WARNING: This blog contains random thoughts on technology, software engineering, and general all-round nerdery. Read at your own risk. Nerd is contagious.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Ahh the irony of the Internet

We launched our beta "digg-killer" on Netscape.com. Here's what was on the first page: Two negative articles about AOL. I thought I should record it for posterity's sake:


I think this is a genuinely good use of the Netscape brand. It's like giving the name back to the users. Also, since editorial control is largely left to the site's users, we'll have to be prepared to deal with a lot of negative press about AOL on the site for a while.

Visually the site is a little busy, but at least it's not tying in every other AOL product we have. I like that there are non-technical channels (something digg is about to introduce to their site soon), although the "text matrix" is a little distracting from the stories.Overall i think this is a good move, on AOL's part.

The one thing i'd suggest is to NOT use the word member. Sexual references aside, "member" implies exclusivity and a financial prerequisite to something. A "user" is a better term, IMO.

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Rizwan I completely agree, the Cancel AOL recording was on Digg awhile ago...not 24 hours after it was posted on Netscape.com it made front page and the CCC responsible was relieved of duties...

See it's like complaining to Ted Leonsis yourself.

11:40 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have a hard time believing that this type of call isn't typical. the AOL response mentions that the title of the employee is "retention specialist" or some such. this is exactly the conversation I would expect when speaking to a retention specialist.

10:53 AM

 
Blogger Sree Kotay said...

Dude, *you're* a member. (and I don't mean user)

7:01 AM

 

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