"What happens to AOL after the spinoff will be one of the most interesting things to watch next year, I imagine, " said MG Siegler, a technology and new-media writer for the online TechCrunch network.

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For example, writer and editor Om Malik expanded the eminence of his popular technology blog into a successful media company, the GigaOm network, now affecting the decisions of users, vendors and investors in the high tech industry.

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