AOL becomes foolishly healthy

As a counterpoint to my rant about the NYTimes starting to charge for content on their daily headline service, here's a story about AOL taking some steps to get healthier by making nearly all of its content free at AOL.com.

Ironic - I found the story on the NY Times daily headline service. Here's a taste:

Today, though smaller, America Online is not merely alive but defiantly healthy - especially when it needs to be, having recently taken a terrifying but necessary strategic step: making virtually all of its content available free at AOL.com, no subscription required.

When I encourage companies to be foolish, I urge them to consider things that don't make sense. I want them to try something that "only a fool would try" because it's obvious in many cases that their sensible and reasoned approach isn't getting them anywhere. Very few companies hire someone like me to "help them do the same thing over and over again."

Logical ideas usually come from the CFO or the bank - and they're generally always focused on "being smart."

My advice to companies who want to make a difference, who want to experience a difference, is to try something foolish for a change.

It just might work -