Microsoft, Yahoo Combo Worries Web Users

The Internet is buzzing after Microsoft offered $44.6 billion for Yahoo. Every Jim, Joe and Sally that has ever used any Web service or product by Microsoft or Yahoo has an opinion and wants to weigh into the matter. I looked around and found many are not happy and are worried Yahoo staples such as Flickr and Yahoo Mail will be negatively impacted.

Around social news site Reddit, one of the big concerns revolves around the services that Yahoo has acquired over recent years including Flickr, Konfabulator, del.icio.us, Pips and MyBlogLog. User Drevor was quick to suggest that some of the better Yahoo services could be scrapped in favor of Microsoft's options.

A continued deep thread of comments, starting with user Pavement's declaration, "Leave Flickr alone!" sparked concern over whether Flickr would remain one of the best option for photography, social networking and sharing if Microsoft takes control.

Another discussion thread on Reddit began with user dotcoma comparing a merger of this magnitude to the AOL and Time Warner merge. This began a discussion of mergers that did and didn't end well - think DiamlerChrysler, ExxonMobil, MSNBC, and Molson Coors. The Sirius and XM merger, that is still in the works, was also addressed as it pertains to a merge of this size passing government regulators.

Name Change: Yahoosoft or Microhoo?

Even though it is just an offer on the table, Digg user neiltc13 already began speculating whether the name will be Yahoosoft or Microhoo. I like the latter, personally.

Another Digg user, ilgaz, offers concern about Microsoft changing Yahoo's backend to match its own. "Will MS keep Yahoo as FreeBSD? Like them or not, Yahoo has been poster child of FreeBSD. Or will we see Windows Server when we check Yahoo's Netcraft? What will happen to Yahoo's policy to keep compatibility with 3-4 major browsers? Will people see 'Sorry, Yahoo Mail Beta requires IE' instead of 'To get Yahoo mail beta, Use Firefox, Safari, Seamonkey, Opera (soon) or IE?'"

Similar discussion continues at Slashdot with user 1sockchuck addressing the open source concerns and how it could help or harm. "A consolidation of the Microsoft and Yahoo networks could shift a massive amount of infrastructure from open source technologies to Microsoft platforms. Microsoft said that 'eliminating redundant infrastructure and duplicative operating costs will improve the financial performance of the combined entity.'"

What About Search?

Oddly enough, one of the conversations that seems to be missing is how this will affect search engines. While Google may account for 57-percent of the search engine market share, Yahoo and Microsoft account for 34-percent of the remaining market share, as collected by Search Engine Watch. Would a merge of this magnitude give Microhoo a fighting chance to hang with Google? Only time will tell.

Personally, my use with the Web services from the two giants is limited to Live Messenger, Flickr and Yahoo Fantasy Sports. Live Messenger won't be touched, and if so it will be simply to add support for Yahoo Messenger, but please don't change Flickr and Yahoo Fantasy Sports.

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