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Technology Stocks : LAST MILE TECHNOLOGIES - Let's Discuss Them Here -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: SDR-SI who wrote (4448)	7/5/1999 4:08:00 PM
From: Raymond Duray	Respond to of 12823

Hi Steve, You said I may have an unduly prejudiced viewpoint on AOL's AOL-centered, restrictive philosophy. I know that it's hard for me to note an AOL address on a business or on an an individual that one has come to respect, and not saying to myself "Why are they on AOL?". I've gotten more bold, I ask them to their face why they are at AOL. My motivation, of course, is to get them to start thinking about getting past the elementary school and onto the real infobahn. Answers vary, but there is little embarrassment on behalf of most AOL members. It's a real community and the buddy list is a powerful motivator to stay with AOL. It is a safe and conservative way to use the Net, I'll bet 80% of the 50% of all Web users that AOL serves sees it as very reassuring to run with the crowd. Kinda like in the mid '80s when friends of mine who were naive about PCs ended up spending 40% more than necessary to buy an IBM labeled box, rather than a clone. Remember Steve, there are relatively few people like us who are willing to think independently and act upon our beliefs. Most people are convinced that if they raise their head above the crowd that it will be cut off. So independents like us toil away to find brilliant start-ups in the hope of making 100 to 1 in the market and most AOLers are content to invest in AOL or mutual funds where they find strength in numbers and comfort in the crowd. Happy Investing, Ray

To: SDR-SI who wrote (4448)	7/5/1999 4:54:00 PM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12823

Steven, I'd like to address your points one by one at some point, but first let me say that that was some post! Thanks. I'm concerned that we may begin to detract from the ethos of the Last Mile at this point, if we continue along on this topic without keeping it relevant to SP LM provisions. While it could be argued that this topic of AOL's status and classification is tangentially related to the LM, it pierces a whole nuther realm which may be suitable for a thread of its own. But lets continue until the wheel begins to squeak. Does AOL differ materially in their makeup and agenda (in areas other than their speed of delivery and the media over which they transport) from other SPs such as RR and ATHM? Can what is said about AOL be said also about the other two I've just mentioned? In other words, are AOL, ATHM and RR all in the same general classification of provider, whatever that classification winds up being, when all is said and done? For example, it is widely accepted that ATHM operates an intranet, very much like a private IP backbone network, with gateways to the outside 'net. Not sure about RR. Is this also characteristic of AOL, and suitable cause to classify them as being in the same niche? (If you can call anything the size of AOL's space a niche...) Of course, there is a more curiouser, but less obviouse, point to all of this: What if the FCC reverses itself and agrees to the wishes of the greater number of ISPs, and decides to open up cable to the 'net at large, only to exclude AOL due to its not being one of the eligibles? Regards, Frank Coluccio