Slashdot Mirror
Google Wants a Piece of AOL?
minuszero writes "BBC News is reporting that "Google is said to be in talks with media group Time Warner about a stake in its internet service provider, AOL."
Talks are reprted to be in the early stages still, but one possibility is a "three-way joint venture to house AOL's content offering, with Time Warner retaining a controlling interest." Current estimates for this sort of move are around $5bn.
The article also claims that Microsoft has also shown interest in tieing up MSN and AOL services." Clearly Google's interest in AOL is their huge CD distribution system, widely regarded as the most advanced in the world as demonstrated by my mailbox.
How will google reconcile any partnership with Time Warner with their policy of doing no evil?
"Teleporting Rodents with D-Cell Battery Displacement" theory -- IgnoramusMaximus (692000)
.....As if I needeed more CD's in my mailbox. At least you could reformat the floppies.
This is my opinion. To make sure you don't steal it, it's covered by the DMCA.
Great, Now I'll get twice as many garbage CD's in my mailbox each week. No, I don't want dial-up AOL/Google Free for 4 weeks... Ever.
Interesting thought. But stop calling me Shirley.
Charles Jo
What's so advanced about a room of 10,000 monkeys trained to stuff CDs into shipping packages? :-j
"Where's my other sock?" - A. Einstein
Clearly Google is planning to use AOL CD delivery system to create the most widespread, giant, distribuited backup system! Maybe you'll even get a scrambled portion of your Gmail e-mails in the mailbox!
SeqBox
Maybe they just want to remedy their original mistake, and now get back to being GoogOL! *badum TISH!*
Game dev and music blog
This is like a bad twist from George Lucas' senile mind.
Today, the Rebel Alliance joined forces with Jabba the Hutt in their battle against the Empire.
In other news, the Empire has released yet another patch for their new secret space fortress in hopes of getting the station to run properly.
I seriously hope that nothing comes of this. I think of Google as a completely net based company, getting involved in physical medium is something that I would rather they did not do.
I guess this is all part of Google's campaign to take on projects that are failing miserably and turn them around. Although, NASA is a heck of allot easier to fix that AOL.
...there's going to be a whole lot more thrown chairs.
The CB App. What's your 20?
I think they just want to see more flying chairs.
~Belly
But Google, with their "good works" program), will get palms and rose petals laid before them...
If it were done when 'tis done, then t'were well it were done quickly... MacBeth
Google + AOL?
Finally! An indisputable reason to call the company Gay-O-L.
Google Wants a Piece of AOL?
Heh, the obvious title to me was rather:
Google Wants a Piece of Shit?
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
every time i move AOL CD's seems to track my new
address faster than my bills. their evil.
Brilliant!
They've learned that you can't survive, let alone thrive in American business for long without being evil, so they're looking to partner with AOL-Time-Warner, known masters at being evil, in order to have them do the dirty work.
Absolute brilliance. Someone must have gotten a nice bonus for that idea.
Oh! I just realized the best part. They're outsourcing their evil to AMERICAN workers, not an overseas seat shop, so even while outsourcing their evil, they themselves aren't being evil.
"Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA
Seeing as several people have already posted saying "But why would Google want AOL's CD distribution system?" I think it's clear that Slashdot needs to invest in a Closed Captioning for the Humor Impaired system. Those who have tragically been humor impaired would then be able to read the story as:
Clearly Google's interest in AOL is their huge CD distribution system, widely regarded as the most advanced in the world as demonstrated by my mailbox. (THIS IS A JOKE)
and this would cut down on the unneeded posts expressing disbelief, as well as the replies to those posts mocking them. Please do not mock these people; they have a disability. I think a Closed Captioning for the Humor Impaired system would restore a bit of dignity to those disabled individuals.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.
and Wall Street doesn't just put its money anywhere
Welcome, Time Traveler! You appear to have drifted from the dark ages of 1999, to the refined age of TWO-THOUSAND-AND-FIVE! Let me show you around, but watch your step at the door, there's some form of unknown bubble residue decaying in the streets beyond.
I wish Google would put a stake in AOL.