Yahoo Names PayPal Executive New CEO

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Yahoo Names PayPal Executive New CEO

Posted by Unknown on Wednesday January 4, 2012 @05:21AM from the closing-geocities-was-a-mistake dept.

Diggester writes "Yahoo Inc said on Wednesday it has appointed Scott Thompson as its chief executive, effective from January 9, replacing interim CEO Tim Morse who will resume his role as chief financial officer. Thompson, who was previously president of PayPal, a unit of eBay Inc, will also join Yahoo's board. Yahoo Chairman Roy Bostock said Thompson's primary focus will be on the core business as the company continues its strategic review process. Yahoo has been in discussions about selling off its Asian assets for some weeks."

45 comments

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Oh Boy by ColdWetDog · 2012-01-04 05:23 · Score: 4, Funny

We just got finished pillorying Pay Pal (again).
Now we can go after Pay Pal AND Yahoo!
2012 is looking up!

--
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
Musical CEOs by idbeholda · 2012-01-04 05:23 · Score: 1

I don't think this technique is doing yahoo any bit of good.
1. Re:Musical CEOs by Grishnakh · 2012-01-04 05:57 · Score: 1
  
  It sure as hell hasn't done HP any good; you'd think other companies would learn from HP's string of blunders, but apparently not.
Core business? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-04 05:25 · Score: 0

I've never been able to figure out what that is, for Yahoo.
1. Re:Core business? by sexconker · 2012-01-04 07:12 · Score: 1
  
  I've never been able to figure out what that is, for Yahoo.
  If you manage to figure it out, I'd wager they'd make you the CEO.
Signs of death by phantomfive · 2012-01-04 05:25 · Score: 4, Insightful

Thompson, who was previously president of PayPal
I can't imagine how the past president of PayPal, a company known for screwing its customers, could possibly be a good thing for Yahoo.

Yahoo has been in discussions about selling off its Asian assets for some weeks.
Great, all you hear from Yahoo lately is "let's sell things off." When was the last time you heard them talk about creating a new product? These are signs of death.

--
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
1. Re:Signs of death by Synerg1y · 2012-01-04 05:31 · Score: 1
  
  In their defense, they're competing w MS & Google, MS was previously established and google has dominated the search market (gmail is good 2) almost since inception. It would make sense for them to branch away / restructure, or throw in the towel.
2. Re:Signs of death by Hadlock · 2012-01-04 05:31 · Score: 2
  
  I'm curious why they went with the PayPal CEO? Presumably he's going to have a lot of banking/legal background, which, while possibly useful, isn't horribly useful for an advertising/search company. Then again, beggars can't be choosers when you're asking someone to captain your sinking ship...
  
  --
  moox. for a new generation.
3. Re:Signs of death by drinkypoo · 2012-01-04 05:33 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  I can't imagine how the past president of PayPal, a company known for screwing its customers, could possibly be a good thing for Yahoo.
  Yahoo is basically some fora, crappy free email, and lousy imagehosting strapped onto the side of Bing. It's a front for Microsoft, much like Netflix (which only started using Silverlight after a board seat at Microsoft was secured.) I'd say this fits in nicely with where things were going anyway. When they announced they would be powered by Bing I knew it was all over and that they had lost their last reason to exist.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
4. Re:Signs of death by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-04 05:45 · Score: 0
  
  Actually their email is not free, if they sell that off, they are going to screw a lot of paying "premium" email customers.
  And yes, it is worth paying the low price for. It is one of the last decent email services out there.
  I for one don't want to be stuck to web mailers and adverts, I pay for POP/IMAP. And won't use MS or Google.
5. Re:Signs of death by phantomfive · 2012-01-04 05:50 · Score: 1
  
  Although Yahoo is perceived from the outside as a search company, they actually make a lot of their money from e-commerce. I suspect that is why they went with this guy, because they figure he knows about e-commerce. And Meg Whitman was taken.
  
