Our response to Microsoft’s proposal

Posted February 1st, 2008 at 1:11 pm by Nicki Dugan, Blog Editor

 113 Comments / Filed in: Trends & News

As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, Microsoft made an unsolicited proposal to acquire Yahoo! yesterday evening. Since then, we’ve gotten quite a number of questions about what this means for Yahoo!. Right now our board of directors is evaluating the proposal and looking at all of our strategic alternatives, including maintaining Yahoo! as an independent company.

A review process like this is fluid and can take quite a bit of time, so while there’s not much we can say right now, we did want to refer you to this brief FAQ for more information.

Nicki Dugan
Blog Editor

Tagged: microsoft, news

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113 Comments Add your own

Ed Van Horn | February 1st, 2008 at 1:36 pm

Do not want the 800 pound Gorilla to buy Yahoo. Stay independant or merge with a more enlightened company. Yahoo has been major part of my online experience.
Respectfully, Ed Van Horn

Justen | February 1st, 2008 at 2:53 pm

I think it’s unfortunate, that if this deal is ultimately forced through (or accepted), that Yahoo!’s culture would pretty quickly become an endangered species. I think the recently announced job cuts at Yahoo! were shortsighted, but I believe, overall, Yahoo! is a company that best helps its customers, shareholders, and partners as an independent company. Microsoft isn’t even committing itself to keeping the name Yahoo! around. Very sad.

Think WebTV. Think Hotmail. Microsoft is like the borg, and I’m afraid for Yahoo!’s assimilation, because it would be merciless. “We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.”

Hopefully, resistance will not be futile for Yahoo!.

justen

Shamim | February 1st, 2008 at 3:00 pm

User loyalty should be considered. I have been with Yahoo since the late 1990’s and have tried almost all beta and new products. I would hate to see Yahoo succumb to Microsoft. Be free Yahoo! Users are behind you.

Krish | February 1st, 2008 at 3:17 pm

I am a Huge Fan of yahoo! But you guyz merging with Microsoft wont be easy to digest. But if good things can come out of it, then go ahead! we would support you either ways! Been your fan, will be your Fan

Ben Hammock | February 1st, 2008 at 3:27 pm

I value Yahoo chat. It is in disarray and turmoil. A Microsoft “merger” would effectively destroy chat forever and remove any loyalty I have for your brand. It is a real shame that really aren’t considering your community’s input as on equal footing with all stakeholders.

Adam | February 1st, 2008 at 3:31 pm

Do. Not. Want.

Irlanda | February 1st, 2008 at 3:52 pm

I hope you can fight it back as I’m sure you want to. This merge would destroy all the work done by Yahoo!

Rekvak | February 1st, 2008 at 4:04 pm

Don’t kill Yahoo!

Yahoo! must stay independant!

Simon | February 1st, 2008 at 4:38 pm

Sell Sell Sell!

Maybe not this first offer… field others please… listen to AT&T, Comcast, Private Equity?? Google??

As a sizeable shareholder, I feel like the management has had enough time to turn things around.
With the web traffic Yahoo has.. its properties and overseas investments its unbelievable that the shareprice was at a 4 yr low yesterday.

We have had enough! Please sell to the highest bidder. You have a fiduciary responsiblity to the shareholders and you have failed. The conference call was a joke.. we should now wait to hope things get better in 2009???

Yahoo has only itself to blame for allowing the share price to fall <$19. Now, do the right things… SELL!

hkick | February 1st, 2008 at 6:02 pm

well, thats bad, yahoo will be killed by giant. microsoft is bad … dont do this, shareholders will be happy now but not in longer run, shares were unfortunately low, and microsoft took chance.

employees would be second to microsoft employees and there will be naturally auto layoff …

David | February 1st, 2008 at 7:59 pm

Take the deal and run with it.

Not only will it prevent Google from bullying Yahoo, Gates will probably go after eBay as well.

Yahoo Auctions could have succeeded if it had had better management and funding. EBay is now an arrogant monopoly, seemingly hellbent on alienating their customer base (the sellers who pay eBay its fees).

I think many good things could come from an MS/Yahoo marriage.

gc | February 1st, 2008 at 8:07 pm

Please do not have MS buy Yahoo. I think Yahoo will do just fine as long as they focus more on a handful (or two) of products rather than trying to do a ton of services at a time and do them in a very average fashion. I think some services that Yahoo offer aren’t really that necessary and/or popular and can be cut, whereas others should be accelerated quickly to overcome the competition. If this happens, I think people will start to use other yahoo services that they may never have thought they would have wanted to b/c they would be at the Yahoo sites more often.

newbie | February 1st, 2008 at 8:35 pm

Hello,
I recently (30th January 2008) got an offer from Yahoo! Wonder how I get affected by this new turn of events. Will the offer still be honored or recalled… I still am looking for a good career at Yahoo

thanks for any follow ups if any

Ramesh | February 1st, 2008 at 8:55 pm

PLEASE DON’T SELL!!!!

I have been living with Yahoo! for many many years and this acquisition just for the heck of competing with Google doesn’t make any sense. It may make some sense to the Wall Street but as an end user, Yahoo! should remain independent as it is today.

There is a huge culture clash between both companies and the integration of whole suite of products simply isn’t going to work. During this merging distraction, Google can dominate even further and allowing them to gain more market share.

Yahoo!, you are who you are and we love you for whatever you are. We know that you have been through some tough times but we strongly believe that Yahoo! is still the number one internet brand and it has got a very bright future.

Please decline this offer or else be prepared to loose your millions and millions of fans like me :(

We love Yahooooooooooooo!

HELL NO to Microhooooooooo!!!! (It sounds awkward too)

David R | February 1st, 2008 at 9:49 pm

i dont want a microsoft flickr!

Jaydip Mehta | February 1st, 2008 at 10:01 pm

Oh!! Microsoft buying Yahoo! !! Sounds very good.
For me, this is the only way to defeat current market leader -Google. Whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Sudhakar | February 1st, 2008 at 11:56 pm

Its time for Jerry to put up a fight once again.. to show his spirit. Yahoo has a unique and wonderful culture. Hope it exists forever.

Amitava | February 2nd, 2008 at 1:53 am

Please DON’T sell YAHOO.

Yahoo … the innovator … who gave meaning to internet. Please for God’s sake don’t sell. U can do it. Just try again … Focus should be ur strategy and Jerry Yang should be ur strength. U r doing well in search, mail, chat, online adv. Never ever any email client like rediff etc have ever been ahead of u. I am sure that u will become the topper again … provided u give time to ur efforts. Please don’t sell … u r still making profit since u r not making loss … We respect all YAHOOS and we want to keep our goodwill with u all.

PLEASE DONOT SELL.

Adrian | February 2nd, 2008 at 2:23 am

Dear guys,

Please don’t sell Yahoo! to Microsoft, I believe that there’s still another best way to solve your problems because you guys are so creative people, best of all…

Please once again Don’t Sell Yahoo! to Microsoft.

Best Regards and God Bless you all there,

Duran | February 2nd, 2008 at 2:34 am

Bad news for Yahoo! users :-(.

Scott Dunn | February 2nd, 2008 at 6:13 am

Hi,

I just want to say a few things:

1. After watching my wife use Yahoo and seeing just how frickin’ difficult it is to use Yahoo on Linux with video and voice, this proposed merger is just one more reason to turn her and her side of the family to some other chat engine that provides better interoperability.
2. I would not be surprised to see Zimbra forked outside of Yahoo to prevent Microsoft from deprecating it in favor of Exchange.
3. The bid is a clear sign that Microsoft thinks it can buy the competition instead of competing.
4. The privacy concerns of having Yahoo running on Windows servers boggles the mind.

