Well color me stunned…from the NYT:
As Time Warner nears a decision on a big alliance with Google or Microsoft for its America Online unit, Stephen M. Case, the co-founder of AOL, has spoken out against the plan, aligning himself with the thinking of the financier Carl C. Icahn, who has pushed for a breakup of Time Warner.
Mr. Case, who recently resigned as a Time Warner director, wrote in an essay in The Washington Post on Sunday that “although I played a key role in bringing AOL and Time Warner together six years ago, it’s now my view that it would be best to ‘undo’ the merger by splitting Time Warner into several independent companies and allowing AOL to set off on its own path.”
BTW, the Times linked the words “Washington Post” in the snippet above to this (the Times’ summary of financial info on the Post company). Bad form, folks. Link to this, of course (the actual Case article).
Case is a bright guy, but why should anyone listen to what he has to say about a Time Warner / AOL business direction.
Maybe that’s harsh … but so was the TW/AOL implosion.
I find that most of the links in the NY Times, unless the web address is written out, are links to he NY Times financial information. I think that they probably have a script that goes through stories and looks for publicly traded company names and links them to their financial pages.
The Times online seems to be an after thought, and only now with Times Select are they paying any attention to it, but it still is pretty weak compared to what it could be.
I think AOL/Time Warner thought people would seek more mass media contect on the web, thus the deal would make sense. Instead, people have sought to create their own media through blogs, etc, so Case was wrong. Actually, I think gives this say 5 years and they will find a way to connetc it all. Not sure if they have that patience.
As a PORTAL, AOL is quite well developed, and, is one of the most frequently visited News Sites
http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=174910533
But like MSN it was using Inktomi Search, THEN, went with Google SERPs. During that period it has about a 5% share of the Search Engine Usage Market (constantly in the top 4 – being G, Y!, MSN)
It is possible that just like Microsoft SEARCH was an afterthought, just a footnote.
Considering the AGE of AOL, SO MUCH POTENTIAL WAS LOST!!!!
AOL could in fact develop as a unique Search Engine with its own Unique SERPs. Although their current users may not be as Search Savy Sophisticated as Google’s, they could attempt to develop, compete and bring new users.
The potential development of AOL as a unique Search Engine could probably only be done if there was a DEDICATED COMPANY behind it.
Perhaps it could branch off as a company – but financed by Time Warner for Search development.
Like Microsoft is financing MSN SEARCH.