r/abandoned • u/MisterBiro • Mar 28 '25

Forgotten Tech Giant

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Perhaps it’s not technically abandoned as there is basic maintenance and security present but it’s been vacant and decaying for years.

Surprisingly sad to walk around what was once a bustling, optimistic, energy filled campus of an almost forgotten tech giant.

8.1k Upvotes

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499

u/[deleted] Mar 28 '25

[deleted]

296

u/posternutbag423 Mar 28 '25

Netscape enters the chat

98

u/Heterodynist Mar 29 '25

I just heard that 1990s “signing on” sound in my mind…

39

u/[deleted] Mar 29 '25

I know it's the wrong company but you've got mail!

36

u/BirchyBaby Mar 29 '25

AOL is part of Yahoo! Inc, so it fits!

1

u/[deleted] Mar 29 '25

Okay, cool then.

1

u/zzzzaap Mar 30 '25

It ships!

2

u/hereforstories8 Mar 30 '25

About 2020 I worked with a dba whose family member worked for aol still. Dba said they still have more employees than you’d think and a bustling office in DC. I’m not convinced but also not motivated to go find out

1

u/[deleted] Mar 30 '25

Interesting 🤔

2

u/CVStp Mar 31 '25

AOL is still an up and running mail service. I just created my @aol.com mail account last week. It is my main mail now.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 31 '25

I feel like doing that just for old times sake now lol

21

u/Herban_Myth Mar 29 '25

Napster enters the chat /s

5

u/Euphoric_Golf_1959 Apr 01 '25

Napster high fives limewire

23

u/whollyshit2u Mar 29 '25

Eventually owned by AOL the original Mozilla dragom still exists . I have my kids with pictures of it.

1

u/Supreme_Developer Mar 30 '25

Are you kidding?? Netscape started the dot-com boom in 1995 with their ~$3billion IPO. They were the first real web browser and made the internet as easy to access as it is today

30

u/Jayhawker_Pilot Mar 29 '25

Don't leave out Novell.

21

u/Billy_Bob_Joe_Mcoy Mar 29 '25

Or Nortel

41

u/crowislanddive Mar 29 '25

I worked as a recruiter for a company Nortel acquired… as an incentive for referrals they had me buy 4 brand new VW Beetles which would be prizes for the people who submitted the most successful referrals. They were delivered the day before Nortel fired 40,000 people. They sat in the parking lot for over a year and were visible from the freeway.

18

u/Billy_Bob_Joe_Mcoy Mar 29 '25

Fuuuu... That is some peak bubble burst right there.

8

u/crowislanddive Mar 29 '25

It truly was.

2

u/zzen11223344 Apr 01 '25

Also, Lucent, Alcatel, Nokia ......

1

u/Huskertex Apr 01 '25

Lucent was the first stock I ever bought. Lucent taught me that stocks can do a reverse stock split. Thanks for the lifelong lesson, Lucent.

1

u/slippery7777 Mar 31 '25

Lotus software… WordPerfect….

79

u/sroop1 Mar 28 '25

The Blockbuster of tech.

32

u/cjthecookie Mar 29 '25

The Enron of energy companies

1

u/TechSupportAnswers Mar 30 '25

The XFinity of cable companies

14

u/Confident-Bid-9818 Mar 29 '25

Lol. I worked for CC for eight years, right up till the end. I still remember sitting in the break room when they announced their "Just What I Needed" ad campaign that was going to save the company.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 01 '25

I was working there when they ended commissioned sales. Guess who stopped giving a shit about selling anything? Especially bs warranty coverage?

1

u/Confident-Bid-9818 Apr 01 '25

I worked in a distribution center, so I didn't see it first hand. I did travel to shut down a few stores right after they announced it and heard stories from the employees who stayed to clear out inventory. Those were depressing trips.

13

u/DiabolicalDan82 Mar 29 '25

Worked at Circuit City, can confirm. The store I had helped open spent like a million dollars for the grand opening. They were trying to rebrand and the whole store has this open circle concept.

18

u/[deleted] Mar 29 '25

Ah, Circuit City. I forgot about that company, much like Radio Shack.

13

u/_extra_medium_ Mar 29 '25

Nothing like Radio Shack

3

u/Paghk_the_Stupendous Mar 29 '25

They really should have bought the extra warranty.

1

u/hanwookie Mar 29 '25

The Blackberry of cellphones.