If this merger is approved, I will be moving fast to get rid of Yahoo from this Windows computer and moving to another chat client and server.

All I really want is a full featured, open source client in Linux. At least then I will feel safe with my wife using Yahoo.

Thanks.

Scott Dunn

Evangelist | February 2nd, 2008 at 7:29 am

Please don’t sell yahoo..

stay independent

Jhonathan Rodrigues | February 2nd, 2008 at 8:54 am

I think the propose is really good, but i think that Yahoo! Corp can do more alone. Microsoft don´t have a good reputation let say the true.

In my opnion Yahoo! is very good, if he is my corporation I will not sell, and more not for Microsoft! He will kill Yahoo!

Willian Max | February 2nd, 2008 at 9:02 am

Façam o que acharem melhor para a empresa. Nós do Brasil estamos torcendo para que, independente da escolha, seja o melhor para o Yahoo!

Be a better.
:)

hezer | February 2nd, 2008 at 9:03 am

Sad news if the offer is accepted. I can’t continue to be a yahoo girl. I love Yahoo! I’ll be moving over to GMAIL for sure if this happens. I have a few friends that will be doing the same. If we believed in the money hungry company we would all be MSN and or hotmail customers, but we’re not.

Sam | February 2nd, 2008 at 9:25 am

finally microsoft can provide good web services.
on the other had, i’d prefer if you didn’t sell, but didn’t sell to google either!!!>.

wangjel | February 2nd, 2008 at 9:50 am

yahoo made and maintained by people, if the people change yahoo change with it.
so what we are t(alking about is keep Yahoo!

wangjel | February 2nd, 2008 at 9:52 am

alive or not.
The relation with microsoft can not be better than as it is now, and hay people of Yahoo! what you will do with your life if you sale the spirit of Yahoo!?
and we still did not speak about the users? what if we say no?

frank cheung | February 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 am

i think i have idea, i think yahoo and MSn messenger should put a window next chatroom window or conversation window, and update a top 1000 or top 10,000 keywords, if the word in the conversation match the top 1000 or 10,000 keywords, the search window (next to conversation window) will auto pop up the links

Lets call it “Auto Search”

and its a good tool to fight Google

I need comments for my suggestion
thank you

Larry | February 2nd, 2008 at 12:04 pm

Do not let Microsoft do it!

or else yahoo is going to run down like msn.

No more yahoo chat!

No more yahoo mac and linux messenger

Lew | February 2nd, 2008 at 12:23 pm

I, for one dislike micro$oft and want as little as possible to do with them. If you decide to merge, I am going to cancel my account and leave your services to the micro nuts. There are other search engines and other email services.

I hope you remain independent, if you I will get a premium email account.

It almost seems true, what was once posted in a tech blog; “it’s micro$oft’s world and we are just licensed to be in it.” Don’t help them in their quest for total domination.

Craig Cullen | February 2nd, 2008 at 1:43 pm

Here is an idea that just may put YAHOO back on top.

As a 40(+) year old senior non-traditional Graduate student majoring in “Information and Communication Technology” I ask myself why the shareholders of a company like Yahoo dont start cleaning house, and get rid of the old way thinkers (which is anyone thinking with 2y/o or older knowledge). It appears that your company has the technology, just not the right people that know how to use it. I do dare to say that some ORNANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT along with FRESH INNOVATED IDEAS would produce great results.Stop and think about it for a minute, this must be somewhat of what MS has in mind? I would love to have the opportunity to provide yahoo with external O.D. for one quarter. There are two key areas that Yahoo must do to survive, in fact I would be willing to bet that MS will incorporate these two elements (simillar)if you do sell out, they are.

1) Yahoo Product enhanced services( I would create a YOHOO TRADE SITE) Yahoo account users could post items for free, only when an item sells does YAHOO collect a % fee, “the Ebay model” but new & Improved YAHOO MODEL. This is one idea I have several others that would incorporate College’s,Universitie’s, and The Military world wide.

2)Incorporate serious management performance reviews, management does not meet the standars they are replaced end of story, the free ride would be over. Dont think so, watch it is comming!

Many of you I am sure do not like to hear this straight talk but the fact is, this is how I roll, and this is how the real world operates. Yahoo I do like your company and your services, but I am not so sure you have the best thinkers working for you? DO YOU STILL YAHOO?

mr smart | February 2nd, 2008 at 2:58 pm

Why would you sell your company to a FAILING search engine aka MSN? It should be the other way around, Yahoo! should be buying MSN Search. If Yahoo! sells out to Microsoft then M$ will destroy Yahoo! in the same way they destroyed their own search engine. Explain to me how this logic makes any sense at all. OK lets sell our company which has @25% market share to a failing competitor that only has @5% market share. Yea brilliant idea guys. Jerry, wake up! Why dont you stop trying to make Yahoo! a portal and bring it back to how it once was, and how about putting back the directory too.

Matt | February 2nd, 2008 at 4:11 pm

I hope Yahoo doesn’t sell out to Microsoft. It would loose all creativity.

athena | February 2nd, 2008 at 4:54 pm

Undeniable Truths about Yahoo!

Yahoo is the original Internet icon that made the Internet user friendly.

Yahoo dominated when Internet users needed the comfort and guidance of a friendly starting point from which to find resources on the rest of the Net—literally, a home on the web.

Yahoo thrived. Signed deals with content providers and became the one go-to place for advertisers seeking to reach online consumers.

Yahoo has unmatched assets:

* a global base of 500 million monthly users

leadership in key online content:
* finance
* sports
* e-mail

* a new search ad system that’s managed to win kudos from advertisers.

For a company whose very name is a joyous exclamation, it’s almost unbelievable that Yahoo! may end up going out with a whimper.

If the deal happens, the company that put a friendly face on the wild and unruly Internet would be reduced to nothing more than a brand within the bowels of an old tech giant already too bloated for it’s own good.

Jerry and David created the first widely used Internet directory in a campus trailer. If they can build everyone’s favorite first stop on the Internet, they can make some hard decisions, prepare for battle, and set Yahoo! completely right again. They got it right the first time. Do more of what is already true about Yahoo!

mike donahue | February 2nd, 2008 at 6:29 pm

I sincerely hope you are able to resist the Microsoft move. The Yahoo culture is progressive and future-oriented; the Microsoft culture is repressive and limiting. If Yahoo shareholders want Microsoft stock, then sell Yahoo and buy Microsoft. I’m afraid a merger means the end of Yahoo and that would be a sad loss to the Internet community.

Jen | February 2nd, 2008 at 8:55 pm

Please dont sell be independent because if you sell you will lose all ur loyal customers for good so please decline the offer

Stan | February 2nd, 2008 at 9:08 pm

JUST SAY NO!

Jeff M | February 2nd, 2008 at 11:10 pm

If you do not work out a deal yahoo shares will drop like a rock below $10.00 a share destroying yourself and us loyal shareholders! Yahoo can not survive alone in the the eyes of the financial market and must make a deal with someone in the next few weeks. This does not mean yahoo buying anyone either. One of the major factors that has lead to this is yahoos constant practice of tossing free shares to your management, thus flooding the float over the top! Yes you do stock buybacks but then you give more then you buyback! Sue just got 210,000 shares!!!!!!!!!!! Pay her a bonus, not give her shares, this practice kills our bottom line when it comes to earnings!

jack | February 3rd, 2008 at 1:10 am

How about yahoo.com will buy microsoft ….

