Let's be clear about it: Google is not a social institution for the defense of civil rights - it is just another corporation, not unlike Microsoft and others.
Seriously. Anyone else sick of the obscene hypocrisy coming out of Google?
Me? I'm hoping that MS manages to pull of their 'buyout' of Yahoo. No, not to get back at Google, and no, not because it would make MS that much more powerful or blah blah blah. My motivation is much more ... sinister.
You see, what with MS being on the warpath with that nasty little thing called a Zune, my hope is that if they can persuade Yahoo to let them take over, that they'll keep Yahoo Unlimited up and running - instead of trying to hand-off those customers to Rhapsody. YU is really built around WMA, and things like 'the Zune'... so hopefully MS can 1) take over yahoo 2) be persuaded to keep it alive.
Which brings me to my real point, which is about why Yahoo is likely hurting so much anyhow. Because they apparently don't know how to make $$. Take me for instance, I'm hooked on Yahoo Unlimited. I'm seriously depressed about the possibility of life without it (I mean, I've got over 25k rated songs/albums/artists with that service - and oodles of playlists). But what's Yahoo up to? Oh, they're apparently going to shunt it over to Rhapsody, where I'll have to pay more for it.
Dear Yahoo: If YU is too expensive to run as is, and if I'm going to have to pay Rhapsody MORE to keep a music subscription, then just LET ME PAY YOU MORE. I don't mind (that much) paying more. I do mind, on the other hand, paying ANYTHING to something associated with Real Networks - to the point where I simply won't.
Well, Mike, you were the one who got me hooked on YMU and Launchcast back in the day! It was truly awesome.
But to be honest, I won't be sad to see it die. Not because I want to pimp the zune or other service, but simply because I think the software got worse over time. Frequent crashes, couldn't ever (or easily) get in touch with support, subscription music that wouldn't play even if I tried renewing the subscription.
Maybe it was the stars aligning against me, but I cancelled a good year ago or so just out of sheer frustration.
It's too bad, too -- I really did like the service when it worked -- especially the music/rating system. It was brilliant.
Posted by: Brian | February 05, 2008 at 12:03 PM