In 2009, Tim Armstrong took over AOL and I wrote this column. In light of the Verizon-Yahoo deal, in which Yahoo will be integrated with AOL, it seems newly relevant.

Publishers are realizing the benefits of content produced by citizen journalists -- allowing anyone to become a writer and share their passionate point of view. Here are a few ideas to help publishers tap into this important industry trend and increase engagement with this sought-after millennial audience segment.

Two weeks ago, I got to spend time with Noel, a former co-worker of mine from the dot-com 1.0 daze. He shared a story that stuck with me enough to write about, because there was a simple lesson in it for all of us selling for a living.

Micropayments for publishing have been the subject of significant debate for a number of years, garnering a combination of staunch supporters and loud critics. In general, supporters think that micropayments will encourage readers to pay for content that they find valuable.