AOL Changes Its Logo, and More

[LinuxFanBoi]

I was hoping this would include a name change, unfortunately, LOL was already taken.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/182861/aol_changes_its_logo_and_more.html

[alphaniner]

and More = laying off a significant portion of its workforce.

[SunnyRabbiera]

and More = laying off a significant portion of its workforce.

Yes but AOL has been dying off for a long time now, no big surprise.
I find it funny back in 2000ish they were so cocky and arrogant they took hold of Time Warner, but soon they got the kick in the *** they deserved.

[dragos240]

Well. Why am I not surprised.

[Bachstelze]

AOL still exists? I hadn't heard about them for like two years.

[Wiebelhaus]

1/3 of it's staff is allot.

[LinuxFanBoi]

1/3 of it's staff is allot.
That still leaves 6 people to run the comapany... :p

The only reason they still exist is because there are still people naively paying AOL for the very same content they are actually getting from their broadband ISP.

Most of them are of the elderly or near elderly generation. The most common response I get when I tell them they don't have to keep paying AOL when they also pay for broadband is that they believe that the ISP only gives them the modem, while they think all the internet content comes from AOL.

AOL had it's place back in the day when the best internet you could hope for was over POTS and you had to hope the access number wasn't busy. Those days are gone, AOL failed to evolve. They didn't change their business model to keep up with technology, and soon there will be no more AOL.

Rumor has it Cox communication will begin offering a very basic, low bandwidth (talking 256 kbps), service to it's cable customers at no extra charge other than equipment rental, or free if the user wants to purchase their modem from them or else ware.

Please understand this is word of mouth from a technician who does truck rolls all day, so it may or may not be true. His explanation was that Cox is attempting to absorb the last few hold outs still clinging to dial up.

Is there anyone out there who works for Cox that can confirm or deny this?

[Viva]

AOL are useless. They were the only company who had the power to stand up to microsoft and they bottled it. They've bought a few companies to get at microsoft and ruined some great software by ignoring them after they bought the companies.

[t0p]

AOL were one of the true pioneers in online computing. Back in the olden days (I'm talking before the web became great) AOL and Compuserve (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CompuServe) were instrumental in getting people online, with their chatrooms and email service.

AOL also did some real bad stuff, like visiting the September that never ended (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September) upon Usenet. But we can forgive them their trespasses. AOL gave us lots of cool silver coasters for our coffee mugs, and kept who knows how many landfill sites operational with the millions of free CDs they sent us over the years.

It's pretty surprising that AOL are still working their online content scam. Back in their heyday, most people who wanted to experience online computing had no real choice: it was AOL/Compuserve or nothing. But as soon as real ISPs started selling internet access, AOL should have died. AOL is like a vampire: you have to push the stake right through its heart or it'll never die.

I think we should all do our bit to help out by signing up for the new "Aol." services. Just think: instead of using the pesky world wide web, we can pay Aol. to give us access to free websites. Kewl!!!

[doorknob60]

The only reason AOL's not completely dead is the popularity of AIM. Does anybody actually use them as an ISP still?

[kevin11951]

I'm sorry for all the lay-offs, because well... they are my fault!

A few months ago, i talked my mom into cancelling her $15/month subscription to aol (we have had broadband for years now anyway ;).

[5nak3]

AOL...my online good memory of them was the huge £180 pound phone bill I ran up with them over their 56k dial up service using a 1p/min connection number...and was I doing anything of any use?

Nope, just playing Silent Death. Incidentally also the best online game I've ever come across.

[Thirtysixway]

Aha I still remember having AOL 4.0, playing slingo and going into those monitored chats. I always ended up getting our account suspended somehow. Oh and the time my sister left it connected all night, that's back when you paid for minutes per month hahaha.

Good times :) kinda..

[ninjapirate89]

My grandparents still use AOL (err Aol.) and no matter what I tell them I can't convince them to get rid of it.

[chris200x9]

my parents still use aol but cancelled it, once you cancel you still can use the browser.

[amingv]

Can't wait to sell some old AOL CDs on Ebay. :twisted:

[qamelian]

My favourite part of the article:

The pricey restructuring is expected to cost AOL some $200 in the coming months.
At least we know what they felt they were worth! :P

[hoppipolla]

Aww poor old AOL! I had no idea they had plummeted so much!

If we hadn't just changed ISP I would briefly consider a "sympathy switch"! hehe :)

EDIT -- ROFL - "erectile dysfunction"!? It's a company not a person hehe

The lower case is supposed to by stylish I think...

I actually think it does look quite stylish! :)