Tellme Founder Tells Yahoo Not to Worry Over Microsoft Takeover

Tellme founder and previous Yahoo co-founder, Mike McCue hasn't spoken to past-partner Jerry Yang since the Microsoft takeover bid for Yahoo, but he wanted to let his friend know that being acquired by Microsoft isn't such a terrible proposition. "After being assured that Tellme would be able to retain its Silicon Valley office, identity and quirky culture, McCue negotiated an $800 million sale to Microsoft and agreed to stay on as general manager. It's a decision that he says he doesn't regret 10 months into the marriage. 'We are pretty much doing everything we were doing before - just a lot more of it,' said McCue, 40. Because of the vast differences in size, the Tellme deal obviously isn't an apples-to-apples comparison to Microsoft's proposed $40 billion acquisition of Yahoo, which contends it's worth even more money despite a two-year earnings slump."

Re:Given Yahoo's assistance in Totalitarian China.

[Anonymous Coward]

So I take it you've never bought anything made in China? Or is it only evil if other people help totalitarian governments and if you don't have to pay more money for your toys?

Re:Given Yahoo's assistance in Totalitarian China.

[Brian Gordon]

What does that have anything to do with it? And nobody give me some smart answer- I mean directly, that has nothing to do with what we think about Yahoo's decisions about China.

McCue has no direct connections to Yahoo

[Anonymous Coward]

> Tellme founder and previous Yahoo co-founder, Mike McCue hasn't spoken to past-partner Jerry Yang

This is wrong. McCue has no direct connections to Yahoo in his past. He founded Paper Software which was purchased by Netscape where he stayed on as a VP. He eventually started Tellme Networks with Angus Davis in 1999. Prior to Paper I believe he was at IBM.

he doesn't even have to be lying

[Anonymous Coward]

You are right that they money counts, but the guy was probably rich anyway. He probably believes what he is saying. The thing he's not pointing out is that his was a friendly take over. That means that the board and management all the way down the line stay intact. Yahoo is a hostile takeover and that's going to be a nightmare. In this guys case, they clearly agreed with him and trust him. In the Yahoo case, they are automatically kicking out the top level and so will be changing the entire direction of the company. In Yahoo's case, they have to; as quickly as possible; put their own people in charge of everything. Just for the simple fact that the people at the bottom will realise that all their own projects and work are now threatened and will so many of them will hate Microsoft.

I think that; if this is the best example they can come up with then the entirety of Yahoo should now be preparing for total war on Microsoft. History says that you can't work with or even discuss with Microsoft. There are only two possibilities. Be submerged into Microsoft like this guy or alternatively fight them with all your energy. The middle road of doing your own thing whilst not giving in as taken by Lotus, Borland, Netscape etc. and now handset manufacturers like Ericsson and even to some extent Nokia leads to long term Extinction. The mistake Yahoo has made is that it should have invested more into Linux but at the same time try to make that investment untouchable by Microsoft. As many people as possible should be trying to get the Yahoo board to agree to relicence their work projects under the AGPLv3. Things which will not allow MS to close them down just in order to destroy them.

Re:Biased

[DarkOx]

While I think you're point is generally correct SQL Server has little to do with Oracle. SQL Server is instread the poster child for why you never partner with M$ on a development project. M$ licensed Sybase for the core of SQL Server and the two oranization agreed to continue to share code. Now M$ went and spent all their engergy doing things very tightly coupled to Windows and therfore not useful to the cross platform Sybase product.

They then marketed SQL Server more agressively and cheaper, sucking up all the oxygen as per usual. This has turned Sybase into pretty much a legacy vendor like Novell without Suse. Really its kinda similar to Windows and OS/2.