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Impact of AOL on Community

Discussion in 'General Chat Forum' started by Silence Dogood99, Feb 7, 2008.

  1. Silence Dogood99

    Silence Dogood99 New Member

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    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080206/ap_on_hi_te/earns_time_warner_aol

    As AOL continues its slow demise and key executives move from Dulles to New York, what will the impact be on the community? Home prices? Contributions to community events? Jobs?

    As a former AOL employee, it wasn't difficult to see this coming. The company had devolved into a huge matrix-driven bureaucracy with no clear direction for some time. It was the biggest waste of talent I have ever seen in a company. I was thrilled the day I received my severance package :)

    Interested to know what the impact will be on the community as AOL fades from sight here...
     
    Silence Dogood99, Feb 7, 2008
    #1
  2. gunzour

    gunzour "Living on the Edge"

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    Another former AOL'er here -- it was very depressing to see so many smart and passionate people buried in the bureaucracy there.

    No doubt AOL is a major employer in the area, so their decline will have an impact. AOL's campus is pretty large -- at some point I would imagine they will want to consolidate buildings and sublet the rest to someone else.

    What I would like to see is for the local government to provide incentives to encourage small enterprises and innovation locally. And by incentives I meant low tax rates and a favorable regulatory environment, not one-time or temporary special deals. Politicians like to bring in a major employer like an AOL, but I think you get far more mileage out of a lot of smaller but growing companies, and if one leaves it doesn't have the same impact of losing a big employer.

    Maybe with all of the talented and passionate AOL'ers wandering around, some great new startup companies could emerge.
     
    gunzour, Feb 7, 2008
    #2
  3. Silence Dogood99

    Silence Dogood99 New Member

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    Totally agree, Gunzour, in every way. Lots and lots of smart people there starting their own businesses locally.

    I believe they have already begu consolidating buildings; it began to feel like a ghost town even when I was there.
     
    Silence Dogood99, Feb 7, 2008
    #3
  4. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    everyone I know who works there lives in Fairfax though, or closer to the city. All hold overs from before the consolidation into the Loudon campus.

    I wonder how many people live local vs commute from other parts of NOVA. I don't know any neighbors myself that work for AOL that I can think of.

    My guess is the hurt on homes further as any affected by layoffs may look to move for other jobs. That being said, this is still a good area to be looking for jobs, as long as you can afford the house you are in. That's where people are going to get pinched...

    Tax wise - I suppose those things are slower to change. They are still going to be owning the property here, etc.
     
    flynnibus, Feb 7, 2008
    #4
  5. Kaosdad

    Kaosdad Will work for Rum

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    Not to seem like a ghoul - but if you knoe of talented SysAdmins or Engineers who are getting laid off - please let me know or send a resume!!
     
    Kaosdad, Feb 7, 2008
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  6. smheese

    smheese New Member

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    As far as where AOLers live, I work there and obviously, live in Broadlands. I also know a good handful of people that are in Ashburn area, Broadlands, Brambleton as well, so I'd say the layoffs do affect our immediate community somewhat. Not to mention, the less employees that are there to go to lunch around here, or to flood Wegmans at lunch time, I see those prices going up to keep up with a slower lunch market.
     
    smheese, Feb 7, 2008
    #6
  7. GeauxTigers

    GeauxTigers Member

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    I can't even picture what a non-crowded Wegmans might look like.
     
    GeauxTigers, Feb 7, 2008
    #7

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