The phrase signifies a specific instance of service interruption affecting electronic communication services provided by a major internet service provider during the year 1998. This event specifically references a period when users of America Online (AOL) experienced an outage that prevented them from accessing or utilizing their email accounts.
The significance of this disruption lies in its historical context within the early adoption of widespread internet usage. Such an event highlights the vulnerability of nascent online infrastructure and the potential impact of service failures on a large user base. It underscores the reliance individuals and businesses were beginning to place on digital communication, even in the late 1990s, and the resulting consequences when those systems became unavailable. This era predates the highly redundant and robust systems prevalent today, meaning that outages were more frequent and potentially longer in duration.