Matthew Samson | February 3rd, 2008 at 3:18 am

Cant Yahoo! reject the offer, and undertake a major reform process?

What I mean is, make the Yahoo.com page just “search” like Google, while making all the other products independent, but owned by Yahoo!.

Just like how Google treats YouTube…. YouTube is owned by Google, but independent as well.

All Yahoo! needs to do is embrace the “less is more” concept.

Fred Grott | February 3rd, 2008 at 5:08 am

As I have stated before when interviewing for the JavaMe developer position within the YahooGo team..

Centralized gate keeping is not he way of Yahoo but decentralized before Yahoo goes bankrupt or is forced to sell itself to Microsoft…

YahooGo should be gateway into everything internet not we keep you on yahoo properties only!@!

If MS buys Yahoo that Yahoo culture dies..

Jerry needs to own up to his mistakes ..as in it was a mistake to hire someone that moved Yahoo towards centralized content rather than decentralized find everything..

Yahoo already sold out long before the Microsoft offer when it failed to take advice of innovative technologists and decentralize..MS’s offer is just confirmation of that sell out mentality becoming true…

I feel sad and frustration for those Yahoo employees that I know and converse with as I have the feeling that Jerry rather than take the bull by the horns and get Yahoo going tow2ards decentralization will instead sell out to MS..

Its a very sad day for us that first started using Yahoo in 1995..

Anna~Anna | February 3rd, 2008 at 5:39 am

Being a peon in this very big world I can only say ’stay alone, stand alone, stand out’

I am sure there will be other (read “better”) offers too.
Please do not allow greed to be the number one incentive.
(Sorry investors, but you knew it was not a get rich scheme when you bought in).

Yahoo’s major problems BEGAN when AT&T put their $$ in the offing.
(Bad choice kids).

Do not ever think that 2 wrongs will make a right.

XOXO
Anne

Jason K. | February 3rd, 2008 at 6:53 am

Good grief…if Microsoft takes control of Yahoo!…it frightens me to think of what will happen to the Yahoo! Network. Yeah, that’s exactly what Yahoo! needs right now…to be transformed into dismal mediocrity through dissection by one of the most greedy, consumer unfriendly companies in human history. Yahoo! couldn’t give me a better reason to move to Google than agreeing to be purchased by Micro$oft.

Search◆ Engines WEB | February 3rd, 2008 at 7:13 am

DON’T DO IT !

It is extremely important that Yahoo retains its individuality, creativity and direction.

Just like Google started late in the game and became a giant – Yahoo can too regain its glory.

The answer does not lie in buyouts – it lies in innovation and creativity. Any alliance with Microsoft will be a band aid approach. Nothing can take the place of innovation.

It will be the ultimate tragedy to see what was once considered the leader of The Internet a few years ago, become just another jewel on the crown of Microsoft.

Just like Yahoo acquired AltaVista and AllTheWeb and never fully invested in them – Microsoft will do the same to you. You will just be an appendage or satellite.

Their lack of expertise with their Search Engine demonstrates how their numerous predictions and braggings of overtaking Google was nothing more than psychological warfare.

You do NOT need that type of alliance. They will not give you substance only strategies.

Yahoo CAN rise again. But you have to forgo the politics and egos and interact intimately with the public and user base.

If Google can come late into the game and innovate itself to become a giant – Yahoo can do it again!!!!

chris | February 3rd, 2008 at 10:37 am

Yahoo is a great brand – so it will survive. It will just join MSFT. I’ve always used Yahoo for years – but I’ve also seen my Yahoo stock investment tumble really badly!! Since Yahoo can’t compete against Google alone; please join with MSFT and let us see a better company.

Mark Kyren | February 3rd, 2008 at 12:57 pm

Hello:
I’ve been in the computer business since 1973. I’ve been an Internet user since 1994 (BBS before that). A Yahoo user for more than a decade. If Microsoft buys Yahoo I will cease to use Yahoo for any purpose whatever. I have nothing but contempt for Microsoft’s business practices, and their ill-made, badly designed technology. Indeed it would give me great joy to see Microsoft go bust so they will cease being an impediment to innovation in the technology.
Just one person’s opinion.
Cheers, Mark Kyren
(a.k.a square5@yahoo.com)

Bogen | February 3rd, 2008 at 2:09 pm

I would love to see Microsoft and Yahoo come together! Google is too powerful! Its about time that Microsoft gave yahoo the much needed shot in the arm! I hope yahoo doesn’t pass this up. There are so many things that Microsoft could do to help Yahoo’s dwindling online Ad revenues that it seems almost stupid for the company to pass this offer up!!

Adrian | February 3rd, 2008 at 5:22 pm

I absolutely agree with Craig Cullen’s opinion and suggestion. I agree that you are guys there in Yahoo! creative people..

Please be independent and keep up the Yahoo! culture…

Good luck all!!

Alex | February 3rd, 2008 at 5:25 pm

Yahoo! is still #1!

I don’t believe in competition. Yahoo! is the original one!

Yahoo has created many good things. Some of them have worked well.

Alternatives to MS? Yahoo could go to the bankers and go private. Google could buy enough shares of YHOO to prevent a MS takeover.

This is not about shareholder value. This is not about some New Jersey suburbanites collecting more money from their shares.

This is about the originality of the web, the creativeness of the web, and the ability of creative web players to keep on having their time in the sun!

Besides, Yahoo search is BETTER than MSN search!

Who is Google anyway? An advertising company posing as a search company?

MS will not buy out YAHOO. They didn’t in the last year.

Yahoo will remain GREAT, CREATIVE and Independent!
(And so will you!)

(So who’s afraid of Google anyway? They’re doing not too bad for an advertising site.)

Yahoo is BIG in South Dakota!

Alex

Nikki | February 3rd, 2008 at 6:01 pm

I have been a loyal Yahoo email account user since the late 1990s. I use it as my primary and only email account now. I like your product and spirit of your online community. I like how Yahoo has a nice integrated website that is very user friendly and a great email product that costs me nothing.

If you sell out to Microsoft, I will immediately move my email account elsewhere. I find Microsoft’s software and technology very expensive, not user friendly, slow, and painful. I will move even before Microsoft decides what to do with Yahoo or starts changing it. I don’t see Microsoft buyout benefiting me and I believe it will more hurt me instead.

Bottom line, please, don’t do it.

one investor | February 3rd, 2008 at 9:44 pm

Yahoo! rocks, you don’t need Microsoft to remain innovative and open. Google’s a great challenge and you will be able to give them a run for their money: keep going with the open source initiatives and keep putting out good products; godspeed.

wishing you all the best

t

Mirwais Khudayar | February 3rd, 2008 at 11:43 pm

Hello i am Mirwais Khudayar President of Global Development Company and i am happy that Microsoft purchased Yahoo. and i think the Microsoft playing good role and providing best services for its users.

thanks

Eng Mirwais Khudayar
President of Global Development Company
Kabul Afghanistan
cell Phone :0093 799 8888 69
mirwais_786@yahoo.com

Jack Johnson | February 4th, 2008 at 12:46 am

Sirs and Ladies

I am a yahoo mail user i was on Hotmail when microsoft bought it, they sold my emails to a company who stole my ideas MS was paid a lot of money for this and because thier storage sites are in beleize they are outside of laws that protect ideas, If you sell to micro and soft then i will leave yahoo as i left hotmail before.

I use yahoo messager every day i use Yahoo7 web site for my daily news and am a regular contributor to the tech section reviewing items for your readers.

