America Online Takes Members on a Virtual Cross-Country Journey

Lost In America Sends Five Twentysomethings to Uncover The American
Reality

Vienna, VA, September 5, 1995 - America Online, Inc. announced today the
launch of Lost in America, an interactive travel adventure that combines
cultural criticism along with globetrotting good fun as five
twentysomethings set off with their laptop computers in search of the real
America. Further blurring the lines between what's virtual and real, Lost
in America is sending five travelers to explore the byways and backroads
of the U.S. and taking AOL members along for the ride. Lost in America is
a service of The AOL Greenhousex, a business unit of America Online,
designed to support "infopreneurs" in the creation of groundbreaking
interactive content developed exclusively for the online medium.

"Lost in America attracted the attention of The AOL Greenhouse because it
takes cultural risks while exploring new boundaries for the online
medium," said Ted Leonsis, President of America Online Services Company.
"Lost in America brings our members virtually anywhere in the U.S. and
strengthens our commitment to building a close community of resources and
confidantes."

Lost in America is the inspiration of Alexander Okuliar, David Shelton, and
Patrick Crowley, three men in their twenties, who recently relocated to
Vienna, VA to establish a base of operations close to America Online. All
accomplished travelers, the partners combined their enthusiasm for the
open road with their creative talents to develop Lost in America. These
three infopreneurs then conducted a nationwide search for the first five
travelers to get lost in America.  The service will sponsor three trips:
September to December, January to April and May to August. The first
journey began today with the departure of the Lost in America van from
Washington, DC. (more)

"We wanted to challenge the truth about the American dream with the
American reality by sending a diverse group of young travelers to explore
what this country really has to offer," explains Alexander Okuliar,
President of Lost in America. "And through The AOL Greenhouse's
community-focused forums, members following along on the journey from home
get interesting, pertinent travel information from the group and will grow
to trust them as friends. As a result, Lost in America can provide AOL
members with much more than a traditional travel guide."

Selected for their sense of adventure and humor, as well as their
creative-writing and journalism skills, the five travelers are: Shannon L.
Guthrie from Huntington, WV; Amaani Lyle from Inglewood, CA; Tony Lystra
from Eugene, OR; Kiely Sullivan from New York, NY; and Nicholas Wise from
Spartanburg, SC.

The group will be equipped with laptops and digital cameras for creating
visual and descriptive travel logs online. Each week, AOL members will
choose from a selection of three potential directions to determine the
next leg of the travelers' journey.

Highlights include:

Meet The Travelers - Members can learn about the travelers through a
combination of photos, biographies, essays and a file library of
soundclips. From the road, the travelers will upload diary-style
"postcards" that describe that day's events and adventures.

The Rest Stop - Members can chat with a specific Traveler each day, as well
as with the entire group on a weekly basis.

Travel Tales - Members will have the opportunity to share their own road
trip chronicles in this area with the chance to win free online time for
outstanding entries in "The Car Breaks Down" and "Cool Trips" categories,
among others.

Where Are The Travelers? - Pinpoint the travelers' current pit stop, as
well as trace their most recent itinerary.

Lost in America GuideBooks - Check out the "best of" everything across
America, including diners, hiking and dive bars. GuideBooks offers the
most current travel information available, as it is updated every day.

Lost Messages - Ask the travelers a question or post a comment about their
next destination for other members to read.

How Can I Become A Traveler? - Think you've got what it takes to become
"Lost in America"? Find out how to apply for the next nationwide traveler
search. Lost in America will sponsor three trips: September to December,
January to April and May to August.

LOST on the Web - Journey onto the Internet to visit Lost in America's
favorite travel-related Web sites.

Billboard - Find out who the sponsors are behind the Lost in America
journey.

The AOL Greenhouse provides Lost in America with access to more than 3
million AOL members, online promotions, Internet publication support and
online production support, including full utilization of AOL's publishing
tools, graphics, photos and seed equity funding. Also, all partners of The
AOL Greenhouse are given the opportunity to team with interactive
marketing partners to assist in the development of new revenue streams.
For more information on Greenhouse use keyword: Greenhouse on America
Online.

America Online, Inc., (NASDAQ symbol: AMER) based in Vienna, VA is the
largest and fastest growing provider of online services in the U.S. with
the most active subscriber base. AOL offers its more than 3 million
subscribers a wide variety of services, including electronic mail,
conferencing software, computing support, interactive magazines, and
newspapers and online classes as well as easy and affordable access to
services of the Internet. Founded in 1985, AOL has established strategic
alliances with dozens of companies, including Time Warner, ABC,
Knight-Ridder, Tribune, Hachette, IBM and American Express. Personal
computer owners can obtain America Online software at major retailers and
bookstores, or by calling 800-827-6364.
 
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