AOL, often derided as the original gated community, is now manufacturing a broad array of digital media that is free for the grabbing. There are 300 working content producers in its New York headquarters, backed by hundreds of other freelancers and programmers in Bangalore, Dublin and Dulles, cranking out copy and editing photos for more than 80 Web sites. Part of the way that AOL has been able to achieve quick credibility is by grabbing talent that is on the loose because of trouble in the rest of the industry.
