AOL Defiles The Internet

This week’s New York Times op-ed piece by Esther Dyson tells us all we need to know about AOL’s nefarious plans for the future. Here are the conclusions I can't help but draw:

Currently, Internet access is sold the same way phone service is sold—by a subscription entitling payers to send and receive as many communications (emails) as they want.

But because AOL has a virtual monopoly on their customers, who don’t want to give up their affinity email addresses and instant messenger handles, AOL's executives must feel the time is right to begin changing the operational paradigm of their business.

AOL seems intent upon slowly turning their service into an electronic version of the post office, where each piece of mail is paid for by the sender. Given the ever-expanding role of spam and mass mailing, this new business model will likely make them much more money.

But it will also impair the freedom, transparency and openness that has characterized the Internet from its inception. And, it goes against other developments that are making the Internet a dynamic, user-friendly marketing space.

Is it not enough that AOL is raising their subscription rates (even though their start-up costs have been amortized long ago), flooding their space with ads of every size, shape and variety, and cutting back on original content in favor of appropriated, third-party content?

It all comes down to greed.

How can we squeeze this service for all its worth before the little people revolt? How can we maximize our short-term profit without regard to long-term consequences?

The time is now to revolt, before their greedy transformation is fully underway. Whether you’re an AOL user or not, I urge you to write AOL and voice your concerns. Their greed will affect us all, one way or another.