  --
  "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
6. Re:Signs of death by phantomfive · 2012-01-04 05:59 · Score: 2
  
  I'm not sure it's really justified to say that. Yahoo was a large ($1billion +) company, and until recently they've been growing at a fairly nice rate, despite competition from MS and Google. Search is definitely not their only source of revenue, they are behind a lot of e-commerce.
  
  Their primary difficulty moving forward is that with the takeover attempts, and other challenges, a lot of their skilled developers were leaving the company. In early 2007 there was a mass exodus of engineers leaving Yahoo. If you were doing interviews in Silicon Valley at the time, you probably interviewed a few of them. It's not easy to rebuild a team of quality engineers, especially when all reports are that your company is collapsing.
  
  --
  "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
7. Re:Signs of death by Grishnakh · 2012-01-04 06:01 · Score: 1
  
  Actually their email is not free, if they sell that off, they are going to screw a lot of paying "premium" email customers.
  Then hiring the ex-Paypal CEO was the right move. He's highly experienced in screwing customers over.
  And yes, it is worth paying the low price for. It is one of the last decent email services out there.
  I for one don't want to be stuck to web mailers and adverts, I pay for POP/IMAP. And won't use MS or Google.
  You're forgetting the best free email service: Google's Gmail. If you have a problem with a tiny, one-line text ad, then there's something wrong with you. Also, these days I don't even see that one-line ad any more; there's just a blank space there; I'm guessing it's because I use AdBlock Plus, but I haven't checked into it to be sure.
8. Re:Signs of death by phantomfive · 2012-01-04 06:07 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Yahoo makes a ton of money from their e-commerce, which isn't always publicly visible, so you may not have noticed. It's a strong company with decent fundamentals, and reasonable potential.
  
  It is also an example of what happens when the CxO group decides to bash on their company with sledgehammers. Or when Corporate Raiders attempt to 'help' things. It's a company that's being destroyed from the top, and all the quality engineers are leaving out the sides (or rather, have left).
  
  --
  "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
9. Re:Signs of death by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-04 07:41 · Score: 0
  
  And they have POP and IMAP free?
  Most free services DO NOT.
  Show me an cheap EMAIL APPLIANCE I can buy that is reliable and 24/7 and I will use that and forward my own domain if need be but I won't be using a free web mailer that has no POP/IMAP. EVER.
  It is not about the adverts, it is the functionality. I also do not have to log into their web page within a set period or I lose my account, It is there as long as I pay, which I do, which is not a large value yearly.
  Show me a decent email appliance in hardware (like a router).
10. Re:Signs of death by geminidomino · 2012-01-04 08:07 · Score: 1
  
  And they have POP and IMAP free?
  If by "they" you mean "gmail" then, yes, they have for quite some time. Screenshot
  
  Show me an cheap EMAIL APPLIANCE I can buy that is reliable and 24/7
  Oh, well since you're being so reasonable about your requirements... Allow me to remind you:
  "Cheap, Reliable, Simple (implied by "appliance"): Choose up to two."
11. Re:Signs of death by lucm · 2012-01-04 08:11 · Score: 2
  
  Thompson, who was previously president of PayPal
  I can't imagine how the past president of PayPal, a company known for screwing its customers, could possibly be a good thing for Yahoo.
  
  Yahoo has been in discussions about selling off its Asian assets for some weeks.
  Great, all you hear from Yahoo lately is "let's sell things off." When was the last time you heard them talk about creating a new product? These are signs of death.
  If companies were always keeping their course and never got rid of any business, EMC would still sell computer desks and Berkshire-Hathaway would still be in the textile business instead of printing money in Omaha...
  
  --
  lucm, indeed.
12. Re:Signs of death by mattack2 · 2012-01-04 11:34 · Score: 1
  
  google has dominated the search market (gmail is good 2) almost since inception.
  
