean there are still people using (and being abused) by AOL?

Sheesh!