If micro and soft buy you out it ends all that for me and many others

there are 450+ negative comments on MS taking over yahoo in the SMH.com.au site (sydney newspaper) as you may be aware MS does not give Australians any rights at all except to eat consume and die ( without suing micro and soft)

you’ll excuse my terminology regarding M$ , i’ve seen the board skinny dipping outside a kids school here during the 2000 launch anyone else would have been locked up ( they thought they where at the nude beach 2 kilometers further down the way)

Micro and soft is accurate i assure you. so please do not fear liable suits.

regards

Jack Johnson

chris | February 4th, 2008 at 1:52 am

The sad fact of the matter is, Yahoo! can’t compete with Google and is no longer relevant to most computer users. The death of Yahoo! has been on the horizon now for the past few years. The future of Yahoo! has two paths, being absorbed into Microsoft and being transformed into the new MSN search engine or Google buying up Yahoo! and keeping the portal as just a show and taking the Yahoo! properties they want to plunder. Sorry to say it, Google has dominated the web advertising and search engine market and Yahoo! no longer has a chance to make it with Google around, no matter what happens, Yahoo!’s days are numbered.

Alistair | February 4th, 2008 at 2:55 am

Let’s be blunt about this: Yahoo is just a corporation, same as Microsoft, only smaller. The people commenting who are sentimental about Yahoo’s “Unique creativity” and Microsoft’s “evil empire” are deluding themselves. They are both big companies who exisit to make a profit for their shareholders. Nothing more, nothing less.

Google is too. But – in the online space – they are doing it much better than either Microsoft or Yahoo, and that’s why droves of people are changing to Google and staying there.

Merging might give Yahoo and Microsoft a fighting chance to take on Google, it might not. However, doing nothing will inevitably lead to Yahoo becoming a footnote in the history of the internet.

It shows that Yahoo is in complete denial when they use childish stalling tactics to avoid making a decision “it will take quite some [unspecified amount of] time”.

Sure Yahoo, you just keep playing the music as the ship goes down…

Shubhrajyoti Sarkar | February 4th, 2008 at 4:29 am

I don’t think that there is something to be afraid of. MS is a software company and if it takes over Yahoo then we can expect many positive initiatives in the future including research and innovation. So far the decision on whether or not to sell Yahoo is being correctly processed by Yahoo considering all the perspectives. So whatever the Yahoo officials are going to decide should be the best decision.

nmw | February 4th, 2008 at 4:53 am

@Chris you’re right: Yahoo! is a great brand — but it’s actually more than a brand… it is a word. Much like “digg”, it transmits a feeling of community “Geist”.

Unlike the skeptics above, I do not see any reason to believe that Yahoo’s autonomy would be comprimised — I expect that the people at Microsoft would be so stupid to pay US$44.6 billion for something and then to trash it.

I also doubt that they would commercialize it the way Google has commercialized youtube.com

If the argumentation here were backed up with facts rather than feelings, it might be more useful.

:) nmw

Erica M. | February 4th, 2008 at 5:20 am

I’m clearly going to submit this to several different sources.

I think one of the best answers to this whole Microsoft/Yahoo buyout deal, it to ask the most important person out there what they think. That’s right – the users. Not the customers, who buy and sell the stocks. They just want to make money from trading it. And not the other online companies, because they’re going to be unhappy with it regardless. And seriously, how can YOU predict what will happen to Yahoo if Microsoft buys it out? The only person who really knows, is the USER. We’re the real ones keeping this company alive. If we didn’t visit your pages, you would have no company. If we didn’t click those advertisement links that we see, you would have no money. We… are the real “consumer” here.

And my opinion is… if Microsoft buys out Yahoo, I will no longer be a Yahoo user. I’ve been a Yahoo user since the mid-to-late 90’s, back when all you saw was a very short list of text-links. No pretty graphics and… no advertisements. I was around when it first made it’s appearance on the stock markets – and the wave of shock that came over everyone, as a simple computer-based search engine began to top off the charts. It was considered a sort of “virtual stock” in the beginning. But it wasn’t long before Yahoo was taken seriously by investors.

And now it’s being taken seriously by Microsoft. I use Microsoft products – I won’t lie. But only because, to truly take advantage of some things, you just HAVE to. Other operating systems are slowly catching up, but that doesn’t mean they’re ready for my needs. Part of the problem is that Windows is so popular and so wide-spread, that programs are being built on that technology, so they often don’t WORK with anything else.

Imagine going home from work one day, and everything in your house is owned by the same exact company. We’ll say it’s all owned by a company called “Noob” (to take advantage of popular internet slang). Let’s say Noob makes your T.V., your toilet paper, your car, even your food is packaged by Noob. Then stop and think – do you really want your car to be made by the same people that make T.P.? Take Daewoo for example – known for electronics, but their vehicles didn’t do quite as good, because people just don’t trust them to make both things with equal quality.

But this is what’s happening to the Cyber-world. Microsoft currently dominates the Operating System market. Last I checked, they were still in the lead on search engines (I’m a Mozilla-user, thankfully). They have a huge portion of the gaming industry as well (ever played Rise of Nations, or Flight Simulator?) They also have a huge market of peripherals, such as mice and keyboards.

And part of the problem I have, is that Microsoft has become a victim of it’s own success – their technology is still the most-exploited technology in the WORLD at the moment. How often do we download security updates in each phase of Windows? How many viruses have you had contact with? How often does your firewall go off because someone found a bug that let them through?

Of course, it made me laugh when I saw the comment about Microsoft being committed to the protection of privacy on the internet. I do not currently have a “gmail” account. I do, however have both a Yahoo email account, and a Hotmail account. I only have the hotmail account because I needed it for MSN Messenger to talk with a single person who does not use Yahoo Messenger or ICQ (oh, and I did drop ICQ once AOL bought it, as well). Now, everytime I load my computer, it tells me how many Hotmail messages I have. I don’t USE that email address! How could I have useful mail? And why am I getting reminders when I simply want to log into my PERSONAL computer? And why won’t it let me disable these? Clearly, since I don’t use the email address, anything received there is most likely spam. Yet, without ever passing out the address, or using it to speak with anyone, I get (no kidding here…) about 1500 messages every DAY. If I could disable it, and keep MSN without needing the mail account, or at the VERY least without the mail account giving me useless messages on my PC, I might go for it. If I wanted to check my Hotmail address for new messages, I would log in. No need for a reminder! If it’s important, I’ll know it’s coming.

And this is what you can expect by joining with Microsoft, right? How can you trust a company that literally takes over everything? How can you trust a company that doesn’t give you a way to escape signing up for everything? That would be like Yahoo making me sign up for Yahoo 360, answers, email, messenger, and Mobile Web all at the same time – even if I don’t use any of them – and then giving me reminders to check them ALL, every day. NO THANKS!

Your purpose is “Powering communities to create indispensable experiences, built on trust.” If that’s the case, don’t make me lose my trust in Yahoo, by joining with the company I trust the least. As I mentioned before, I have no gmail account. But sadly, if Microsoft does buy out Yahoo, that’s the first thing I will be signing up for.

Think about it this way – there’s a reason Microsoft is not the leading Search Engine right now. And you might stand to lose a lot more from those that want to avoid Microsoft, than to gain anything by joining with them.

Save me, and the rest of us Yahoo users a lot of pain. Don’t accept the offer. Because quite frankly, I’m tired of wiping my rear-end with Microsoft toilet paper.

