Comments on: on Yahoo + Microsoft http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/ just a lowly edtech geek, mumble mumble university of calgary Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:06:05 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Brandon http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-175224 Brandon Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:34:22 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-175224 This acquisition, in my mind, is all about the search engine. Microsoft desperately wants to get a foothold in the search engine business (perhaps to lend it's own sites a helping hand and to throw in Windows ads). MSN has largely been a failure. While most computer savvy users have been using Google for awhile, Yahoo remains a large contender. I haven't heard any numbers recently, but I believe that Yahoo still gets around 30% of the searches Google gets. That's still a ton of searches. This acquisition, in my mind, is all about the search engine. Microsoft desperately wants to get a foothold in the search engine business (perhaps to lend it’s own sites a helping hand and to throw in Windows ads). MSN has largely been a failure. While most computer savvy users have been using Google for awhile, Yahoo remains a large contender. I haven’t heard any numbers recently, but I believe that Yahoo still gets around 30% of the searches Google gets. That’s still a ton of searches.

]]> By: Andy Rush http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174849 Andy Rush Tue, 05 Feb 2008 02:29:54 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174849 This gives me hope . . . http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/microsoft_yahoo_and_openid.php This gives me hope . . .

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/microsoft_yahoo_and_openid.php

]]> By: Sami http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174692 Sami Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:16:05 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174692 Fake Steve thinks M$ is throwing in the towel, I agree: http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/2008/02/ballmer-im-completely-out-of-ideas.html Fake Steve thinks M$ is throwing in the towel, I agree: http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/2008/02/ballmer-im-completely-out-of-ideas.html

]]> By: Sami http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174178 Sami Sun, 03 Feb 2008 23:47:03 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174178 Gooie is scared: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/yahoo-and-future-of-internet.html Gooie is scared: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/yahoo-and-future-of-internet.html

]]> By: Patrick Gosetti-Murrayjohn http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174142 Patrick Gosetti-Murrayjohn Sun, 03 Feb 2008 22:24:43 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174142 It's the integration thing that leaves me worried...integration of anything into Windows seems to have been standard operating procedure in the past. Basically, if M$ uses this as an opportunity to switch direction--easily letting people move _out_ from Windows, rather than channeling everything _into_ Windows, I'll be excited. That's the way to make the Windows desktop (or any desktop, for that matter) relevant. The implication is that the folks at Redland have to be ready to completely reconceptualize their core product. Let's hope they're ready to do so. Patrick It’s the integration thing that leaves me worried…integration of anything into Windows seems to have been standard operating procedure in the past. Basically, if M$ uses this as an opportunity to switch direction–easily letting people move _out_ from Windows, rather than channeling everything _into_ Windows, I’ll be excited. That’s the way to make the Windows desktop (or any desktop, for that matter) relevant. The implication is that the folks at Redland have to be ready to completely reconceptualize their core product. Let’s hope they’re ready to do so.

Patrick

]]> By: dnorman http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174069 dnorman Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:31:34 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174069 @Andy: referring to MS as borg probably wasn't too productive - it's just a reflexive shorthand, and not my invention. the fact that I'm willing to wait and see, rather than bolting for the door shows that I'm not seeing them 100% as a virulent cyborg :-) I made up the name of the mythical "Windows Live Photo Publisher™" product - I was meaning to refer to a potential shift in direction from building a great photo community website to building integration with the MS suite of apps. I couldn't care less about application integration - we already have an API that lets us do that just fine - I just want Flickr to be able to focus on being the best Flickr they can be. And you're right - Passport is dead, long live Live ID. It's not exactly the same as the Flickr/Yahoo ID integration - as there wasn't much of a legacy trust issue involved with Yahoo. MS has a steep hill to climb before many people will grant it control over their digital identity. I'd LOVE an OpenID system - Flickr now provides OpenID for authentication on other OpenID enabled sites, but doesn't accept it from others... @Andy: referring to MS as borg probably wasn’t too productive – it’s just a reflexive shorthand, and not my invention. the fact that I’m willing to wait and see, rather than bolting for the door shows that I’m not seeing them 100% as a virulent cyborg :-)

I made up the name of the mythical “Windows Live Photo Publisher™” product – I was meaning to refer to a potential shift in direction from building a great photo community website to building integration with the MS suite of apps. I couldn’t care less about application integration – we already have an API that lets us do that just fine – I just want Flickr to be able to focus on being the best Flickr they can be.

