Comments on: How Yahoo might get away

By: Sam, Salt Lake City, UT

Sam, Salt Lake City, UT — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:17:43 +0000

Yahoo is screwed no matter what they do. Most people would just cut and run leaving their users high-and-dry while Microsoft finds its feet.

The best option is reduce the company size substantially, buy back their stock, and go private.

By: sridhar Bangalore India

sridhar Bangalore India — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:31:04 +0000

just go along with microsoft for time being & later go with some other prosses which would gain more income from the cash provided by microsoft

By: Ali Ghafouri, Oakland - California

Ali Ghafouri, Oakland - California — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 08:17:32 +0000

There has NOT been much of an innovation in search in past decade. What search engines have tried to do is to fight off the massive amount of content that is flowing to internet by making sure that they can still dig and find what users are looking for stacked under rubble of garbage. Yahoo needs to be creative and break off from the look and feel that they have in their search and be more creative. Basically Change the search name from Yahoo search to something else so people can identify the new entity with a name that is focused on search (and keep the yahoo name for their other mediums such as news, email, map, entertainment and etc). The previous CEO of yahoo made a bad move by taking a software company and making a media company out of it. Yahoo was a company with advance engineering, technology and massive infrastructure of software and hardware embedded into its DNA. All the sudden Yahoo became a media play delivering finance, sports, news, … rather than focusing on using technology to aggregate, arrange, filter and deliver content based on technology NOT editors and writers and producers. NOW yahoo got to make the break, change its look and feel, change the search name to something different and create a disruptive platform and break away from a typical search look and feel of Google, Microsoft pack. Yahoo still commands a 25% market share and they can make the turnaround and stay away from Microsoft and Google.

By: Lalit Saraswat, Goa, India

Lalit Saraswat, Goa, India — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 03:57:18 +0000

Mhoo or MicroHoo is a typical MS reaction to waking up late and trying to catch up on a major market trend (read Internet). MS (X) + Yahoo (Y) < X+Y, when combined, they will be smaller than their independent sizes. MS should instead invest in a separate division that shapes the course of the Internet after 2 years, than take on old baggage being brought in by Yahoo. What made MS successful was its ability to invest in the future technology backed with awesome strategic deals and money power that turned its second mover disadvantage to a real large advantage. Buying Yahoo wont solve its recent Google fixation. Maybe instead MS can help move the anti-trust provisions (that it so well understands) and force Google to send 8% (dont ask me why 8%) of all Google visitions / search ad users automatically to MSN to prevent monopoly provisions to be activated

Yahoo should make up its mind whether it wants to be a technology player with interests in media, or vice versa, and spin off units that dont make strategic sense (but still make business sense) into separate companies. Perhaps it can put in a non-compete clause for certain sections, or tie up with those separate companies for say 2 years for providing content / advertising to its network after which they are free to live their own lives.

What about Google ? Google is focussed on the customers and doing what it does best – innovate, keep it simple, and let users vote (aka click) for it. Will Google turn into a gigantic monster ? Not yet. Will Google still exist in 2020 ? Now, lets get back to Nostradamus's last book shall we

By: Sanjay T, Cary, NC

Sanjay T, Cary, NC — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 02:50:27 +0000

I think Yahoo should sell and make the most of it. In the Microsoft and Google world they are a pigmy and falling behind quickly. They could hope to combine with Microsoft machine and at least be there – Microsft also needs Yahoo to compete and will ensure key people stay on. I think yahoo should bargain for the best price and just sell quikly.

By: Bob Kiger, Oceanside, CA

Bob Kiger, Oceanside, CA — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:02:11 +0000

There is an extreme danger [anthropologically speaking] of consolidating the search algorithm of Yahoo into Google. Loss of diversity in search will exacerbate the current process of "dumbing down" people in "the age of videography". Since we don't all want to be vidiots see:

http://vidiots.us/2008/01/google-fails-videography-lab-test.html

By: peter,singapore

peter,singapore — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:55:56 +0000

Yahoo can consider partnering with global mobile device market leader ( probably Nokia )to synergise in converging mobile & Internet space. This is what Google is trying to achieve as well with its own mobile strategy. This helps in speeding up the technologies convergence that is moving too slow in recent years. To be able to have a breakthrough in formulate new stratgies and expand markets & services and not just finding a escape route from the hostile takeover.

Even if there is an escape, the market would ask , what's next from Yahoo?

By: Tom Barta Durham,NC

Tom Barta Durham,NC — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:13:49 +0000

Given that MSFT has no history of being able to manage online content, an acquisition of YHOO would mean YHOO's demise and would be very unfortunate for loyal Yahoo users, like myself. Yang is right to look to alternatives. he should swallow his pride and work WITH Google, instead of trying to work against them.

"I think Microsoft should take their offer directly to the shareholders and let them decide what they should do"

The shareholders can vote with their feet. Short term investors should have sold last Friday. Longer term investors can vote every year, at the annual meeting.

By: thenoseknows, Houston, Texas

thenoseknows, Houston, Texas — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:25:10 +0000

I think Microsoft should take their offer directly to the shareholders and let them decide what they should do, Mr. Yang might just prolong this offer as long as he can knowing that it helps to keep his stock value up, and all the while he is searching for another suitor.

By: Gaetano Marano - Italy

Gaetano Marano - Italy — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:18:58 +0000

about the given options:

a) very hard to find one that pay more

b) a suicide that falls the Yahoo value

c) needs time, then, it's too late now

however, WHY should Apple, HP, Murdoch, Disney, Time Warner, etc. be BETTER than Microsoft?

—————————–

Gaetano Marano – Italy

http://www.ghostNASA.com/

http://www.NewSpaceAgency.com/