AOL's $50-Billion Loss Is One From the Books

Los Angeles Times ^ | April 24, 2002 | JAMES BATES

[Iwentsouth]

Sometime this afternoon AOL Time Warner Inc. probably will earn the dubious honor of spilling more red ink than any company in U.S. corporate history.

[Iwentsouth]

Goto link for full story because lawsuit.

[GeronL]

Its Enron all over again!! LOL

[quimby]

The growth in internet users is slowing and people have figured out you can get internet dial-up access for half what AOL charges.

[GeronL]

you can't get free dialup anymore but NetZero is $54.75 for 5 months.

why would anyone pay more than ... $120?? for the same access with AOL??

[grammymoon]

I have comcast cable. Our house has five connections, 1 main and a router.
We can all be on at the same time, 24-7/365. $42.00 per month.
No constant product pushing or pop up ads, no filtered search responses, just pure internet freedom.
AOL is for beginners of all ages & kids.

[grammymoon]

PS And NO telephone charges.

[Risky Schemer]

They could probably cut the red ink a bit by not sending out so many CDs.

BTW, any current AOL dialup users -- has service improved any over the last couple of years?

[Jeff Chandler]

They could probably cut the red ink a bit by not sending out so many CDs.

I've used them as coasters but moisture seeps through the hole.

[SouthCarolinaKit]

Is the loss due to AOL or TIME / WARNER? Check out localnet.com (various places in US support: CT, PA, NJ, NY which LOWERED it's monthly 24/7 price from $19.95 / mo to $9.95! They should be rewarded. And their service it good!

[OldFriend]

Just heard the best spin of all time on WABC radio news at 4a.m. Wednesday. The loss is due to new accounting procedures and is 'ONLY ON PAPER'.

[.45MAN]

This is great news!!! AOL is both LEFT WING and ANTI-GUN. I would like to see them loose their shirts.....

[xzins]

..left wing and anti-gun...

And over-priced and, frankly, just useless. Like the guy said above, "for beginners and little kids."

[capt. norm]

I'm with you. Hooked up with Comcast a little over a year ago and they would have to drag me away, kicking and screaming, to settle for anything less.

I am permanently spoiled.

Did much the same as you did with a router except we only have three machines and they all "fly".

[capt. norm]

AOL continued to bill my son for a full year after he had dropped their services by extracting from his checking account.

After weeks of being put on "perpetual hold" and passed around from one department to another, they refunded half of what they owed him. He will never see the other half but I think he will enjoy the news that those goons have lost $50 billion.

His phone calls may not have even raised an eyebrow but the $50B loss will get their attention.

I hear they are trying to get into high speed access and I'm hoping their a "dollar short (or maybe $50B) and a day late." (or maybe a couple years late)

[Rebelbase]

"They could probably cut the red ink a bit by not sending out so many CDs. "

The other day I saw a customer at a grocery store take a handful of AOL CD"s from the checkout area and throw them in a garbage can outside.

[grammymoon]

DSL only works on one phone line + phone charges

[crazyj]

don't aol and time warner own CNN? I do belive that they do. ouch