And you’re right – Passport is dead, long live Live ID. It’s not exactly the same as the Flickr/Yahoo ID integration – as there wasn’t much of a legacy trust issue involved with Yahoo. MS has a steep hill to climb before many people will grant it control over their digital identity. I’d LOVE an OpenID system – Flickr now provides OpenID for authentication on other OpenID enabled sites, but doesn’t accept it from others…

]]> By: Andy Rush http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174064 Andy Rush Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:07:32 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174064 D'Arcy - I re-read your post and I have to agree that you advocate a good wait-and-see approach. It's the Borg stuff that trips me up. I think much as people would like to treat Microsoft as this big evil Death Star, it actually is made up of many divisions, some obviously better than the others. I don't think Microsoft is offering to buy Yahoo to get to Flickr. Yahoo is search, email, and communities, and that's what it wants. Nothing about the buyout worries me (too much) regarding Flickr (or delicious). But hey, in my opinion MS ruined Office (2007) for the PC, so anything's possible. Two other things. 1 - Windows Live Photo Gallery is one of the best things to come out of Redmond recently. It integrates (allows uploads from within the program) nicely with Flickr. 2 - I would not be surprised to see Microsoft require users to get a "Live ID" (Passport is dead) to use Flickr ala Yahoo's "synchronization" that they required a couple years ago. But who knows, maybe they'll stun us all and use OpenID! Nah. D’Arcy – I re-read your post and I have to agree that you advocate a good wait-and-see approach. It’s the Borg stuff that trips me up. I think much as people would like to treat Microsoft as this big evil Death Star, it actually is made up of many divisions, some obviously better than the others. I don’t think Microsoft is offering to buy Yahoo to get to Flickr. Yahoo is search, email, and communities, and that’s what it wants. Nothing about the buyout worries me (too much) regarding Flickr (or delicious). But hey, in my opinion MS ruined Office (2007) for the PC, so anything’s possible.

Two other things. 1 – Windows Live Photo Gallery is one of the best things to come out of Redmond recently. It integrates (allows uploads from within the program) nicely with Flickr. 2 – I would not be surprised to see Microsoft require users to get a “Live ID” (Passport is dead) to use Flickr ala Yahoo’s “synchronization” that they required a couple years ago. But who knows, maybe they’ll stun us all and use OpenID! Nah.

]]> By: dnorman http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174006 dnorman Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:25:38 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174006 @Andy: I was meaning to inject a little unFUD - yes, MS might buy Flickr, but it's too early to see that as anything but potential resources to make it better. It's not like any of the big companies has had much luck creating software with successful communities, so I'm trusting they'll have the sense not to smother something that's working so well. Of course, if they start requiring MS Passport accounts to log in, all bets are off ;-) @Andy: I was meaning to inject a little unFUD – yes, MS might buy Flickr, but it’s too early to see that as anything but potential resources to make it better. It’s not like any of the big companies has had much luck creating software with successful communities, so I’m trusting they’ll have the sense not to smother something that’s working so well.

Of course, if they start requiring MS Passport accounts to log in, all bets are off ;-)

]]> By: Andy Rush http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174001 Andy Rush Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:08:19 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-174001 You guys are too funny with all this FUD! You guys are too funny with all this FUD!

]]> By: Alan Levine http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-173866 Alan Levine Sun, 03 Feb 2008 06:42:01 +0000 http://www.darcynorman.net/2008/02/02/on-yahoo-microsoft/#comment-173866 Peter scooped me! I read they are working on a new initiative for FLickrBob. I dont use Yahoo much beyond the two services it bought But agree, it is certainly no time to worry about the flickr sky falling. Has anyone noticed how irrelevant MS has become? They are flailing, only cause they have a warehouse fool of booty can they coast through their slow decline. Sync your Zune to Vista and set sale? Peter scooped me! I read they are working on a new initiative for FLickrBob. I dont use Yahoo much beyond the two services it bought

But agree, it is certainly no time to worry about the flickr sky falling.

Has anyone noticed how irrelevant MS has become? They are flailing, only cause they have a warehouse fool of booty can they coast through their slow decline. Sync your Zune to Vista and set sale?

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