What Lies Beneath: AOL’s Connie Six Feet Under

The Sunday Times printed the official obituary for Connie, AOL’s 5 year old face for broadband yesterday. While many will not be mourning the death of 2000’s official Turkey of the Year, this does raise questions of what it means for the broadband industry as a whole.

Connie’s passing was not a result of her foul status but a change in consumer preferences, according to chief executive Karen Thompson. So perhaps broadband users are becoming slightly more savvy….interested in intermediate applications rather than simple plug and play. Advertising, at least consumer research, may in fact be an interesting way to understand public needs. Could AOL’s decision be an indication that the government’s desire for a universal service provision in broadband is not so far fetched after all?

Time can only tell how not only consumer but citizens aclimate themselves to their networking possibilities. It is important to keep in mind the different ways of not only understanding this but acting in a way to understand public interest capabilities and needs.