The death announcement came via press release: America Online is now simply AOL, effective immediately. The statement offered an explanation: Our company long ago accomplished the mission implied by our old name. “We literally got America online,” said Jon Miller, chairman and chief executive officer AOL. “Our new corporate identity better reflects our expanded mission, to make everyone’s online experience better. Plus, consumers in the U.S. and around the world already know us by our initials.”
C’est la vie, I suppose. But in a world where “America” and “American” are often scorned, it was nice to have something which was generally viewed as positive.
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