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Overture To Buy AltaVista

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the we're-done-with-the-overtures dept.

Nate writes "Overture announced that they bought AltaVista today for $140M in cash and stock. This follows closely on the heels of Yahoo's purchase of Inktomi. Considering the significant financial muscle of Yahoo and Overture, I hope that Google can continue to maintain their lead. For those of you who aren't familiar with Overture, they are the 800-pound gorilla in the pay-for-placement listing market. When you search in Yahoo, those Sponsor Matches at the top are provided by Overture."

14 of 186 comments (clear)

  1. Fine and Dandy by creative_name · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's all fine and dandy but Google is still by far the best way to search the web. It has more features than a geek's leatherman and is faster than Superman on speed.

    So what if sometimes it dances a lil'bit.

    --
    Posting as directed.
  2. Money but not the brain power by Gerrioholic99 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Overture and Yahoo may have more money; however, no amount can make me want to go to a search engine that I can't view in the "Bork!" Language. Bork, Bork, Bork!

    1. Re:Money but not the brain power by soegoe · · Score: 2, Funny
      no amount can make me want to go to a search engine that I can't view in the "Bork!" Language.

      So, how about MSN search viewed in Opera?

  3. So.... by easyfrag · · Score: 5, Funny

    Which is it? Is Google a big brother monopolist or a scrappy underdog? I'm confused.

    1. Re:So.... by SirSlud · · Score: 3, Funny

      You should try fundamentalism .. that way you never have to deal with differing opinions.

      Wanna lolly?

      --
      "Old man yells at systemd"
    2. Re:So.... by Jester99 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Is Google a big brother monopolist or a scrappy underdog?

      Ok people, one last time:

      On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Google is the scrappy underdog, whereas Apple is the evil faceless corporation.

      On Mondays and Wednesdays, the reverse is true.

      Every day is Linux-is-good-day, except on Friday, when we all denounce RedHat for actually charging for some service they provide.

      Oh. And vi is always better than emacs. :) (*ducks*)

  4. *Sniff* by Papa+Legba · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bring a tear to my eye this news does. It is so 1999 and sweet of them. Brings back found memories of the old new economy. Hopefull all those $200K CFO's from back then will lift a spatula at their current job in honor of this event.

    --
    Papa Legba come and open the gate
  5. Missed it... by bayankaran · · Score: 3, Funny

    Overture should have bought Astalavista...seems they missed on spelling.

    --
    Tat Tvam Asi
    1. Re:Missed it... by EvilCabbage · · Score: 4, Funny

      But when it comes to the crunch, the pr0n search results are largely the same for both, and at the end of the day, isn't that what we're all here for?

  6. Incredible news! by gpinzone · · Score: 5, Funny

    An unprofitable Internet company buys another unprofitable business company! Who says the Internet boom was over?

  7. Overture. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Curtain lights.

    This is it.

    The night of nights.

    No more rehearsing and nursing a part.

    We know every part by heart.

  8. the good ol' days by kajoob · · Score: 3, Funny

    and to think many moons ago in 1998 the domain name alone sold for 3.3mil.

    --
    Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur
  9. Re:Are people that fickle? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    People don't automatically use stuff because a company has more money or we'd all be using OS/2 right now.

    Or Windows.

    Oh wait...

  10. Potential by mao+che+minh · · Score: 3, Funny
    The underlying importance of these moves is that major financial holders who possess a cunning internet prescence are buying up search engines (well Yahoo anyways). Google rules now, but if Yahoo or Overture throws enough money at something else, then "it" just might become a contender in the coming months.

    Frankly, I think that they still have a lot of catching up to do. I find some of the most remarkable pictures of Jessica Alba and Brintey Spears in 3 seconds of searching on images.google.com - thumbnails and all. Thousands of them. I don't know how Altavista can ever concieve of contending with that.