Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B • Hacker News Board

Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#21

Post by randomname2 » Tue, May 12, 2015, 11:51 AM UTC

AOL in a big media deal, Clinton running for office, stocks at all time highs. What's not to love about 2000.

Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#22

Post by itsbits » Tue, May 12, 2015, 11:52 AM UTC

mooredinty wrote: post #18

For the past couple of years, AOL has been a place where companies go to die. Will Verizon pick up that mantel and continue offering the much needed "Death with Dignity" service for waning tech companies?

I am working in AdapTV. With AOL, we didn't die but surely didn't improve...

Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#23

Post by baldfat » Tue, May 12, 2015, 11:52 AM UTC

dec0dedab0de wrote: post #10

Would that make AOL the first company to provide Fiber and Cable?

Cable I didn't know AOL had ever made it into cable. Or are you meaning dial up over telephone cable?

Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#24

Post by richardwhiuk » Tue, May 12, 2015, 11:52 AM UTC

huskyr wrote: post #15

For those who are wondering why this might be a good investment: AOL still has 2 million (!) dialup subscribers that fork over $20 a month. http://qz.com/401567/more-than-2-million-american-homes-are-...

At a cost of $2000 a sub, that's pretty expensive though.

Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#25

Post by itsbits » Tue, May 12, 2015, 11:53 AM UTC

Achshar wrote: post #4

Considering how irrelevant AOL itself has been to the mainstream internet for some time now that price tag seems awfully high. They do own a bunch of popular bligs/websites though. So maybe that's it.

You obviously unaware of Video Ad Management tools they offer...

Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#26

Post by andyjohnson0 » Tue, May 12, 2015, 11:53 AM UTC

jenius wrote: post #20

huskyr wrote: post #15

For those who are wondering why this might be a good investment: AOL still has 2 million (!) dialup subscribers that fork over $20 a month. http://qz.com/401567/more-than-2-million-american-homes-are-...

I feel like this is a perfect reason why this is a bad investment. Anyone who is still subscribed to AOL dialup is honestly probably a senior citizen or technology-illiterate. AOL is not even marketing their dialup service anymore. These people over time will slowly decline until those 2 million eventually hit zero. In fact, you can clearly see the nearly exponential downward trend right on the article you linked. Th…

A significant number of AOL dialup customers are living in rural areas where broadband is just not available [1].

[1] http://www.psmag.com/nature-and-technology/neighbors-still-u...

Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#27

Post by [deleted] » Tue, May 12, 2015, 11:53 AM UTC

huskyr wrote: post #15

For those who are wondering why this might be a good investment: AOL still has 2 million (!) dialup subscribers that fork over $20 a month. http://qz.com/401567/more-than-2-million-american-homes-are-...

[deleted]

Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#28

Post by ams6110 » Tue, May 12, 2015, 11:54 AM UTC

jenius wrote: post #20

huskyr wrote: post #15

For those who are wondering why this might be a good investment: AOL still has 2 million (!) dialup subscribers that fork over $20 a month. http://qz.com/401567/more-than-2-million-american-homes-are-...

I feel like this is a perfect reason why this is a bad investment. Anyone who is still subscribed to AOL dialup is honestly probably a senior citizen or technology-illiterate. AOL is not even marketing their dialup service anymore. These people over time will slowly decline until those 2 million eventually hit zero. In fact, you can clearly see the nearly exponential downward trend right on the article you linked. Th…

Or (some of them) may simply live in areas where broadband internet is not available. I've only had it at home for about 5 years, prior to that dial-up was my only option.

Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#29

Post by consptheorist » Tue, May 12, 2015, 11:55 AM UTC

WDCDev wrote: post #7

To give you some perspective. When Time Warner and AOL merged back in 1999, AOL was valued at $166 Billion.

and with factoring the effect of inflation in the equation, the picture looks way worse and bleak!

Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#30

Post by DrJokepu » Tue, May 12, 2015, 11:59 AM UTC

andyjohnson0 wrote: post #26

jenius wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like this is a perfect reason why this is a bad investment. Anyone who is still subscribed to AOL dialup is honestly probably a senior citizen or technology-illiterate. AOL is not even marketing their dialup service anymore. These people over time will slowly decline until those 2 million eventually hit zero. In fact, you can clearly see the nearly exponential downward trend right on the article you linked. Th…

A significant number of AOL dialup customers are living in rural areas where broadband is just not available [1]. [1] http://www.psmag.com/nature-and-technology/neighbors-still-u...

With 4G broadband this is going to become irrelevant very quickly.