AOL IM Service is down!
  03/23/2001 9:19:00 AM MST Albuquerque, Nm
  By Dustin D. Brand; Owner AMO

Reporting LIVE now, AOL's IM Service is unavailable!   At exactly 9:16:03 AM Mountain Time, AOL's IM Service is unavailable. Being as it's peek time early morning, this cannot be scheduled maintanance, and must be an unknown failure. Known as ERROR 981 internally to AOL, the service was unaccessible at the time being. Shortly thereafter or exactly 7 minutes later Service was restored. Something happened, but it appears they were quick to their feet and had service back up within 7 minutes time.