Openness Online

What is Openness online? It's the relatively new buzz word, which we have reported on before in this blog when we wrote about Facebook, Yahoo, Google and Myspace opening up the code to their platforms or at least thinking about doing it.

"Openness is upon us," Jerry Yang from Yahoo said in his first public speaking appearance since taking over as CEO four months ago. "There is an opportunity for Yahoo as a huge publisher to play the open game and do that as a strategy." What does he mean and what does that mean for you?

Well, Openness is communal management and open access to information and the materials needed to help with a project or creating extra value for a site's member. Facebook is a great example of a platform "opening" up and what resulted was an explosion of cool new apps. We characterize the structure of Openness as flat and fluid. Its a way for websites to allow their members a way to connect to the Web of Internet services that they use everyday that isn't on the website that they are on if that makes sense.

What is your view on the web becoming more open? How do you define Openness?

Cool follow up to the Openness online and what Verizon is doing.

Semel out at Yahoo!

Personally, I felt like this was a long time coming but surprised with who took over. Yahoo seemed to be late to the party too many times under the Semel regime and was losing ground to Google, who always seemed to beat them to the punch either in technology innovation or aquisitions.

Jerry Yang, who started Yahoo 12 years ago as a Stanford student, will take over the reigns. I think Yang will prove to be a filler until they find a bigger named CEO to lead the company. It's one thing to be intimate with the company but another thing to be a part of a executive management team.

I thought Susan Decker would have been a better pick. She was a lift quicker to make decisions like shutting down Yahoo Photos after the Flickr acquisition and migrating the Yahoo users over to the better service. She was elevated to el presidente.

This will def be worth watching in the future and Yang is going to need all the luck he can get.

Did Newscorp just buy Photobucket?

Looks like yes. MySpace is acquiring Photobucket for $250 million in cash. We’re also hearing that there is also an earn-out for up to an additional $50 million. So 300 million. This was the question and rumor that had been flying around silicon valley the last few months. I'm sure some people remember that Newscorp shut Photobucket users from uploading their content to MySpace in a beef that was most likely used for more negotiating leverage in this deal. Today it looks like Newscorp did step up to the plate and swing for the Photobucket fences. Some thought that Photobucket could go for 250 or 300 million which I think would be a steal based on the loyal user base they have and subscription model which is raking in money. Photobucket is a relatively new company at 4 years old but has seen tremendous growth in the last year. If Newscorp confirms its buy of Photobucket it is a great way to counter Yahoo's Flickr which has been going gangbusters. How do you feel about large companies buying these creative communities?