By the time AOL stunned the world by agreeing to buy media giant Time Warner last week, I had become a believer in AOL's greater destiny. But like everybody else, I was amazed at this audacious deal. I won't add here to the gazillions of words that have been devoted to the merger's business impact, but I do want to talk about what it means for average Internet users.

In general, the new, bigger AOL will be a good thing for mainstream Web surfersbecause, in the class war between thetechno-elite and the rest of us, AOL has always been on theside of mainstream, nontechnical people. It has shrugged off the scorn of the techies, refused to indulge in complex bells and whistles, and delivered online community and content that everybody can use. This history stands in stark contrast to the track record of Microsoft and AT&T, which were once expected to swamp AOL but couldn't escape their techie roots.

NOW, WITH TIME WARNER'S CABLE and content assets, AOL will get a chance to democratize the online world further. It will be able to move its service onto high-speed lines sooner than expected and accelerate it plans to move past the PC and bring the Internet to TV sets and simple information appliances. AOL is clearly the Internet company best able to offer the digital lifestyle to the many, many millions who still aren't online because the PC is an impediment for them.

I don't agree with those who worry that the new owners from AOL will somehow stifle the independence of Time Warner's journalists. First, that sort of thing isn't in Mr. Case'sgenes. Second, I know the editors of Time and Fortune, as well as the editor-in-chief of all Time Warner magazines. They are tough journalists who haven't shirked from negative coverage of Time Warner and its far-flung properties in music, movies and TV, and they won't give AOL a free ride, either.

I also disagree with those who claim the new company will somehow stifle or drown out other voices on the Internet. Even a colossus like AOL Time Warner will only occupy a minority of the world's digital real estate, and it can't stop consumers from wandering beyond its boundaries to sample other views.

Still, AOL is hardly perfect. It has been stupid and arrogant at times, occasionally taking for granted the consumers it serves. I've criticized these missteps -- most recently last month, when it tried to trick users who hadturned off its annoying pop-up ads to agree to view them again. The company will be tempted by its hard-core marketers to use its new power in a way that conflicts with its basicpro-consumer instincts. Its success will depend on how well it balances the urge to sell at all costs with the need to serve, and respect, mainstream Web users.

Here are five tests you can use to measure how well the new AOL Time Warner is doing as a steward of all its new power.

Open Access: Before it agreed to become a cable system owner, AOL was a champion of giving consumers the right to choose whichInternet portal they used with their cable modems. Now that it's on the other side, it promises to hold true to that philosophy. Let's see whether it keeps that promise. Internet Journalism: AOL has had little to say about the deplorable trend on the Internet of blurring the lines between news and advertising. Now that it's becoming a major news organization, it's time for AOL to step up and help promulgate journalistic ethics on theWeb by supporting groups like the Online News Association (www.onlinenewsassociation.org), which seeks higher standards.

Parental Controls: AOL carries plenty of sex, but ithas also excelled at giving parents effective tools for controlling children's access to inappropriate material. Now, the new company should invest money and talent in extending these optional controls to thewider Internet, and to the cable TV systems it will own. Privacy: AOL's principal solution to the Internet's corrosive privacy problem has been to encourage people to use fake "screen names." This is a poor excuse for tough, Internet-wide standards to really protect privacy. The company should use its influence to stand up for new guarantees for individual privacy.

Consumer Rights: AOL has had a spotty record in upholding such principles as the right to avoid in-your-face ads and the right to cancel a subscription easily. The new merged company should become a leader in replacing broadside marketing with voluntary marketing programs to deliver real value to customers. I'm optimistic that AOL Time Warner can be a positive force for consumers online, but we should all watch closely how the new companydoes on these and other issues in the months and years ahead.

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