Microsoft Offers to Buy Yahoo!

**chrishirst** · 08:37 AM

Breaking report on Sky News (UK) is that Microsoft have offered £22.4 (GBP) billion to buy Yahoo!

**seolman** · 02-01-2008, 11:44 AM

If this offer is accepted, what do you think will happen to Yahoo? Or Microsoft?

Story

**ADAM Web Design** · 02-01-2008, 12:41 PM

I don't buy it. We've seen this dog and pony show before. I'll believe it when it happens.

**Learning Newbie** · 02-01-2008, 01:45 PM

I believe it. Yahoo can wither and die, or they can cash out while Ballmer's still drunk. I'd take the money and run. (Ooo ooo ooo!)

**ADAM Web Design** · 02-01-2008, 02:27 PM

You would, and I would, but Yahoo! has already demonstrated in the past that they wouldn't take a larger offer. Why would they take a smaller one this time around?

It's not like MS can crush them in their common marketplaces if they don't accept the offer. The only one who can is big G, and they appear to be topping out.

**Learning Newbie** · 02-01-2008, 02:40 PM

The funny part is Yahoo has all the traffic, but can't find paying advertisers. Microsoft probably can't actually do much with Yahoo - the only reason they have such a um, well, you know for Yahoo is to threaten Google.

**ADAM Web Design** · 02-01-2008, 02:59 PM

That's kind of my deeper point here. It doesn't make sense on a number of levels for MS to do it...they're really not going to GAIN $44.6 billion worth of stuff.

I'd actually love to see it happen because of the indirect effect it would have on Google SERPs and the perpetual *****ing of the SEO community, but I'm not that lucky.

**jamestl2** · 02-01-2008, 04:11 PM

I think these type of stories should be put under Technology news, so we don't keep getting duplicate threads:
http://www.webmaster-talk.com/genera...uys-yahoo.html

**chrishirst** · 02-01-2008, 04:55 PM

I was first though

It's Microsoft's normal practice though

If you can't beat them

Buy something!!!

I'll merge the threads

**usearchme** · 02-02-2008, 11:40 AM

Wonder what would happen to msn search and yahoo search, if they do merge the 2 companies ?

Woc

**ADAM Web Design** · 02-02-2008, 12:57 PM

You'll have one giant search engine that sucks twice as much.

**usearchme** · 02-02-2008, 02:45 PM

haha mr optimistic then !

Woc

**ADAM Web Design** · 02-02-2008, 04:52 PM

You're **** right. I'm positive that the bigger something gets, the more it will get screwed up by the people within it.

**Pandora** · 02-02-2008, 07:58 PM

....Still...needs someone big to keep google in check....

**ssandecki** · 02-02-2008, 10:32 PM

You want competition in the search market, if Microsoft does buy Yahoo! you'll only have 2 major search engines, Ask will be a "distant" 3rd and not even be considered a major search engine. The competition helps drive innovation and new ideas, Google probably didn't even think twice about the buyout.

**king601** · 02-03-2008, 02:01 AM

Doesn't microsoft own MSN though? So they just want to eliminate the competition basically.