Welcome to the New AOL Homepage Blog!
Posted Jun 10th 2007 10:25PM by Lisa Edwards
We've made some big changes to the AOL.com homepage recently that represent the start of an evolution of the home page design. In the coming weeks, we will be introducing new features and making changes to address the feedback that we've received from you, our users, since we rolled out the beta test of our new home page back in April.
We are also happy to introduce AOL Homepage Blog as a forum to help us keep you updated on what's new and what's coming soon, and to let you tell us what you think. More importantly, unlike a survey or a "feedback form," this blog helps us establish an ongoing conversation with you. You provide us feedback and we look to respond. Having this dialogue with you is a critical element to help us build the best possible products, and we recognize that not having had one until now was a missed opportunity that we are excited to address.
So the obvious question, why are we changing AOL.com now?
The new AOL.com represents the first major change to the home page design since 2005, when we first began transitioning of all of our products from the traditional AOL "walled garden" to the open Web (Basically, when we stopped charging for subscriptions and made our content free to everyone). Admittedly, the current AOL.com design has some flaws. It represents some outdated design standards, features and thinking. We've learned a lot over the last two years and we're putting that knowledge to use to make our product better.
One of the most important things we've learned over the years is that you have choices. You make the choice to visit AOL.com and we need to work hard to keep you here. And we've spent the last year working to design a new version of AOL.com that's faster, easier to use, more relevant and more customizable to make your online experience better. We hope you think the new AOL.com hits the mark. But if you don't, that's OK too. Please let us know by using this blog. Let us know what you like, what you don't like and what you think we're missing. While we may not be able to respond to every request, we will be reading all of your feedback. And hopefully, we will shed some light on our thought process, and why we do the things we do. All we ask is that you keep your comments constructive and focused on the homepage.
So we're just getting started! We hope that you will check in with us often. We'll be here ...
Cheers,
Lisa
AOL.com Product Lead
P.S. I keep using the word "we" because running AOL.com isn't a one-person operation. There's a small team of talented and passionate people who support the home page. And I'll be introducing you to the team (my friends and colleagues) that works behind the scenes in the coming weeks.
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About The Team
My Name is Lisa and I'm the Product Lead for AOL.COM. In short, I lead the team that designs, builds the new versions of AOL.com and make sure that current experience run smoothly. My mission (the team's mission) is to build the best home page for you and everyone that visits AOL.com. This is definitely NOT a one person operation. It takes a village! And I'll be introducing you to the team behind the scenes in the coming weeks.
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 38)
21. Everytime I try to open my e-mail, I get string/page errors on both explorer 6, and 7...I have not been able to open for two days.
Posted at 1:33PM on Jun 25th 2007 by bobrcp
22. THis new AOL is so annoying I want to change..not only is the "freezing" irratating...the whol little smiley face thing is TOO!!! GET RID OF IT!!! I don't need smiley faces when trying to open emai...just give me the dang email...
Posted at 11:29PM on Jun 25th 2007 by sue
23. being a long time customer of your I DO NOT appreciate that I have to close your stupid pop up window to look at me email-- take it away-- if I WANT to look at the web page I will. If I am in a hurry and just want to look at my email that is all I want to do not have to close your window to do so!!!!
Posted at 10:41AM on Jun 26th 2007 by matofi
24. I like this home page better. its more user friendly!!!!!!
Posted at 11:16AM on Jun 26th 2007 by Greg Morgan
25. Just passing through, but as I tend to on a frequent basis, because MSN is getting more and more useless to me, I must say that the 'new' page layout, 'offered' to me this morning is not working well with Opera 9.21. Your pages worked just fine with it yesterday, and the day before. I know 80% probably visit here using IE 6 or 7, but just because the browser is broken, there is no reason to code to its non-standards-compliant interface.
Posted at 12:05PM on Jun 26th 2007 by marc klink
26. Do not like it and I do not like being surprised my logging-in and finding another 'test' of something new. Why do you have to keep doing this. Is something broken? Maybe I should start looking at somebody else.
Bottom line: I really liked the way you were.
Posted at 12:28PM on Jun 26th 2007 by r.f. ayres
27. Really cool, guys!
Posted at 12:50PM on Jun 26th 2007 by kjmomof3
28. I don't like the new mail page, I can't get rid of the address book and therefore the area to read mail is small. It takes too long when you want to enlarge the mail screen and I don't like the pop-ups - How do you get rid of the LITTLE DANCING PEOPLE !!!!!!! I hate them!
Posted at 2:20PM on Jun 26th 2007 by capark3
29. I like your new web page. Probably the best you have designed. Everything is so convenient.
Thank you,
Donna
Posted at 2:35PM on Jun 26th 2007 by Donna
30. page is way too busy, keep it simple and cut the clutter!
e-mail keeps freezing up, you have put too much in such a small area.
Posted at 2:43PM on Jun 26th 2007 by mmbigdaddyg
31. Did you notice that this "new" homepage is VERY similiar to the one of yahoo's?
Posted at 2:55PM on Jun 26th 2007 by silvcrescentmoon
32. Almost each time I go to a new window in clicking on a story, the computer freezes up and says site unavailable/try again. Will this be fixed? I'm not impressed. Also, the categories do not have "news." And why should sports share a listing with fantasy? Otherwise the appearance of the home page looks great.
Posted at 3:33PM on Jun 26th 2007 by triscon
33. I really hate the constant changes in the formatting. I cannot find what I need to (example: AIM) when I want to use it. I cannot spend ten minutes getting used to a new format to use my old programs. Stick with what you had! On a brighter note, it [the new scheme] is more aesthetically pleasing.
Posted at 5:07PM on Jun 26th 2007 by oscuoanjo
34. I have had nothing but trouble since the AIM was changed. I cannot email. I can only receive mail. Everytime I try to email the screen freezes up. HELP!!!!
Posted at 5:31PM on Jun 26th 2007 by jltcaantho
35. In spite of accounts with Verizon and Yahoo, I have remained loyal to AOL because of the ease of negotiating sites with minimum effort. I stopped using the "Suite" because it was cumbersome.
I find this Beta page equally as cumbersome and, as has already been noted by others, if I wanted to look at Yahoo, I would use their site and not pay AOL for their service.
Thank you,
Mike Rowe
New Castle, DE
Posted at 6:11PM on Jun 26th 2007 by Mike
36. Since you have gone to the new format, I can no longer read my emails (the screen is empty) and I cannot send an email. I have tried all your suggestions to no avail. I do not like your new format. It has been nothing but misery since you changed it.
Posted at 7:34PM on Jun 26th 2007 by chvchuy
37. the email is driving me nuts! the messages disappear,so I can't read them or delete them!!!!
Posted at 9:09PM on Jun 26th 2007 by kit dale
38. I hate the new page. It's harder to find the essentials and the ad space has increased, with more annoying video and pop-ups than before. Crash the Beta!
Posted at 10:53PM on Jun 26th 2007 by bjmidkiff2
39. I HATE the new AOHell email. I'm so sick of logging in and out of my email b/c it freezes up. This shiz is for the birds. I'm ready to move to yahoo or hotmail... it's so sad and such an inconvenience b/c I've had this email address for many years. I wish they'd just fix the problem, but it seems that the complaints are falling on deaf ears.
Posted at 12:06AM on Jun 27th 2007 by Montie
40. I like the new look of the AOL home page.
I know it is still in Beta so I know the finished product should be pretty cool!
Posted at 12:13AM on Jun 27th 2007 by kenhall5551