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Jawbone54 · Apr 9, 2008, 03:16 PM

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc is in advanced talks to carry Web search advertising from Google Inc as part of a search for potential alternatives to being bought by Microsoft Corp, a source familiar with the discussions said on Wednesday.

Shares of Yahoo rose 12 cents to $27.82, Microsoft was up 15 cents to $28.90, and Google shares fell 0.5 percent to $465.00, all on Nasdaq.

Yahoo's use of Google search would be for a limited test, the source said.

The Google talks were first reported by the Wall Street Journal's Web site.

Yahoo spokeswomen were unavailable for comment. A Google spokesman declined to comment, saying he was not aware of the story and was not aware if the Wall Street Journal had called his company for comment.

The point being: Microsoft is going to be POed.

Dakar the Fourth · Apr 9, 2008, 03:18 PM

I suppose.

That's like a double-shaft for MS. Love it.

Jawbone54 · Apr 9, 2008, 03:20 PM

Exactly.

I'm in support of anything that throws the finger at Microsoft. The fact that it's Google makes it even more satisfying.

64stang06 · Apr 9, 2008, 03:30 PM

Good for Yahoo.

Peter · Apr 10, 2008, 05:11 AM

MSFT + News Corp > Yahoo.

Agasthya · Apr 10, 2008, 06:05 AM

This move reeks of desperation from Yahoo. The initial Microsoft offer was more than fair.

- - e r i k - - · Apr 10, 2008, 07:14 AM

Take that M$! LOLZ!

osiris · Apr 10, 2008, 09:04 AM

Good for Yahoo. MS can bite me too.

TETENAL · Apr 10, 2008, 09:22 AM

Concentrating all search, advertisement and other internet stuff on one company can not be good for the web and its users. If it takes Microsoft to turn Yahoo into a viable competitor against Google I'd prefer that over a Google monoculture any time.

Dakar the Fourth · Apr 10, 2008, 09:27 AM

Am I the only person here who finds Yahoo! completely irrelevant and always has? I think flickr may be the only Yahoo based service I've ever used.

Peter · Apr 10, 2008, 09:32 AM

and delicious.

I use the Yahoo search, because I want to like Yahoo. But it sucks compared to Googles.

Dakar the Fourth · Apr 10, 2008, 09:34 AM

Never used delicious.

MacosNerd · Apr 10, 2008, 09:51 AM

I think it will be a hard sell if yahoo & google hooked up on any long term arrangement. The wording here has been very specific as they're testing this out. Your right that this is ticking MS off. I'd probably put my money on the fact that they're using this as a ploy to extract more money out of Microsoft. As many of the news sites reported, that MS blundered by threatening to lower the bid not raise it. So now the heat is on them to raise the offer

lpkmckenna · Apr 10, 2008, 09:57 AM

Yahoo also has a deal of some kind with AOL now.

Frankly, I think MS swallowing Yahoo would be the worst thing to happen to the intarwebs since, well, ever. MS isn't interested in Yahoo's services like YahooMail or Flickr or anything else; they just want the ad dollars and to hell with Yahoo's loyal users.

Salty · Apr 10, 2008, 10:06 AM

I personally only use Flickr, and I'd probably switch to Picassa's web whatever stuff, or the new Adobe offering if they got eaten by Microsoft. Frankly while I don't use any of Yahoo's services aside from Flickr (Since Google, and others offer better) I can't imagine giving Microsoft control of one of the largest Email providers, IM providers, and some of the big things Yahoo has is really smart.

MacosNerd · Apr 10, 2008, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna

Frankly, I think MS swallowing Yahoo would be the worst thing to happen to the intarwebs since, well, ever. MS isn't interested in Yahoo's services like YahooMail or Flickr or anything else; they just want the ad dollars and to hell with Yahoo's loyal users.

You're right but they see this as their only option to catch up to google and so I believe this deal is going to happen. Like when Oracle went after PeopleSoft, PS fought them tooth and nail but eventually Oracle bought them out. Likewise MS has the assets and the need, and there's no other company willing to be a white knight for yahoo so the deal is going to happen, its just going to be how much is MS going to pay.

It will be bad for the internet for so many reason but that never stopped a company from buying another before and it won't now

driven · Apr 14, 2008, 06:41 AM

The Microsoft buyout of Yahoo WILL happen.

My perspective:

- Yahoo: They've been stuck in the mud for years. It's a shame. Even basic feature enhancements to Yahoo Mail takes YEARS to show up.

- Microsoft: Company with stale technology trying to buy their way into the search field (where they themselves have failed) buy trying to buy a stale company.

- Google: Extremely successful search company that has become nearly as bad as Microsoft.