Yahooooo - Microsoft Proposes Bid For Yahoo!

(2/2/08 - See updated links to articles at the bottom of this post)

I have not posted for a couple of days because I have been busy with my blog sistahs over at the Silicon Valley Moms Blog, Chicago Moms Blog, DC Metro Moms Blog and NYC Moms Blog.  Today was going to be the day I posted on Techmamas - that is after school drop-off. Thanks to "My Yahoo" front page, I could not even wait for that....

I have emails with both Yahoo and Google. But every morning when I turn on my computer, my home screen is My Yahoo. That is because I started the process of loading RSS feeds into my home page as a way to keep up with all of my online reading. With My Yahoo - you can set up pages to categorize your feeds. My front page is loaded with all of the tech blogs and websites so first thing in the morning I get my daily dose of tech. My next move is set up separate pages for all of the mom blogs I read and then one for all the social media blogs. In the next week I will post with details on how to set up RSS Feeds, which are a moms best friend (BFF) for keeping up to date with online reading. Hey, moms can even impress their teens or tweens by saying their RSS is their BFF.

What jumped out at me this morning was: "Microsoft Proposes Acquisition of Yahoo! for $31 per share" (from the Microsoft press page). Next I jumped over to Techmeme to see all the other posts and discussions around this. Here are other links from Techmeme:

• Techcrunch: WOW. Microsoft Offers $44.6 Billion To Acquire Yahoo
• AT&T Yahoo News/Associated Press: Microsoft offers $44.6B for Yahoo
• Yahoo: Yahoo! Board of Directors to Evaluate Unsolicited Proposal From Microsoft

These are just a few, check back to Techmeme for a full listing of posts and links to discussions.

Oh - from the Yahoo press release it looks like it is "unsolicited".  This post from Search Engine Land has a great summary of the proposal, the spin, why do it, how to do it, history and what's next. In short, what really made sense to me was this statement from the Search Engine Land post: "Search is important, and Microsoft has failed to build much less maintain search share while Yahoo has held steady against Google."

In some sick and twisted way I hope that both Yahoo and Google maintain a healthy search engine share. Each has their own important role in how I spend my online time. I was somewhat sad to see all the news about Yahoo layoffs - but understood from years of living in Silicon Valley that layoffs are part of the business life cycle. But this announcement injected some excitement - because in the end I think Microsoft and Yahoo do have synergies that could make the search engine race even more exciting. But if the sale does happen, Microsoft listen to me very clearly - do not touch Yahoo Mail or My Yahoo or else you will make this mama mad. There is reason why I use Yahoo Mail and NOT hotmail.

Here is a link to a liveblog of Microsoft's bid for Yahoo call.

Ooopss, I got so am running late to drop my twins off at preschool. Will their teachers understand if I say I was ready to go until I looked at My Yahoo home page to see that Microsoft presented an unsolicited bid for Yahoo? Will the other preschool moms understand why I am passing them running late with my kids as they are hanging out in the parking lot enjoying the freedom of having all of their kids dropped off at school?

Maybe -- this is Silicon Valley. There is a good chance some of the other moms are also sitting in front of their computers....

Updated articles:

• Valleywag reports that overworked tech reporter loses his mind on national TV.
• Charlene Li (Groundswell) explains what Microsoft's bid for Yahoo means.
• New York Times reports that Deal May Create More, Not Less, Competition.
• Silicon Valley's Burnham's Beat explains that the deal may be bad for Silicon Valley.

Comments

[Amanda Cowan]

I totally agree.. My hubby works for Yahoo and while I do agree that Google has a head up on some areas.. and Yahoo could use some work.. I do not use MSN or Hotmail for anything. We're both hoping for the best obviously (since we've been nervous since the announcement of the layoffs), but I hope if it do happens that yahoo is able to stay true to yahoo..