Let’s take a quick look at Twitter… For the large userbase, twitter is a sort of away message for your life.  That’s how I often use Twitter.  And when you think about away messages, what program do you associate it to first?  AOL Instant Messenger.  AOL could have included new products alongside instant messaging to make use of it’s large, dedicated userbase.  AOL could still can create a twitter competitor that’s connected to your aim profile. I would love it if there was an AIM version of twitter where I could simply leave an away message on the aim program or on a website and where people could reply back to me (and that would be visible to all).  It’s a simple, more connected network of friends and friends of friends.  Perhaps the main dillema is the user’s privacy, but with the right measures and hype they could have really brought some more respect to the company’s strategy side.  AOL should launch it as a friendfeed, twitter, tumblr competitor where it’s easy to share anything or communicate anything to friends.  I think that’s why a twitter competitor is still viable - much of the true instant messaging users are untapped.  All AOL needs is a bunch of buzz and a simple sign in to activate your own AOL on-the-go microblogging service that serves as an away message to all your friends and their friends.  They’ll never do it though, even after reading this article.  AOL has become too corporate to even thinking about banking on this new frontier.  Their closemindedness towards the startup world (and even the internet itself) has blinded it from new products that the current generation would actually use.  Besides a disgusting interface and changes in beloved features, what did Triton offer over the previous version of AIM?  Even if they can garner the innovation to produce this product, their corporate way of doing things will interfere with correct implementation.  Lot’s of research must be done by AOL to understand the current tech climate and make use of it.  AOL hasn’t even launched a true update to AIM Express!  An online app that rivals Meebo could have easily conquered the web-based messaging world.  AOL, why so blind?  And where’s the web-based AIM application for my iPhone?  Has AOL given up?  Instead of trying to heavily monetize on it’s current sources of revenue, AOL should really focus on the power and dedication of its users.  They should really put some money into market analysis and launch some new and innovative products.  They could soar, but AOL should definitely not utilize their current decision makers and should instead hire a firm to give them strategy lessons.  Whatever AOL is doing now is not working.  With the advent of Facebook and text messaging, more of my friends are giving up on AIM for communication.  Create Hype, launch a decent product with some new thinkers and we could all have a nifty little new tool.  The functionality must all be there, as well as a more refined look not typically reminiscent of AOL.

Ahh, it saddens me that it will probably never happen.  I’ve built a fond love (and reputation) with my aim screename.

Oh and if AOL ever creates a twitter competitor, you know where it came from!