Out on a limb: Why the Yahoo! Fiasco is Good for Yahoo!
OK, let me just start by saying my confidence in what I am about to say is just over 50%, say 50.1%, but I’m going to say it anyway:
I can’t help but wonder if all these execs leaving Y! is a good thing. Seriously. Where have they gotten Y! to date? Time for some fresh thinking, new blood, some up-and-coming whippersnappers who can leverage Y!’s myriad properties (or sell them off) to turn the tables. Besides, what’s wrong with shedding a couple million in salary and options? Everyone knows the real work happens down in the trenches anyway at these big companies. Just think of these scares as layoffs for the upper class.
I seem to recall seeing somewhere recently that people actually spend more time on Y! versus just clicking through at Google. I know that is true for me. I only access Google through my Firefox Google plugin, whereas my home page is My Yahoo! Has been for years. After all, I have it customized the way I like, why change it? As for email and RSS feeds, even though I have my personal email account through GMail, I use IMap and Mac Mail to read it. I use my Yahoo! account for purchases, list signup, etc. and there I have to go read it. Of course, Googs makes money off the mere fact that my data is there, but still, I make some of it back with ads on my site.
Granted, I barely click on ads on either of the sites, so maybe I’m not a typical user.
So, assumming Y! doesn’t get bought (which it is a distinct possibility they will) I think the old saying applies: that which doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. After all, it is pretty darn hard to kill an established company. One only need to drive up the road a few miles in the valley to Cupertino to see an example of that. Same goes for Big Blue. Both of those companies were written off for dead by the pundits during their upheavels, and look at them now. So, my advice to Y!: hang in there. Brighter days are ahead.
