Eric, I have heard the argument you are raising many times, about AOL being the internet on training wheels, for beginners, etc. And that as internet maturity grows, users will flow to the web instead of to proprietary services.
I understand that argument, and it has some merit. However, what you are assuming in making this argument is that AOL is frozen in the sands of technological time, and eventually technology will bypass AOL. That is false, other than the usual slow movement of any large company.
The reality is that AOL is not slow to adopt newer technology and to provide portals to the web. They are doing this quite rapidly and effectively. What AOL is trying to do, IMHO, is to keep pace with the level of the average consumer, offering services to the masses. As their level rises, so does what AOL offers. If you doubt this, check out the AOL web site, their home pages, their web publishing tools, etc. But don't look at them through the eyes of an avant guard techie, but through the eyes of an average consumer. |
