PRODIGIOUS PROVIDER : 16-YEAR-OLD WHIZ GETTING A KICK OUT OF ADVENTURE AS ON-LINE ENTREPRENEUR.

Byline: Dan Stets Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

These technology entrepreneurs keep getting younger.

Take Jeremy Wechsler of Langhorne, Pa., near Philadelphia, the 16-year-old founder and publisher of Youth Tech, a new area on America Online.

In an earlier era, Wechsler might have had a large paper route or a dozen lawn-mowing jobs.

Today he is working on ``content'' that will be seen by thousands of young people around the country.

Youth Tech is aiming to create what AOL describes as ``a technology community for kids and teens.'' It offers nightly technology forums, interactive discussion boards, and a dictionary of computer terms written in a way young people - and some middle-age fogies - can understand.

The young techies can download games and other software and then swap messages on how to make them work properly.

The goal is ``to try to get other kids like me involved with computers . . . to show them what can be done . . . and bring them there to discuss it,'' said Wechsler, who will be a 10th-grader at Neshaminy High School this fall.

Neither Wechsler nor AOL would disclose the precise terms of his compensation other than to say it is like that of other content providers. He is paid a small percentage of what AOL earns from every hour that AOL subscribers spend in Youth Tech.

While many young technology whizzes have made their money in software - just think of multibillionaire Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corp. - there's likely to be plenty of opportunities in the content area for youngsters such as Wechsler.

According to the ``The Internet Report'' published by Morgan Stanley earlier this year, on-line ``content and aggregation'' will be one of three key growth areas of the future. The other two cited by Morgan Stanley analysts Mark Meeker and Chris DePuy were Internet software, and Internet software and services.

The authors also picked America Online as one of the Internet or on-line stocks with the most appreciation potential. According to Morgan Stanley, AOL has a share of four critical areas: service, content organization, content aggregation and venture funding.

``We believe that the company is strategically well positioned (though not without risk to changes in its business model) to benefit from growth in on-line services and the Internet,'' they wrote.

Lately, however, investors have been focusing on some of AOL's risks as a proprietary on-line service and the competition it is facing from the broader, though frequently disorganized, content on the Web.

AOL's stock has fallen about 20 percent so far this year and has been trading at about $30 a share, which is almost 60 percent from its record high of $71 set May 7.

But for now, young Wechsler doesn't seem much worried about AOL's share value. He's having too much fun doing something he loves and working for a company he believes is the leader in the field.

Wechsler began working with computers four years ago after talking his father, Peter, into buying him a Macintosh. He was attracted to on-line communications very quickly.

His first efforts were with a dial-up community bulletin board. It's a medium that was quickly surpassed by Internet and on-line services, but bulletin boards served a useful function. Users called up and then could post messages of general or community interest.

In September 1995, Wechsler started Youth Tech on eWorld, Apple Computer's now defunct on-line service. eWorld folded in March and Wechsler began discussions with AOL about a move. Eventually, AOL decided to take over two things from eWorld - all of the content relating to Apple computers and Youth Tech, which had its formal AOL debut Wednesday.

Wechsler works from his home in Langhorne not just on a Mac but more recently also on an IBM Aptiva, which is a Windows machine.

``I felt that if was going to be doing AOL, I needed to be multitalented. I didn't think I could be a success without being able to do both platforms,'' he said.

Funny. Some parents have trouble just getting their kids to straighten their rooms or take out the garbage. On the other hand, romanticizing young people who love their computers can get out of hand.

Let's face it - 16-year-olds should be doing a lot more than staring at computer screens. Say like playing basketball or reading a book.

Strangely, Wechsler agrees. Kind of.

``There's room for everything,'' he said. ``You can read a book, you can have fun outside and you can also learn computers and experience what they have to offer.''

While books and outdoor activities likely will have some place in his future, computers seem to be a definite.

``This is something I enjoy doing. There is quite a good possibility I will be doing it in the future,'' said Wechsler, who plans to go on to college and study - well, of course - something to do with computers.

To see Wechsler's efforts on AOL, the keyword is ``YouthTech.''

MEMO: Dan Stets' e-mail address: dan.stets(at)phillynews.com.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: At 16, Jeremy Wechsler of Langhorne, Pa., is the pub lisher of Youth Tech on America Online.

Knight-Ridder Tribune Photo Service