AOL: Doomed To Fail, Again

Maybe I’m misreading this, but it seems that AOL wants broadband users to download advertisements willingly? They’re not offering an actual broadband connection service for free, are they? Why would I, with my perfectly clean broadband connection, want to put crap on top of it - falling victim to the promise of free software that would protect me from the very same crap that came with it? No way. That’s like spyware advertising itself as spyware protection.

I’m not saying that AOL is spyware, but it seems to me that the only winning party in this relationship is AOL. When the Internet first became available outside of educational institutions, workaday users needed some kind of friendly interface to get online. Trumpet Winsock was an absolute nightmare to explain (and configuring Kermit was far more unfriendly). However, AOL needs to wake up to the fact that users no longer need advertising-laden software to get themselves online. Offering me “useful” software that’s just as riddled with advertisements is not a step in the right direction.

I don’t mind ads in Internet apps - not at all. But to suggest that the only way AOL can boost sagging ad revenues is to offer their dwindling audience more junk proves to me that executives at America Online have their heads screwed on backwards. AOL isn’t thinking creatively enough about this problem. We don’t want more software, we want less obtrusive, more HELPFUL software - either directly on our desktop or through the Web. For years the AOL Instant Messenger has been a mess, though there is much promise in the AIM Pro product. There’s increased competition across the board - and we’re all feeling the pinch. We either have to adapt, or we die. From Time Warner, itself:

Among the AOL products that will be available for free to anyone with an Internet connection are: AOL’s integrated software; communications features, including AOL e-mail, instant messaging, a local phone number with unlimited incoming calls, and social networking applications; and safety and security features, such as parental controls. To encourage former members to return to using the AOL software, e-mail, instant messaging and other AOL products, they will be able to reactivate their screen names, if given up within the last two years.

In the weeks ahead, AOL will announce a number of free new products in such areas as safety and security, storage, personalized e-mail domains, video and search, as well as an update of its AOL software. Combined with AOL’s video search, video assets, compelling content, blogging and other existing free applications, these new products will allow AOL to compete across the board for new Internet users, both domestically and abroad.

AOL is not adapting.

[tags]spyware,advertising,advertisements,aol email,aol instant messenger,broadband connection,trumpet winsock,integrated software,internet apps,aim pro,ad revenues,helpful software[/tags]