AOL kills user websites & blogs Oct 31 08

[davidh]

AOL kills user websites & blogs Oct 31 08
We're Closing Our Doors

Posted on Sep 30th 2008 10:06AM by Kelly Wilson

Dear AOL Hometown and Journal's users,

Soon you will be receiving an e-mail providing additional information about Hometown/FTP and Journals. Both of these experiences are closing their doors. http://www.peopleconnectionblog.com/
DH

[Judy G. Russell]

AOL kills user websites & blogs Oct 31 08
Verrrry interesting...

[davidh]

FWIW, MSN will close down MSN Groups in Feb. 2009.

They are going to start up a new 'groups' service on "Windows Live". In the meanwhile MSN is offering to auto transfer MSN Groups to a 3rd party service called Multiply.

I assume that MSN is not making enuf money from ads on MSN groups to justify updating the MSN Groups service. Probably Yahoo groups and Google groups are significantly outcompeting MSN Groups, I guess.

My guess is that the market for "hot babes (aka social networking)" , etc. way far exceeds that for old fashioned forums and bulletin boards. I suppose we are behind the times since we only have a dungeon :(

DH

[Judy G. Russell]

I suppose we are behind the times since we only have a dungeon :(We like being behind the times in that regard!

[Bill Hirst]

We like being behind the times in that regard!
We _like_ our dungeon. It's cold and damp, and painted the most lovely shade of mauve. At least I think it's paint. It could just as easily be... Well, let's not look too closely.

-Bill

[Judy G. Russell]

Well, let's not look too closely.We can't. The lights are too low...

[Bill Hirst]

We can't. The lights are too low...
Dim lighting encourages one to use the sense of touch.

-Bill

[Judy G. Russell]

Dim lighting encourages one to use the sense of touch.
But it's still hard to feel anything through the saran wrap...

[davidh]

AOL kills user websites & blogs Oct 31 08
DHIn October, they also discontinued their free anti-virus service provided thru McAfee.

DH

[davidh]

In October, they also discontinued their free anti-virus service provided thru McAfee.AOL Pictures to Close on December 31, 2008

[Mike]

AOL kills user websites & blogs Oct 31 08
DH
CompuServe's Ourworld is closing at the same time.

[Judy G. Russell]

CompuServe's Ourworld is closing at the same time.Egads... I had no idea it still existed!

[davidh]

Want to Buy Xdrive? AOL Is Trying To Sell It For $5 Million.
52 Comments
by Erick Schonfeld on July 25, 2008

Continuing the tradition of selling bad Web businesses for less than they were bought for (in the vein of Cnet selling Webshots for $45 million three years after paying $70 million for it), AOL is trying to unload online storage service Xdrive. Three years after buying Xdrive for a rumored $30 million (never officially disclosed), the price it is now trying to fetch is $5 million, and going south, says a source. Maybe AOL should put it on eBay.

It is a sad ending for Xdrive, which now will be best known for giving birth to MySpace (both Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe worked there). In an e-mail to staff explaining why AOL is powering down Xdrive and other businesses, EVP Kevin Conroy explained (bold added for emphasis}:

The changes described below are in no way a reflection of the hard work and creativity of the people who built and maintain them.

- Personal Media: Bluestring, Xdrive and AOL Pictures will be sunset. These consumer storage products haven’t gained sufficient traction in the marketplace or the monetization levels necessary to offset the high cost of their operation. We have found that building media management applications within the context of a social experience is a more rapid and effective way to grow the business. For example, today the Bebo audience is uploading over three million photos per day. To effectively grow the XDrive online storage business we would need to focus on subscription revenues vs. monetizing through advertising revenue, and this business model is not in strategic alignment with our company’s goals. We are exploring plans to migrate our users assets to ensure the best possible transition experience.
Bold-ing is mine, not Schonfeld's.
DH

[Mike]

Egads... I had no idea it still existed!
Exists? Yes.

Works? I'll get right back atcha with that.

[Judy G. Russell]

Exists? Yes.
Works? I'll get right back atcha with that.ROFL! Yeah, there is that too!

[Lindsey]

Exists? Yes.

Works? I'll get right back atcha with that.
Details, details! It's not enough for them to offer it? It has to work, too? Why are customers so demanding? :rolleyes: