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.

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!

THANK YOU!

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!!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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!!!!!!!

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.

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

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.

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