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Yahoo! Expands Open Web Platform Plans
Ian Lamont writes "Yahoo has announced it is further opening its Web platform to developers and moving closer to a Facebook-style social networking concept. Yahoo CTO Ari Balogh made the announcement at the Web 2.0 Expo, and said that while Yahoo already has open APIs for some services, it will expand the open API concept to other areas and make it more consistent for developers, while boosting the 'social' aspect of its services for its members. Analysts don't expect this to increase Microsoft's interest in Yahoo!. In fact, recent comments from Steve Ballmer suggest that Microsoft will give up entirely."
This sounds similar to the recent story about Google, I'm not surprised though.
The problem Yahoo! seems to be skirting is that Google has mass adoption already and they can't seem to find a way around it. Google gets this adoption b/c it has its fingers into every online ad outlet known to the Internet gods. Yahoo! needs to get its hands dirty and lay off the technology and fix its business penetration first...
Except that Yahoo is joining the networking crowd and Microsoft is well... NOT being joined by anybody. I think it is a good move by Yahoo. So many companies stagnate the market by resisting change even as their product begins to slip. Yahoo choosing to solve the problem before it gets out of hand says something for their business model. Whether or not it works is another story.
"Taboo, like anything else, goes in and out of style."
... unless you have disabled JavaScript.
I did and all of a sudden, 14 mail client windows appeared on my desktop asking me to subscribe to some strange newsgroup I haven't heard about. In addition I cannot close my browser because the page is displaying a JavaScript Alert.
In addition, the page may contain materials unsuitable for minors. Luckily Quicktime failed to load them.
What I find more interesting than the "main story" is the article at the last link in the summary. Maybe some of this is out of context, but Ballmer just amazes me with the things he gets away with saying while still keeping his job.
Yet just the paragraph before that, the article states:
Ummm... Yeah... That's good for your stockholders (which incidentally through a gift I happen to be one of). I realize this is preparation in case they don't get Yahoo and of course they would move on without them. However, is it really smart to keep clamoring on about how essential they are for you to be competitive yet at the same time making it clear that you now have doubts if you can even do it?
Maybe I'm just being too hard on him or reading too much into it, but I did just finish rewatching "Pirates of Silicon Valley" last weekend and, well, it's just good fun. ;)
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a yo-yo.-Enoch Root
So basically, this is yet another grasping at straws attempt to hold of the wolf at the door, by copying someone else's idea and further diluting their portfolio, and diversifying away from their core business.
When was the last time Yahoo innovated? In fact, have they ever?
And there folks is the reason why Yahoo is not long for this World. They've been very lucky to have lasted this long, they really should have gone under with the dotcom bubble.
Borrowed. Time.
Sounds like Last Measure, the ultimate GNAA troll.
Regardless, I would be very suspect of any rds.yahoo.com links -- rds appears to be some sort of Yahoo redirection service. Treat it as you would tinyurl, etc.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
> Microsoft has already proposed a solution to help Yahoo! fix its business penetration.
I didn't realize "bend over" was a solution to anything...
On the one hand, perhaps Ballmer and co. have been listening to all the contempt among well informed techies that the merger is an incredibly stupid idea, and so perhaps we should have kept our mouths shut, and let them accelerate their destruction.
On the other hand, I'm not sure that would be worth the price of sacrificing Yahoo, warts and all.
I'm really feeling like Google will be the next tech company to hate. They're not not evil, folks, and the sooner you get used to the idea the better. They help the Chinese government censor their web searches--that's all I need to know, and I'm simply not interested in their excuses.
MS is psychopathic, and their bad acting has really driven techies away in droves, which I believe has hurt their other businesses--like search. Who of us slashdotters is going to set up Grandma with MSN as her default page? Not too many.
Google, however, is much more intelligent, and I suspect will cause quite a lot of damage more through blithe ignorance of their own limitations before it's all said and done.
expandfairuse.org
Do not click on parent's link. Couldn't slashcode just block out rds.yahoo.com links?
I used to work at VeriSign and Balogh would regularly make all kinds of meaningless corporate noises that were impossible to parse. But somehow he is considered one of the best CTOs out there -- go figure.
This Yahoo fiction is a bit better, but the notion that there is a coherent platform there that can be "opened" is laughable. Balogh is just spinning a pleasant new fantasy to slot him up for a nice position of money and power when Microsoft owns the store.
Call me a fool, but am I the only one who is wondering why we need *MORE* Social Networking? What happened to editorial integrity, with it's provider staking it's credibility on the accuracy it's content? Informative opinions from knowledgeable sources?
We're somehow losing sight of this, in favor of "social networking", which really just amounts to cheap content creation that generates large advertising dollars.
The internet is quickly becoming just one big complaint line - And who will deny that when everyone shouts, no one listens.
The heady plans are smart but have come too late. ...
http://techwatch.reviewk.com/2008/04/yahoo-social-platform/
Overture was acquired by Yahoo back in 2003 (which makes it practically biblical in internet time.)
Nonsense! The entire internet is only 3 years old.
Don't tell me you're a wing nut that believes in the "old internet theory?"
Microsoft should go back to making shitty Operating Systems. Or concentrate on adding support to ODF documents to their reasonably okay office suite (tip to Microsoft - add the support to Office 2003 and ditch 2007). Or even to .... no, don't bother. Microsoft should really really concentrate on being a good and morally improved IT industry citizen, and less of a bully and purveyor of inferior products. Why do they need to have this constant fear of another company having more market share and expertise than them in every aspect of IT?
It's the crazy eyes. He always looks like somebody's tugging at his scalp to keep them so wide open. Also, he's just such a Pollyanna. Nothing Microsoft does is ever admitted as a "mistake" until it gets to WinME proportions.
Since gaining a competitive edge from eating babies is obviously absurd, I didn't have any trouble telling that your remark was ironic. To start a witch hunt would require an allegation that is horrifying, but plausible. "He acquired a taste for dog meat on a trip to [very poor country] as a youth, and now secretly dines regularly both on puppies and kittens retrieved by interns from pounds" might work, if you're interested in starting a witch hunt. "Turned me into a newt" probably won't cut it, these days.
All 19 hijackers were known terrorists 09-10-2001. Lack of FBI intelligence does not justify warrantless wiretaps..
You can't blame Google. Write your Congressman if it bothers you that they're bending over for communists, and they are, Democrat and Republican alike. Free Tibet.
All 19 hijackers were known terrorists 09-10-2001. Lack of FBI intelligence does not justify warrantless wiretaps..