Jason Scott wants to create an archive of every AOL CD and diskette ever mailed
Seriously, good luck to this guy because he's going to need it. Jason Scott wants you to mail him your AOL CDs and disks so that he can create the ultimate online collection and gallery of AOL mailers. He isn't the only person wanting to collect AOL discs though. VICE did a story somewhat recently about some other collectors who are well on their way to having the world's largest collection of AOL CDs.
This image is from The National Museum of American History
But why the effort to save, catalog, and scan what most would consider garbage? Well, for one, they remind many of the early days of the internet. No household or business was free from the AOL CD mailers that would come every few months. They came in standard CD packaging, shrink-wrapped flat sleeves, and even tin cases! I remember many of them fondly as the gateway that brought me to the internet.
The CDs stopped long ago and now they've sort of become a coveted item among a small circle of collectors who want to relive the past and save all the "beautiful" artwork on these CDs. I applaud their effort. If Jason (or any other collector) ever gets to digitizing their collection, I would surely chip in to buy a printed book.
If you have an AOL CD laying around, mail it to Jason at the address below (he works at the Internet Archive):