AOL To Be Free For Broadband Users?

mikesd81 writes "AOL may give away more services including its AOL.com accounts reserved for paying customers. They have a proposal under consideration which calls for Time Warner's online unit to stop charging subscription fees to users who have high-speed Internet access or even dial-up service from a rival provider. Under the plan the company would continue to charge the fees for those needing dial-up access through AOL. The AOL software also would allow subscribers to continue using instant messaging, Web journals and other services without having to download separate software or figure out Web-based options. That would ease the transition and encourage them to keep using AOL services, the person familiar with the matter said."

TANSTAFS.

[Tackhead]

> Free shit!

If the editors can dupe the articles, us commenters can dupe the comments [slashdot.org] ... and to that end:

> > > > > Just because a bag of crap is free doesn't mean it's worth the hassle of obtaining it.
> > > > Horse shit!
> > > Free? My uncle sells manure at a good few pounds per bag. It's a good source of income.
> > Good source of income, eh? Must be good shit. Couldn't resist...
> I'll take a bag of the good shit please...

But as Heinlein would say... TANSTAFS.

From AOL's perspective, giving the shit away is probably a good business decision. AOL is as much a marketing organization / advertising agency than an ISP, and they probably make a lot more money selling their users' data as they do from ISP subscription fees.

Hence, give the shit away. The more eyeballs that stare at AOL's shit, the more shit comes through the tubes, and the more ad revenue AOL/TW brings in from advertisers eager to sell their shit.

Re:Can someone tell me?

[PMuse]

What is the point of AOL?

Those who have been saying for years that AOL content adds no value to what can be had in the wilds of the internet now have proof: Time-Warner will stop charging for AOL content.

What a long, embarrassing fall for the online company whose stock was once so valuable that it could buy a major cable company!

Advertising

[Anonymous Coward]

AOL (the app) is simply voluntary spyware, the entire point of AOL (the company) is not to help or provide a "service" to users but to provide companies with a targeted resource in which to exploit for financial gain

open AOL (the app) and see what is more prominent , advertising or content ?

New and Improved Crap!

[Bieeanda]

Sounds like yet another useless portal site, but with the added annoyance of having to use a special client to interact with it. If they're looking for market share, that's about the worst way they could go about doing it.

Re:So?

[wbren]

Oh shit! This guy made a joke with the word AIDS in it! Quick! Mod him to hell!

He was just making a point/joke, give him a break.

Re:Can someone tell me?

[alshithead]

"What is the point of AOL?" That's easy. They USED to be the primary introducer of non-technical users to the internet. Now, there is no point and they have to try and make their living doing something different than selling services in addition to the actual connection. That is why they are starting to give away former income generating services for free. I think their attempt at reincarnation will be towards advertising and whatever content delivery they can from the TW side. I won't try and predict how their reincarnation will go because I'm completely out of touch with AOL. All of my friends and family were conviced to go elsewhere for internect access long ago (some at my my personal prodding) because they have so many more better choices. AOL used to be their obvious choice and now it's not.

Re:I just signed up and cancelled my aol account..

[solitas]

You just gave AOL your credit card number just so you could call 'em up again to cancel? Ummm... [shaking head]