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Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

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Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#31
post #12
post #7

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

Recently, a woman that I shared an elevator with commented on my laptop - she noticed that I worked at a large tech company. She commented that she too had worked for a large tech company at one time - AOL. I smiled. She then immediately recounted the day she and her entire floor were laid off unceremoniously. Luckily, that was about the time that we reached her floor.

I too worked for AOL at one time, after they bought Netscape who happened to be my employer at the time. I very quickly took a severance option they were offering. There were also plenty of developers that fell under the iPlanet umbrella working for Sun/Netscape that later felt the axe.

Don't think that everyone who worked at AOL were a bunch of "you've got mail!" chatroom admins.

Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

4G is generally available in rural areas?

Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#33
I wonder if that makes Ariana Huffington richer than her ex-husband. Mike H.: scion of wealthy Texas oil family. Former California representative, failed run for Senate using family money. Came out as gay man after loss and now is an indie film producer. Ariana H.: colorful journalist and political analyst retaining native Greek accent. While married she was a conservative, but became flaming liberal after divorce. Started dot.com news site, sort of the mirror image of conservative Matt Drudge. AOL bought her out a few years ago and she is a significant stock holder.

Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#37
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-...

Their respective headquarters are also right down the road from each other.

Re: Verizon to Buy AOL for $4.4B

#38
post #23

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?

I think he is referring to Verizon. Now that they are part of the Verizon family AOL can get you online via, fiber, cable or dialup.
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