Adam Forsythe | February 4th, 2008 at 5:31 am

I really don’t think Yahoo should sell to ANYONE. They made it this far with pretty good numbers on the balance sheet. Q4 of 2007 was a little iffy though. But that happens every once and awhile. God I wish I had the money to buy at least 30+% of the company so I could walk into the HQ and hit everyone thats runs the company with a newspaper and say “No, NO”
From all the articles I ready EVERYONE at yahoo does not want to sell. I think David and Jerry would be crushed if such thing happend. God I owned YourAutoPlace.com I gave it up in 2006 with over a 100,000 members. It’s the worse thing I have ever done.
Thanks
Adam Forsythe

Anything but Microsoft | February 4th, 2008 at 6:07 am

Yahoo! should stop for a moment to reflect on what “best maximizes value for our shareholders”. In my estimation, anything that helps defeat Microsoft in any endeavor is best for not just Yahoo!’s shareholders, but for shareholders everywhere, of every company that uses any sort of computer.

Microsoft has a well-documented history of manipulation and dissembling when it comes to being “committed to openness, innovation, and the protection of privacy on the Internet,” as their general counsel Brad Smith said this morning in an AP article (which I read on Yahoo!, by the way). All you need to do to verify this fact is to surf the web with anything other than the not-coded-to-accepted-standards IE and count the number of pages you come to that do not function properly or at all, even though your browser is standards compliant. Their insidious practice of adding “features” that only work in IE forces people to use their inferior product.

I, for one, think it is time for the entire world to fight back. Remove anything Microsoft related from your life wherever possible. If you are forced to use a Microsoft product (as I am currently — XP but not IE) complain loudly. Point out better, cheaper, and less oppressive alternatives. Do not buy a car with Sync, don’t frequent company web sites where IE is required, do whatever you can to stop Microsoft from shoving ever more “little guys” into its gaping maw. We all know what happens to food.

Most of all, just raise your voice, ala Howard Beale in Network: Be mad as hell, and refuse to take it anymore.

So: Even though I have had one of my favorite e-mail addresses with Yahoo! for years, even though my home page on every browser I use is set to My Yahoo!, even though I get nearly 100% of my news from Yahoo!, and even though I use Yahoo! Messenger every day, if Microsoft succeeds in buying the company I will sever all ties with Yahoo! and become an evangelist against everything the company does.

Yahoo!, step up and make the right decision for all of us, your loyal customers and all web users, rather than selling your soul to the devil.

Brian Ward | February 4th, 2008 at 6:08 am

Greetings-

You know, if you guys are going to sell your company to someone, that’s your choice. However, I would recommend that you should make sure that you sell to someone who has a good track record in providing creative, pioneering online services. Folks: that ain’t Microsoft. Have you ever tried to use Hotmail?

Also, it is my understanding that Yahoo! is currently the number two search engine on the Internet. Microsoft continues to say again and again that merging would create a grand, new number two competitor in the search market. I’m not so sure about that.

To me, one question is immediately raised regarding the hostility of Yahoo! users to Microsoft. It seems to me that both Yahoo! and Google offer alternatives to Microsoft. It’s possible that your user base may not take kindly to being brought into the fold of a large conglomerate like Microsoft. I would recommend research in this area. Always remember that your users are just a click away from someone else.

You should find someone who can ensure that the Yahoo! brand is not tarnished. What the guys at Microsoft are looking to do is rebrand their MSN Live search, which hasn’t been performing well for them. Look at their past work and make that decision for yourselves.

I’m sure that you’re aware that this move by Microsoft is actually an offensive move against Google, which is the undisputed market leader in this industry. We are all familiar with Microsoft’s strategies when it comes to monopolization. I would submit that Microsoft, once it has captured and saturated a market, slows down its pace of innovation in an attempt to ensure further perpetuation of its dominance. Look at the browser wars. It took Firefox’s arrival on the market before they started to pay attention to IE again.

I think that this move by Microsoft would be bad for Yahoo!, and bad for the industry as a whole in the long run.

~b

Gilles | February 4th, 2008 at 7:25 am

Yahoo is also a great part of my past web life… just like Netscape was. Or altavista was too.

Sorry to say, but I don’t search through Yahoo anymore. Why ? Because, and it’s an important point (for me) my customers (who owns websites) want the best ranking on Google and not Yahoo.

So why bother using Yahoo. That’s not a personal decision, but professional. Yahoo needs to revert the flux and become the reference professional portal.

Yahoo alone has no chance. Just like Netscape at the time, believing in their own strenght, against MS. Look what is Netscape now …

But … be honest, a united MS and Yahoo would be a great competitor against Google monopoly. Stop with that MS fear, Google is far more threatening.

I think the MS deal will leave much more room for Yahoo to “explode” at last on the web than to deal with Google. Google will eat you. And that would be a shame.

So make a good deal with MS, work together, and go on.

Esteban G.R. | February 4th, 2008 at 7:32 am

I am a Yahoo! heavy user since 90’s and I would like to see Yahoo! far away from Microsoft.

dawn | February 4th, 2008 at 8:16 am

Please accept the offer.

The mismanagement of Yahoo (horrible, misguided product managers in search) have led us to this point. If the Google-opoly is to be stopped, we obviously need new direction.

- former y! employee

N. RIvers | February 4th, 2008 at 8:50 am

I still cannot comprehend how Yahoo cannot figure out how to integrate webmasters based overseas into their Yahoo Publisher Network.

Many publishers are based outside the U.S.A. for a variety of reasons but host their websites in North America and their audience is primarily North American and Europe. To become a Yahoo publisher you must have a U.S.A. Social Security Number – Yahoo locks out half of the publishers and advertising market with this silly requirement.

Google Adsense got this right from day one and maybe this is one reason Yahoo has fumbled so badly in this area. A lack of vision?

Having said said I hope Yahoo is able to resist the blandishments of Microsoft. Surely you can clean house or merge with a more independent and innovative company – that or hire out your search to Google.

Deborah Terreson | February 4th, 2008 at 9:17 am

PLEASE!!!

Do NOT let Microsoft buy Yahoo out.

If this happens, you’ll see your Groups go the way that MSN Groups did – which is why I have a Yahoo Group now.

I’ll NOT do business with Microsoft and if they do consume Yahoo up, I’ll transfer EVERY Yahoo service I use to Google and not look back.

My dislike of Microsoft IS that profound.

If Billy-boy Gates wants to do something *good* why doesn’t he work on making Vista work like it’s supposed to? This MS baloney with them trying to play catch-up with Google for a net presence is a prime reason why MS operating systems are a joke.. Microsoft should stick to making it’s OS secure and robust, because right now, it’s a virus-prone, wormy, crash-o-rama experience.

It’s why I have a Mac and why I don’t use Micrsoft’s web portals..

Say NO to Microsoft. They can’t buy and keep quality, only buy and kill it.

Deb.
foodandart@yahoo.com

Kendyll Stansbury | February 4th, 2008 at 9:17 am

I am trying to get Microsoft out of my life to support alternatives, and am going to switch to Linux soon when I buy my next computer. I have seen Microsoft devastate WordPerfect through its monopolistic practices, and I think it is a far superior wordprocessing program. So I have to say that if Microsoft buys Yahoo, I am going to have to switch to Google. I hope that Yahoo can resist this takeover attempt. The market does not always provide the best products, especially when one company has many more resources than its competitors and can drive them out of business. How much more money does Bill Gates need? He already has more personal income than all people combined in the continent of Africa.

I see from the other comments that I will have a lot of company.

Duane | February 4th, 2008 at 10:27 am

Yahoo, please don’t sell to MS.

