Content Matters

[talon]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/23/AR2010052303859.html?hpid=artslot

Alexander Gounares, chief technology officer at AOL, said "Content matters."

He's right. Content does matter. Not just any content, though. It has to be quality content. Reading the article, some of it seems to be "True Confessions" type content (anyone old enough to remember "True Confessions"?). Another large chunk seems to be trivia.

Since I own AOL stock (given to me back in the days when it was worth more than $100 a share), I'm kind of interested in seeing it regain some value. Most of the other giants in the internet seem to be more about how than what. The popular people on all these social networking sites are often the ones who generate content rather than spread it around, giving everyone else something new to read and gossip about. Generating "True Confessions" type of content is still content, lowest common denominator content which could very well make it profitable again if people don't get bored with "reality" type content.

I think AOL should look a bit beyond the reality and confessions content (which will always be there because people love a good gossip although it ebbs and flows as societal attitudes fluctuate) and look forward to generating truly new content.