Back during the last Internet bubble, Sky Dayton, founder of Earthlink, took some exploratory steps toward forming a virtual, build-to-order car manufacturer he called Flint Inc.

在上一次互联网泡沫期间，地球连线(Earthlink)的创始人斯凯·戴顿就进行了这方面的探索，试图建立一个虚拟的、按单定制的汽车生产公司，他为这家公司起名为Flint Inc .。

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The companies dropped an exclusivity arrangement allowing both EarthLink and Sprint to seek out other partners.

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EarthLink lost just 7 cents per dollar and notched positive earnings before interest depreciation and amortization.

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Clever acquisitions have put EarthLink in an enviable position when the telecoms bounce back.

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