RB Cotter | February 4th, 2008 at 11:41 am

I think Microsoft should ask themselves how many people it will loose (Yahoo users) if it acquires Yahoo.
Maybe Yahoo should take a survey and ask.

I know many that will quit using it. I believe MS will
destroy Yahoo if they buy it and I don’t want to be
part of the destruction.

Ann Marie | February 4th, 2008 at 11:51 am

Dear Yahoo Management Team,

I have been a Yahoo Email account holder for a long time and I also love reading the updated news on the yahoo Home page as I log into my Email.

Please do not allow Microsoft to buy Yahoo Inc. Yahoo is excellent as an independent company and it’s an inspiration to see people like Jerry Yang start their own company and make it a success.

Please tell Microsoft a big NO for all the above reasons.

Sincerely,

A Loyal Yahoo customer.

Chris | February 4th, 2008 at 12:50 pm

c’mon….in 10 years this company (microsoft) will ask to buy even us…DO NOT sell….DO NOT corporate…Yahoo was for all of us the major EXPERIENCE about internet…

A friend from Greece.

David B | February 4th, 2008 at 1:35 pm

I am indeed concerned about the hostile buyout maneouvers by Microsoft. Hope you can resist the “attack” and keep your jobs and your independence. You have wonderful services like your mail, that I have been enjoying for years without spam and reliably, then flickr and deli.ici.ous. If things go bad you can do something really wonderful for the whole internet community while taking revenge for microsoft bad deeds: Release Zimbra under the GPLv3 licence!!!

Best regards and best of luck with the current difficulties at Yahoo!.
David B.(Spain)

Shadowtaker | February 4th, 2008 at 4:10 pm

If Yahoo is acquired by Microsoft, Yahoo! will be automatically added to the blacklist sites. I administer several networks, and I see a lot of computers settings up things for customers. I already block access to Microsoft’s search because Microsoft already has too much influence and power.

Since the bid, I have started to encourage users to use Yahoo and if Yahoo’s board sells to the that Den of Vipers I will not purchase anything from Yahoo and I will discourage users to look elsewhere.

Many people are happy with Yahoo, but unfortunately U.S. Regulators do not typically have the best interests of the consumer in mind.

Shadowtaker | February 4th, 2008 at 4:13 pm

I meant to say I will encourage users to look elsewhere and I will discourage users from using Yahoo.

Dina Madya Putri | February 4th, 2008 at 5:10 pm

i enjoy chat in yahoo, make me have more friend. and make my communication is easy with my client.

Dina Madya Putri | February 4th, 2008 at 5:17 pm

i enjoy chat in yahoo, make me have more friend. and make my communication is easy with my client.and i hope in the future yahoo, can make the communication more easy than know.i addorre yahoo much, if i must be pick yahoo or goglee i wil and perfectly pick yahoo in my office

Thom | February 4th, 2008 at 5:48 pm

Do not sell to the BEAST. I am a long time devoted user of Yahoo and would hate it if you sold to Microsoft. I do not like any of the Microsoft sites. I find them unwieldly. I would hate to be forced to go to GOOGLE should Yahoo sell to Microsoft…but that is what I would do…and so would many others that I know.

David Jimenez | February 4th, 2008 at 7:58 pm

Yahoo has been major part of my online experience , and the better.
Using Yahoo i found mi wife!!!!.
>>>>>>>>>>Please Microsoft No, NEVER<<<<<<<<<<
Regards

Tom Harney | February 5th, 2008 at 6:37 am

Yahoo Board Members,

If you do decide to accept Microsoft’s bid. Please consider putting the Zimbra code under the GPL. Microsoft will surely shutdown Zimbra and all the hard work of so many volunteers will be lost.

Kind regards,
Tom Harney

R Halloran | February 5th, 2008 at 6:47 am

Sadly, I’ve dropped my Y! userid as of Friday given the news. I’d hate to see Yahoo get eaten and mangled by Microsoft, but that’s a lot of money to walk away from, and would be hard to justify to the stockholders.

I **would** ask, beforehand, though, that you release the Zimbra codebase before MS buries it. Competition is a Very Good Thing, which MSFT to date has avoided whenever possible. Give the community a viable option to Exchange and let us continue to work with it. Thanks.

Allan | February 5th, 2008 at 6:51 am

One of the very reasons I created my yahoo email was because I did not want a hotmail account. I have always enjoyed yahoo’s independence, style, format and ability to innovate among many other goodies. The “takeover” would be a great disappointment. There will be no need to think twice before moving my email to a non MS provider despite all the headaches that involves. My yahoo email will contain nothing more than spiderwebs and spam!
Say NO to MS and put a smile on my face
Say YES and the outcome will not be a guess!
Another loyal yahoo supporter.

Miss Linda | February 5th, 2008 at 8:36 am

Do not want!
Yahoo selling out to Microsoft would be like any normal human selling their soul to the devil. Don’t forget–it always backfires in the end.
Please don’t sell out to Microsoft–they will ruin everything we’ve come to love about yahoo and turn it into everything we hate about Microsoft.

deedee | February 5th, 2008 at 9:40 am

Please don’t kill Yahoo! Please maintain yourself as an independent company! Don’t get bought over by Microsoft & become uncool!!!

Miguel Urrutia | February 5th, 2008 at 9:42 am

I am sad to see that Microsoft is about to do it again…

Microsoft’s offering appears attractive, but for sure will be bad for the market and the users at the end.

For Yahoo! Corp: if you are looking for a knight to face this dramatic challenge, try with Apple… Don’t you think this makes sense? Just think of the best virtual services platform (Yahoo!) joined to the best gadget portfolio and digital life style vision (Apple), and you will add two and two. I can’t imagine a better venture, indeed.

All the best!! and DON’T SELL, PLEASE

John Kinney | February 5th, 2008 at 11:16 am

Someone wrote that many good things could come from a “marriage” between MS and Yahoo.

I would suggest that Yahoo take a good look at Microsoft’s long line of ex’s before buying *that* line. The MS history of corporate relationships reads a lot more like the fraud that woos a woman, marries her, spends all her cash and credit, then disappears to find another victim.

Besides, I’d have to cancel my membership in about 30 Yahoo mail-lists I read right now.

Sterling Michaels Munce | February 5th, 2008 at 2:41 pm

Greetings Jerry,

I’m going to call you but on the outside chance that you or one of your people reads this and gets it to you – I have the solutions that you are looking for and you absolutely do not need Microsoft.

In 2000 I gave presentations to Universal and Disney Interactive departments and they loved me for it and invited me back for more meetings with my team.

Without giving them the heart and soul of my concept and marketing strategies I was able to find out if what I offered was of merit.

I do not have an 800lb Law firm to back me up and that is why I did not sue Disney but I was happy that they “borrowed” my marketing plan in the weak, watered down version that I gave them. IT ABSOLUTELY VALIDATED ME!

All that I can say is that my meetings were in August to December 2000 and within 4 months of that time frame Disney did 2 deals for marketing strategies that were straight out of my marketing plan and they had no previous marketing strategy that was even similar to what they executed.

Disney partnered with Microsoft which allowed MSN customers to have a Disney/MSN homepage to portal to Disney via MSN. That was a much weaker version of what could have been – IF I had given them my entire concept.

The VP at the time, Jim Beddows informed me quietly that Eisner stole ideas and pitted each division against each other so I should be careful with what I presented.

Disney also did a deal wit Bank One for a Disney Memberships rewards card that was 100% my marketing plan. I even presented a set top box technology from China that was much more advanced than anything on the market for inteactivity via the WWW via TV.