  Yahoo could have bought the google search technology for a relative pittance.
13. Re:Signs of death by mattack2 · 2012-01-04 11:38 · Score: 1
  
  Though gmail's IMAP is not real IMAP, and they don't intend to fix the problems. I don't remember the issues offhand (the inventor of IMAP listed the problems on the alpine mailing list a year or two ago). These were real problems that affect real users, not just technical RFC violations.
14. Re:Signs of death by symbolset · 2012-01-04 15:13 · Score: 1
  
  Andy Lees isn't busy this year, and they're dumb enough to take a Microsoft executive as their CEO.
  
  --
  Help stamp out iliturcy.
15. Re:Signs of death by drinkypoo · 2012-01-05 01:04 · Score: 1
  
  Yahoo makes a ton of money from their e-commerce, which isn't always publicly visible, so you may not have noticed.
  
  That has GOT to be waning, though. I can not remember the last time I found myself buying from a Yahoo store. That would be just another boring anecdote, except that I also used to find myself buying stuff from them all the time. And I have found support for this suggestion; e-commerce is the only pay service they have on Yahoo!, right? And they make money from ad impressions? Revenue is down horribly so I'm guessing they're losing e-commerce stores. Sure, the economy is depressed, but that doesn't account for such a severe drop at this time.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
16. Re:Signs of death by drinkypoo · 2012-01-05 01:51 · Score: 1
  
  Show me an cheap EMAIL APPLIANCE I can buy that is reliable and 24/7 and I will use that and forward my own domain if need be but I won't be using a free web mailer that has no POP/IMAP. EVER.
  Not only does gmail have both pop and imap (better pop than imap) but you can build your own email appliance trivially. Install debian, install a MTA, install apache, slap one or more of the many webmail frontends on, done. I used to use squirrelmail but there are many others. They use IMAP to connect to the server and virtually all are written in PHP so you'll need to load php5 with the IMAP module. You can even install multiple interfaces at once since the mail stays in IMAP.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
how??? by sribe · 2012-01-04 05:25 · Score: 4, Insightful

This would require that: a) Yahoo have a core business and b) Yahoo know what that business is.
1. Re:how??? by jmkaza · 2012-01-04 06:52 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Yahoo is an online services company, they just haven't figured it out yet. When Terry Semel came on board, he thought Yahoo was a content company, and worked hard with his Hollywood background to build that out. When he failed, Carol Bartz came on board with the idea that Yahoo was an advertising platform, and worked with Microsoft to expand that offering. Without a vision of how Yahoo can provide better online services to it's end users, no CEO will be successful.
Buyer ordered to destory Yahoo by KPU · 2012-01-04 05:32 · Score: 5, Funny

In related news, Yahoo was sold through Paypal. The buyer claimed Yahoo is defective and asked for a refund. Paypal then ordered the buyer to destroy Yahoo.
1. Re:Buyer ordered to destory Yahoo by PessimysticRaven · 2012-01-04 05:54 · Score: 1
  
  Oh, come on now. That's a little excessive don't you think?
  Yahoo is doing a bang-up job in regards to destroying itself, already. It certainly doesn't need someone else to wield the sledgehammer!
  
  --
  Consistency is only a virtue if you're not a screw-up.
2. Re:Buyer ordered to destory Yahoo by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-04 06:03 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  I liked Scott Thompson way better when he was a running faggot.
3. Re:Buyer ordered to destory Yahoo by 19thNervousBreakdown · 2012-01-04 06:24 · Score: 2
  
  As much as I want to mod this Funny, I'll instead post here to say, watch the video before modding Troll. My first thought when reading "Scott Thompson" was his Buddy sketches, but this is definitely one of my favorites.
  
