[phileysmiley]

May 28, 2009
BUSINESS WIRE

Time Warner Inc. today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized management to proceed with plans for the complete legal and structural separation of AOL from Time Warner. Following the proposed transaction, AOL would be an independent, publicly traded company.

Time Warner Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bewkes said: "We believe that a separation will be the best outcome for both Time Warner and AOL. The separation will be another critical step in the reshaping of Time Warner that we started at the beginning of last year, enabling us to focus to an even greater degree on our core content businesses. The separation will also provide both companies with greater operational and strategic flexibility. We believe AOL will then have a better opportunity to achieve its full potential as a leading independent Internet company."

After the proposed separation is complete, AOL will compete as a standalone company - focused on growing its Web brands and services, which currently reach more than 107 million domestic unique visitors a month, as well as its advertising business, which operates the leading online display network that reaches more than 91% of the domestic online audience. AOL will also continue to operate one of the largest Internet access subscription services in the U.S.

AOL Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tim Armstrong said: "This will be a great opportunity for AOL, our employees and our partners. Becoming a standalone public company positions AOL to strengthen its core businesses, deliver new and innovative products and services, and enhance our strategic options. We play in a very competitive landscape and will be using our new status to retain and attract top talent. Although we have a tremendous amount of work to do, we have a global brand, a committed team of people, and a passion for the future of the Web."

MORE:
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/t ... arate-aol/

[kanaloa]

I still can't believe I actually got my start on the web via AOL. Ah, the sound of a hissing modem and 56K (yeah right) speeds. That was 1996 I believe

[mnemonicj]

I think a great deal of people got their start on the web via AOL. The first time I used the Internet was at a friend's house in the summer of 1995. His parents bought a new computer with Windows 95 and were given a floppy disc with AOL on it. It dumbed down the Internet for everyone by installing a bunch of software that really wasn't needed to use the Internet.

When people that were using AOL for such a long time wanted high speed Internet, AOL said that they could keep their AOL services (by paying for them) and use AOL on the high speed connection, even though they were paying for them separately. Finally, AOL started offering high speed Internet services by partnering with high speed ISPs, but all AOL provided was crapware, IMO.

Now, it is still a very similar situation. ISPs want you to install their crapware to use the Internet when all you need is a modem connection (or direct network connection via T1, T3, etc.) to the Internet and access to some DNS servers.

[phileysmiley]

I think a great deal of people got their start on the web via AOL.

Very true. I travel a lot and get tons of email addresses from people in my business, and I'm always amazed at how many have @aol.com email addresses. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean it was their first ISP but I do think that is the case in most of them.

it dumbed down the Internet for everyone by installing a bunch of software that really wasn't needed to use the Internet.

Thank God they don't do that anymore.

When people that were using AOL for such a long time wanted high speed Internet, AOL said that they could keep their AOL services (by paying for them) and use AOL on the high speed connection, even though they were paying for them separately.

My mom was one of them. It took me forever to convince her that she was paying for something she didn't need and to drop AOL.

[kanaloa]

My dad was still paying for it last I talked to him - I never could convince him to switch to gmail (with their own google apps for your domain name no less) like I did for my brother and mom.

[phileysmiley]

The biggest issue with my mom, and why it took her so long to switch, was that she would lose her aol email that all her contacts had. They wouldn't let you keep it for free.