On January 2000 – I called up Jim Beddows and found out that he and his assistant had been conveniently laid off and the computer that I gave them to study – DISSAPERAED!! It could not be found anywhere. I will say that I did not get a receipt for I never thought that something like that would happen with Disney. But I was wrong.

Unviersal was bought by Vivendi during that same time and Kenton Low, the VP at Unversal told me that while he loved my technology and especially my revolutionary marketing plan – his hads were tied by the French.

I’ve sat on this project and have been biding my time until I could launch it myself – but you have a need and I love Yahoo and I must humbly say that you shoul absolutely contact me and take a little time to see if I have anything of merit to offer to Yahoo!

If you do not – it is a mistake that you potentially regret for a long time. Or you may have another brilliant solution. But I’ve got tons of marketing reaearch and common sense to back me up – plus Disney “borrowing” my plans and weakly executing them.

Cheers and hope to hear from you soon!

Sterling Michaels Munce

William | February 5th, 2008 at 3:47 pm

Well, the Microsoft arquiriation can have some benefits, but we don’t want “Microsoft” stamped over all of our pages.

Mariano Rentería | February 5th, 2008 at 4:18 pm

I wont become a Microsoft user, I have allways love Yahoo! I hope that Yahoo! wont sell, now that he is winning territory, please focus on mergin markets as Mexico, here you arrive first and I cant belive that you lose part of the market…

Mariano Rentería | February 5th, 2008 at 4:38 pm

ARE YOU STILL YAHOO! ??

Hendra | February 6th, 2008 at 1:37 am

No, please just say NO to ^M$^

Bryan | February 6th, 2008 at 2:15 pm

Yahoo!’s primary obligation is to its shareholders and not its ‘culture’. It is difficult to argue that the premium implied by Microsoft’s offer price is in any way not in the best interest of shareholders.

Greg | February 6th, 2008 at 2:54 pm

There is a way for Yahoo to stay independent and even to grow. The solution is Web $.0 (forget about Web 2.0 or 3.0) and web services where content providers, starting with a relatively simple information web site owner, such as a city’s or university’s site, to internet-based services, for example, horoscope sites or sport records sites or blogs, can make money without selling ads or e-mail lists — even without registering their users.

It is a simple, ready-to-use idea; everyone knows it and uses it almost every day, worldwide — only so far outside the Internet. All Yahoo needs to do is have Mr Yang contact me! I’ll be happy to help.

Rodney | February 6th, 2008 at 3:26 pm

Baidu — complement another property globally and dominate in the biggest grown market in the world. Just like SAB purchased Miller. Didn’t make sense for U.S. companies, but very strategic for a global company.

georgie | February 6th, 2008 at 7:09 pm

Say NO to Microsoft… you guys give us variety, anybody but microsoft! plus i don’t wanna loose my yahoo email account…. don’t sell to anyone!

Ramesh | February 6th, 2008 at 11:57 pm

Yahoo! is internet and internet is Yahoo!

We live with Yahoo! and continue to live the same in the future..

We hope Jerry wouldn’t disappoint its millions and millions of fans by accepting this offer : (

We need you Yahoooooo!!!!!!!

Greg | February 7th, 2008 at 8:27 am

Or, if Yahoo does not act now, my firm plans to launch the product in April 2008; in November we will be in San Francisco at the 2008 Web 2.0 Conference — but then the product will be for everyone to grab (not to mention that the offer will be a lot more expensive!!!).

I am serious, Mr Dugan! It is a chance one in a million!

Karen | February 7th, 2008 at 9:26 am

The difficulty in decision making turns up our emotional responses which directly interfere or hinder the final decision process. Just to make this brief I have tried to put myself in the position of owner and developer of Yahoo and ask myself what I would do. Given the recent proposal by Microsoft with Google looming in the background as a temptation it seems to me from an unemotional response it is simple in a way. Just ask for what you want.

1) Make a provision that all of your current employees are retained for a period of time i.e. 10 years at least with complete retirement benefits.
2) Mr. Yang as well as other superiors should remain as important decision makers on their board of directors after the merger with conforming rules for Microsoft to respect until such superiors phase out of the corporation at their own choice and pace.
3) Mr. Yang should receive a royalty fee from future earnings for a set amount of time and this has not been part of the offer.
4) Microsoft will enhance the technical portion of Yahoo, thereby reducing current overhead with their advanced knowledge with R & D so Yahoo will advance and grow.
5) Microsoft in my opinion is more honest and sharing.

I do not work for Yahoo nor Microsoft but the above would be my most critical thoughts or ideas in this major decision. I also do understand there are more complex and mixed issues. If one makes it hard then it will be hard but if made simple then it is simple.

Best Regards,

Karen

Adnan | February 7th, 2008 at 10:25 am

This needs to be done scientifically.

I mean Yahoo! is the busiest website on the internet, there’s 10000s of variables involved.

I say

heads, u sell.

tails, u keep it.

GuillaumeB | February 7th, 2008 at 2:14 pm

Homogeneity,
Usability,
Attention to details,

This used to be the Golden Age of Yahoo! before you guys collected acquisitions and added more layer of peanut butter and redundant services.

You dont realize. Why do you think Google is so popular?

it’s not about user base AT ALL. It’s about having a coherent network.
Ad traffic is pointless is you cant retain your users.

William B. Malthouse | February 7th, 2008 at 5:06 pm

I have been hovering on the edge of leaving Yahoo! (My Yahoo!) ever since your My Yahoo! Beta stupidities. One thing that will push me over the edge to leave all Yahoo FOREVER is a Microsoft acquisition of Yahoo!

Google already owns the search universe, and Microsoft’s pathetic attempt to buy it’s way back by devouring and hence destroying an internet pioneer like Yahoo! turns my stomach. Read your own FAQ!s and philosophies and tell me that they are in any way compatible with Microsoft ownership. I know, the MICRO$OFT offer can not be matched, but it will be sad to see you go.

Andrew | February 8th, 2008 at 9:05 am

Dear Jerry.

I know it’s the hardest time in your lives, and the hardest decision to you to make. When Jerry founded this company he thought it would stay for hundred years. About two or three years ago it seemed to me that Google and Yahoo are Coca and Pepsi of the internet. Today the world has changed? And we can’t afford both drinks.

My vision of the problem is quite straightforward. You don’t want to sell the company to Microsoft, but you still have to sell it.

I’m about 23 only, and I can’t figure out how that happened. Jerry, I got a question, why did it happen that you have no control over the company you’ve found? It was yours, wasn’t it? All 50 percent of shares were yours, weren’t it? So, why did you sell it? Was it intended to stay alive for hundred years? If yes then you had to keep your shares to protect your right to make business decisions. If I would have a company, I wouldn’t sell shares, even if they go up or down to much. Never sell more than fifty percent next time, ok?

Another point is your responsibility about shareholder. Why? Why not customers are valued more? Share is just an instrument to raise funds and let traders play their game. Why should they dictate how the company runs its business? Why your company is regulated that way? I don’t know may be it is mandatory but if it’s not make sure your next business would be regulated differently.

What should you do now? Sell to MS, perhaps. Tell them ‘Yes’ but keep negotiating all the smallest details. I suggest you, Jerry, to enter their board and to control online operations. Keep working on Yahoo as if you’ve never sold it. That’s the best way you can help it. Don’t leave because we – users – need you.

