More AOL Shutdowns: Journals, Hometown Axed

Not that anyone would notice or care, but AOL is closing two of its services as of the end of Oct.  AOL Journals and AOL Hometown have never gained popularity and host a comparitively small number of users. Still, the services consume some of AOL’s precious resources and, in what appears to be a continuing effort to make itself attractive to a possible buyer, AOL seems to be eliminating anything remotely questionable or unprofitable. Times are tough for one of the original “social networks.”  The “synergies” envisioned when AOL was purchased by Time-Warner have never fully developed and other Web 2.0 social start-ups have taken a toll on the once-dominant AOL.   Parent company Time-Warner can only hope that a sale of the troubled property will come soon.