Online service watchers use clichés like "the boat is leaving the dock" to describe GEnie's also-ran status. Changes unveiled in April were intended to reposition GEnie against America Online and CompuServe by targeting user groups and BBS communities to build membership. GEnie also cut surcharges and promised an easier e-mail system to woo users.
However, says Alfred Glossbrenner, a longtime GEnie user, the company can't hide from a track record of announcing new services and not following up. Downloading its new front-end requires 90 minutes at 2400 baud. "GEnie's been dead in the water for the past year or more," he says.
Confidence has plummeted even further - caused by persistent rumors of GEnie's sale and by the departure of president Mark Walsh, who jumped ship for - gasp! - AOL.
ELECTRIC WORD
Nobody Wants to Rub GEnie's Lantern