Next, advocate Yahoo brand, colors and consistency. Microsoft would likely try to add ‘MS’ everywhere. Fight against it – a small note at the bottom would be fine. Like you do with Flickr or Zimbra – ‘a Microsoft service’. That would be great.

Keep your great partnerships for music (MasterCard, Pepsi, etc.), sports (EuroSport), security (Symantec), search (X1 and IBM), and others. They are really great and I enjoy them a lot. Keep your diversity – I love yahoo because I can find everything there. Keep emphasizing on your leading services, like news and finance. Keep in mind that Yahoo is not a search and advertising only. I heard there’s a del.icio.us upgrade coming out, about Live – great news.

As for OpenSource initiatives like YUI, Flex Toolkit, Hadoop, Zimbra, etc. I believe there’s an obvious way to handle it: establish Yahoo! Foundation – Mozilla like organization where all these projects can find a new home. This way you can keep those initiatives from forking and evaporating, don’t let them get apart. Move bits of your Dev Network there, too. Your superstar yahoos like Douglas, Jeremy and Nate can get nice job positions there, too. Isn’t it a great idea? I bet it is! Think about it. Make sure to give them appropriate copyrights and trademark rights to keep the name of your glorious and wonderful company, its spirit and courage. They will Yahoo! long after MS takeover, long enough to let my grandchildren know about it and respect it. You’ll have to support it at the beginning but later on it’ll stay fine.

Don’t just defend, strike back too. I’d be happy to see more Yahoo-branded services and software on my Windows box. How about build in

Keep ‘a Yahoo service’ on Flickr and other properties, like you still have Overture label on AltaVista.

And the most important, please, be sure to discuss all those and many other points before you agree to the proposal, and make them a part of the contract.

These are my thoughts so far. I hope you’ll make it even better. I’m your user and I’ll continue to use Yahoo! Services no mater who owns it.

I wish best of luck to you and to all Yahoo employees. You’re great people and you do a great job. Keep yahoo in every next company you are coming up to and be proud of your common background.

I’ll keep your purple Y! Bang in my heart!

Andrew.

G. | February 8th, 2008 at 11:32 am

please don’t sell to microsoft and
GPL Zimbra!

Brian M. | February 9th, 2008 at 10:29 am

My position on the possible Microsoft buyout is simple … if Microsoft is able to buy Yahoo, I will close my account immediately.

Microsoft has too much power in how we use computers and the Internet. They are a predator that stifles other companies. This has been proven many times in court.

DENY MICROSOFT ACCESS TO YAHOO!!!

Allan Garzaro | February 9th, 2008 at 2:24 pm

• Yahoo! board to spurn $44 billion Microsoft bid

THANK YOU!

Lui! | February 9th, 2008 at 9:46 pm

Guys!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you soooooooooooooooo much!!!! Thank you for staying the way you are and not letting us down!!!!! Hugs for the crowd over there!!!! You have my support!!! Mr. Yang, thanx for not letting this happen!!!! We Yahoos rock!!!!! Do we Yahoo!? We frickin’ do!!! Anythin you want on Yahoo!, count me in!! I love you all, and because of this and much more, I’d love to be workin up there with you guys!!! Thanx again!!!! We Yahoos love you all!! Peace!!

tom | February 9th, 2008 at 10:28 pm

Yeeeehaaah! Stick to your guns, Yahoo board! The last thing we need is another monopoly on the Internet! Like Murdoch the Lord of Mordor taking over the newspapers, TV news, etc. We depend on the Internet and Yahoo chat to retain for us the freedoms that we’re seeing eroded in Washington! Glad Yahoo has the guts!

Charles Greer | February 10th, 2008 at 7:35 am

Glad to see resistance to the MS deal this morning. Clearly I’m not alone in saying, should it go through, my business will certainly go elsewhere. I’m glad to see that Yahoo is doing what it can to stand up – let those shareholders also know that this deal will decimate the user base. We just don’t want any part in MS, don’t trust their business models, and won’t stick around to see what happens.

Microdirt | February 10th, 2008 at 4:26 pm

Why in the world would you even want to sell you microsoft to begin with? They will get rid of chat, and no telling what else..and Yahoo! will be no longer. There are some people that need Yahoo! for various reason..some are disabled and just need communication…please dont sell.

Julie | February 11th, 2008 at 7:19 am

I am very happy to see Yahoo! will decline Microsoft’s initial offer. I just hope and pray that you will continue to decline ALL offers.

As anyone can clearly see, most of the posts on this blog do not support Microsoft, what they stand for, and they are well informed with what Microsoft will do to Yahoo!

As for the few negative comments about Yahoo!, most of them seem to have come from stockholders. It is evident to me that they are not concerned with Yahoo!, its employees, its users, or what it stands for. They are only concerned with the almighty dollar in their own pocket.

If Yahoo! wants to compete better and grow more in the tech community, then why not ask users what they want? I’m not talking about endusers only…ask the small business community, the advertisers, the researchers, etc.

If you will think of it in these terms, you may fare much better in the long run…

Selling many at a lower price produces more than selling only a few at a higher price.

Good luck Yahoo! It is obvious this is a fight in which we will all be affected!

Julie | February 11th, 2008 at 8:15 am

I sent the following message to about 50 ppl in my addy book:

As most of you may already know, Microsoft made an offer to buy Yahoo on February 1, 2008. It is posted today on Yahoo that they will decline the offer, but it looks like they may entertain a substantially higher offer.

Microsoft is claiming they want to have a high web presence and complete with Google. If this is really what Microsoft wants, then why aren’t they using all of this money to enhance and rebuild the search engine they already have (MSN.com)? Microsoft doesn’t need to buy Yahoo. They just want to become more of a mecca in this technology game.

Yahoo has a blog (message board) for everyone to give their opinions on this situation. You will find it at http://ycorpblog.com/2008/02/01/our-response-to-microsoft%e2%80%99s-proposal/#comment-126206 . Please go and give your comments about Yahoo being sold to Microsoft.

All of you know I am a computer geek! I have used all of these services, but I no longer use any of Microsoft’s online services for anything! Microsoft is a lot larger than most people realize. They have many, many partner/third rate companies in which they own a large portion. Their online mail (Hotmail) is constantly being inundated with Spam (junk mail), some of which attaches itself to your computer and gives you problems (viruses, worms, etc). I also have first hand knowledge of auto-spying through e-mail when using Hotmail.

Microsoft was a major contributor to the ethics guide for Internet use. Spam is a big NO-NO! Since this is the case, why is Microsoft getting away with it?

Yahoo was the first user-friendly search engine out there. Today, there are others (Ask, Google, etc.), but Yahoo continues to be one of the best for all users, especially new users.

If Yahoo is sold to Microsoft, I will be moving on.

Gene | February 23rd, 2008 at 1:21 pm

Please! Don`t Sell!

vivien yang/MBA~Global Strategic Advisor | April 11th, 2008 at 9:28 am

Yahoo is a respectable company! but business is like a financial war out there! you must make profit for the sake of share holders! If you are not doing well, consult a financial advisor and you need to sell off, merge with a stronger partner! there is no time to feel sorry for yourself; there is pride of ownership but if you cannot pay the bills and the numbers are in red, than it is time to move on! strageties of selling of a portion and merging is o.k. Google is a strong company!
Microsoft can be negoiated to come in and work with them to become a part of the big whale in the ocean! learn from someone instead of running away! Yahoo can sign a deal to keep all employees and keep the name Micro~Yahoo and be no. 2 on the market! hostile take over will be a mess! take the offer fr. Microsoft do not be greedy!
reorganize within to become a stronger company! Financial strength is the key to running a successful company!