I agree. I don't even think of Yahoo and MSN as search engines. Google is a verb, and I do it frequently!

Agreed... Yawn. Now if someone was offering me $44 billion (or any number with nine 0's after it) I'd be interested. I'd even take a few less 0's. Shoot, if someone gave me $20 that'd be more interesting.

I guess a lot of people use Yahoo. I don't know why, and personally don't.

I can't say there are any Microsoft software products or web services that I'm particularly fond of. They make a pretty decent ergo keyboard as I recall.

So agreed. Put Yahoo! together with MS and you have a very expensive giant corporate conglomeration that I'm not very interested in.

I think my post title is inaccurate. It should read "M$+Y!<GOOG."

I never was any good at math.

I've no opinion on the matter, but I like the name "Micro-hoo?" ;-)

I use google cause it's more convient with everything linked in and streamlined. It won't change even if they merge (unless they can put something fantastic together! I won't hold my breath)

I have no real interest in the issue either. However, when I first heard the news I have to admit that it made sense to me. While google may be a verb, Yahoo is still a force. It routinely ranks as one of the top news sites in the country in terms of hits, much higher than many better known sources. Microsoft, despite years of trying, has failed to build a strong web presence. I think the combination can be a force to reckon with.

...one of the top news sites in the country in terms of hits...

May be, but hits don't necessarily equate to profitability, and the analysts are slamming Yahoo for its inability to monetize such strengths.

It seems amazing to contemplate, but Yahoo may be the new AOL – the Old Guard in New Media. And the maturation of the internet-based industry becomes more evident as the biggest players begin to merge in order to cut staff and expenses. Isn't that one of the normal phases of a traditional industry life cycle?

Hey it took the media's mind off the election for a whole 5 minutes. That itself is worth $44b.

Yahoo does have its uses as a targets search function -- if you want a two-step link to finance or sports, it's a little faster pass-through that Google. But it pales next to the latter as a simple search engine because it tries to be too overt in directing you to specific locations, in the same way AOL tries to pick too much content for its users (Google also tries to direct you to certain sites, but their continued use of a plain vanilla layout makes the top-of-the-page paid links a little less obtrusive).

Of course, we're talking Microsoft and its ego here, which means that if the takeover were successful, it will be just the latest attempt to redirect Internet users to the MSN.com website through sheer force of $$$, without any attempt to actually make that site something people want to return to more often. My guess would be whatever positive aspects yahoo.com has will be submerged by Microsoft's heavy-handedness and the site itself will completely disappear within 18-24 months, so that typing in the web address will take you to msn.com, which will have some tiny little Yahoo! notation on it to keep people happy (kind of the way all the BP stations still mention Amoco gasoline to keep those longtime customers in the fold). And more yahoo users will end up at Google than at MSN after it's all over.