Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : America On-Line: will it survive ...? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Howard Hoffman who wrote (7281)	2/9/1998 9:56:00 PM
From: yard_man	Respond to of 13594

8. File transfer to other AOL users is foolproof. Never know with ISP. This is because you have AOL! AOL doesn't transfer files to others well. They've built this in.

To: Howard Hoffman who wrote (7281)	2/9/1998 10:22:00 PM
From: White Shoes	Respond to of 13594

1. There are earnings reports available from various web sources. 2. Motley Fool...no loss. 3. Stock charts aplenty on 100's of sites...many free. 4. AOL as ISP...sucks. 5. AOL Instant Messenger is now bundled with Netscape. There is also something called Excite! Pal. Instant messages are now free to everyone. 6. AOL & kids, maybe above average. AOL & censorship: an issue. 8. File transfer...I personally use e-mail. Netscape mail. Hmm...looks like AOL doesn't have much to offer!

To: Howard Hoffman who wrote (7281)	2/10/1998 1:20:00 AM
From: FuzzFace	Respond to of 13594

<RE $2 increase. Since payment is via credit card, users will not feel the increase. I doubt AOL will have 3 or 4% cancellations from increase. I will think about but probably will not act.> When you put it like this, it makes sense. But what about the already high "churn" rate? Those that do leave will be even less inclined to return now. And potential replacement subscribers will notice the extra cost. A year ago I cancelled my Compuserve acct because I hated it's price structure and, living in DFW area, can find at least 3 ISPs offering unlimited internet access for less than $90/yr (prepaid). So for the price of 4 months of AOL, I get a full year of internet service. With my current ISP, I usually connect at 44k, and almost never get a busy signal. The only disadvantage is if I travel and want to connect to my ISP, it is long distance. But if I travel for work, I just use the branch office's internet connection and set my browser to read from my ISP's mail server. On vacation, I generally don't care if I don't get on the internet. So what I don't understand is, why do people pay 3 times what they have to for unlimited internet access? Is it a name-brand thing? Ignorance of where to go on the web to find the equivalent of AOL's extra content? Inertia? The "devil you know" effect? A combination?

To: Howard Hoffman who wrote (7281)	2/10/1998 1:48:00 AM
From: uu	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13594

Howard: You state: > I believe AOL is way overpriced but that may not stop it from going up another 50 points. For a mass market consumer company, a stock split may increase demand for stock from small investors, improving liquidity. True, but in the final analysis it is always the revenue and earnings that will drive the stock price. With the $2 increase, let me go on record as saying that at least 20-30% of AOL subscribers will cancel and move to competittors such as EarthLink, AT&T, MSN, MCI, Sprint, etc.). Despite the fact that the subscription comes from subscribers credit cards I disagree with the notion that they do not mind the extra $2 increase. Psychologically subscribers will be effected. Heck I am using AOL right now to post this, but have already subscribed for EarthLink and soon will be going to that. Not because of the $2 increase but rather the horrible busy line I get, not to mention the idiotic adds right after I log on to AOL, and the number of junk emails I receive. My investment stratgey has always been not to ever short a stock, but I am very very close to start shorting AOL if the idiotic rise in the stock price continues. Although I know at the end I will not short it because it aint my investment style and I can not change that after 12-13 years of being in the market! Regards, Addi Jamshidi