I've been at AOL for about 2 years now (yoinks, it goes fast). I've been working on revamping our applications and the infrastructure that support them for, well, pretty much that whole time. Its been slower going than I'd like, but we've reached at least the end of the beginning. That is to say, there's a LOT more to do still...
I hope that some of that journey is of interest, so expect to hear more about the what's, why's and how's. This is intended to be an "industry" blog - that is, lots of stuff about work and the industry in general.
To provide some context to future posts, my group shipped (I've been running the desktop applications group), over the last 6 months: AIM Triton 1.0 (www.aim.com), AOL Explorer 1.1 and 1.2 (some technology differences worth discussion there), Internet Access Controls 2.0 (parental web controls for Broadband), Computer Checkup 4.0 (, AOL Connectivity Service 4.0 (our connectivity engine), the AOL Suite 1.0 Preview, AOL AntiSpyware 2.0, and the AOL Security Center 1.0, among very many other things.
Scarily (other than ACS 4.0) its been basically all new code, on an all new foundation that we call the Open Client Platform (OCP). Despite various version numbers on the apps themselves, they're all basically 1.0 applications. By that I mean they share almost no code with previous versions (in any really recognizable form). Not sure its the path I would have, left to my own devices, chosen, but there you have it. As I tell my teams all the time: may not have been smart, but it is impressive. Here I'll share some of the gore :)
80 comments:
Ha! Well, mostly the comment was about rationally approaching deployment and scale. I think we (AOL), as a company, tend to suffer from the same thing I see in a lot of big companies: everything needs to be "big" right out the door, and that strain often is in direct conflict with the need to incrementally and iteratively develop infrastructure.
So I would probably have rolled out a few smaller things with fewer features and particularly, fewer requirements (more ITERATION, really). But we have this dichotomy (which is legimately tough to manage) of needing big projects to deliver big results very quickly - and ironically, trying to that almost always ensures that we don't get ANYTHING done ever...
How come you're not using AOL Journals for a "company" blog? Did you know it even existed?
I can not agree more to your own comment. I keep saying this to our own PM teams here in Germany over and over again. We need to be faster, more flexible - just show the crowd what we have - or somebody else will do it.
anonymous, yes I'm aware that AOL Journals exists :)
For now, at least, its not the product for me.
That's ok - every product we make is not targetted at every user in its potential space.
Great Article! Thank You!
Thanks to author! I like articles like this, very interesting.
nice blog!
nice blog!Nice information
:-) ochen\' zaebatyj blog!
soglasen s vami ochen\' zaebatyj blog!
Keep up the great work. It very impressive. Enjoyed the visit!
AaUOUe You have a talant! Write more!
McDJPA Please write anything else!
9tbcdU The best blog you have!
JdqLCx Nice Article.
Hello all!
Nice Article.
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
Please write anything else!
Hello all!
Please write anything else!
CHx4Sc write more, thanks.
Good job!
Good job!
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
Hello all!
Hello all!
Hello all!
Wonderful blog.
Please write anything else!
Please write anything else!
Good job!
Hello all!
C++ should have been called B
When there's a will, I want to be in it.
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
C++ should have been called B
I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing!
A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience.
Ever notice how fast Windows runs? Neither did I.
640K ought to be enough for anybody. - Bill Gates 81
Save the whales, collect the whole set
Wonderful blog.
Thanks to author.
The gene pool could use a little chlorine.
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
Save the whales, collect the whole set
Magnific!
Oops. My brain just hit a bad sector.
What is a free gift ? Aren't all gifts free?
Oops. My brain just hit a bad sector.
Thanks to author.
Build a watch in 179 easy steps - by C. Forsberg.
Clap on! , Clap off! clap@#&$NO CARRIER
What is a free gift ? Aren't all gifts free?
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
Thanks to author.
I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.
A flashlight is a case for holding dead batteries.
Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
When there's a will, I want to be in it.
Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
When there's a will, I want to be in it.
Magnific!
A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience.
Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
Suicidal twin kills sister by mistake!
Build a watch in 179 easy steps - by C. Forsberg.
Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.
If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.
If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.
640K ought to be enough for anybody. - Bill Gates 81
When there's a will, I want to be in it.
Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies
Please write anything else!
Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
Give me ambiguity or give me something else.
Hello all!
Post a Comment