  --
  <xml><I><am><so><damn>Web 2.0</damn></so></am></I></xml>
Re:Yahoo = toast. by Grishnakh · 2012-01-04 06:03 · Score: 2

I think it was pretty obvious that Yahoo=toast 5 years ago. It's amazing they've held on for this long.
A new age of violin destruction begins! by Tharsman · 2012-01-04 06:16 · Score: 2

A new age of violin destruction begins!
Re:Yahoo = toast. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-04 06:18 · Score: 0

Time to short the stock? After looking at the YHOO chart back to 1996, I can honestly say that I miss the 90's. That tech bubble was quite a ride.
Oh, crap by Minwee · 2012-01-04 07:20 · Score: 3, Funny

Quick, hide the violins.
1. Re:Oh, crap by mattack2 · 2012-01-04 11:46 · Score: 1
  
  What's all this I hear about violins on TV?
Wait a minute... by kakyoin01 · 2012-01-04 07:43 · Score: 1

Could it be that the previous Paypal article about the smashed-up violin and this one are in some way related?
Perhaps...some strings were pulled.

--
The more you know, the more you have to say and the more you should listen.
1. Re:Wait a minute... by geminidomino · 2012-01-04 08:09 · Score: 1
  
  *groan*
  I think you forgot the "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH" at the end of that...
2. Re:Wait a minute... by kakyoin01 · 2012-01-04 08:21 · Score: 1
  
  "YEAAAAAAAAHH" is most effective when said by someone else. Besides, laughing at my own joke? Where do you think we are, a place full of highly opinionated, egotistical cads?
  
  --
  The more you know, the more you have to say and the more you should listen.
3. Re:Wait a minute... by ebombme · 2012-01-04 09:20 · Score: 1
  
  YEAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!
New CEO needs to fire the Yahoo Mail team. by mkraft · 2012-01-04 08:19 · Score: 1

Lately Yahoo Mail has been very buggy, especially when using IMAP (with mobile phone). The past few months I've seen emails moved to folders simply vanish a few days later, emails that are unreadable, emails that can't be deleted on the web site and IMAP syncing issues and the like.
The first thing the new CEO should do is replace all the people responsible for maintaining and fixing Yahoo Mail with people who are competent.
1. Re:New CEO needs to fire the Yahoo Mail team. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-04 08:26 · Score: 0
  
  Lately Yahoo Mail has been very buggy, especially when using IMAP (with mobile phone). The past few months I've seen emails moved to folders simply vanish a few days later, emails that are unreadable, emails that can't be deleted on the web site and IMAP syncing issues and the like.
  The first thing the new CEO should do is replace all the people responsible for maintaining and fixing Yahoo Mail with people who are competent.
  it's a pretty big system. could be you are a one of a small number of people with this problem. contact customer care and explain the issue at least once.
  my imap mobiile works fine and I've never seen any issues, but maybe you have a different situation
sexconker the douchebag troll blown away? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-04 09:10 · Score: 0

http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2603836&cid=38587006
Who knows what Yahoo can do now? Even comics? by gestalt_n_pepper · 2012-01-04 09:30 · Score: 1

Perhaps they'll even be able to keep their comics pages updated, a task apparently too herculean for past (and current) staff and management.

--
Please do not read this sig. Thank you.
Or maybe they'll lose the "People Magazine" focus. by gestalt_n_pepper · 2012-01-04 09:38 · Score: 1

Oh wait, "People" is a scholarly journal compared to the celebrity "news" on the front page of Yahoo. (e.g. Top 10 ways to find out if you're an idiot!)

--
Please do not read this sig. Thank you.
PayPal's core business... by swordgeek · 2012-01-04 11:15 · Score: 1

...is raping its customers.
Is that what Yahoo is going to focus on now?

--

"People who do stupid things with hazardous materials often die." -- Jim Davidson on alt.folklore.urban
Re:Yahoo = toast. by AverageWindowsUser · 2012-01-04 15:59 · Score: 1

Yeah it was. Yahoo was on top before google came around. I remember the yahoo directory and their rule of "pay $199 for -possible- inclusion of your website into our directory". So you'd have to pay $199 for them to look at your site and decide for themselves if your site was high enough calibur to be afforded the grace of being listed in their directory. Boy have things certainly changed for them since then (2001). I wonder what they'd do for you these days if you paid them $199....

Go ahead and talk about shorting yahoo's stock on their own stock message boards for their own company: http://messages.finance.yahoo.com/mb/yhoo