More perspectives on Yahoo + Microsoft

I think the proposed merger is a bad idea simply on business terms – these things rarely work out. But there are some interesting, broader persepectives floating around.

TechCrunch is saying it’s all going to be fine, arguing the deal will both create more competition (good for consumers) and… er… reduce competition (good for smaller players). If that confuses you now, you may not feel much more enlightened after you’ve read it. They’re probably right about Google being afraid, though. And I really can’t be arsed with Flickr protestrs unhappy at Microsoft’s shareholders, rather than Yahoo’s shareholders, owning their photo-sharing services. You are so p0wned, as I think the kids like to say, either way.

Meanwhile, the Subtraction blog is making the point that design couldn’t save Yahoo, which might come as no surprise to most. But the post does remind us that many bits of Yahoo are, indeed, wonderfully designed… which is not something we can say about many bits of Microsoft. It’s interesting that design has played a huge role in Apple’s revival, yet Yahoo’s leadership in web design has apparently gone unrewarded.