Agency News Weekly

Logging Off for Good – AOL Pulls the Plug on Dial-Up Internet Service

I remember when AOL CDs seemed to arrive in the mail every week. I had a stack of them in my office more than two feet high… more shiny coasters than I would ever need. That was the 1990s internet, where getting online meant tying up the family phone line, waiting through a symphony of chirps and static, and anticipating those four glorious words: “Welcome. You’ve Got Mail.”

Now, 30 years later, AOL is discontinuing dial-up. The company has announced that the service and its supporting software will be shut down on September 30. What was once a cultural touchstone, connecting millions of homes across the U.S. and Canada, will finally fade into history.

The nostalgia is real, but the decision makes sense. AOL has long since changed from the days when it claimed 40% the time Americans spent online. Instant messaging disappeared with AIM in 2017, and the brand has been sold and resold, now living under the same corporate umbrella as Yahoo.

What remains are the memories: the sound of a modem handshaking, the thrill of joining a chat room, and the promise that the internet could open up a whole new world.

For a blast from the past, check out this collection of iconic AOL wavs on Archive.org.

AOL’s co-founder Steve Case summed it up simply: “Thanks for the memories #RIP” – it’s hard to say it better than that.

FAIR Project Confirms Leadership Trio in Inaugural Election

Carrie Dils, Mika Epstein, and Ryan McCue remain co-chairs of the FAIR technical steering committee after running unopposed in its first official election.
The trio initially took on interim leadership in March, helping shape the project during its early development.
The terms of FAIR co-chairs will now be staggered to ensure continuity, with one seat rotating each year to keep experienced leadership in place.
FAIR, launched in June, is a Linux Foundation–backed project aiming to decentralize WordPress.org’s plugin and theme distribution.

WordPress.org Adds Phased Plugin Rollouts with 24-Hour Delay Option

WordPress.org has introduced phased releases for plugins, giving authors more control over how their updates are deployed.
Plugin developers can now choose between an immediate release or a 24-hour phased rollout option.
The phased option releases updates gradually, helping identify potential issues before reaching all sites and lowering the risk of widespread problems from a buggy update.
Developers can monitor support channels and error reports during the delay window to catch problems early.
Phased releases are limited to the latest stable version and do not apply to older versions or rollbacks.
The system is currently limited to 24 hours but may expand in the future if proven effective.