Photo Matt writes, “I’ve been trying to pin down in my mind why this deal just feels sketchy, like when you find out that nice girl you went to school with is engaged to the class bully. It just doesn’t feel like a healthy, long-term relationship.” I agree, Verisign’s track record is not the best and well, we all have to keep our fingers crossed. Matt who also runs Ping-O-Matic is worried sick.
We should have been better prepared for this. Earlier in the year Verisign had the Boston Consulting Group calling people in the space trying to pick their brains, while at the same time refusing to reveal who they were working for. (Shady.) The “real time web” group also took me to dinner at one point and outlined their view for a “value-added” ping ecosystem (with Verisign in the middle, of course). Every major content producer and every company relying on the ping stream should be very worried about this move.
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4:33 AM PT
Google grab-bag (and DVD rewinder)…
Wow it’s time for IT Blogwatch again, in which we round up a bunch of recent Google news. Not to mention The DVD Rewinder…
5 comments so far
4:02 PM PT
Would it not be ironic, Dave Winer, the perpetual advocate of the blogosphere and the little guy, sells to the company that makes the blogosphere a mess?
10:58 AM PT
I can’t speak to Verisign’s motivations, but they came and spoke to me around the same time. At the time, I suggested that a paid ping service wouldn’t work, but now I’m not so sure. I think there might be an SLA business in there somewhere. I don’t think it would be very big, but it’d justify the couple million bucks they paid.
7:21 PM PT
I know what they want to do ..Hell I tried to buy Blo.gs
These ping servers if handled properly with the community are very powerful. All companies should learn that transparency is the only way to act because the blogosphere will unleash the truth.
Yahoo is a great example of how to engage the community using the blogosphere.
7:04 AM PT
any idea what yahoo finally paid for blo.gs? i made a bid, although i’m sure it was nowhere near what yahoo bid.
9:58 AM PT
At least this justifies the eBay-Skype price.
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